WASHINGTON -- Given the stakes involved, I would encourage retailers to pay attention to a holiday shopping survey recently released by Consumer Reports.

In its latest public-education campaign, the magazine is highlighting holiday retail practices that drive consumers bonkers. "Shoppers are fed up with pushy retailing practices and it is further magnified during the holiday season," said Tod Marks, senior projects editor for Consumer Reports. "Consumers are sick and tired of having to be bombarded with questions and offers when all they want to do is pay and leave the register."

Every compliant listed by Consumer Reports registered with me. And they may be true for you too. Here are some of the annoyances and my solution for how to deal with each one:

-- Stores that don't open all of the checkout lanes. With unemployment at double digits, why can't the stores hire enough cashiers to man the registers, at least during the busy times? At any rate, when I'm in a store and this happens, I search for a store manager and complain about the lack of cashiers. About 50 percent of the time, the manager opens up a lane or two. Hopefully, you're not too far in the back of the line to take advantage of your assertiveness.

-- Fake sales. This so steams me. Again, be aggressive. If you have proof that an item is selling for its normal retail price when it's supposed to be on sale, point it out to a manager and negotiate for a price reduction. If you don't get satisfaction from the store manager, write to the company headquarters and complain about the deception. You should also report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency. To file a complaint go to www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, (877) 382-4357. Take a look at the FTC's pricing guidelines at the FTC website.

-- Coupons that exclude almost everything in the store. There is not much you can do about this particularly aggravating practice. However, if you find the exclusions are a regular thing, point it out to the manager before taking your business elsewhere.

-- Being pestered with an extended warranty sales pitch. "No" is a powerful word. On the occasions I've been pitched, I've found a firm no, along with that look your mama gave you when she wanted to stop you in your tracks, ends the hounding.

-- In-store prices that do not match the same company's online prices. If you want to take advantage of the online price but avoid shipping fees, many retailers allow in-store pickups for Internet purchases.