Scam-Proof Your Life 377 Smart Ways to Protect You & Your Family from Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches

by Kirchheimer, Sid

• ISBN13: 9781402730412
• ISBN10: 1402730411
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-28
• Publisher: Sterling

Summary

Get inside information from those in the know on how to protect your money, your rights, and your healthwith the most complete, practical, and easy-to-follow collection of consumer wisdom ever assembled. In this essential action guide by dogged consumer reporter Sid Kirchheimer, more than 100 leading experts reveal smart and specific tips, techniques, and tactics that anyone can use to avoid being victimizedfinancially, physically, or emotionally. Car salesmen disclose secret strategies to save you thousands of dollars on your next vehicle purchase. Repairmen divulge the tricks of their trades ... and disclose the advice you'll need to get superior service at an honest price. Con men and crooks offer defensive directives to deprive thieves of your money, your possessions, and your identity. Kirchheimer gets the experts to cough up everyday counsel as well. Doctors share simple steps you can take today to guard against medical errors and lower your health-care costs. Attorneys tell how to protect yourself in a courtroom and in daily life. Industry insiders and consumer advocates detail when, where, and how to get the most for your time and money: They expose all sorts of stealthy solutions for saving when you buy a home or apply for a mortgage, telephone service, or a credit card. They even tell you how to save big on travel arrangements, and how to secure a college scholarship for less-than-Dean's List students! Scam-Proof Your Life is the latest work by award-winning consumer crusader Sid Kirchheimer, who writes the popular "Scam Alert" column inThe AARP Bulletinthe nation's most widely circulated newspaper. Kirchheimer is the author ofThe Doctors Book of Home RemediesII (2 million copies sold),Never Pay Retail, and other critically acclaimed books devoted to empowering ordinary people to protect their money, time, health, and security.

Author Biography

Scam-Proof Your Life is the latest work by award-winning consumer crusader Sid Kirchheimer, who writes the popular “Scam Alert” column in The AARP Bulletin—the nation’s most widely circulated newspaper. Kirchheimer is the author of The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II (2 million copies sold), Never Pay Retail, and other critically acclaimed books devoted to empowering ordinary people to protect their money, time, health, and security.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 11
Protect Your Money
Cars: Don't Get Taken for a Ride	p. 17
Buying New
Preparation That Pays
At the Dealership
Buying Used
Car Repairs
Prevent & Fight Traffic Tickets
Homes: Defend Your Dream	p. 55
Mortgages
Closing Costs
Strategies for Buying & Selling
Home Repairs & Renovations
Credit Cards: Save Paper on Your Plastic	p. 87
Tricks of the Credit-Card Trade
Avoid Common Cardholder Mistakes
"Rewards" That Don't
Telephone Service: Be a Talking Tightwad	p. 107
Post-Deregulation Surprises
Long-Distance Savings
Common Phone Scams
College: Get Schooled on Scholarship Tools	p. 129
Start Early for Payoff Later
University-Funded Scholarships
Private Scholarship Money
Essays That Excel
Travel: Go More Places for Less	p. 151
Airlines
Hotels
Rental Cars
Cruises
Protect Your Health
Medical Errors: Avoiding Common Mistakes	p. 179
Survive a Hospital Stay
Prevent Procedure Errors
Avert Medication Mishaps
Get More from Doctors
Health-Care Ripoffs: Shield Your Money & Your Life	p. 201
Hospital Expenses
Tests & Procedures
Medications
Nursing Homes & Assisted-Living Residences
Everyday Protection: Halt Humdrum Health Hazards	p. 229
Medication Smarts
Fighting Germs at Home & in Public
Food Safety
Protect Your Rights
Identity Theft: Armor-Plate Your Name & Reputation	p. 245
Simple Steps to Take Now
Stop Junk Mail & Telemarketers
Shore Up Online Security
You've Been Victimized-Now What?
On the Job: Your Rights at Work	p. 275
Avoiding a Layoff
Get More When You Say Goodbye
Fighting an Unlawful Dismissal
Starting Over
The Dirty Dozen: A Roundup of Common Scams	p. 301
Advance-Fee Loans
ATM Skimming
Charity Cheats
Door-to-Door Deception
Employment Scams
Financial Account Updates & Alerts
Foreign Lotteries
Gift Grift
Government Cons
"Kid" Candy & Magazine Sales
Nigerian Letter
Pyramid Schemes
About the Author	p. 324
Acknowledgments	p. 325
Panel of Experts	p. 326
Index	p. 330
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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