Shame, Shame, Shame: Martha Stewart-Branded Glass Tables [Fox5]

* Maintain a healthy credit score
* Inquire about discounts
* Increase your deductible
* Disaster-proof your home
* Monitor neighborhood changes
* Pay promptly

Simple tips for sure, but they can save you a bundle. Heck, the first tip alone can save you almost half on your homeowners insurance.

A few other worthwhile thoughts:

* Be sure to shop around every year or two for all your insurance needs. Many insurance companies slowly raise fees to the point where their competitors offer much cheaper options. And yet most consumers don't look around for alternatives because the increases are so gradual. Doing a little extra work to check prices can save you a boatload in premiums.

* If you raise your deductible, be sure to increase the amount in your emergency fund to cover the difference. This way, if you ever need to make a claim you'll have enough to cover your larger-than-average portion of the bill.

* Paying promptly is not only a good money saving tip, but can also keep your insurance from being canceled. Be sure you are never late on any sort of insurance payment or you could find your coverage dropped.

6 Ways to Save on Homeowners Insurance [Smart Money]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: Groovnick)

1. Low-Income Housing and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Direct funding for heating bills
2. The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Funds homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient
3. Check with your electrical company for winter assistant plans.

6 Ways to Give or Get Help Paying for Heat This Winter [Furnace Compare] (Photo: Getty)

Home Depot slashes prices, seeking to gain share [MarketPlace] (Thanks to Anne!) (Photo: Maulleigh)

Hello Rick,
I just left you a message on your phone but will also confirm in writing.

There was a misunderstanding on our part when one of the staff looked at the monies disbursed and saw $125 had been paid out, she assumed it was to Jim Breer which in fact it was for the inspection instead. As this money was to have been paid from the seller's escrow, we will attempt to have it paid from there, if not, we will pay it ourselves. I do apologize for the time it has taken to get this resolved and assure you that our staff were well intended and generally get high marks from our members for the work they do.

I am available should you need to chat further and thank you for your
business!

Cheryl

Go back to Jim's letter in the original post and use it as a guideline in the future. It's polite, to the point, focuses on facts, explicitly states the desired outcome. Best of all, it worked. He himself used the complaint letter template in this post as an outline, it, too, should be inspiration for your next letter of complaint.

PREVIOUSLY: Man Feels Opportunities Credit Union Screwed Him Over For $125

(Photo: Getty)

The $50 & Up Underground House Book [Official Site]
$50 and Up Underground House Book [KK.org]

This will come as a serious blow to a number of our commenters, but we have a bad story about a credit union. Gasp, shock, horror, it's true. Opportunities Credit Union of Vermont, where reader Rick has his mortgage, told Rick that they wouldn't be paying for his home inspection because they never got the bill. However, Rick's inspector's online billing system shows when people look at the bills he sends. It shows that Opportunities Credit Union accessed the bill. Whoopsies. Here's Rick's letter to the Credit Union president, asking them to pay the $125 for the home inspection:

Caryl Stewart
President
Opportunities Credit Union
92 North Avenue
Burlington, VT05401

Dear Ms. Stewart,

I am writing to make you aware of an incident regarding my mortgage with your organization [address redacted]. Let me first say that this is my first mortgage, and after falling in love with our new property, it seemed very unlikely that we would be able to get a mortgage at all - the mobile home in question had been rejected by several traditional mortgage agencies, and Opportunities Credit Union was there for us when we needed you. We're very grateful for this, yet feel that we received poor service recently regarding a mandated home inspection.

Prior to applying for our mortgage, we had an excellent local inspector, Mr. Jim Breer of Better Home Inspections in Barre, conduct an inspection of the home. Based on this inspection and an appraisal, Erika Glidden sent a list of repairs to complete. After the repairs, the appraiser and inspector would return to verify the repairs. I'm sure this is all common practice, but as this is our first home, we asked Erika to explain it all in detail. One of the details discussed was payment for the post-repair appraisal and inspection. Erika was clear with us that these bills would be submitted to Opportunities, and that the credit union would pay them. I verified this again in mid-June, prior to scheduling the follow-up inspection with Mr. Breer. When I contacted Mr. Breer, I informed him that he should get a list of required repairs directly from Ms. Glidden, and that he should verify with her that Opportunities would be paying his fee. We were very clear about this, and he had no trouble getting the list for his inspection from OPPSVT.

On June 26, 2008, Jim Breer complete his inspection, and on June 27th, he submitted his report electronically to myself and to Natalie Aiuto at Opportunities, as instructed by Erika Glidden. The invoice for his services was attached to the report (as with the appraisal, which was paid without issue).

Mr. Breer's electronic report system assigns a specific username and password to each recipient, and allows him to track access to his reports. He reports that Ms. Aiuto viewed the report on July 1st. On July 3rd, Ms. Glidden contacted me via email to report that she "still had not received" the inspection report, and that Mr. Breer "never sent... a copy..." At this point (also on 7/3/08), I provided Ms. Glidden with my user name and password to access the report - both copies included invoices. After finishing two small repairs, on 7/28/08, Ms. Glidden emailed to let me know that everything was "all set."

Nearly a month later, on 8/19/08, Ms. Glidden forwarded me a copy of an email from Jim Breer, complaining that he had not yet been paid his $125 fee, and threatening a lien on the property. Included in the forwarded email was the following:

From: Natalie Aiuto
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 8:43 AM
To: 'Erika Glidden'
Subject: FW: Past due balance

Erika, on 8/5 I sent you an e-mail that you replied to on 8/11, asking if the home inspector's bill for $125 for Young was paid, and you replied that the file was "all set."

Please see Jim Breer's e-mail to Rick Young, cc'ing me...

Ms. Glidden explained to me that "escrow had been closed out," and that the bill was now my responsibility. In this same 8/19/08 email, she explained that she "never received a bill," and therefore bore no responsibility. The bill was attached to the report, which she had viewed.

When I was able to get the report tracking data from Mr. Breer, and provide it to Ms. Glidden, she protested that, "the only part of the report that was looked at was parts that pertained to repairs on the home." There was no such confusion with the appraiser's report, which I have a copy of and which is laid out very similarly - and even so, failure to notice a bill does not mean that it needn't be paid. Further, in the body of the 8/19 email, it is made clear in the email between Ms. Aiuto and Ms. Glidden that Opportunities was aware of the fee, and acknowledged responsibility for payment prior to the release of escrow funds.

Ms. Stewart, I recognize that $125 isn't a lot of money, but your organization made a commitment to me, and to Mr. Breer that you would compensate him for his services. The consequences of Ms. Glidden's failure to follow through and the fact that she provided false information to Ms. Aiuto shouldn't fall on your customer. To resolve this issue, I would appreciate it if Opportunities would pay Mr. Breer the $125 that he is owed. The ball was dropped here, and responsibility lies with OPPSVT. If needed, I will gladly provide copies of all emails and records that I have access to.

I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem, and will wait one week before seeking help from a consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau. Please contact me vie this email address, or at xxx-xxx-xxxx [redacted]

Sincerely,

Rick Y.
[address redacted]

Maybe they accessed it and just didn't look at the right parts, but how is that Rick's fault? The crux isn't Ms. Glidden's or Aiuto's reading and comprehension skills, it's whether they got the bill. By their own admission, they did....so what's the problem?

(Photo: Getty)

When Barbara Troxell started one in 2004, she started by putting flyers in neighbors mailboxes. After getting about 14 people together, she started calling up dealers to see if they would offer a group rate discount. The group negotiated a $40 discount off a $179 annual plan, got downside price protection, with a pre-season boiler check included. Now the group is up to 50 people.Through collective buying power you can negotiate a better deal to buy in "bulk" than you can individually. For more info and tips on the nuts and bolts, check out this article.

How to Save Money by Starting a Fuel Oil Coop [Furnace Compare] (Photo: Getty)

100 Things to Do During a Money Free Weekend [The Simple Dollar] "One hundred fun ways to spend a money free weekend."

8 Home Improvements That Pay Off [Smart Money] "The home improvement projects that offer the biggest payoff."

10 most and least expensive cars to insure [Bankrate] "Stay away from small, fast cars."

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

(Photo: me and the sysop)

Do Shingle Warranties Matter? [Roofery]

(Photo: Getty)

PREVIOUSLY: Don't Drink Lamp Oil Or You'll Die

(Photo: Getty)

• Take out the filter and vacuum off debris. Wash it in warm, soapy water. Rinse the filter let it dry completely, then reinstall. If the filter is very dirty or your usage increases significantly, clean the filter more often.
• If dirt and debris have bypassed the filter, you will need to remove the front panel and vacuum dust and debris from the coils.
• Replace a deteriorated filter.

Protect Your Investment: Maintain your air conditioner [Consumer Reports]

(Photo: Maulleigh)

• Accept the lender's new terms and use other sources
• Try to appeal the freeze by contacting your lender and asking them about their appeals process.
• Try to refinance with another lender if your current lender won't budge.

It might also be possible to refinance with a different lender if your credit is in good shape and your home's value is stable. Just remember that a refinance may involve closing costs.

— JLP, AllFinancialMatters

(Photo: Getty)

Mortgage Wholesale Rates [The Mortgage Professor]

Your website has changed my consumerist ways forever. I read "Gotcha' Capitalism" this weekend and decided to take back my rights as a consumer.

1. Our mortgage was paid up in October and I didn't realize that Wells Fargo had the real estate tax payment scheduled for semi-annual. Got the county tax bill with a penalty of $18. Called a county clerk, explained my situation and got the charges removed. Savings: $18

2. Checked my Wachovia account and found a $35 overdraft fee from November. Stopped at the bank regional main branch. Someone please explain to me why, in a 10-12 story Wachovia building, my escalated customer service request needed to be handled off-site by someone in meetings all day. At the end of the day (literally) 2 fees removed. Savings: $70.

3. Called around to price out heating oil costs and the best I could do was $3.34-$3.39/gal. Negotiated with Petro for a 1 yr. contract @ $3.09. I have 2 tanks x 275 gals x 5 deliveries. Savings: $687.50

4. Kids gave me an iphone for Christmas. Ported # from Verizon. ETF on current bill. Followed your script (including reading the legalese several times to the annoyance of the csr.) Waited 10 min. and savings: $175

5. Comcast. No success here. Offered to downgrade to basic cable-phone bundle ($109 with 2 year contract! Does this mean FiOS is getting close to my neighborhood?) Savings: $0

Total savings for week's work: $950.50
Regaining some financial control: Priceless

-Moriconi

(Photo: Kai Hendry)

"In February of 2007 my wife and I moved into our newly built home. We had issues with one of the subcontractors. The issue is really a moot point here but if you really want to know the low-voltage company messed up the wiring of our in-the-ceiling speakers and it shorted out my surround sound receiver."

(I'm not a lawyer and I cannot offer legal advice...only tell my experience. I tried to keep this as general as possible to help others while keeping the specifics of my case and plan to win out of it)

"Over the next two weeks I was going back and forth with the builder and the subcontractor. Finally the subcontractor agreed to repair/replace the receiver. The VP of the builder played mediator and agreed to the agreement. This was about two weeks after the problem initially happened.

Fast forward to the beginning of May when I finally give the receiver to the subcontractor for repair. I made sure to have the person picking it up sign a hand receipt noting the model and serial number of my receiver and the details of the agreement.

For the next few months I didn't really think much about the whole mess and in all honesty just the thought of dealing with the low-voltage company put me in a tizzy. Finally around November I called them and asked the status of my receiver. They said that they did not repair it since it was too expensive to repair and they were not going to replace it because it was not their fault.

I once again contacted the builder and they offered no help. Around this time I read an article on the Consumerist [The Ultimate Consumerist Guide To Fighting Back (Revised Edition)] where they listed the legal route. That told me exactly what I should do since I tried the nice and the hardball route.

I spent about an hour or so researching small claims court policy in my state and local jurisdiction (in my case the county). My local county had a great handbook about the whole process and I downloaded this and read it to find out the idiosyncrasies of my local court. I also scoured the webpage to find anything else to use in my favor. The one interesting tidbit that I found was that in my county if you take a corporation to court seeking an amount of damages over a certain amount (in my case $1500) they would have to have representation by an attorney. Under $1500 and any full-time employee could represent them.

What I figured is that at a couple hundred dollars an hour that it would not be worth the company to go to trial with an attorney. Plus, I figured that if they show up to court without an attorney then I would just seek default judgment. I was going to seek about $1600 in damages (cost of the speakers, cost of the receiver, and cost of 6 months free monitoring that I was promised).

The next day I went to the county court house to file my case. The county clerk gave me a one page form where I wrote down my information, the information of the company I wanted to take to court, and I had about a paragraph to explain my case. I also had the option of submitting evidence/contracts at this time but I did not do that for a couple of reasons.

My reasoning was that this isn't a criminal trial and you don't have to file evidence ahead of time for the defense to see. I wanted to blindside the company with as much evidence that I could when I got in front of the judge. Remember, in small claims it's not beyond a reasonable doubt, it's only a preponderance of the evidence.

I paid $85 to file and have the papers delivered to the company via the county sheriff. I paid an extra $10 for that service and figured that it was worth it for shock value. One interesting thing is that you have to have a true street address and not a PO Box like this company had. I eventually found their address by doing a whois lookup of their domain name. I also set a court date at this time.

A couple of days later they were served the paperwork and immediately the owner called me and left a voicemail. I tried to return her call numerous times over the next week and she never called back so I decided that I would let the court decide.

Eventually our court date came around and I went to court dressed in my best lawyer garb armed with all my evidence (in my case contracts showing the price we paid for the speakers, the hand receipt signed by the company employee, e-mails, phone records, the owner's manual of the receiver, receipts, and pricing of a replacement receiver). I was the first case called before the judge and I was told that the defendant was in a car accident and is in the hospital. I was given a new court date. I still don't believe that the lady was in an accident but that isn't for me to decide.

As the next month went by I didn't hear anything from the company but suddenly about two weeks before the new trial they called me. We exchanged a couple of calls and finally we agreed upon a settlement. I ended up getting the cost of a new receiver and court costs paid in addition to six months of free alarm monitoring. Total value of what I received $920. Less than I was seeking but still agreeable to me to be done with the whole mess.

I agreed to dismiss my case and turned in the paperwork to put a rest to this ordeal.

The entire small claims court process was pretty sweet in my opinion. The system was easy to use and offers a good venue to settle disputes. I have no doubt that I would have won my case but I guess that I'll never know.

Here is the time breakdown from the time I decided to go to small claims court:

Initial research - 1 hour
Court filing - 1 hour
Collection of my evidence - 1 hour
First court date - 2 hours
Phone calls leading to settlement - 1 hour
Collection of settlement - 1 hour
Filing of settlement - 1 hour
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
TOTAL: 8 hours for $920.

I will definitely use the small claims court process again if I have problems with a company.

-Jason"

Inspired? here's some posts we did on how to take a company to small claims court. They may seem invulnerable, but suing big companies in small claims court is actually fun and easy. Daunted? Here's the steps you need to take to take your case to small claims court. Finally, a state-by-state index of links to small claims court papers and brochures.

(Illustration: Leo Espinosa)

1. Remove tape residue
2. Douse flame
3. Zap roaches.( Make a dish of half sugar and half baking soda. They'll love the sugar, and the baking soda will kill them.)
4. Spot-clean a rug
5. Absorb moisture
6. Keep drains clear
7. Clean a shower door
8. Uncrust your grill
9. Clean your hands
10. Banish book odors
11. Bonus usage: Making a baking soda and vinegar rocket!

Hit the link below to find out how to use baking soda in each of the instances.

Really? You can do that with baking soda [CNN] (Thanks to Aaron!)
(Photo: jamieotterbein)

About innerspring vesus foam mattresses, she writes, "Neither is better, it's just about personal preference," but you can expect to pay considerably more for foam, "at least $1000 for a queen mattress."

You should also be careful to not "let a salesperson convince you that a mattress is good based on the number of coils it has — it's not important. What is important is the gauge of the wire the coils are made from." The lower the gauge of a coil, the thicker it is, and the thicker the coil the firmer the mattress. In other words, a 12-gauge coil mattress is going to provide more support than a 14-gauge coil mattress.

"Tricks of the trade: Shopping for a mattress" [MSNBC]
(Photo: Getty)

FeeDisclosure [Official Site]
Clicking the Way to Mortgage Savings [NYT via ConsumerWorldBlog]

Clear Unsightly Blemishes: the Case of the Ballpoint Baby Doll [Baby Toolkit via BoingBoing]

Vampire Energy [GOOD Magazine]

Trendwatching says it's part of the consumer trend of "premiumization," whereby every product is available in "upgraded" form. Think premium vodkas, where you pay $10 more just to have a fancy backstory in a pretty bottle, and apply that mentality to every consumer good.

Renova... now you can talk out of your ass and wipe it at the same time!

I have had nothing but trouble w/ my high efficiency washer - my house STINKS, my clothes STINK, my towels STINK and now my FAMILY STINKS!!! I think as a Mom you've had enough when the kids at school laugh at your son because his jeans STINK!!!! I've had Sears out a number of times (will get my service) records - and even had the senior customer service person who deals with this type of washer say "I'm surprised they haven't recalled the washers, we get this complaint all the time"!!

I've also had the plumber out because Sears said it was my plumbing - NO!!! I called yesterday for my service records and that's an entire different issue - they don't list each time they come out - but "lump" the service calls. Then they said why don't you talk to our Consumer Customer Service - her comment "oh I wish I could help you" I said then I'm going to write letters to the entire executive board, my local newspaper, and my Sears store!!

The model is a Kenmore Super Capacity 3.5 Model 417.44052400 Front Load.

It smells like when you leave a towel and forget it's wet - stinky wet towel smell - sour - even our suitcase smelled when we traveled for Thansgiving because of the boys jeans!

I found a website at one time where they said how to take off the rubber ring - so I should the repair guy - and he said "oh o.k." flipped the washer over and he couldn't access it - and that was the end of the call!!

If you have any additional help you can offer - I'd be glad to take it!!

Karen
A STINKY MOM

"Hi, I've experienced a electrical failure on my property last week resulting in the loss of use of my home as well as many electric devices (appliances, heat, water pump). The day I filed the claim I was told by two people at Liberty Mutual that a person from their emergency department would contact me the same day because of my situation (having an elderly person in the household) and my claim handler would call me the next day.

It has been five days and I have heard from no one...."

Every time I call the claims department I get put on hold or get voicemail. My policy says I can get money in advance to handle my immediate expenses (since I have had to move my family into a hotel and I am going to need to pay contractors to fix the basic use of my house again).

Any advice on the steps I should follow to escalate this matter and get my insurance company to actually process my claim?

-Ryan

Executive Email Carpet Bomb - Gather the email addresses for company's executives and send them all your complaint letter.
Executive Customer Service. Navigate to a high-level executive's office and pitch your complaint.
Faxing For Dollars. Find an appropriate company fax number and send your complaint letter in over and over again until they call you.

Stevens: Loser in property case 'disgruntled' [Daily Camera]

Lead Plates Followup: Utah Wants To Know! [KUTV] (Thanks to Jay!)
PREVIOUSLY: Baby Poisoned By Lead-Tainted Walmart Plates

The plates were sold under the name "Home Trends," and while no longer on store shelves, are likely on some the shelves of some consumer's cupboards. There's been no recall for the plates.

Toddler Poisoned By Lead Paint From Plates [KUTV]

"Ceramic earthenware is a porous material; when a ceramic earthenware piece is filled up with liquid and put in the microwave, both the liquid and the vessel get hot. This is why the vendor stamped the warning "may get hot in microwave" on each piece. It is okay to use the microwave to warm food or liquid in ceramic earthenware but it is not correct to cook, bake or boil with this kind of ceramic.

In addition, if a ceramic piece is cold or is filled with icy liquid, it may break when put in the microwave. B40 earthenware, used for bakers and casseroles, is microwave-safe.

Sur La Table guarantees complete product satisfaction. The customer may return the product for a full refund at the store where it was purchased. Merci beaucoup."We also spoke more with the original complainant. It wasn't just, oh, ouchie, that was hot - her hand was literally shiny afterwards as a whole sheet of skin was seared off.

So there you have it, folks. Don't put ceramic earthenware in the microwave if you plan on keeping the skin on your hands. We again reiterate our idea that they change "may get hot in microwave" to "will get hot in microwave." Your customers, and their palms, will thank you.

PREVIOUSLY: Sur La Table Mug Handle Found Scorchingly Hot After 2 Minutes In Microwave