
AI Can Cost You / Waste Not When Dining Out
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Clark Howard
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Clark Howard
It'S great to have you here on the Clark Howard show where you know our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you so you make better financial decisions in your life. And you can't go anywhere without hearing AI, AI, AI. But can you trust the answers you get? Well, trusting AI can actually cost you time, money or have you make bad decisions. And also, consumers are literally throwing money away right now in numbers too large to ignore. And I want to talk about that later in this podcast and YouTube show. So I love elliot.org it's a consumer advocacy organization that talks about individuals having specific problems with generally large companies that are not treating them right. Elliot.org recently had a post about a problem guy named Jason had with Expedia. And so Jason buys a trip and Expedia now has its own AI that is a virtual agent that's there with you as you're shopping around. Don't know if you've experienced this with Expedia. And so the virtual AI says this AI chatbot says, you know, you can cancel this, no risk, within 24 hours for a full refund. Literally it says he could cancel the package within 24 hours. Literally the words it says is full refund. So he does the booking over 3500 bucks and then Expedia only gives him back half the money. And they said, well in our terms and conditions and we don't honor with our chatbot says it's up to you to read the terms and conditions. And the ftc, for whatever it's worth has said, yeah, company has a chatbot that tells you something and it conflicts with what the terms of service say, then whichever is to the favor of the consumer, that's the real story. But Expedia told him to pound sand and said, tough, you're out half your money now. Remember he did a booking and used that 24 hour period to decide canceled within it. Then they said, yeah, jokes on you. We're keeping your 1750. This is crazy. Expedia spokesperson said, we encourage travelers to review all policies before booking. Come on, come on. How corporate stupid is that? That's so far beyond mean. That gets all the way to stupid. And what's a bad combination? Mean and stupid, Right. So of course after Elliot's advocates contacted Expedia, they gave the money back. But how do you know if, if somebody doesn't know effectively how to complain, what happens? And AI is horseshoes, right? And we become very reliant on it as it's more and more places. Oh man. This company I do work for and I was having a problem getting reimbursed for something and so when I contacted the department where I'm supposed to get my money, I can't talk to a human and I'm talking to AI and then they send me an email back from AI, there was just gibberish. So no human ever interacted with the problem with the money. It's just crazy, right? But I've been. We're all on the team, Clark. We're testing different AIs. And I have one on my phone. What's mine called? Mine is called Gemini. Is Gemini a Google native? Okay, Krista told me Google native. And what are some of the others that people on the team have been testing? Do you know? I know Chat. GBT is the big one, but there's.
Listener
Another one that James uses, I don't remember which.
Clark Howard
It's called Gronk or something. Yep, Gronk. I think that's it. Anyway, we're testing these different things and what's been funny with the Gemini is it gives answers verbally and written with such authority that you think, oh man, this has to be true. And you were playing with my Gemini the other day and you asked something and it was amazing how accurate it was. It was something we knew all about, completely accurate. And then other stuff you ask and it's completely wrong or incomplete. So we're in very early innings with any of this stuff. Just as Expedia lied to that customer with its chat thing, the bot. There's a lot of stuff that's being worked on. And just because it sounds so authoritative doesn't mean you take it as actual fact. Because as we've seen in our testing of these different things, they can be so good and then so wrong. Be aware that what they say is not necessarily fact.
Listener
All right. Jennifer in Michigan says my question is about the. This phone.
Clark Howard
Name it the Mode Phone.
Listener
The Mode Phone lets you earn money for using your phone, listening to music, playing games, etc. With its earn OS operating system. Is this a legit cell phone company? It says it offers transparency and. And the opportunity to own a piece of the company. I'd like to know what you think. And P.S. i am proud to work at Clark's alma mater. Fire up chips.
Clark Howard
Talking about Central Michigan University where I got my master's degree before dinosaurs were extinct on Earth.
Listener
The chip, the Chippewas, which you like.
Clark Howard
Fire up Chips. So the Mode Phone is something that I don't hear a lot about, but let me tell you what it is. You get an Android phone with them that's specially set up for their operating system, the Mode operating system, and then they pay you money for. It's almost like when we used to do the like again with Dinosaurs roam the Earth and you and I would do the freeway long distance service when you used to have to pay for long distance. And every 15 second AD we'd listen to, we get two free minutes of long distance. This is one. If you do different things like watch promotions or whatever on your phone, you get the potential to earn money. It's not a lot of money. It seems legit. And there are complaints about people saying I didn't get my money, whatever. But there's nothing scammy about it that I see that we know of that I've been able to find at all.
Listener
Maybe we'll test it out so other people don't have to and we'll write it up on clark.com.
Clark Howard
I like that.
Listener
Yeah, we'll do that. Okay. Micah in Maine says I have received two class action lawsuit settlements each for $1, both issued with virtual credit cards. It turns out that a $1 virtual credit card is impossible to spend or redeem as it can only be used online. And no other retailer allows for the use of two credit card payment methods on the same purchase. There is no way to contact the credit card issuer as I did not provide an email address for either settlement and phone contact is impossible. I cannot retrieve the card number. This just seems like another way the class action settlements benefit the attorneys and the banks and not the consumer.
Clark Howard
Well, we could talk all day long about class actions not benefiting banks or consumers, but you have a foolproof way to use these virtual card numbers. You've done it before when you've got.
Listener
If they allow it. I usually, if I get these gift card things or whatever, like, you know, these, these reward cards. I recently got one from my isp, my Internet service provider.
Clark Howard
And was it a virtual like this?
Listener
It wasn't. It was a physical debit kind of card. Like it was called a reward card. And I tried to buy a gift card with it and it wouldn't let me in retailers. And so I went on to my utility company, in this case my electric company, and they'll let you pay in smaller amounts and so using different payment methods. So I went ahead and just paid the entire amount that was on that card toward my utility.
Clark Howard
So even the $1, you can prepay on a lot of things. You might be able to prepay on your cell phone bill, on your Internet service bill, your utility bill, various utility bills and wipe out these $1 virtual cards just so you don't lose that $1. But yes, the purpose of all these different payment cards, whether they're physical or virtual, is breakage. They're hoping, they're expecting that a lot of people will never figure out how to use them or use all the value and the money just goes poof from the consumer. That's the design.
Listener
James in Oklahoma says, am I generally better off collecting points to use for flights, upgrades, etc. Or getting 2% cash back on my Citi Double Cash MasterCard?
Clark Howard
I love 2% cash back because they don't tell you there are blackout periods to get your 2% cash back. They don't tell you there's no inventory available. It's your money. Cash is king. The exception to that would be somebody who travels a ton and you have really significant charge volume, then maybe you can make it work. But better in redemptions for flights potentially. But a lot of the airlines now, you take their credit card points and use them for a ticket, you're only getting 7/10 of a cent value per point now. That's why cash back at 2% is getting you roughly three times the value of what you're getting quite often now from a travel rewards card. Some of the hotel reward cards like Marriott, what a joke. The Marriott Bonvoy program has a payback that is so teensy tiny that cash back is so much better than chasing points with Marriott. The only thing it would be an exception if you are a road warrior. You're in the Marriott or Hilton or Hyatt hotels all the time and you're doing it for status to get room upgrades, you're getting free meals, that kind of thing. Fine. But if it's really about just redeeming points, almost worthless. Coming up ahead, there's something we're no longer doing when we eat out that's throwing money away. We gotta have a talk.
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Clark Howard
Race the rudders. Race the sails. Race the sails. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching.
Listener
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Clark Howard
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Krista
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Clark Howard
With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title and more. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started today at LinkedIn.com results. Terms and conditions apply. Okay, what do you do when you go to a restaurant? You eat your meal and something I used to do was I used to eat everything on my plate, Even if I do it to the point that I feel bad later that I just ate too much and I don't do that anymore, I get what used to be called a doggy bag now, you know, just like a leftover container, whatever, and take that home. But there's a story in the New York Times, following up on an industry report, that Americans for some reason don't take home leftovers from restaurants anymore at all like they used to. This is in city after city. This isn't any one place. According to the New York Times, this is all around America. Industry study finds that the average American now is leaving the table of restaurants that over the course of a year, they leave over a pound of food a week. Essentially 53 pounds of food that they just have thrown away by the restaurant. And if the food was lousy, I get that. But let's say you really liked it. Average American throwing away from restaurants $330 a year. Who couldn't use $330 a year? Somebody goes up to you and says, hey, how'd you like three one hundreds and three tens? You say, what's the. What's the con here? Kind of con are you running? But if somebody legit wanted to give you $330, no strings attached, you'd be pretty happy to have that, right? So why are we throwing away $330? My wife insists that a lot of food tastes better the second day, but it's also better tasting anyway because we didn't have to pay anything essentially for that second meal. So I don't know if there's some kind of pride thing that people feel like, oh, they think I don't have any money that I want to take home leftovers. I don't care what they think at the restaurant. You paid big money. And restaurant meals are much more expensive than they used to be. Take those leftovers and have that follow on bonus meal because you already paid for it.
Listener
Yeah, I had leftovers yesterday for lunch.
Clark Howard
What'd you have? Exciting.
Listener
I had a salad.
Clark Howard
So you make a big salad and then you wasn't.
Listener
I didn't make it. I ate out and I spent money on it. And that really makes me do. I usually do leftovers multiple days a week, though. If I'm cooking at home or whatever, I always make sure I have enough, you know. But yeah, if I'm gonna pay money to eat out, it's really great if I can have leftovers.
Clark Howard
We had Lane's pasta, which is fantastic. She claims to Be Italian, but she's only 7%. But the 7% she got definitely taught her how to cook fantastic pasta meals.
Listener
That's great. Okay. Heather in Mississippi wrote into you, Clark. She said, I've received a Cash App debit card to my address with errors. It had the correct street address, wrong state and correct zip code. It was also using my maiden name. I have not used my maiden name in 20 plus years. So there were some big red flags. The most obvious red flag is that I do not had, will not and have not used Cash App. I called them and after a bit of time got a live operator. I was able to explain part of my story before they stopped me and said they would be recording the conversation. I said, I will as well. They cut the phone call and explain that they do not allow me to record them and they hung up. My question is, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Clark Howard
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Do you realize how bad that is? If that's really what happened? I mean, they always say for, you know, we're recording this call, why shouldn't the consumer, the other side of this call be able to do the same thing? In some states, there's what's known as one party permission, which means you don't even have to tell them you're recording. It just depends on the state if you have to. But boy, I don't like that part of the story.
Listener
So no.
Clark Howard
What else?
Listener
How can I report this or cancel this account? My and my husband's credit is frozen. I've not seen any other signs of identity fraud.
Clark Howard
So if it's a debit card, it's different than a credit card. I don't know where this is going to go and I don't know. You said your credit's frozen. A debit card is not an extension of credit. So normally there would not be a credit report pulled. But I would say very important that you monitor, you continually monitor your credit files anyway. If you have a credit Karma dashboard, you can see what's going on with two of your reports. You want to see if suddenly there's an alias showing up involving your maiden name and stuff like that. Applications for credit that were declined, things like that. And hopefully this is a one off. This will not be a pattern. But I think I would call back, don't even bother with when they say you're on a recorded line and see if you can get to the bottom of it. Because they don't want at Cash App or Venmo. They don't want somebody doing some kind of alias because at some point down the road it's probably going to cause Cash App or Venmo a problem. So I would call back, start that call over and see where you got the second time. Don't give them a reason to say, well, you can't record. We're hanging up the phone.
Listener
Bob in Georgia says Clark. I love your podcast and I've learned so much from you and Wes and Krista over the years. Following your advice has helped us to retire with confidence we can live out our lives with our past lifestyle and continue to travel the world. My wife and I are taking a trip to Vietnam in January. When is the best time to book our flight and try to get the best fare?
Clark Howard
So Bob, first of all, I'm so excited for you because Vietnam is really, really a wonderful country to visit.
Listener
I thought you were going to say also because he's put himself in such a good position, all of it so awesome.
Clark Howard
I just love that too. But my brother in law just came back from a trip to Vietnam six weeks ago and had a wonderful time. And if you're a longtime listener or viewer, you know, I took my brother who fought in Vietnam, who had always had some issues from having fought there. I took him back there and he said it was one of the greatest weeks of his life. The the week we were in Vietnam and is still to this day, 11 years later, euphoric about the experience. It buried a lot of things for him that had been hard from when he was in Vietnam. But if for you it's just tourism, let me tell you, it's a great country to go to. So now to your question. Fares to Vietnam from where are you in the United States? You're on the east coast, tend to be very, very high. Often they'll be far cheaper from the West Coast. I'm going to get to your when question in a second, but what I want you to do is I want you to go on google.com flights and set up fare alerts for travel next January to Vietnam from your home airport, from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. And Google will be sending you alerts as different fairs happen. For January, you're way far out. And it would be an unusual fare pattern that there would be a deal already for January next year. International fares tend to have the best prices, usually about four months out mathematically, you know, historical averages. But it can be odd patterns. I've seen in the last week several deals for travel to Europe that are really good for next January. So the patterns, even though you can Say, well, the average domestic ticket about six weeks out is going to be your best fare. International, it might be about four months, but those are averages. So you want to track the fares starting now and see what happens. And when a really great fair happens from the west coast or from an airport near where you live on the east coast, then you can grab that fare. What would be a great fare to Vietnam? From the west coast, about 700 round trip. And so from the east coast, you need to get a fare of 1100 round trip or less to really make it worth it to go with an east coast fair to Vietnam instead of a West coast fair. Because a lot of people like the idea, hey, we got a bonus little side trip. We fly out a couple days early, go to la, San Francisco, Seattle, and enjoy having fun on the West Coast. And then we go on to Vietnam. And then it's not as much travel also, all in one day.
Listener
Okay. Ann in Tennessee says, I own and live in my condo. Studs out. My insurance coverage is valued at $500,000. How do I determine insurance coverage for the interior? Is there a percent of that to value the interior?
Clark Howard
Okay, this is a great question. So the condo association in your case says, studs out is your responsibility. Everything else is theirs. So there's a code they use at homeowners and condo insurers. H6 I'm trying to remember some kind of weird name they call it, which is a different process to evaluate the coverage you have to have for the portion of the home you're responsible for versus what the condominium is. And it stated clearly in your condominium documents. Let's say a neighbor has a problem that brings damage into your unit, who's responsible? In that case, your condo documents will say that if you have an experienced person at your homeowner's insurance provider who is an expert in condominium policies, they'll want to see the documents from your homeowner association. And they're the ones who will be able to tell you what coverage you need for the portion that you're liable for versus the association. I have relatives who live in an older condominium that was built almost 40 years ago and has had chronic water leak problems. And what happens under their documents is that each unit owner is responsible for whatever water damage happens inside their unit, even if it's an association reason, you know, association common pipe or a leak that comes from another unit. That's why these condo documents are key to answering your question, so that you know what's on you, what's on them. And that's where having somebody who knows what they're doing at your insurer is key. Your insurer is a big insurer of homes and condominiums. They have available to you condominium experts. They'll tell you what documents they want from your homeowners association to make sure you are, in fact, properly insured and that the value of that coverage is sufficient. They may not have asked you for these documents. Now it's time for you to ask them to evaluate your specific condominium and make sure you have the proper coverage. I hope that answers the question, Ann, because it is so specific to each condominium and its docs. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. You know, it's coming up Friday we have Clark Stinks. You know, we were when I went from five podcasts a week to three, we were only doing Clark Stinks every other week. And then by popular demand, listeners and viewers demanded that we reinstate a weekly Clark Stings because I guess I'm an imperfect human being like all the rest of us. And there are things that I need to restate, rethink or correct. And that's what Clark Stinks makes possible. So tune in to Friday's podcast or YouTube show. Can't wait to be with you and know what we're all about every day. Every way that we serve you is to empower you with knowledge that saves you more so you spend less and avoid getting ripped off.
The Clark Howard Podcast: AI Can Cost You / Waste Not When Dining Out Release Date: April 16, 2025
In this engaging episode of The Clark Howard Podcast, host Clark Howard delves into the complexities of artificial intelligence (AI) in consumer interactions and addresses the growing issue of food waste when dining out. Through insightful discussions and listener questions, Clark offers practical advice to help listeners navigate the modern financial landscape effectively.
Clark Howard opens the discussion by highlighting the potential pitfalls of overreliance on AI in consumer services. He shares a cautionary tale from Elliott.org about a consumer named Jason who faced deceitful practices from Expedia's AI chatbot.
Key Points:
AI Misrepresentation: Clark explains how Expedia's AI falsely assured Jason of a full refund if he canceled his trip within 24 hours. Instead, Expedia retained half of his payment, citing conflicting terms and conditions.
*"Clark Howard [01:05]: 'Expedia told him to pound sand and said, tough, you're out half your money now. This is crazy.'"
Consumer Trust Issues: The discrepancy between AI promises and actual terms can lead to significant financial loss and frustration among consumers.
*"Clark Howard [05:35]: 'There's a lot of stuff that's being worked on. And just because it sounds so authoritative doesn't mean you take it as actual fact.'"
AI Reliability: Clark emphasizes that while AI can provide accurate information, it can also mislead users, urging listeners to verify AI-generated advice before making decisions.
Testing Different AIs: Clark and his team actively test various AI platforms like Google's Gemini and ChatGPT to understand their strengths and limitations. He notes the inconsistent accuracy of these tools, which can sometimes provide authoritative-sounding yet incorrect information.
Clark takes time to address several listener inquiries, providing tailored advice on diverse topics ranging from innovative phone plans to credit card rewards.
Listener: Jennifer from Michigan inquires about the legitimacy of the Mode Phone, which offers monetary rewards for using the phone, listening to music, and playing games.
Clark's Response:
Legitimacy: Clark confirms that Mode Phone appears legitimate, offering an Android phone with a unique operating system that rewards users for various activities. However, he cautions that rewards are modest and highlights existing complaints about payout issues.
*"Clark Howard [07:36]: 'It's not a lot of money. It seems legit. And there are complaints about people saying I didn't get my money, whatever.'"
Recommendation: He suggests testing the service to ensure it meets expectations and sharing the experience on his platform to inform others.
Listener: Micah from Maine expresses frustration over receiving $1 virtual credit cards from class action settlements that are practically unusable.
Clark's Response:
Usage Tips: Clark advises prepaying utility bills or other small expenses to utilize the virtual card funds, thereby avoiding the "breakage" where consumers lose the value.
*"Clark Howard [10:04]: 'Even the $1, you can prepay on a lot of things. You might be able to prepay on your cell phone bill...'"
Industry Insight: He explains that the design of these payment methods often leads to consumers forfeiting the funds, benefiting the issuing entities instead.
Listener: James from Oklahoma seeks advice on whether to accumulate points for flights and upgrades or opt for a 2% cash back Mastercard.
Clark's Response:
Preference for Cash Back: Clark advocates for cash back, highlighting its straightforward value and lack of restrictions compared to points, which often come with blackout dates and limited redemption options.
*"Clark Howard [10:55]: 'I love 2% cash back because they don't tell you there are blackout periods to get your 2% cash back.'"
Exceptions: He acknowledges that frequent travelers might benefit from points if they leverage them effectively for significant rewards.
Listener: Heather from Mississippi reports receiving a Cash App debit card with incorrect details and unauthorized usage, raising concerns about potential identity fraud.
Clark's Response:
Immediate Actions: Clark recommends monitoring credit reports through services like Credit Karma and re-establishing contact with Cash App for resolution.
*"Clark Howard [19:07]: 'If you have a credit Karma dashboard, you can see what's going on with two of your reports.'"
Caution: He advises persistence in communicating with Cash App, despite initial unhelpful responses, to prevent further misuse of the debit card.
Listener: Bob from Georgia plans a trip to Vietnam in January and seeks advice on the optimal time to book flights for the best rates.
Clark's Response:
Fare Tracking: Clark suggests setting up fare alerts on Google Flights for multiple departure points, emphasizing that international fares often have unpredictable patterns.
*"Clark Howard [21:13]: 'Set up fare alerts for travel next January to Vietnam from your home airport...'"
Cost-Saving Tips: He recommends booking from the West Coast for cheaper fares (~$700 round trip) compared to the East Coast (~$1,100 round trip) and considering additional stopovers to further reduce costs.
Listener: Ann from Tennessee owns a condo and seeks guidance on determining appropriate insurance coverage for the interior based on her condo association's "studs out" policy.
Clark's Response:
Understanding Responsibilities: Clark advises reviewing condo documents to identify which parts of the property the owner is responsible for and consulting with an insurance expert to ensure adequate coverage.
*"Clark Howard [24:46]: 'Your insurer is a big insurer of homes and condominiums... They'll tell you what documents they want from your homeowners association.'"
Customized Coverage: He underscores the importance of tailored insurance policies that reflect the specific terms outlined by the condo association to protect against potential liabilities.
In a thought-provoking segment, Clark addresses a diminishing trend in Americans carrying leftovers home from restaurant meals, highlighting significant financial implications.
Key Points:
Industry Report Findings: Citing a New York Times article, Clark reveals that the average American discards over a pound of restaurant food weekly, equating to approximately $330 annually.
"Clark Howard [14:31]: 'This is really not where we're meant to go spending..?'" (Paraphrased for clarity)
Economic Loss: He emphasizes that the discarded food represents wasted money, suggesting that taking leftovers can effectively extend the value of a meal already paid for.
*"Clark Howard [17:18]: 'Average American throwing away from restaurants $330 a year. Who couldn't use $330 a year?'"
Cultural Shift: Clark speculates that social perceptions or misconceptions about needing to finish every bite might contribute to this waste, encouraging listeners to embrace leftovers as a cost-saving practice.
Listener Interaction: A listener shares personal habits of carrying leftovers, reinforcing the practical benefits of the practice.
Clark concludes the episode by promoting the upcoming "Clark Stinks" segment, where he candidly critiques and reevaluates past advice or current practices to ensure continuous improvement in serving his audience.
*"Clark Howard [24:46]: 'We were only doing Clark Stinks every other week. And then by popular demand, listeners and viewers demanded that we reinstate a weekly Clark Stings...'"
This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast offers listeners a deep dive into the unintended consequences of AI in consumer transactions and sheds light on everyday financial leaks, such as wasted restaurant leftovers. Through real-life examples and expert advice, Clark empowers his audience to make informed decisions, save money, and avoid common pitfalls in the evolving financial landscape.
For more insights and personalized advice, listeners are encouraged to submit their questions at www.clark.com/askclark.