Avoiding Home Improvement Scams

When hiring a contractor it is extremely important to find someone with a good business reputation.  To avoid being ripped off, always check the credentials of a contractor by calling the Better Business Bureau and the building inspector in your county. Never just accept references provided by the contractor. These will only provide you with information from those who were satisfied with their work. References of this nature are basically useless.  Also, ask to see photos of recently completed jobs.

Don't just pull a contractor's name out of the newspaper, phone book or off a bulletin board at a building supply store. Ask your local building Inspector to recommend someone. The inspector is the person who is the most knowledgeable on the quality of work and the professionalism of the contractor.

Make sure everything is in writing on your contract. Insist that the building contractor list every detail of the job to ensure you'll get what you expect. Don't assume that because someone seems like a nice person they will keep their word. Crooks are good actors and actresses. They are professional liars and know how to scam honest people.

Have the contractor write a date of completion on the contract. Some contractors say they don't like to do so because weather can be unpredictable, but a reasonable date should be determined. Demand a clause that provides refunds if the work is not done in a timely manner.

Never ever give a contractor more than half down on a job, even if a bank is involved. Your bank will probably not back you up. When you sign for the loan, you are responsible for seeing that the job is finished. If the contractor walks off, you will be required to pay the loan anyway, no matter what the contractor does or doesn't do. The bank lent the money to you, and you will be required to pay it back. The longer a company has been at one location the more likely it is a reputable one.

Be particularly suspicious of someone who approaches you with a deal too good to be true.  Many low-income elderly homeowners are targeted by scam artists who use high-pressure tactics to sell unneeded and overpriced contracts for "home improvements." Often these scam artists charge more than their quoted prices or their work does not live up to their promises. When the senior refuses to pay for shoddy or incomplete work, the contractor or an affiliated lender threatens foreclosure on the senior's home.   Find out how long a company has been in existence, as it is not uncommon for a company to suddenly disappear. 

If someone approaches you saying that they have just repaved a driveway in your neighborhood, have surplus materials left from a previous job, or was working on a neighbors house and can offer you a good deal while they are in the neighborhood, run as fast as you can. 

Roberta Rosengarten, Slightly Creaky

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Small Claims Court Judgments

Small Claims Court Judgments

If you win your small claims case, you'll probably feel initial happiness because the judge saw things your way and awarded you a judgment against the defendant. But in the weeks and months that follow, that post-trial jubilation may turn to surprise and then anger when you discover that the court does nothing to make sure that the defendant pays you.  At this point you will be totally on your own to collect anything, something that can take a lot of time, work and expense and even then you might not be able to collect.

In order to get paid, you (or someone you hire to do it for you) must follow specific legal procedures to get money or other assets from the loser (called the judgment debtor). This procedure can vary from state to state and municipality to municipality.  You can’t immediately start to prod the defendant to pay up because most small claims courts allow a losing defendant to appeal (usually 30 days or so).  By doing so might encourage the defendant into filing an appeal.  Appeals threaten your collection chances.  First of all you may lose the appeal, and secondly, while the appeal is pending the defendant doesn’t have to pay you anything.

A number of debtors will pay once a court judgment is issued if you simply ask for the money.  A polite written request often works, especially when it reminds the debtor how refusal to pay can negatively affect his credit rating. You can also mention that you plan to take legal measures to collect if payment isn't forthcoming.  However, don't specify what measures you plan to take, for instance, garnishing the debtor's wages or seizing a bank account, since this will give a wary debtor time to thwart your plans.

Treat the judgment as a long-term investment as every state authorizes you to collect interest, commonly 8% to 12% annually.  In most states, a judgment is valid from 5 to 10 years (the range is from 3 to 20 years) and can be easily renewed. Renew it, even if you don't think you'll ever get paid, because years from now the debtor could win the
lottery, inherit a lot of money, or write a bestseller. If this should in fact happen, a renewed judgment could be worth a lot with the accumulated interest thrown in.

There is no one best collection approach. Your strategy must depend on the debtor's assets and income and the cost of the collection methods available in your state. The easiest and most effective collection methods to collect a small claims judgment include getting the debtor to pay voluntarily, garnishing his wages, seizing money from bank accounts and filing a lien against real estate or other property.  The more you know about a person the more likely you are to get paid.

Sometimes a debtor will refuse to pay under any circumstances and it would probably be worthwhile in a case like this to hire the services of a judgment collection agency. They have the resources to track down assets at minimal cost to them, whereas an individual might incur considerable expense by doing the same thing. Generally a reputable company will have you assign your judgment to them on contingency, they front all expenses and take a percentage of the amount collected. 

There may come a time when additional pursuit of payment becomes futile. If the debtor has gone out of business, disappeared, or you know that he or she will likely never be able to pay you anything (either now or in the future), your best option may be to write off the debt so that you aren’t throwing good money after bad.

Roberta Rosengarten, Slightly Creaky

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The Perils Of Furniture Buying

The Perils Of Furniture Buying

So, I walked into a furniture store (which will remain unnamed) and was immediately pounced upon by a sales associate much in the same way a lion will pounce on fresh meat.  I was in the market for a new dining room set, just a table and chairs, and I wasn’t looking to spend more than about a thousand dollars.  Let’s just say I didn’t walk into Ethan Allen, OK? 

The saleswoman asks me what I am looking for and I tell her.  Quicker than my synapses could react, she swept me up the stairs and into the dining room section of the showroom.  I had perused their stock on the internet before going, but that does not really give you a good enough idea of what you are getting.  Best to see the table, work out its mechanics and sit in the chairs to see if they are comfortable.

The table that had caught my eye on their web site did indeed look very nice, but there were dings and scratches deep into the wood.  The saleswoman explained that the table was made of soft wood.  Gee, really?  As pretty as it was, in a battle with my cats, it would have lost handily.  I moved on.

I saw several tables, many quite nice, but too formal for my dining area.  My house has sort of an informal feel to the whole thing, and the dining room is open to the kitchen, separated only by a peninsula.  My old table was a clunker that my brother gave me when I moved in, and the chairs were stuffed rollers that I bought at Lechmere for $25 each on closeout a week before the store went out of business.  One of my cats did a fast job tearing the stuffing out of them, and the whole dining room had looked in sorry shape for the last nine years or so.  Still, the formal set was just not going to fit.

Then I saw it.

The table of my dreams.

It was called The Colorado, a gorgeous square table that is counter-high, with four padded wooden seats that were very comfortable.  The design was magnificent, and their floor model showed no hint of damage.  There was a center leaf that could be removed to make the whole table rectangular, but I knew that the table would fit perfectly as was in my dining room.  I searched the rest of the tables, and finding nothing that would come close, decided to seal the deal.

I was offered the store’s credit line, which gave me an extra 10% off the cost of the set.  It was Monday, and they scheduled it for delivery for Friday, somewhere between 10 AM and 2 PM.  I left, happy and delighted that I had found an excellent table to fill that space in my dining room.  That evening, I ordered an 8” round area rug to go underneath it.

Friday came.  Just after noon, UPS delivered my rug.  It was wonderful, and I put it into position.  I got a call a few minutes later that the furniture truck was one stop away and I would have my set within half an hour.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, squeak!  The truck pulled into my driveway, and out came two deliverymen.  They carried the chairs into the house and then went back to get the table.

The chair legs were uneven.

Uh-oh.

Fortunately, the deliverymen got the legs nice and even, but then the real trouble began.  Three of the four legs that needed to be attached to the table were perfect, but the fourth…the fourth…was missing the necessary internal hardware to accept a bolt.  They took the whole table, legs and all, brought them back into the truck and I called the store back.  I told them I was tempted to cancel the order, they said they would credit me back the $75 shipping fee.  OK, I said, when could they deliver it again?  Next Wednesday or Friday.  Well, Wednesday was no good unless they could guarantee me afternoon delivery, because I had a doctor’s appointment.  Friday then.  Yes, Friday will work.  Actually, I would like to burn your store to the ground right now, but let’s just pretend Friday will be just great.  OK?  Fine, great, good.

Tuesday I got a call from the store to tell me that they were coming Wednesday with my table.  WHAT?  What happened to Friday?  They wrote down Wednesday.  Fortunately, they were coming between 12 and 4, on the later side, and my appointment was for 11:30, and would be a quick one.  Wednesday came, I went to the appointment and came home in anticipation of FINALLY having a nice dining room.  The chairs were still in the dining room, still wrapped in protective plastic, now all they needed was a table and the picture would be complete.

At 3:30 I got a call that they were on their way and would be there in half an hour.  At 3:40 the skies opened up and let loose a torrent of rain that would have made Noah worry.  At 3:55 the rain stopped, and at 4:00 the truck pulled up.  A nice new table, four legs, into the house and they started to put it together.

Guess what?

When they returned the table to the warehouse, it was noted that HARDWARE was missing.  Not specifically the hardware embedded in the leg, but just “hardware missing”.  They thought there were some bolts missing, so they put the whole thing back on the truck, same table, same legs with new bolts and shipped it on back.

At this point, the top of my head longed to pop off in a show of fury that would have made Donald Duck proud.

The deliveryman made a call to the home office and assured me that someone would be out with a proper leg this afternoon.  I was told that it would be here by 5:30 and it would be taken care of.  I spoke to the head of the shipping department myself.  They would call when they were on their way.

5:30 came.  No call, no leg.  I called them.  They were backed up, they said, and it would be delivered by 7:30.  At this point, I wanted to back up…a truck laden with poisonous snakes to their loading dock, open the hatch and watch the fun ensue. 

At 7:30 I got a call…they were on their way.  At 8:00, a lone deliveryman came in, bearing the Holy Grail…ah…er, leg…and installed it.  Together we righted the table, placed it in its rightful place and he left.  Finally, I could take the plastic off the chairs and, for the first time in 11 years, have a proper dining room set.

The moral of the story?  The next time you have a choice between having all of your teeth ground down and replaced with crowns over the space of two days or buying new furniture for delivery…make a call to your dentist.  You’ll enjoy yourself more.  I know.  I’ve done them both, and I’ll take the Novocain any day of the week.

Mark Rosengarten, Contributing Guest

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Save Your Documentation

Save Your Documentation

There have been many advertisements recently about adding shelf space to our homes and for outside storage facilities.  In fact, within three miles of my house construction of two new mini-storage centers is almost complete.  Many people are tempted to throw out old things or put them in storage, but before you do, think twice, or three times.  Among those items can be documents you may need ten or twenty years from now.

Just how long do we need to hold on to tax forms, sales records, and those many other documents that are filling the boxes in our closets or basements?  Although there is no firm rule, there are some guidelines. 

1. Tax Records: Ten years
2. Property Ownership: 6 years after you sell. If you purchase new personal real estate, though, maintain records of your former property for several years longer.
3. Household Capital Improvement Receipts: 6 years after you sell
4. Stocks, bonds, other financial records: 6 years after you sell
5. Cancelled checks: Ten years
6. Paycheck stubs: Two years (if you get proper tax reports from your employer)
7. W-2 Forms: Until you collect Social Security
8. Medical records: Forever
9. Citizenship, birth, marriage, divorce: Forever

Other records you should have:

1. Emergency Contacts (doctors, home repairs, insurances, lawyer, family, etc.)
2. Social Security card, passport,
3. Medical history, lists of medication
4. List of bank and credit card accounts
5. Household inventory (video your house and possessions annually)
6. On your entry doors (for fire emergencies): household pets
7. Location of your will

You will find other useful hints online at: (They may have the same title, but are different Web sites.)

    Tax Record Keeping Tips
    Tax Day Has Passed, But Save Those Tax Documents
    Save Key Tax Documents In Case Of An Audit
    How Long to Keep Important Papers
    How Long to Keep Important Papers
    How Long to Keep Important Papers
    Important Papers: Keep or Toss?
    The ABC’s of Important Papers

You need to be concerned about identity theft as well as actual theft of your important papers. Be sure to shred all documents that you no longer need, even things you get in the mail.  This is especially important if it includes any financial information or your social security number. 

Documents can be easily misplaced or otherwise lost. It is vital that your most important documents be held in a safe deposit box or other secure facility away from your house.  Water or fire damage not only cause heartbreak, they can create years of havoc if the documentation you need to prove ownership, citizenship, or marriage is lost. 

In addition to determining what you need to save, organize them so they are easy to find and place them in a secure location.  Make a list of all your documents (as well as all your assets and where they are located), and create several copies.  Keep one with your documentation, one is a locked secure location in your home, and another with your lawyer. Review your documents and revise the list annually.

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Reading the Small Print

Reading the Small Print

Type “Terms & Conditions” into any Internet browser and you will get over 200 million hits.  That’s a huge amount.  In our legal and lawsuit conscious world every product, Internet site, published literature, and company has disclaimers (even Slightly Creaky).  Since it is nearly impossible to put something in print or produce a product without annoying someone, disclaimers are there to protect us from those who wish to profit from commercial interests or feel harm has been done from what we say, do, or produce.

As a publisher, Slightly Creaky understands these fears, lives with them daily, protects itself as best as it can, and, at the same time, recognizes that in many cases these statements may be there to provide a financial gain for the company.  We all have to be careful of “the small print.” Only a few states have laws to protect us from improper, misleading, or confusing disclaimers.  You always need to read these disclaimers carefully.

Although it is hardly a laughing matter when someone’s credit card interest jumps from 1.5% to 29% due to a small print statement, web sites like The Small Print Project provide us with tongue-in-cheek warnings.  The following is their legal statement (“There’s no copyright in any of this”):

“READ CAREFULLY. By [accepting this material|accepting this payment|accepting this business-card|viewing this t-shirt|reading this sticker] you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies (”BOGUS AGREEMENTS”) that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.”

Another site that shows the horrors of disclaimers using sarcasm is Anthony W. Haukap’s “The Standard Catchall Universal Disclaimer Notice” which in part says: “PLEASE NOTE: Some quantum physics theories suggest that when the consumer is not directly observing this product, it may cease to exist.”

In truth, small print may be dangerous to your health, sanity, and certainly your wallet. There are articles in the AARP publications, consumer magazines, and in newspapers about people losing their homes, incomes, jobs, and even going to jail for violation of disclaimers. Some of these are written so small and in legalize rather than English, that everyone needs to take special steps to protect themselves. 

As we are not legal experts, all Slightly Creaky can do is recommend some web sites where information about these legal loopholes is available. 

   Legal Details and Small Print

   Small Print, Big Consequences

   The Small Print That’s Devastating Major Consumer Rights

   Fine Print  (Wikipedia)

   Disclosures Are the "Small Print" in Ads.

   Small Print Rules Need Changing (UK)

   Unfair Terms in Contracts With Consumers Quick Facts (UK)

Perhaps the best source for consumer protection information from such practices can be found at the Ripoff Report “Ripoff Report® is a worldwide consumer reporting Web site and publication, by consumers, for consumers, to file and document complaints about companies or individuals. While we encourage and even require authors to only file truthful reports, Ripoff Report does not guarantee that all reports are authentic or accurate. Be an educated consumer. Read what you can and make your decision based upon an examination of all available information.”

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Thinking About Taxes

Thinking Taxes

It is getting towards the end of the fiscal year and your focus at this time should turn to tax planning.  Doing so can possibly save you a considerable sum come next April 15. The goal of tax planning is to arrange your financial affairs so as to minimize your taxes. Ways of doing this are to reduce your income, increase your deductions, and take advantage of tax credits.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is a key element in determining your taxes. Other things depend on your AGI such as your tax rate and various tax credits. The AGI even impacts your financial life outside of taxes: banks, mortgage lenders, and college financial aid programs all routinely ask for your adjusted gross income as this is a key measure of your asset potential.

Because your adjusted gross income is so important, you may want to ponder the following and see if it would be possible to make legal adjustments in your favor. The AGI includes income from all sources minus any adjustments. The higher your total income, the higher your adjusted gross income. Obviously the more money you make the more taxes you will pay. The number one way to reduce taxes is to reduce your income. The best way to do this is to contribute money to a 401(k) or similar retirement plan at work as your contribution reduces your wages, and thus lowers your tax bill.  The downside to this is that you will eventually have to pay taxes on these funds as they are withdrawn, but chances are your tax bracket will be lower once you retire and start to utilize this money. For more information visit 401kcenter.com.

You can also reduce your Adjusted Gross Income through various adjustments, deductions that can be taken directly on your 1040 form even if you don’t itemize your deductions. Adjustments include contributions to a traditional IRA, student loan interest paid, alimony paid, and classroom related expenses. A full list of adjustments are found on the 1040 form. It is recommended that the best way to boost your adjustments is to contribute to a traditional IRA. Additional ideas can be found at the IRA's Tax Information for Retirement Plans Community

 Taxable income is another key element in your overall tax situation. This is what's left over after you have reduced your AGI by your deductions and exemptions. Almost everyone can take a standard deduction, and some people are able to itemize their deductions. Itemized deductions include expenses for health care, state and local taxes, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, mortgage interest, gifts to charity, job-related expenses, tax preparation fees, and investment-related expenses. One key tax planning strategy is to keep track of your itemized expenses throughout the year by writing everything down as the year progresses. You can then quickly compare these expenses with your standard deduction. You should always take the higher of your standard or itemized deduction.

Your standard deduction and personal exemptions depend on your filing status and how many dependents you have. You can increase these exemptions by getting married or having more dependents. The best strategies for reducing your taxable income is to itemize your deductions.  If financially possible, pay your medical providers by December 31 for work that will be started this year but not necessarily completed until next year if this will be beneficial to your tax situation. 

Once you’ve tweaked  your taxable income, you are ready to focus your attention on various tax credits which can reduce your tax liability. There are tax credits for college expenses, saving plans for retirement, residential energy, credit for the elderly and disabled, foreign taxes and for child and dependent care. You also want to avoid additional taxes. If at all possible, do not take early withdrawals from a traditional IRA or 401(k) retirement plan. The amount you remove will become part of your taxable income, and on top of that there will be additional penalty taxes to pay on the early withdrawal.

One of the best tax credits is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Unlike other credits, the EITC is credited to your account as a payment. That means the EITC often results in a tax refund even if the total tax has been reduced to zero. You may be eligible to claim the earned income credit if you earn less than a certain amount.

You can avoid owing taxes on April 15 by increasing your withholding. More money will be taken out of your paycheck throughout the year, but you will not have to worry about owing any penalties and might even get a refund.  As long as you have at least as much withheld as you paid in the previous year there will be no penalty imposed even if you owe a large amount.  It is also advised not to have too much withheld as it is better to hold onto your funds and receive interest throughout the year rather than receiving a larger refund.

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Selling Your Home? Quick Home Fixes

8 Quick Fixes To Increase Value

To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most - top value for dollar expended. Here are eight fast fixes:

1. Buff up curb appeal. You've heard it before, but it's critical to get buyers to want to look on the inside. Be objective. View listings from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house number, and even how window treatments look from the outside. Add something special - such as big flower pots or an antique bench - to help viewers remember house A from B.

2. Enrich with color. Paint's cheap, but forget the adage that it must be white or neutral. Just don't let sellers get too avant-garde with jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Recommend soft colors that say "welcome," lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones. Think soft yellows and pale greens. Tint ceilings a lighter shade.

3. Upgrade the kitchen and bathroom. These make-or-break rooms can spur a sale. But besides making each squeaky clean and Clutter-free, update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker. In the bathroom, hang a flat-screen TV to mimic a hotel. Room service, anyone?

4. Add old-world patina. Make Andrea Palladio proud. Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional to the room's size, and architecturally compatible. For ceilings nine feet high or higher, add dentil detailing, small tooth-shaped blocks used as a repeating ornament. It's all in the details, after all.

5. Screen hardwood floors. Buyers favor wood over carpet, but refinishing is costly and time-consuming. Screening cuts dust, time, and expense. What it entails: a light sanding, not a full stripping of color or polyurethane, then a coat of finish.

6. Clean out, organize closets. Get sorting - organize your piles into "don't need," "haven't worn," and "keep." Closets must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.

7. Update window treatments. Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken. To diffuse light and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.

8. Hire a home inspector. Do a preemptive strike, since busy home owners seek maintenance-free living. Fix problems before you list the home and then display receipts and wait for buyers to offer kudos to sellers for being so responsible.

Guest Submission by:
Michael Toback and Royce Johnson
Sales Agents - Realtors
Prudential Georgia Realty

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Home Alarms

"Home Alarms"

Do you feel as if your home might become a potential target for thieves?  There are many different kinds of home security systems available today, ranging in price from $0 to upwards of $10,000. The simplest systems are just a series of alarms. The most sophisticated systems allow an owner to monitor his home from his laptop computer via closed circuit television cameras placed in different spots on his property.

Home alarm systems are highly beneficial. They not only provide security to your house but to your entire neighborhood. They have helped to solve a lot of crimes as well as preventing many.  In addition, many people have had their lives saved with the help of home alarm devices.  Depending on how elaborate your system is, it has the potential of protecting your family not only from burglars but also from fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. Certain types also allow you to call for help during a medical emergency.  In addition, most insurers will provide you with a discount if you have a qualified system installed in your home.

There are two basic kinds of systems: those that are connected to a twenty-four hour answering service and those that are not. If you buy one that is connected to a monitoring service, you will pay a monthly fee, currently about $25. Many companies will waive the cost of the system itself if you sign up for their service but be aware that this type of system will be extremely limited. 

Systems that are not connected to a monitoring company usually include door and window alarms, motion detectors that will trip outdoor lights and smoke detectors. If a burglar attempts to break in, his or her motion will cause lights to go on and sirens to sound. Often this will be enough to cause an intruder to leave your property. However, you will have to depend on neighbors or passersby to phone the police for you when your alarm sounds for burglars or fire. These systems do not work well unless you live close enough to your neighbors.  With a system connected to a monitoring company, your alarms and sensors signal the company to phone the police for you, even when you are away from home.

The basic parts of a home security system are a sign, door and window contacts, sirens, smoke and heat detectors, motion detectors, and a keypad and control panel. A sign outside your house that tells burglars that you have installed a security system is often a big deterrent in itself.

With some systems, the components are hard-wired to the control panel. Wireless systems are generally easier to install.  Installations,  especially in older homes can also be a combination of hard-wired and wireless components.The keypad display tells which door, window or sensor caused the alarm to sound. Many homeowners keep a keypad near their beds or have more than one. More elaborate systems have "panic buttons" throughout the house that can be used in every emergency, even medical ones.

When the system senses a problem, it will wait between 30 and 45 seconds before sounding an alarm. This gives the homeowner time to deactivate the system. If it's not deactivated, the system will contact the monitoring company. An employee at the monitoring company will verify the emergency by calling the homeowner, who must enter a code. If the homeowner does not enter the code, the employee will phone the police.   You can also have the option of immediate activation if you so desire.  A major problem is that up to 99% of these calls tend to be false alarms.

Choosing a specific company can be quite a daunting task.  Some companies advertise free systems but those only provide extremely limited coverage and you are forced into signing monitoring contracts for a set period of time.   The best way to go about this is to first determine exactly how elaborate you want your system to be and then get estimates from several companies for the exact same setup.  You also need to compare the quality of the equipment that will be installed, examine all warranties and ask about monitoring fees.  Also find out how long the company has been doing business. All information should be itemized in writing. 

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Comparing Car Insurance Plans

Comparing Car Insurance Plans

A simple car insurance comparison could save you hundreds of dollars on your car insurance. Rates for these plans vary among car insurance companies for the same coverage, drivers and vehicles.

The smartest way to shop for car insurance is to compare rates from at least three companies. Comparing companies may sound like a lot of work, but it will pay off in the end. If you use an online car insurance shopping service, car insurance comparisons are easy and take only a few minutes. The online service shops for you to find plans and rates from different companies based on the information you fill in on the quote form. You will quickly be able to do a car insurance comparison rate check. Check which company is offering you the best deal based on both coverage and premiums charged.

You can also do a car insurance comparison by calling different insurance companies and asking for a rate quote. Assess your needs and then make a simple chart listing the types of coverage and the amounts (liability and comprehensive coverage, uninsured motorists, medical, glass coverage, etc.) in one column. That way you know you are comparing identical plans. Then have three columns for quotes from the different insurance companies you're contacting. Then start calling. This method can take time and a lot of effort but will be worth it in the long run.

Bear in mind that the cheapest insurance is not necessarily the best.  When researching auto insurance coverage many car owners only focus on the coverage that is included with the car, but it is also important to consider the service and support of a car insurance company. At the time of an accident car owners need to have auto insurance that includes a friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Car owners can find the perfect car insurance policy, but it will not mean much if the car insurance company is not helpful or easy to get a hold of in a time of need.

Insurance premiums can be affected by your credit history or a less than perfect driving record. However, few people realize that an insurance company's loss experience is a big factor in determining premiums. For example, if an insurance company paid out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims due to a particularly catastrophic year of floods and fire damage, chances are that same insurance company will also provide auto insurance coverage. To compensate for the losses experienced under their homeowner insurance division, they may raise premiums for their car insurance customers even if they had no accidents or tickets. On the other hand, if the insurance company had an extremely profitable year, they may lower rates to attract more customers and increase the number of policyholders they have. For this reason, insurance rates vary greatly from one company to another.

Look for exclusions in each insurance plan. Upon receiving a number of quotes you can compare each for exclusions or special clauses to determine which quote is best. Look for limits on each kind of coverage. Limits may vary depending on the insurance provider, state and city of your residence and the car you are insuring. Be flexible with deductibles on your policy. Ask how your premium will change if you choose a higher or a lower deductible. Keep in mind that your premium most likely will be raised if you file a claim.  Therefore it would generally be in your best interest to have a higher deductible.

Premiums for auto insurance are determined by a number of factors. Gender is the major determinant for these premiums. Statistically, men are more likely to be involved in an accident, and therefore have higher premiums than women. Similarly, teenagers are considered high risk and will have to pay higher auto insurance premiums. Generally the premium can be reduced if the teenager takes a defensive driving course. Many states require teenagers to take defensive driving courses in order to obtain a driving permit and auto insurance.

An exceptionally valuable vehicle will cost you more to insure than an older car in poor condition.  Also, certain cars and trucks are more likely than others to be stolen.  If you are trying to insure one of these vehicles with a policy that includes theft coverage, you can expect to pay a bit more for your auto insurance.  Married drivers pay less for coverage on average than single drivers.   Also, rural states typically have lower car insurance rates than densely populated states, as the likelihood of an accident is much greater in an area that experiences heavy traffic. In addition, the more time you spend in the car, the more likely you are to have an accident on the road.  Auto insurance companies use statistics to determine how much motorists must pay for car insurance, so when your statistical likelihood of being in a collision goes up, so do your insurance rates.

Maintaining a clean driving record is the best way to get the lowest rates on car insurance. Following local speed limits and driving ordinances while always using caution on the road will prevent you from paying fines, receiving costly points, and sacrificing low rates on your auto insurance. All insurance companies reward good drivers with excellent driving records.

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Perks for Seniors

Perks for Seniors

If you are age 50 or better and are paying full price for your travels, banking, restaurant dining and shopping, you’re paying too much.  Most people in their 50’s or 60’s don’t think of themselves as senior citizens and, while they might join associations such as AARP they never think about asking for a senior discount when they travel for business or pleasure.  However, thousands of discounts are available worldwide at chain hotels, motels and restaurants.  The senior price may apply only on certain days, during certain hours or to those who sign up for a free membership card.  Be prepared to show proof of age.
 
Start asking about senior discounts when you turn 50.  More discounts start at 55, 60 and 62.  By age 65 you qualify for almost every senior discount in the world.  When seeking the best airfare, call the airline directly.  These discounts are never mentioned on websites.  Get the best senior discount rate, look up the online price, then compare rates and features.  Take note that domestic airfares have one set of senior discount rules and that these discounts might be even better overseas.  Bus discounts start as early as age 55.  Some car dealers have senior discounts for parts and service.

Many North American banks have a special senior deal or club, usually starting at age 50 or 55.  Most offer free and discounted services, frequently waving the fee for traveler’s checks.  Several hotel chains have exclusive deals with AARP members.  Most also offer discounts to non-member seniors as well, but age limits may be higher.

Several businesses offer very worthwhile discounts or other inducements for senior citizens with the qualification age sometimes as low as 50.  If you qualify then it’s always worth asking if such a discount exists.  The worst that can happen is that you can be told no.

Some fast food chains give special discount cards to seniors which are well worth obtaining.  These entitle the bearer to a cash discount of usually 10% on all purchases.  Many restaurant chains don’t offer a cash discount but instead offer special senior citizen menu items at reduced prices.

Most vendors will not voluntarily disclose information about price breaks unless they’re asked so it always pays to inquire.  Be sure to ask about the discounts before you pay or make a reservation, not when you’ve arrived or are settling the bill.  Be sure to carry proof of age with you, whether it’s a membership card in an over 50 organization or an ID with your date of birth.  For the most part seniors may have to search long and hard to determine whether or not a hotel offers a senior discount.  Sometimes this information is buried on the website.  In any case seniors make sure they are getting the best discount by comparing the rates they get for being a member of AARP or another group such as AAA.  In some cases, the best rate isn’t the senior discount.

Seniors who want to book a cruise cheaply often face the same problem that those searching for the best discount on a hotel or airfare do because it is hard to get someone who will want to help you get the best price.  The best thing is to find an agent who knows where to find the cruise discounts.

Seniors intent on going back to school will find plenty of institutions that will let them attend class for free or almost free.  There are plenty of deals out there for the 50 plus age group and the key to success has more to do with asking for a discount than anything else.

Additional discounts may be available even at your local transfer station.  My local dump charges anyone over the age of 60 fifty cents per bag to dump waste whereas everyone else has to pay $2 a bag.  Also, do you enjoy visiting national parks, monuments and forests?  If so you can get an America The Beautiful Senior Pass if you are 62 or older.  The deals are out there.  All you have to do is start looking.

http://products.aarp.org/travel/

http://www.elderhostel.org/

http://www.eldertreks.com/

http://cirrus.websitewelcome.com/~green/

http://www.50plusexpeditions.com/

http://www.seniordiscounts.com/

http://www.seniorshomeexchange.com/

http://www.smartertravel.com/senior-travel/

http://www.egyptianaaa.org/GoldenAgePass.htm

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Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance

Planning a fabulous, once in a lifetime trip?  One of the most important questions is whether or not you should buy travel insurance and the answer to that is definitely yes. The question that naturally follows is what kind of travel insurance should you get? That answer depends on where you’re going, what you will be doing and your general health.

It is important that you ask a lot of questions of the people from whom you are buying your insurance and that you read the fine print. Remember that you do not have to buy this coverage from your travel agent; no matter how much pressure they put on you. You can shop around until you find someone who provides you with a service that meets your needs.

There are bound to be several things that won’t be covered.  Just because your holiday was ruined due to rain, heavy winds or dust storms does not mean that you are entitled to an insurance pay out. Weather constitutes one of the risks that you take when you choose the dates and destination of your vacation. Also, if you change your mind insurance companies don’t reimburse you either.

They  don’t feel that this is a sufficient reason for them to make a payment. War is also an exclusion, although some policies have an “Acts of Terrorism” clause, which will reimburse you if you miss or are delayed in getting to your starting point or destination due to acts of terrorism. In addition, you won’t be covered for nervous or psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, neurosis or psychosis. There is generally  no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, unless you have been symptom-free for a specific period of time, which varies from policy to policy.

There are several reasons why you should take out travel insurance.  For example, a policy will cover lost or delayed luggage. If your luggage is lost you will be reimbursed a specific amount and you can then buy new things to replace at least some of the things that you lost.  If it isn’t actually lost but is delayed for a specific length of time you will also be given a set stipend, although a lower amount, to buy some supplies. You more than likely would have lost some of your favorite items and perhaps new things that you bought specifically for the trip and without the travel insurance you would be totally out of luck. It is important to read the policy thoroughly, including all the fine print, so you know exactly where you stand before an emergency arises.

In the case of unforeseen medical emergencies you’ll be covered for hospital and medical treatment, which, if that emergency occurs, will be a huge relief.  Many medical insurers do cover claims from foreign lands but others, including Medicare do not.  You will more than likely have to first file a claim with your usual provider, even though you know you aren’t covered, so that you can then supply the insurance company with an explanation of benefits form so that they can see how much, if any, of the bills have been paid by your primary carrier. 

Some travel policies will also pay up to a set dollar amount to airlift you to a trauma center. Many frequent cruisers have seen someone being evacuated by helicopter from their ship, or being transported away from the pier by an ambulance. These medical emergencies, while rare, are extremely costly and it is the patient and his or her family that bear the cost of this service. A helicopter or aircraft evacuation can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Travel insurance should cover at least some of these costs. If your trip takes you into exotic areas the cost to get home to the U.S. in a medical emergency will be extreme. This is where you want to have as much coverage as possible.

If you have to cut your holiday short due to an unforeseen medical emergency or a death in the family some policies may pay out. It is recommended that if you are going to be taking part in dangerous activities like skiing or diving then you should take out specialized coverage and then there should be no problem if you need to file a claim. Most insurance policies have a 24-hour help line that provides legal and medical assistance.

Suppose you have put a deposit on a trip which included a travel insurance policy and you, for some reason, are now unable to afford the trip? Perhaps you lost your job or sustained a disaster of some sort. Insurance will not reimburse you under these circumstances and you would lose your deposit if you weren’t able to pay the balance owed for the trip.

Primary travel insurance covers you from the first penny, with secondary insurance kicking in after your own private insurance has paid out. If possible it is best to purchase primary coverage, even though it is more expensive, or you can find yourself waiting months for your homeowner's or medical insurance provider to pay before you can apply to get your deductible covered by the secondary policy.

In the case of medical expenses, you can spend months sending receipts back and forth before you see a dime from the insurance you purchased for the trip. Primary coverage eliminates that wait. With a primary policy you are paid for the event or loss outright. With a secondary policy, which kicks in after your homeowner's or medical insurance has already paid, you have to wait for the other insurances to be paid, send receipts, and you are paid the difference between your out of pocket costs and what has already been paid.

If you’re unsure of which company to go with or which policy to go for, ask yourself the following questions. What is the policy cap on different types of claims? What are the policy exclusions? Are you covered for hazardous pursuits? Are you covered if you cancel your holiday and under what circumstances? Does the medical cover the costs of transporting you back to your home country? What are your personal possessions and cash covered up to? Do you need to cover expensive items like video cameras separately? Do they have a 24 hour help line?

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Extended Warrantees

Extended Warrantees

It is common practice for sales people to attempt to get you to purchase extended warranties. Some people buy them every time for peace of mind. Others flatly refuse even before the salesman pitches the product. It is my opinion that in most cases this is just a big waste of money.

Stores see the extended warranty as pure profit. They cost a small amount of a salesperson's time and since most gadgets don't need repair, there's a huge profit margin. Does it ever make sense to buy one of these things?  There are some instances in which an extended warranty can be a lifesaver but for the most part I feel that they are useless.  Whether or not you purchase one should be decided on a case-by-case basis.  I do recommend one for computer purchases as this more than likely will save you a considerable amount of aggravation and possible expense.  Most of these offer online and phone tech support with in-home repair service within a fairly reasonable amount of time. 

Be aware that almost every piece of electronics you can buy already has some kind of manufacturer's warranty. Every electronics item sold is covered under something called an implied warranty. The implied warranty assures that any new item will work as reasonably expected. Also, many credit cards will double the warranty of items purchased on the card generally up to a maximum of a year.

Take a close look at the terms of any extended warranty being offered for sale. Most of the time these extensions duplicate a good part of the original warranty.  For example your item may already come with a one year warranty and the salesperson offers you a two year extension. In actuality all you might get will be one additional year, as the warranty clock starts ticking from the moment you purchase the item.  If you purchase the item on a credit card that doubles the warranty a two year extended warranty will offer you no additional protection.  In any case these warranties generally only protect you in cases of manufacturer’s defects.  If an accident happens more than likely you will be out of luck.

Often, salespeople will push the extended warranty as a service contract so make sure you're actually getting extra service with it. It may cover things that the warranty won’t but make sure to read all the fine print prior to purchase to make sure this is actually the case.  Pay close attention to make sure you know what you're getting. Any warranty or service contract is in fact a legal contract, and it's in the store's best interest to not spend any money repairing your item in the future.

If you're buying a $70 DVD player, a $30 warranty makes no sense at all. Even a cheaper extended warranty may not make sense if the manufacturer has a good warranty on the product for free. Check if a more expensive model comes with a better manufacturer's warranty. It might save you money in the long term.

However, if you just paid a lot of money for a high end computer or plasma TV, the extended warranty becomes tempting, especially if it's a service contract. When you're parting with that much cash, a small percentage could be worth it for the peace of mind you'll get. Just remember, every product is under warranty, and chances are you probably won't use the service contract within the time period allowed.

While I personally don’t believe in purchasing extended warranties for electronics (except for computers) that is just my opinion.  Look at the terms of the service contract offered and weigh the price of the item you're buying and the amount of hassle you think you can risk putting up with before making a decision.

For additional information -

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE729     
http://www.ineed2know.org/ContractsVsWarranties.htm

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Testimonials Are Bad for Your Health

Testimonials Are Bad for Your Health

Seeing is believing.  Or as P.T. Barnum supposedly put it, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”  The actual person who coined that phrase was David Hannum, a sideshow operator who competed with Barnum.  All these years you’ve been mislead because of what someone told you. Humans have a tendency to believe before they disbelieve, and that is where the greatest of all advertising scams comes in, the testimonial.

Before I write any of my scam scenarios, I thoroughly research them on the Internet, in the library, and get first hand knowledge.  The first thing I came across when looking up testimonials were three books about scams, available for purchase on the Internet, all highly advertised through personal experience.  This included:

            "The system is absolutely fantastic - a godsend! It saves so much time"

            "The products and the service that you have given has been excellent”

            “I just read your entire Anti-Scam Guide and I am so glad that I read it. I have only had about 5 days of Internet contacts with this person and after reading the guide, I realize that it had to be a scam.”

            “Thank you very much for your information. For $25 you saved me $800.”

The best thing, for advertisers, is that a testimonial need not be true, need not be based on fact, and does not have to be proven.  It can even misquote through omission, causing a product review that says, “This laxative is so useless that even at double strength it would help only the most severe cases,” to become  “This laxative … would help… the most severe cases.”

Television and print advertisement love putting people on stage, or even cartoon characters, and letting them plug the product.  You have seen them.

This product got rid of my acne.
This product makes me look younger than my years.
This product got rid of the gray and leaves my hair manageable.
Look how my cat loves Yummy Treats.
Listen to what our customers have to say about the value of Moose Milk.

When an advertisement uses a testimonial, they are telling their audience, as well as the people who regulate truth in advertising, that they are not including scientifically based facts, only repeating what others have said about the product.  In doing so there is little the regulators can do to prevent any deceptions.

Try to recall television advertisements that use testimonials.  I’ll be asking for examples in a moment.  One of my favorite is the Bud Light “Drinkability” ads which had a person drawing a diagram in the air and explaining why this beer was so good.  It’s all in the drinkability.  Which, if you pause for a moment, means that people can drink it. 

Extending that to other products, Haines socks have wearability, Cannon Towels have dryability, Johnson Baby Powder has absorbability, and Ducolax has….  Let’s skip that one.

How about automotive ads that use dancing actors and actresses?  The better they can dance the better the cars must be.  Mohegan Sun uses both dancing and singing actors.  I sure want to gamble at a place where the guests feel so welcomed that they sing and dance as soon as they enter the building.  Of cause if it were me singing, everyone else would turn around and leave.

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Check Your Bills Carefully

Check Your Bills Carefully

Scams abound, and they can appear in the most unlikely places - on your telephone or utility bill, on a credit card, or on your Internet statements.

If you think any bill is out of line call the company to ask for an explanation. Most businesses are easy to work with and will go to extremes to satisfy clients who find discrepancies.  Billing errors are quite common so it is wise to check everything prior to making payment.  If someone seems to be giving you the runaround ask to speak with a supervisor.  You may talk to many people before you get results so you have to be persistent.

Pertaining to utility bills, an error could be as simple as a misread meter or perhaps a malfunctioning one. The meter could be sticking or it could be incorrectly calibrated. Sometimes your bill could be based on an estimated reading which can be way off.  Water meters can be defective and, in addition, water bills are the most frequently estimated. Often water bills are estimated month after month because no one is home when the meter reader comes by. Sewer charges usually are based on water usage so it is that more essential to get an accurate reading.

Telephone companies are notorious for overcharging their business customers, and they often do the same to residential clients. Their billing systems are quite complicated, so errors are sometimes difficult to spot. Half the cost of many local telephone bills are regulatory fees which are sometimes applied incorrectly.

If you still use your home phone for long distance you could be the victim of rate creep. The rate you received may have been attractive when you initially signed up with your carrier but it could be much higher now.  It is important to pay attention to those little notices that utilities love to stick in with their bills.  Be sure to read all the fine print. Another frequently overlooked monthly fee is the one for line maintenance. It's basically insurance in case something happens to the wiring inside the walls of your home. In most cases you will never even need this service.

Mistakes happen, but you can’t afford to pay for errors on your medical bills. Overcharging is more common than you might think. Spotting medical mistakes can save you a lot of money, especially if you don’t have insurance, so make sure to check your bill for unexpected fees or any services you didn’t get. Ask for an itemized bill and check it for accuracy.

If you have insurance, compare the bill to your plan's explanation of benefits (EOB) or Medicare summary notice before you respond to any hospital or doctor bills. Before paying a provider determine what care was covered by insurance and what your insurer claims you owe.  There have been many instances when I have been billed for a higher copay and have then submitted a copy of my plan’s explanation of benefits statement as proof that I owe less. I have also occasionally been double-billed for some services. If you spot an error don’t ignore it and dispute it as soon as possible.  This is why it is very important to keep accurate records.

A few months ago a voice mail company that I had never heard of added a $15 plus tax charge on to my monthly phone bill. After calling my phone company I was told that it is the law that they have the right to bill for other companies but the customer has the right to dispute the charge with the other company.  This charge was buried deep within the bill but I noticed that the total was more than I was used to paying and delved deeper to discover why.  This is a good reason to check all your monthly bills carefully.

If you spot anything suspicious immediately call to question the charges. If you're not satisfied, demand to speak to a supervisor and even that supervisor's supervisor until you get a satisfactory resolution.

Always check your credit card statement for any bogus charges.  I recently made a small purchase at a local department store and was quite taken aback when I received my charge statement and saw that in addition to that small charge an additional much larger charge for the same date was listed on the bill.  I immediately contacted the credit card company to have that charge disputed.

What this all comes down to is that you must not automatically assume that a bill is correct.  In most cases it probably will be accurate but this cannot be taken for granted.  Honest mistakes will occasionally be made and scammers may try to cheat you but if you keep good records and are aware of what’s going on you are less likely to become victimized.

Internet Resources:

How to Identify and Appeal Bogus Charges on Your Credit Card Bill
Check Your Doctor Bills
Check Your Utility Bills
80 Percent of U.S. Businesses are Overcharged on Their Phone Bills
How to Check Hospital Bills

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Trip Planning Snafus

Trip Planning Snafus      

You would think that if you have a travel agent book your trip that you can now sit back and take everything in stride.  I have recently discovered that this is not the case.  As a result of being disabled, I require certain services while traveling and have tried my best to have everything set up in advance so that my needs would be met. 

The first hint of a problem came when I downloaded the airline flight schedule that I had received from our agent via E-mail.  We are planning to cruise Norway but this printout  had us scheduled to arrive in Germany.  This totally befuddled me.  Why would we want to fly to Germany if our cruise leaves from Bergen, Norway?  It seems that the agent had made an error while booking the flights, and as a result everything would now have to be changed. 

You would think that the airline staff would be understanding and cooperative.  After all, people do make mistakes, and this error was discovered only a couple of days after the flights were initially booked.  My agent went ahead and got us on the appropriate flights.  She then attempted to get a refund for the original tickets.  Finally, after weeks of frustration she was able to speak to someone at the airline who assured her of a refund.  However, she wound up taking  a loss of around $600 and had no recourse at all to challenge this.  Since she made the error she is the one who is out the money but we feel quite badly that she has to lose out like this. 

Upon booking this trip we made it quite clear, and have documentation from my surgeon, that I would need either a bulkhead or aisle seat on the left side of the plane so that I could occasionally stretch my right leg.  As a result of total knee and hip replacements this would be absolutely necessary.  I was assured that a request would be put in for this type of accommodation.  Policy states that the airline won’t assign any seats until a minimum of ninety days prior to the flight. 

Although the agent said she would take care of everything I decided to call the airline myself on the first date that seats were to be assigned. It’s a good thing that I did as the request that the agent made on my behalf was not honored and we were randomly assigned seats that were totally unacceptable.   I was successful in getting these changed to adequate seats, printed out their confirmation and then called our agent to make her aware of this. 

After a few weeks had gone by, I received a call from the agent that our flight had been changed and we had been assigned different seats, ones again which were totally unacceptable.  They now had us on the right side of the plane in a seat where my bad leg would hardly be able to move.   Fortunately, the agent was able to get this changed to something reasonable. 

Prior to booking this trip we discussed the need to hire someone to drive us to the airport and back home.  We were given a discount card for a limo service and was told that all arrangements would be made for us.  By the time the agent called (after several reminders from me) that particular company had no available cars so we had no choice but to hire a more expensive company. 

Not including the error with the original booking, our outbound flight has already changed three times, from KLM to Northwest and then Delta.  These airlines are all now one company, but keep different records and things can get pretty confusing.  For example, our flights are listed at all three airlines but only Delta lists the outbound seating assignments and KLM is the only one to list the inbound seating.  All this is enough to frustrate even the most seasoned traveler.

Coping with Airline Ccutbacks
Air Travel Strategies

Also see the first article in the Norway series.   

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Airline and Airport Difficulties

Airline and Airport Difficulties

Well, the day was finally here for us to print out our boarding passes.  As instructed by our illustrious travel agent I went to the Delta website to print them out.  The first screen showed the correct seating assignments and allowed me the option of checking in online.  Everything seemed to be in order.  I then proceeded to fill in various forms of information, checked everything twice and hit the enter button.  Just imagine my shock when the following message appeared in red on my screen. “We are sorry but due to visa requirements for your travel we are unable to check you in online.  Please see a Delta agent at the airport  to check-in for your flight.”

Upon booking this trip one of our first questions to the agent was whether or not we needed any other documentation other than a passport, to which she replied, "No."  Then what could be the problem?  Why was I getting this ominous message? 

There had already been other items that she failed to inform us of, such as that we were going to be on our own for transport from the Norway airport to the ship and from the ship to the hotel and then back to the airport for our return flight.  I inadvertently discovered this while filling out a questionnaire for the cruise line just a couple of weeks prior to the trip.  I was then told matter of factly by the agent that everyone just takes a cab, then adding that each of the cabs would cost at least $100 (each way) and that they only accepted Norwegian currency and no credit cards or traveler’s checks.  It would have been nice to know all this prior to booking the trip.  It wouldn’t have changed our minds about going but at least we would have known where we stood.

(As it turned out, there was a bus from the airport to downtown Bergen for $12 each. The taxi fair was $60 but could be shared with other riders.)

My first thought upon seeing this message was does this mean that the travel agent misinformed us about the visa and that we won’t be able to go on this trip after all?  I immediately contacted Delta and initially spoke to two agents, neither of whom had a clue as to what was going on.  All that happened was that I kept getting put on hold with no resolution.  After realizing that these people had no clue about anything, I politely (and it was very hard to maintain my cool at this point) asked to speak to a supervisor. 

Finally I was connected to someone who was able to solve the problem.  Even though I got the message about needing a visa it was confirmed that we didn’t need one.  The only reason why we couldn’t check in online is because the first flight was Delta and the connecting flight was KLM.  The travel agent should have known that this would happen because she set up the flight itinerary. She should have told us that we would have to check in at the airport, not online. 

Upon arriving at the airport (JFK in New York), a very courteous agent did help us get our boarding passes and the whole procedure was actually quite simple.  We got the seats we had asked for.

Unfortunately this was not the case upon our arrival in Amsterdam where we were scheduled to take another flight.  Due to my disability, it had been arranged for a wheelchair to be waiting for us.  This was confirmed by the airline staff just prior to our arrival.

Although none were immediately available, we were informed that we would be transported throughout the terminal on an electronic cart. These carts had sufficient room for two passengers and luggage. The driver informed us that he had to arrange for transport for another disabled person. He then spent almost twenty minutes on his cell phone, making eleven calls. Since the other handicapped person was a woman (with her daughter), my husband stood by as they sat on the available tram seats.

The driver then turned to my husband and informed him that he would have to find his own way to customs and took off, driving the tram at such high speeds that people were almost diving to get out of his way.

My husband had my passport and luggage, yet his luggage was on the tram with me. I tried to explain this to the driver who just ignored my pleas. At the same time my husband was running behind us, but soon fell out of sight.

After dropping off the other passengers, the tram driver told me to get out as he had another call. Not knowing where I was, I refused. He then went to another part of the terminal (the Amsterdam airport is huge) for yet another passenger.

While this was happening, my husband had found customs, explained the situation to a security agent who then called for others to find our tram. He was asked to fill out an incident report. At that point, almost 30 minutes after we were parted, the tram driver happened to go through the area where my husband and the security people were gathered. We both yelled, yet the tram driver refused to stop until a security agent waved him down.

At that point, with the complaint form filled out, the tram driver was asked to provide his name. In addition to refusing, he ordered me out of the tram and took off. With the tram in motion, I obviously could not leave. While the security agents watched, doing nothing, my husband jumped over the tram and stood in front of it., around ten feet away. The tram driver first stopped, then hit the accelerator, driving directly into my husband, who had to grab the front of the tram to avoid being knocked down. His right shin was ripped open, four inches long. No apology was ever given for that, no action taken, even though the security people saw this as well as the wound.

Only then did the security agents take any action. By this time there were nine of them. They ordered the tram driver to stop, to sign the sheet, and they called the supervisor of the tram service. Another twenty minutes went by, with no one answering any of our questions (although they all spoke English none of them would give us any information). Eventually another tram driver was brought up and we completed our trip to catch our second flight. What should have taken ten minutes became a 105-minute nightmare.

Three weeks later we got an e-mail from the Amsterdam Airport. In part it said:

At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol there are various facilities to assist persons with reduced mobility. We have put this service out to Axxicom Airport Caddy. Once a week we have meeting with them. In the next meeting we will discuss this incident.

Regarding the behaviour of employee we would like to inform you that we started a project "hospitality". This is considered as a strategic spearhead of the Business Unit Aviation within the airport and we have the ambition to improve, namely:
- increasing quality perception
- attention for the passengers
- friendliness for the whole process

We apologise again for the inconvenience caused during your recent visit to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and regret you feel that on this occasion services levels were experienced as being below the expected standard.

We are obviously far from satisfied.

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FindLaw

FindLaw

FindLaw’s vast network of legal assistance makes them Slightly Creaky’s premiere pick for legal assistance.  It is not a law office, but a resource for lawyers and laypeople alike.  “Launched on Jan. 9, 1996, FindLaw.com soon offered a mix of cases, statutes, legal news, a lawyer directory, an online career center and community-oriented tools such as mailing lists and message boards. The Web site rapidly developed into the leading legal information site on the Internet.”

The website is intuitive, with easy to use links and explanations.  Their “Learn About Law” page contains such valuable resources as Accidents and Injuries, Estate Planning, Criminal law, Dangerous Products, and Traffic Violations.  Each category contains links to specific information with articles, advice, hints, and, should you need it, a way to find a lawyer specializing in that field.

In “FindLaw Answers,” members can post legal questions and receive responses from other members, usually lawyers who are part of the FindLaw team.  Membership is free and simple to use. “Registration provides free and instant access to caselaw, case summaries, sample business contracts, e-mail newsletters and more on FindLaw.com.”

Their partnership with LegalZoom rounds out a huge possibility of services. “Created by top attorneys, LegalZoom helps you create reliable legal documents from your home or office. Simply answer a few questions online and your documents will be prepared within 48 hours. We even review your answers and guarantee your satisfaction.”  Unlike FindLaw, this is not a free service, but compared with what you may pay a local lawyer it is quite reasonable and easy to use.

We are please to feature a link to FindLaw on the Slightly Creaky Legal Information Page.

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Testimonials Makes Lying Easier

      Testimonials Makes Lying Easier

A testimonial does not have to address the issue being raised or the product’s purpose in order to be used as an advertisement.  An acne ad stated: “I used this for three weeks and now I feel so much better about myself.”  An automotive ad has a debonair man stating, “It makes me feel so good.”  A dog food advertisement has the dog’s tail wagging so hard that it threatens to generate a windstorm.   None of these has anything to do with the quality of the product.

Pharmaceutical ads are the worst.  No matter that the drug is for, the advertisement uses people who have been cured, or who say they have been cured.  They never show someone suffering from a side effect or someone for whom the drug did not work.  No matter what the disease or the medical problem, the people in the ads are all healthy. Yet you listen to the disclaimers at the end of the commercial and some of the side effects can be frightening.

In addition, although this is on another topic, medical testing is so poorly done that on January 27th of this year, KV Pharmaceuticals of St. Louis recalled all of its products, every one of them, under supervision of the Food and Drug Administration.  Of cause I could leave it there, and you will not know whether they made one or a hundred products, and that is the type of misleading statements testimonials often utilize.  In fact, I was unable to discover just how many items this company produced, but they were into several fields, pain medication, drugs assisting pregnancy problems and pre-term birth, as well as many forms of generics.  Oh, they are still in business, supposedly correcting their production of improper doses, mislabeled tablets, and improper bookkeeping practices. 

According to News Inferno.com (ah, I’m using a testimonial because I have no direct knowledge of this myself) one of their painkillers had erratic sized tablets containing differing doses of the active drug. “An overdose, which could occur when too much medication is received from an oversized tablet, could result in respiratory problems, coma, bradycardia, hypotension (sudden lowering of the blood pressure), apnea, circulatory collapse, cardiac arrest, and even death, to name some.”

Doing a Google search for “Pharmaceutical recalls” provides over a million results.  When I was starting research for this topic, in February, the Food & Drug Administration’s web site’s recalled-product list had 16 items on February 6, 11 on February 5, and 26 on February 4.  Visit the site.  Of cause not all are drugs, but the number of products on the market found unsafe on any one day is staggering.

Back to testimonials.  Certain products depend solely on this form of advertising.  Most of them are nostrums, including vitamins, supplements, health drinks, weight loss products, and cosmetics.  They can not put facts in their ads, simply because the results of using their products vary from person to person.  They do what drug companies do when testing for new products: they report only the good results and leave off the bad.

According to Discover Magazine, in June 2008, “How often do today’s medical “breakthroughs” become tomorrow’s discredited science? John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, studied the question. He examined the most-cited clinical studies published in the top three medical journals between 1990 and 2000 to see how well researchers’ initial claims held up against subsequent research. His findings, published in JAMA, show that the key claims of nearly one-third (14 out of 49) of the original research studies he examined were either false or exaggerated. Small study size, design flaws, publication bias (failure to publish negative results or duplication of positive results), and drug-industry influence were among the problems Ioannidis found that caused false or exaggerated claims.”

Yet these are the same products that we see advertised on television, by actors, stating that they were cured, live better lives, and are much happier now than before.  Even more then registered and tested drugs, nostrums produce a large variety of results, some good and some horrifying.  Yet few of them are FDA regulated as they claim to be food supplements or cosmetics, not drugs.  They use testimonials to sell; therefore they do not have to offer any proof that their product works. 

Sports figures and rap stars have been selling energy drinks for several years now.  Look at the product ingredients and then research them on the Internet.  None will have proven scientific results and many had potential side effects when used with other products, especially prescribed medications. 

Ginko Bola, a widely used product in these health foods, has the following potential side effects: Stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, fainting, unusual bleeding or bruising, and allergic reactions potentially causing rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, and trouble breathing. Like all allergic reactions, you may use the product for years without any side effect, only to get a massive reaction due to overexposure.

A product called “5-hour Energy” always used sports testimonials.  It contains Citicoline, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Taurine, Malic Acid, Glucuronolactone, Caffeine and a variety of vitamins.  You probably know that no one should add vitamins to their diet until they have been tested, as vitamin overdoses can lead to severe reactions.  On the “5-hour Energy” web site they provide all the healthful benefits of each of these products, but they do not list any of the potential side effects.  Let’s look at them individually.

Citicoline – Known drug effects with smoking and caffeine usage (which this product has).  Elderly people appear to have more negative reactions including headache, uneven heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, low blood pressure, and diarrhea.

Tyrosine – Mostly used as a homeopathic stress reliever, which does not seem to fit with the purpose of this product unless it is to offset other ingredients. Side effects include mild to moderate chest pains, breathing problems, tightness in the chest or throat areas, skin hives, itchy or swollen skin, or rashes. Rare side effects are headache, fatigue, changes in heart rate, mood changes, irritability, heartburn, and stomach troubles.

Phenylalanine – Used as a mild pain reliever, and seems somewhat useful in treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, although this has not been scientifically proven.  It is contraindicated in pregnant women, or those using anti-depressants.  Doses in excess of 5,000 mg a day may be toxic and can cause nerve damage. Too much is a neurotoxin and excites the neurons in the brain to the point of cellular death. It can trigger emotional and behavioral disorders. Phenylalanine can cause irreversible brain damage and death, as well as hypertension and migraine headaches.

Taurine – This product is used in almost every energy product and many beers.  It is a natural product found in fish and meat. Overdoes is thus easy.  Usage with caffeine, again, which this product has, has caused anxiety, irritability, high sensitivity to noise, and self-mutilations.

Malic Acid –  Along with magnesium, this is what gives 5-hour Energy its potential usefulness.  It stimulates of body chemicals that increase a feeling of well-being and potentially increases stamina.  There are no known side effects in moderate doses.  It is also present in so many foods that a need for malic acid in supplemental form is not recommended.

Glucuronolactone – No known side effects.  It is included because it not only supplies energy, it also increases feelings of well-being.  It is also a common added ingredient in beer.

If you want to know more about energy drinks, there is a good discussion of them on FactExpert.com.

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The Official Spokesperson

The Official Spokesperson

Testimonials may use anyone as a spokesperson, but when they can afford it companies like to get big name stars.  Marie Osmond has lost 45 pounds using NutraSystem.  Tony Orlando lost 103 pounds. Oprah has lost several hundred pounds, over and over, to a variety of weight loss programs.  It is actually easy to get a known spokesperson to do an ad for your product. Even I can do it on my Slightly Creaky site.  For under $500 Flash Video Actors.com will arrange a script, an actor, and do the filming.  Live Personalities.com will do a 30-second commercial for $499 and a 60-second one for $549. 

Do actors need the money so badly, or are products manufacturers so much in need of testimonials?  Some spokespersons have actually promoted products that have gotten them into trouble.  Many others use actors pretending to be customers or even dignitaries such as doctors, lawyers, and other experts.  The small print states that the commercial is a dramatization.

TitleMax, a loan company in the South, uses local celebrities to push their product.  Here is what one former company employee said about their hidden policies: “I am a former employee of TitleMax of TN. Titlemax uses catchy TV commercials with testimonials from satisfied customers along with print advertisement to seduce hard working lower middle class people into pawning their vehicle. They tell you over the phone that they charge 'about half' of what others charge. The interest rate (and fee's) come to 12.9% MONTHLY (which is 154.8% APR).”

On occasion what you think you see is not what you get.  The top-selling cholesterol drug, Lipitor, which featured artificial heart inventor Dr. Robert Jarvik, used an actor rather then the doctor himself in some scenes. 

One must wonder whether Viagra commercials did more to get Bob Dole’s name known than his presidential race in 1996.  Some voters found it strange that John McCain supported the use of Viagra while arguing against forms of contraception.  Soccer great Pele also did commercials for this product.

Some of the more famous product endorsements include

1. Ed McMahon and Dick Clark for American Family Publishers. This company lost numerous lawsuits for misleading advertising including a $1 million fine in Florida involving an ad that featured Mr. McMahon
2. Bill Cosby made almost as much money doing ads for Jell-O, Eastman Kodak & Coca-Cola then he made for his movies.
3. Our all time favorite space actor, William Shatner is better known for his PriceLine ads than for his award winning TV and movie roles.  Priceline has been criticized for two of their unadvertised policies: All transactions are non-refundable, and reservations cannot be changed even by paying a penalty.
4. Phil Rizzuto was a long-time spokesman for The Money Store.  This company has been cited, among other things, for illegal home foreclosures. Using the name “Mortgage Lending Direct,” The Money Store engaged in providing illegal mortgages in many states.  This part of the company was closed down by governmental authorities.  In their ads they stated no points and no origination fees, yet investigations showed they typically tacked on up to 6% for such fees, hidden in small print among many pages of documentation.  In 2008, nine Money Store franchise owners and employees defrauded 110 home owners in Washington DC of $35 million.
5. Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev appeared in a Russian-language commercial for Pizza Hut.  The advertisement was eventually shown in the United States.  This was the man who once said, “I am a Communist, a convinced Communist! For some that may be a fantasy. But to me it is my main goal.”
6. Jessica Simpson and Sean P Diddy Combs have all done advertisements for the Proactive line of acne medication, about how it got rid of their acne and led to their acting success.  I never knew either of them were actors.  If they are, they should fire their make-up consultants.  Proactive uses misleading advertisements to get you to try their product.  If you do not cancel within 14 days of the initial order, and usually that’s before the product actually arrives, you get placed on their automatic shipping list and will be billed $45.95 monthly.
7. The cavemen of GEICO fame could not survive the real life of television.  Their show was cancelled after six episodes and gathered a final Nelson ranking of 107.

Adding their name to a product can bring actors and actresses a large residual income, even long after they are dead.  The heirs to Roy Rogers still get paid for the use of the name, as do the estates of Jimmy Dean and Paul Newman.  Consider all the people who let their names be used on clothing lines.  Interestingly some of them have received Mr. Blackwell’s Worst Dressed awards over the years. His list, from 1922 through his death in 2008, included Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Madonna, Farrah Fawcett, Cher, and the always well popular Dennis Rodman.  Each of these has had clothing lines, cosmetics, or similar fashion products named after them

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The Testimonial Trap

The Testimonial Trap

(Be sure to read the previous three articles - above - prior to this.)

Just where might you see testimonials used?  Everywhere.  In addition to television, print ads, and radio plugs, Internet scams are filled with testimonials.  Multi-level product companies, such as Amway, Avon, AmeriPlan, Forever Living, Herbalife, Mary Kay, NuSkin, Shaklee, and Sunrider are perhaps the best known of the more than 100 multi-level marketing companies.  All of them depend on testimonials rather than scientifically proven facts.  Their products may not be bad, but comparing them with similar products available in a typical drugstore or in WalMart, you land up paying up to three times what the product goes for elsewhere.

In most cases, products sold this way use testimonials to avoid scientific testing.  By not calling their items drugs or food, they escape the Food and Drug Commission’s rules and the Federal Trade Commission’s regulations, and can make outlandish statements.  If a person told you a product cured a debilitating disease, and you happened to know someone who was suffering from it, you might be tempted to pass the information on.  You have no proof; you do not know if that previous cure was real, you have no idea what sort of testing the product has gone through or what the potential side effects are.  That is how most multi-level marketing companies sell their products – testimonials by the friend or relative or co-worker who is selling it.

Even proven pharmaceuticals, as mentioned before, can cause misleading usage of their product by producing television commercials providing symptoms and telling you what the cure is.  Many of us have a variety of symptoms on occasion, and just because some might match what this product is pushing does not mean the item is for you.  It may indeed be dangerous.

Infomercials love testimonials.  Who would not love to have a body like those we see using their equipment.  In the rare case that we see before-and-after pictures they avoid saying that the weight loss was strictly due to using their product.  Hard bodies are hard to fight.  Almost as hard to fight as fat. 

There is a web site called InfomercialScam.com where people can lodge complaints and see what others say about the products and companies.  Interestingly mentioned frequently in January and February this year was Direct Buy, a company whose entire commercial shows happy customers.  I have researched this company as well, and can find little good to say about them.  Their satisfied clients, shown on television, are all paid to do those ads.

Recently the New York Mets have faced controversity at naming Citi Field. Citigroup will be paying $20 million a year for the naming rights to the park over the next 20 years.  Many businesses have paid to get stadiums named after them, including Continental Airlines Arena in the Meadowlands (now renamed Izod Center as the original contract expired), the Prudential Center in Newark and Barclays Center in Brooklyn).  There are also two minor league ballparks in the New York area, KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, and Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island.  Around the country there are now over 1,200 such testimonial designations.

Tylenol is the official pain reliever of NASCAR.  On the way home from New Jersey one evening, listening to a Yankee game, we heard that there was an official bottled water for the NY Yankees, another for the bullpen, and a third for the announcer’s booth. 

Due to the misuse of testimonials, the Federal Trade Commission has been studying them and has very specific rules for their usage.  Like most Federal guidelines, though, there are ways to get around them.       

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Haven’t Been There? Don’t Go

Haven’t Been There? Don’t Go

Many of us have been lucky enough to have visited places and seen sites that will become less accessible in the future, or simply no longer there. In 1956, my parents took us across the United States by car and I had the opportunity to see this country before the Interstate Highway System bypassed the “real America.” Since then I have traveled around the country, by super-highway and local roads seven times, seeing places that I could never imagine. Now, though, many such locations are no longer accessible, generally due to the volume of visitors and the results of this human invasion.

The first, to my knowledge, popular tourist site to disappear was Mesa Verde, the Anasazi dwellings in Colorado. While it used to be totally opened to visitors, access has been restricted since the late 1960s. “Mesa Verde is first and foremost an archaeological preserve, which means that access to the park's natural resources is restricted out of consideration for its many ruins. All hiking within the park is restricted to six marked and paved trails.” (Mesa Verde National Park)

In 1962, my parents had the opportunity to see the Lascaux Caves in France. Although opened to the public since its discovery in 1940, damage caused by visitors caused the closure the year after my parents were there.

“The work carried out at Lascaux shortly after the Second World War made access to the cave easier. At that time, the entrance was considerably enlarged and the floors lowered to enable the constant flow of tourists (almost 1,200 people per day) to circulate more easily. But, in 1955 the first indications of deterioration of the paintings appeared. A thorough study found that the cause was an excess of carbon dioxide in the air brought about by the visitors' breath.” (The Caves at Lascaux)

There are hundreds of other examples, from the overcrowding at US National Parks causing reservation requirements (some having to be made a year or more in advance) to the damages done at the Galápagos Islands from oil spills and heavy visitation.

Our generation was the first mass-visitors to the glaciers in Alaska and in Glacier National Park. We will also be the last. The glaciers are diminishing at a rate that, only ten years after my visit to Glacier Bay and 30 years after ice fishing in July in Glacier Park’s Quartz Lake, there are few of these ice wonders still accessible.

Perhaps, even if we knew our presence at these places were causing damage, we may still have gone. Perhaps, even if we knew the damage we were doing to the environment, we would still have caused the pollution that has ruined many locations of our planet. We can, though, hope not.

Now, armed with this knowledge, we can and should do all we can, even sacrificing trips to such tempting and inviting locations, to preserve nature and our archeological heritage. As today we may no longer visit Lascaux in person, in fifty years our grandchildren may be unable to visit Venice, the low-lying Pacific islands, or even much of Florida, New York City, or the Netherlands as the melting ice caps cause a dramatic rise in ocean levels.

No more excuses.

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Living a Lie

Living a Lie

Truth is as we perceive it. There is no such thing as absolute truth as perceived by human senses. Everything we encounter is tainted by our prejudices, and we all have them. Our parents, teach us inaccuracies, as do our teachers, our religions and history. Yet these inaccuracies together make up our culture and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

George Washington did not have wooden teeth or chop down a cherry tree. No one ever threw a coin across the Potomac River. Paul Revere never made it to Concord – he was captured partway there… and there were three riders that night, not two. The United States sank the Maine, and used it as an excuse to declare war. If you run with a pencil you’ll poke your eye out.

How many lies are told to us “for our own good” and remain with us as truths? How many fictions are given to us as children to make our parents’ lives easier, and we pass them on to our children even though we know they are not accurate? How many poems or stories are written to honor heroes that contain exaggerations or are twisted to make the protagonist seem worse than he really was? Did the police use excessive force or did my child actually behave like they say he did?

We want to believe that people we know are good and discount stories about them behaving badly. We dislike someone or a group and thus believe the person or people could easily do wrong. Two hundred years ago the British could never be right; 150 years ago the South knew the North was wrong. Many people cannot forgive the Germans for starting the two World Wars or the French for simply being French.

Every person, every group has colored perceptions of other people and groups. Try to persuade someone that one of their “truths” is inaccurate and you become the enemy. No human is exempt from this.

Yet should we always tell the truth? Can it be a kindness to lie to soothe someone’s feelings or to protect someone we love? Is it honesty or dishonesty to present our perceptions as the total truth and possibly harm another person, or cause a country to go to war?

Mark Twain is credited with stating, “Truth is more of a stranger than fiction.” Sir Winston Churchill wrote, “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.”

Perhaps we should take the advice of Adlai E. Stevenson Jr., and apply it not only to the political world, but also to all our relationships and thoughts. During his 1952 presidential campaign he suggested: “I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.”

Honesty may be the best policy, but in today’s world it will not help a student pass a test (only studying will do that), it will not help you avoid a ticket, it will not correct a mistake, nor, it seems, will it help certain political aspirants get elected. But honesty and admitting your mistakes may make you a better person.

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Seeing is not Believing - Part 1

Seeing is Not Believing

Part 1: TV Advertisements: They Think Us Fools

There is one sure way to save money and avoid purchasing items that you neither need nor work as touted: do not believe advertisements.

No one believes in miracle weight-loss pills (then why is it a billion-dollar a year industry?). We all know that those fad ab-strengthening machines do not burn away calories of take inches off your waist by themselves.

The purpose of advertising is to sell you something that you would not normally purchase. Companies make products and need to sell them; it’s that simple. It makes no difference what the media is: television, paper ads, billboards, or radio. They ARE out to get you, and your money.

Open your eyes when watching television advertising (or simply ignore them completely).

Home security alarms: Are we to believe that a wife has had an alarm installed on the house without consulting with her husband? The alarm company has to take a home inventory, look over what type of system is best, where to put the components, and then make an appointment for the technicians to come. How good can it be – let’s try it out. Run around the house (from daylight to dark) with your suit jacket over your shoulder and carrying your briefcase. What is he looking for? He can get in at any time, just open a door (or does he not have a key?). What does that advertisement prove except that the people that buy the product are fools?

And “for free?” Not hardly. What is offered is a minimum system that might cover a two-room shack. You want more than a few windows or doors alarmed? You want glass-shattering coverage? Add a few thousand. In addition, you need to sign up for monitoring at a cost that, within three years, would be more expensive than thet alarm system. And then they usually have you and your money for more years beyond that. But the alarm companies just want to get in your door – they are salesmen.

Snake oil, encyclopedias, tonics, and sure cures for all that ails you.

Cholesterol-lowering foods: Eat our product and lower your cholesterol. One ad says that the item may lower your level by 4% in six weeks. Actually they want you to buy the product for six weeks. If you normally eat bread, eggs, muffins, or any high-cholesterol food, by switching to almost any healthier product WILL produce positive results. If you buy their product you encourage more inane ads. If you have a cholesterol of 300, a 4% drop is 12 points. Not much of a solution.

Car Advertisements: Let’s compare our car with another. We have got to have at least one thing, of the thousands of items on a car, that is better than someone else’s vehicle (one that costs more than ours). Our glove compartment is 10% larger than a car that sells for thousands more. We have a spot for your coffee mug (is that safe driving?). We have cute wheels. We have sexier models or ones that can do handstands and jump over the hood. We get 27 MPG (in the 1970s there were many cars that got over 35 MPG). We can climb a 90-degree hill and take you across rugged terrain (but can it get you to work and back without costing $20 for gas?).

You can spot the improbabilities yourself. Watch the advertisements, and don’t believe.

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Seeing is not Believing (Part 2)

Games Prices Play

If you think you are getting a bargain, you’re wrong. It’s that simple. When an item is on sale, its still making a profit for the person or company selling it. The stronger the advertisement’s wording, the less likely you’re getting a good deal.

Advertising Price Increases: For the last six months, we have been purchasing a seafood – shrimp salad at our local store for lunch on occasion. It is low in fat, quite tasty, and $3.99 a pound. Two weeks ago the store’s newspaper advertisement featured this product for $4.99. One give-away that the price has gone up is the inclusion of the word “only.” Cat food that was selling for 44 cents a can is now “only 2 for 99¢.”

BOGO: The same store that increased the price of the salad also uses the “buy one, get one free” gimmick. Frequently, if you know the actual price of the product, this can result in a great opportunity. But this store rarely advertises the price of the product, just that if you purchase one, you’ll set the second “of equal or lesser value,” for free. After selling boneless chicken for $1.99 a pound for weeks, they had it “on sale” at a BOGO price of $3.99.

I will admit that their “buy six bagels and get six free” is always at the regular price, and I do purchase it. No, I cannot eat a dozen fresh bagels, but they freeze well (as do English muffins).


For Six Easy Payments: Reverting to television and the sixty-second infomercials for salad spinners, the world’s sharpest knives, and other items “not available in stores.” They all tell you to “call within 3 minutes” to get a great deal (although since they run the ad throughout the day for weeks, how can they tell when those three minutes are up?). Whether they sell for “only $19.99” or for six weeks of easy payments, before you purchase check out WalMart (now they have eliminated the hyphen so it’s no longer Wal-Mart) or Target to see what they are getting for a similar product. You might even find that $19.99 special at the “All For a Dollar” store.

Spend $15 Coupons: Inflation has increased the “spend $5 and get…” all the way up to $15, and it will probably go higher soon. If you are already going to spend that much in the store, these can be good deals. In fact if you need the products, and were planning on spending $10 or more, it may be worth it to get an extra something for the coupon special. It, though, is never worth the trip or the savings if you were not going to purchase anything or if the product is not something you really need.

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Seeing is not Believing - Part 3

Bait & Switch 2010

We all recognize the old Bait & Switch advertising. Illegal in every state, companies advertise one product to bait you into the store and then either do not have the product or it’s of such poor quality that you are easily switched to another more expensive item.

They still do it, more subtly, and they still get away with it. Here are a few examples:

Vacuum Cleaner: The bait: Advertised for a seemingly low price, probably with several free “exclusive offers” such as a car vac, computer attachments, or a steam iron. The switch: buy a better model and get extended warrantees and free cleaning for up to 20 years at ever increasing prices. Beware: The “free” products may be of poor quality and generally not things you might use. Note, though, that if you do keep the vacuum in good condition and get it cleaned using their program, it will probably last the 20 years and do a good job.

Meal Discount Coupons: The Bait: buy one meal at the regular price and get the second for free or at a discount. Possibly buy two meals and get a discount on both. The Switch: There may be many exceptions to this policy: minimum purchase prices (spend $50 to qualify), good only on certain days or at certain meals, or limited menu selections. Beware: When you use such a coupon, check the bill carefully. The restaurant may ignore your coupon (“we forgot,” “computer error”) charge you more than the listed price for the meal, or add a surcharge to make up for using the coupon. We have experienced restaurants adding non-ordered or delivered items onto the bill, such as soup, an extra appetizer, or a beverage.

Furniture: The Bait: Buy a complete living room set and get free end or coffee tables; possibly “close out” sales with deep discounts. The Switch: The free products, and possibly the items offered are of poor quality or do not match. Beware: the sales staff is trained to use high-pressure tactics to move you up to items they want to sell. Most showrooms are so large, and the sales staff follows you so closely, that they show you what they want to sell, not what you may wish to purchase. Ask to be left alone to browse at your own pace. Many companies now charge for delivery and for removal of old items.

If you have replaced a large item, and the old product is still in somewhat usable condition, consider advertising for it at a local college. Offer it for free “as is.” That way a needy college student gets something they can use and you do not have to pay removal charges.

Membership Clubs: The Bait: Pay a small annual fee to join and get deep-discount prices. The Switch: A few companies offer low quality and limited selection at prices that really do not provide a discount. While Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s have made this business model a success, and if you need to buy in bulk these companies have a reputation for providing what they advertise, you can frequently find items for less at a non-membership food market. Beware: A few home supply stores have used the membership ploy to sell low quality items at discounted prices. Be especially careful if the store does not display items but only provides catalogues.

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Coming on August 15: Seeing is not Believing - Part 4

Part four of a series

Discount Stores

Some membership stores, especially those who specialize in furniture and home goods, do not always offer either quality or discounts.....

 

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