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CONTRACTS |
Contracts are generally made for the sellers advantage
and not the buyer. Cross out
any items doesn't look just right. If you don't you can be a
victim which can put you into a place
you might not want to be. |
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Don't worry, its a
standard contract
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Asked to sign a contract
that is not fully filled out
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High pressure sale/must sign up now or never
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Offer good for today only
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No written information is available about the
company
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No address or telephone number available
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Asks you to get the required permits
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Free or cheap services or upgrades
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Working in your neighborhood/ Materials left over from another
job
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Want to use your home as a model
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Rewritten Contracts/backdating contracts
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Can help you finance the project
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Low ball prices
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Only accept cash
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Offered unsolicited design or construction work
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Tries to make you switch from your existing company
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Asks if you have a security system
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Changes the advertised price once discussions start
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Adds optional equipment that youre not told is
optional
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Discount if you find other customers
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Precautions
You Should Take |
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There is no such thing as a standard contract except
within a specific company. Its generally an attempt to
dissuade you from reading the contract.
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A company should never require a customer to pay office
or
legal fees before any evaluation or work is done.
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Get full business documentation and verify all details
such as license, bond, insurance and references.
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Companies that inform you
that you automobile warranty has or is about to expire
and state they will extended it for a fee, should be
carefully investigated. Many of these companies are
scams.
TO FILE A COMPLAINT GO TO THE
COMPLAINTS SECTION BY CLICKING HERE
Home Buying Or Repairs That Can Leave You In
Trouble, Here Are Some Warnings |
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Do not be rushed into making a deal. Get estimate in
writing prior to a formal bid proposal.
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Must agree to meet federal, state and local laws and
ordinances.
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Check out a designer's or builder's reputation including
a credit check, Better Business Bureau, proof of
insurance or bond coverage for the full replacement cost
of work.
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Don't sign an agreement unless you understand and feel
comfortable about it, and have it reviewed relative to
contract law.
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Use a professional plan examiner and field inspector
to look for code compliance standards and performance.
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Consider having pre-construction contract language for building
compliance standards, independent performance quality
inspections and possibly longer warranties written into
the contracts.
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Become familiar with the services offered by the
American Arbitration Association (http://www.adr.org)prior
before signing any
agreement.
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The more upfront money you pay a designer or builder,
the less leverage you have over the deal. Make progress
payments for services/products delivered on the basis of
what's been completed or installed.
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Know your rights as a consumer regarding your state's
lien laws.
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Make checks out as a "dual-signer" check to both
contractor and supplier/sub-contractor.
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Specify the length of time you are protected against
defects in design, workmanship, major structural
defects and what action is available for breach of contract.
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If they must have payments up front make sure there has
been
created a payment schedule.
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Have your contract specify how problems are handled
within the contract.
Buying Or
Leasing An Automobile Pitfalls
And Problems |
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Determine if lenders are giving
kickbacks to dealers for charging high interest car
loan rates (difference between bank rates and offered
rate.)
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The dealer offers to take your current
car as a trade in, pay off your loan balance on that
vehicle (no matter how much is still owed) and lease you
a better car than the one you have for lower payments.
The deal is probably a poor one.
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The dealer offers to pay the remaining
lease payments on your existing lease in exchange for a
new lease. Usually the dealer is not taking over
responsibility for the entire lease, only the rest of
the payments. Any problems with the car from the time you
turn it in may be still yours.
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The dealer gives you a lease
interest rate, but it has a problem.
The real lease rate is 240 times the quoted
rate, i.e. 4% or .04 x 240 = 9.6%.
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Dealer may stress the flexibility of
leasing versus purchasing by promising early withdrawal
or changing cars anytime is not true. Leasing actually
makes it more difficult to change cars and usually
doesn't allow for swapping cars.
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Lease payments are generally lower
than purchasing only to those who drive less than 15,000
miles a year and live close to the dealer.
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Leasing for five years as opposed to
two or three years, exposes you to potential expensive repair
costs that aren't covered after the warranty expires.
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Leasing shows up as a legal
responsibility on your credit
report just like any other debt commitment.
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Leasing a new car and then
purchasing it, is usually more expensive than just purchasing
it at
the very beginning, check your figures carefully.
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Do not add extended warranties,
maintenance contracts, paint protection, rust proofing
or window etching to a leased car.
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Check that you're. not buying a used or
salvaged vehicle that was totaled, e.g.
www.carfax.com
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Never accept verbal repair estimates.
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Beware of padded bills for repairs.
Get multiple estimates.
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Make sure installed parts are not
counterfeit, substandard or used, while charge you for
expensive new parts (look at boxes and invoice).
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Unusually low repair prices may be a
sign of poor service or parts.
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Your insurer should have a list of
preferred body shops in your area.
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Shop offers to help you recover or waive your
deductible.
Fitness/Health Clubs Scams Abound |
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When products advertise you can get
astonishing results without a lot of hard work, don't
fall for it.
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It's a "red flag" if a product promises you can lose two
pounds or more a week, by blocking calories, fat absorption
or by wearing a product.
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Beware of
systems that rely on gimmicks or claim to
work by isolating muscle groups.
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Watch out for
mechanical products that cannot adjust to fit various body sizes.
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Some abdominal machines performed no better than
doing crunches on the floor free of charge.
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In general, CR magazine found that the more expensive
the machine, the better its quality and effectiveness.
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If you sign a month-to-month membership, keep a copy so
that the company can't say you signed another one which
was a longer term.
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If you have problems, contact your state's Attorney
General.
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Celebrity or Athlete
endorsements have no more knowledge or
understanding of the product they endorse than a
layperson. Furthermore they are being paid handsomely
to convince you in to buying.
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The "Advertorial"
is a scam in which the advertisement
is presented as being an unbiased article on nutrition,
fitness, etc. often from a "respectable"
paid source.
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Yellow pages may show
there is no company in your town. They may be farmed out
to non-licensed companies.
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Inquire if your friends
are satisfied with their pest control company before
selecting one..
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Don't let a new company
into your house without without a background check on
the company. You
may be a victim of theft.
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If a company representative comes to
your doors and says you have termites and try to get
you to sign a contract quickly, just say "goodbye."
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Be careful if you are promised that in
a period of 3 months, bed bugs and cockroaches will be
zero or the pest control will be free until the
issue is resolved. Have it in writing!
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Pest and termite control Scams
commonly increase after bad weather or a disaster. Be
wary of any company that operates door-to-door, uses
scare tactics to get your business or offers a deal that
is only good if signed immediately.
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Termite Bonds vary widely. Some just kill the pests,
others also repair the damage.
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Employed by out-of-state companies, a person may represent
themselves as employees of a local security company
and "trick" you into signing a
contract. Later you may
receive bills from two separate alarm companies.
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Some companies contacts will stipulate that even though
you paid for the system, they own it for 36 months and
after that they own the control panels forever. Their
prices are no lower than those companies that say you
own it outright.
"Walk-Up To House" Scams |
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"I have materials left over from another job."
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"I want cash up front! Creat a payment schedule at the
beginning."
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"I just happen to be
in your neighborhood
working on a nearby home."
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NOTICE: We provide this Encyclopedia
as a public service. Unfortunately we do not have the manpower to answer
all of your emails or questions on specific topics. We, therefore, do not
post our telephone number or address as all our communications are
through email.
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2011 -
www.stopthescam.org |
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