HOW TO COMPLAIN

Here at Team CHEAPIOSITY, we constantly wonder what's happened to Customer Service. We're old enough to remember the good old days...before so many jobs were outsourced to foreign countries, when customer representatives spoke American English as their native language, and when common courtesy was common.

Oh sure, someone somewhere still answers your phone call identifying themselves as Customer Service, but they've long forgotten the meaning of the words. It sometimes seems that the voice on the other end of the phone no longer cares that you are the CUSTOMER and you're asking for SERVICE. We don't want an unpleasant exchange and we don't enjoy repeating ourselves over and over again and still feeling misunderstood. Whatever happened to customer service reps being nice and helpful? Whatever happened to the faceless voice on the other end of your call genuinely and politely trying to help you resolve your issue?

Recently, a member of Team CHEAPIOSITY endured a four night hospital stay. After the insurance company reduced his $39,000 bill to $6,000 for him to pay, he got a bill from the hospital, with just a total, no details. Apparently our increasingly impatient patient was supposed to trust that this bill was accurate. (Perfectly acceptable because hospitals don't have a reputation for overcharging or charging for things that were never administered? Yeah, right.) He called and asked for a detailed bill and got back some gobblety gook replete with undecipherable abbreviations. When he asked for an English translation, he was told to fill out forms and request his medical records. On the medical records site, he was informed that they charge per page for copies. Now he's waiting for that phone call, fully loaded for bear. They charge you $39,000 and they expect you to pay to see your medical records by the page???? Get serious. Obviously, the game here is to wear him down. Not gonna happen this time. They're messing with the wrong guy.

Our motto is: We're Mad As Hell And We're Not Gonna Take It Any More.....and why should we? Don't these Corporations realize that by outsourcing overseas and giving customers a hard time, they are losing business? Apparently not. What happened to 'The Customer Is Always Right?'

We all know the obvious places to go: your local Consumer Protection Agency, the Better Business Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission and hopefully, the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency. However, before you go there and get caught up in more red tape, here are some tips we hope you'll find useful.

According to The New York Times, one very successful method is to a write a letter to the CEO or other higher-ups in the company with your complaints. You should write with a civil tone, but don’t be afraid to imply threats, like noting that “you’ve sent a copy of the letter to a government agency, like the Federal Trade Commission.” Alternatively, you can try talking it over with a representative on the phone. In this case, the Times has two tips: Ask the person what they would do in your shoes in order to get real substantive help, and ride out the clock, since the representative isn’t permitted to hang up on you and will feel more compelled to resolve your issue. In a previous post we advised you on how to get a human on the phone (http://cheapiosity.blogspot.com/2009/01/talking-to-human.html).

If you're still unsuccessful, go to the web and check out these sites:

RipoffReport.com is the place to complain about and uncover scams across the country, and to do so without holding back. According to the site, law firms often use the information entered on Rip Off Report to help with lawsuits against particular businesses. So not only do you get the satisfaction of complaining and having people read your complaints, but you may also help to change the way companies operate down the road.

ComplaintsBoard.com is a good forum for venting at companies, plus it features stories about recalls and companies in the news and even offers useful tips for consumers and businesses alike. Also, for better or worse, users on this site

PissedConsumer.com offers several incredibly useful features. Like ComplaintsBoard, they provide a good outlet to vent and a long list of consumer tips. The site also offers its own Customer Satisfaction Index, which tallies up all the complaints PissedConsumer receives by company and industry to illustrate which businesses are the most reviled.

PlanetFeedback.com is one of the more civil places for consumers to turn to when they feel like complaining. The site refers to all complaints as “letters” and features company responses to many of the complaints. In that way, the site really seems to be trying to foster a dialogue between the consumer and the company, rather than just a ranting session.

MeasuredUp.com essentially acts as an intermediary between you and the companies you hate. Big name business like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Orbitz and Best Buy have signed up with MeasuredUp to respond to consumer complaints on the site. Consider it a way to get around talking to representatives on the phone.

Bottom line. Don't take 'NO' for an answer. Get Satisfaction.

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SAVING ON MEDICAL BILLS

As you must already know, Team CHEAPIOSITY's motto is: EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE, and medical bills are no exception. With more and more of us still uninsured, this remains a big issue to say the least. For those fortunate enough to be insured, when you receive your EOB (explanation of benefits) you see that your insurance company discounts all of your charges -- Doctor, Lab, Radiology, Hospital, etc.

As an example, a member of Team CHEAPIOSITY was recently hospitalized for 4 days. (He's mostly fine now; thank you for asking. Or at least he was until he saw the bill!) He entered through an Emergency Room visit billed at $770; after the insurance discount, the amount was reduced to $200! For his 4 day hospital stay, the bill was $37,200, and after the discount, it came to $16,000. (Just as an aside, this covered only the hospital stay - no surgery, no procedures, no nothing. That's some luxury hotel. And the food wasn't even that great.) The point is, even if you are uninsured, there is room to negotiate .....a whole lot of room!

Here are some websites to help:

1. The Access Project (http://www.accessproject.org/new/pages/index.php)

2. My Money website (http://www.mymoney.gov/index.html)

3. Healthcare Survival Guide (http://www.healthcaresurvivalguide.com/)

4. The Healthcare Blue Book is a guide to 'fair' medical pricing(http://healthcarebluebook.com/page_Default.aspx)

5. FairCare MD is a website listing doctors in your area who are willing to negotiate their fee (http://www.faircaremd.com/)

Lastly, there are medical care advocates who will negotiate for you; you will pay them a fee based on how much they save you. These fees can run 25-35% or hourly. (http://www.medicalcostadvocate.com/) and (http://www.healthadvocate.com/)

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MAXIMIZING FINANCIAL AID FOR COLLEGE

You and your son/daughter have survived high school. Sunrise, sunset. How quickly fly the years. Yadda yadda yadda. Now the Kid's been accepted to college, and Reality starts to set in. How the hell are we going to pay for it? you ask yourself. Must your Empty Nest = Empty Pockets?

Despair not. The Wall Street Journal comes to the rescue.
Take a look:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703612804575222303415618316.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_PF2

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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY A CONDO

Looking to buy a condominium? Here are some tips to keep in mind before you sign on the dotted line. You are about to buy into a group, and the rules of the group rule the way you can live. Here are the 10 questions buyers should ask when deciding whether to purchase a condominium unit:

1.What is the monthly condominium fee and what does it pay for? The monthly condominium fees vary dramatically from condominium to condominium. The fee is a by-product of the number of units, the annual expenses to maintain the common area, whether the condo is professionally managed or self-managed, the age and condition of the project, and other variables such as litigation. For budgeting and financing you need to know the monthly fee and exactly what you are getting for it.

2. What are the condominium rules & regulations? Condominium rules can prohibit pets, your ability to rent out the unit and to perform renovations. Make sure you carefully review ALL the rules and regulations before buying. Needless to say, the buyer's attorney should review and approve all condominium documents, including the master deed, declaration of trust/by-laws, covenants, unit deed and floor plans to ensure compliance with state condominium laws as well as Fannie Mae and FHA guidelines, as necessary.

3. How much money is in the capital reserve account and how much is funded annually? The capital reserve fund is like an insurance policy for the inevitable capital repairs every building requires. As a general rule, the fund should contain at least 10% of the annual revenue budget, and in the case of older projects, even more. If the capital reserve account is poorly funded, there is a higher risk of a special assessment. Get a copy of the last 2 years budget, the current reserve account funding level and any capital reserve study.

4. Are there any contemplated or pending special assessments? Special assessments are one-time fees for capital improvements payable by every unit owner. Some special assessments can run in the thousands. You need to be aware if you are buying a special assessment along with your unit. It's a good idea to ask for the last 2 years of condominium meeting minutes to check what's been going on with the condominium.

5. Is there a professional management company or is the association self-managed? A professional management company, while an added cost, can add great value to a condominium with well run governance and management of common areas.

6. Is the condominium involved in any pending legal actions? Legal disputes between owners, with developers, or with the association can signal trouble and/or a poorly run organization. Legal action equals attorneys’ fees which are payable out of the condominium budget and could result in a special assessment. In most states, you can run a search of the condominium association in the court database to check if they've been involved in recent lawsuits.

7. How many units are owner occupied? A large percentage of renters can create unwanted noise and neighbor issues. It can also raise re-sale and financing issues with the new Fannie Mae and FHA condominium regulations which limit owner-occupancy rates. If your buyer is using conventional financing, check if it is a Fannie Mae-approved condo. If FHA financing, check if it's an FHA approved condo.

8. What is the condominium fee delinquency rate? Again, a signal of financial trouble, and Fannie Mae and FHA want to see the rate at 15% or less.

9. Do unit owners have exclusive easements or the right to use certain common areas such as porches, decks, storage spaces and parking spaces? Condominiums differ as to how they structure the “ownership” of certain amenities such as roof decks, porches, storage spaces and parking spaces. Sometimes, they are truly “deeded” with the unit, so the unit owner has sole responsibility for maintenance and repairs. Sometimes, they are common areas in which the unit owner has the exclusive right to use, but the maintenance and repair is left with the association. Review the Master Deed and Unit Deed on this one.

10. What Does The Master Insurance Policy Cover? The condominium should have up to $1M or more in coverage under their master condominium policy. For a buyer's own protection, they should always buy an individual HO-6 policy covering the interior and contents of the unit, because the master policy and condo by-laws may not cover all damage to their personal possessions and interior damage in case of a roof leak, water pipe burst or other problem arising from a common area element. Ask for a copy of the master insurance policy and don't forget to check the fine print of the by-laws. Sometimes, there's language that would hurt a unit owner in case of a common area casualty. Condominiums over 20 units should also have fidelity insurance to protect against embezzlement.

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IS YOUR BANK HEALTHY?

Everyone is worried about banks these days.

You make a deposit one day and find out the Federal Reserve is taking it over the next....what a world we live in.

How do you know if your Bank is healthy? Take a look at this article:

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/how-to-find-out-if-your-bank-is-healthy/?ref=your-money

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OVERDRAFT PROTECTION...WHAT'S THE DEAL?

We've been reading about overdraft protection from the Banks. What does it all mean?

Take a look at this article from the Fed to make sure you don't have to pay for overdrafts:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/wyntk_overdraft.htm

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MONEY SAVING REMODELING TIPS

You are always told to do remodeling before you sell your house. Maybe you're not even planning to move; you just want to do some home improvements, but you don't have alot to spend. What to do....what to do?

We found this money saving article with some terrific tips, take a look:

http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2010/02/25/16-tips-to-save-on-home-remodeling/

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