PROTECT AGAINST ID THEFT

Two new services to help protect and warn you about ID theft have just been introduced.

Some individual elements of these services may be valuable, while others are worth exactly what you are paying -- nothing.

The first is AllClear ID Free. It keeps checking the Internet and reports of breaches to see if your information is found. It also helps if you are a victim of ID theft.

ID Safe also does some online scanning, covers you for $50,000 of out-of-pocket costs, and gives you a free credit score monthly.

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A BACKGROUND CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY A HOME

There's CarFax for cars and now comes BuildFax for homes. By paying $39.99 (it's free through 7/31/11) you can run a background check on the home you're planning to buy. This can also supplement your inspection report. Here's the link to the site:

http://www.buildfax.com/public/industry/homebuyer.html

Basically, the site will access electronic public records. You can get the same information for free at your city's Buildings Department. It really depends if you have the time or it's worth 40 bucks to have someone do it for you. You decide.

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ARE YOUR REWARDS MILES A MESS?

Are your rewards miles a mess? Don't let them expire.....you paid for them....use them.

The Frugal Traveler at the NY Times, gives you help. Take a look:

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/are-your-miles-a-mess-heres-how-to-put-them-to-use/?hpw

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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

We're taking the week off to celebrate the 4th of July. We'll be back next week with more tips CHEAPIOSITY-style. In the meantime, check your local newspapers for holiday sales. May The Fourth Be With You.

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FINDING A MANAGER TO COMPLAIN TO

Calling to complain and get satisfaction grows more and more frustrating. Reaching someone whose first language is English is increasingly rare. Calling these Call Centers becomes a match of wits and patience. It drives Team CHEAPIOSITY crazy, and we're sure it does you as well.

Spend some time preparing and researching; we promise your time spent will pay off.

Here are some of our own personal (and oft-proven) tips on how to get a Manager on the phone in case the first customer service person you reach offers no help. It's gotten to the point where sometimes we have to say, "Is this customer service?" When the voice at the other end replies, "Yes," we answer, "Well I'm the customer; where's the service?"

But we digress.....Here are five ways to reach a manager quickly and directly:

1. Knock on the front door
In almost every case, our recommendation is to use the online form to contact the company first. Send a brief, polite email through the site. Keep a copy for yourself, just in case the browser “eats” your note, which has been known to happen. Your grievance might be addressed in a timely manner, but it probably won’t be. If it isn’t, then at least you have a (virtual) paper trail to prove you tried to get your problem resolved through channels.

Companies (and consumer advocates) frown on people who go straight to the top without giving the customer-service department a chance to help. Be sure to keep all the emails between you and the company.

2. Ask for a manager
Before going on a wild goose-chase in search of the right name, why not ask? If your email correspondence is hitting a dead end, then ask if you can have the email reviewed by a supervisor. You never know – it could be forwarded to someone in authority who can give your complaint the attention and consideration it deserves.

Don't hold your breath. Usually, you’re told that the answer from the company is “final” and that a manager is unavailable. The company is wrong on both counts.

3. Go hunting!
Start with a simple search, using terms like the company name and “vice president” — in quotes – and “customer service.” Often, that yields a name of a current vice president in charge of service, but an email address may not be readily available. Ironically, companies go to great lengths to conceal the phone numbers and email addresses of their top customer-service managers because they don’t want people contacting them. (That backfires when angry customers take them to court, but we digress.) In order to find an email address, add the term “email” or “e-mail” to the search. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.

4. Search the site
Assuming that you've found a name but no email address, your next step is to search the company’s site. You can do that by typing the prefix “site:” followed by the company URL and then “e-mail.” This will only search the company’s site, yielding any instances of the word “email.” You won’t find the name of your manager, but you will find out the company’s email convention, which is usually either firstname.lastname@company.com or firstinitiallastname@company.com. Now try the same thing for a phone number. You should be able to get the main company number, and that’s all you need.

5. Put it all together
If you’re trying to call the VP, phone the main number, dial “O” and ask for the person by name, or use the automated phone tree to dial by last name. You may get through to an executive assistant, or you may get voice mail. Either way, leave a short, polite message with your relevant details. Now it’s time to guess the email address of your vice president. Use the naming convention from the last tip. Now visit this site (verify-email.org/) to see if the email address works. Once you’ve verified it, you’re free to send an email.

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WHEN IT PAYS NOT TO BE CHEAP

Yes, you read the title correctly. There are times to spend more because you save in the long run. It's hard for us diehard CHEAPIOSITY hates to admit it, but it is true.

Here are some things to spend on:

1. Paint: Even though you can find a gallon of paint for as little as $11, cheaper paint will take several coats to cover a single wall, and it likely won't hold up for an extended period of time.
2. Gas Grills: Look for features such as premium-quality burners, stainless-steel grates, and heavy-duty construction. You should realistically expect to spend at least $150 for a quality product.
3. Big-Screen TVs: If you're investing in a really big screen television—50 inches or more—you'll want to own it for a while. So go for as big a screen as you can afford from a reliable brand.
4. Blu-Ray Players: Instead of replacing one cheap DVD player with another cheap DVD player, consider trading up to a Blu-ray player, which supplies true high definition to your high-def TV.
5. Fire Protection: Aerosols such as First Alert Tundra are much cheaper than traditional fire extinguishers and may look like they're easier to use, but they're a lot less effective as well--a true safety concern in the event of an emergency.
6. Mattresses: Can you really afford to not get a good night's rest? Don't spend below $800 for a queen-size set or you'll risk years of sleepless nights and suffer all the effects associated with sleep deprivation.
7. Grass Seed: Inexpensive blends may contain a large percentage of weeds and annual grass seeds, which will die after one season. Spend more for the good stuff.
8. Canister Vacuums: Cheaper vacuums can be both ineffective and frustrating, so expect to spend around $200 and up for a quality product.

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HOW TO FIX OR KILL WEB DATA ABOUT YOU

Web security becomes more and more a problem as technology gets better. It always amazes us how much personal information is available on the Web about us.

Take a look at this New York Times article about how to fix or kill web data about you:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/technology/personaltech/14basics.html?_r=2&ref=technology

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