The Savvy Consumer: How to Avoid... | Buy

Every month Elisabeth Leamy gets hundreds of consumer calls on her tip line at the Washington DC affiliate of Fox News. Consumers call in after losing hundreds or thousands of dollars to car dealers, mechanics, contractors, movers--you name it! As an investigative reporter Elisabeth has delved into all the scams and now puts what she has learned into this invaluable resource. The Savvy Consumer shows readers how to spar with car salesmen, how to avoid paying crooked mechanics, and ways to bargain down closing costs when you buy a house. Elisabeth explains how to keep a mover from holding your belongings hostage and what your rights are if you're a renter. She reveals the single step that makes collection agents go away and easy ways you can instantly improve your credit score. Want to find unclaimed money? Bid for bargains at a government auction? Want to make telemarketers stop calling and junk mail stop coming? What are the most common scams and how can you avoid them? It's all in The Savvy Consumer, along with more than a hundred other topics. Elisabeth educates readers by sharing anecdotes about real consumers and their struggles. She explains the signs to look out for, the questions to ask, how to do your homework, and where to complain. There are hundreds of books about making money. This book is about keeping your hard-earned cash.

FOREWORD

xiii

INTRODUCTION

xv

Chapter 1 BEFORE YOU BUY

1

(10)

Checking Out a Company

1

(3)

Contracts

4

(3)

The Cooling-Off Rule

7

(1)

How to Pay

8

(3)

Chapter 2 CARS

11

(48)

Accidents

11

(2)

Auto Body

13

(2)

Buying New

15

(4)

Buying Used

19

(4)

Curbstoning

23

(3)

Donations

26

(3)

Extended Warranties

29

(2)

Financing

31

(2)

Gasoline

33

(2)

Leasing

35

(3)

Lemon Law

38

(2)

Mechanics

40

(4)

Odometer Fraud

44

(2)

Parking Garages

46

(1)

Salvaged

47

(2)

Spot Delivery

49

(2)

Theft

51

(3)

Titles

54

(1)

Towing

55

(4)

Chapter 3 HOME BUYING AND RENTING

59

(32)

Buy or Rent?

59

(2)

Closing Costs

61

(11)

For Sale by Owner

72

(3)

Home Inspectors

75

(3)

Mortgages

78

(5)

Moving

83

(3)

New Homes

86

(4)

Realtors

90

(3)

Renter's Rights

93

Chapter 4 HOUSEHOLD

91

(26)

Appliances

97

(3)

Cable

100

(1)

Carpet Cleaning

101

(2)

Energy Efficiency

103

(3)

Home Warranties

106

(1)

Security

107

(4)

Shocking

111

(2)

Termites

113

(4)

Chapter 5 HOME IMPROVEMENT

117

(18)

Building Codes

117

(1)

Contractors

118

(6)

Government Guarantee

124

(1)

Lien Releases

125

(2)

Permits

127

(1)

Store Contractors

128

(2)

Unlicensed Contractors

130

(5)

Chapter 6 CREDIT

135

(30)

Advance Fee Loans

135

(2)

Collection Agents

137

(3)

Credit Card Debt

140

(3)

Credit Card Strategies

143

(4)

Credit Counseling

147

(3)

Credit Repair

150

(2)

Credit Reports

152

(2)

Credit Scoring

154

(4)

Credit Rescoring

158

(2)

Identity Theft

160

(5)

Chapter 7 FINANCES

165

(28)

ATMs

165

(2)

Charity

167

(3)

Checking Accounts

170

(2)

Home Equity Loans/Lines of Credit

172

(3)

Investment Fraud

175

(5)

Predatory Lending

180

(3)

Refinancing

183

(3)

Savings Bonds

186

(1)

Taxes

187

(3)

Unclaimed Money

190

(3)

Chapter 8 INSURANCE

193

(18)

Cancellation and Nonrenewal

193

(2)

Car Insurance

195

(2)

Credit Life Insurance

197

(1)

Health Insurance

198

(3)

Homeowner's Insurance

201

(4)

Life Insurance

205

(2)

Public Adjusters

207

(2)

Renter's Insurance

209

(2)

Chapter 9 EMPLOYMENT

211

(20)

Business Opportunities

211

(2)

Classified Ads

213

(2)

Executive Counseling Services

215

(3)

Government Jobs

218

(2)

Modeling

220

(3)

Multilevel Marketing

223

(2)

Trade Schools

225

(2)

Work-at-Home Schemes

227

(4)

Chapter 10 SHOPPING

231

Auctions

231

(4)

Gift Cards

235

(1)

Going Out of Business

236

(2)

"No, No, No" Deals

238

(2)

Outlet Malls

240

(2)

Rent to Own

242

(1)

Returns

243

(2)

Sales

245

(2)

Warranties

247

Chapter 11 SERVICES

149

(12)

Dating Services

249

(2)

Funeral Homes and Cemeteries

251

(3)

Gyms

254

(2)

Limousines

256

(3)

Personal Trainers

259

(1)

Pharmacies

260

(2)

Salons

262

Chapter 12 TRAVEL

161

(20)

Airlines

267

(4)

Frequent-Flier Miles

271

(2)

Hotels

273

(2)

Rental Cars

275

(2)

Travel Offers

277

Chapter 13 MAIL

181

(12)

Junk Mail

281

(2)

Speed

283

(2)

Sucker Lists

285

(2)

Sweepstakes

287

(3)

Unordered Merchandise

290

Chapter 14 TELEPHONE

193

(108)

Fat Finger Dialing

293

(1)

Pay-per-Call Scams

294

(2)

Pay Phones

296

(2)

Prepaid Calling Cards

298

(2)

Slamming and Cramming

300

(2)

Telemarketing

302

Chapter 15 SCAMS

301

(12)

Bank Examiner

307

(2)

Candy Kids

309

(2)

Foreign Lotteries

311

(1)

Nigerian Letter

312

(3)

Police and Fire Funds

315

(2)

Pyramid Schemes

317

(3)

Reloading

320

Chapter 16 FIGHTING BACK

313

(22)

Better Business Bureau

323

(2)

Complain Effectively

325

(3)

Government Watchdogs

328

(1)

Lawyers

329

(2)

Small-Claims Court

331

(4)

RESOURCES

335

(4)

INDEX

339

(4)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

343

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