When I paid my contractor for materials a few weeks ago, I wrote him a personal check. However, what I didn’t realize until later was that I had entered two different amounts on that check. On the top line after his name, I put the amount due written in numbers: $1, 689.00. And when I wrote out the words as you do on the second line, the words said, “One-thousand eight-nine dollars.”

The contractor argued with his bank when he received a credit for $600 less than he expected. When we investigated the situation (we both thought the banks might duke it out for weeks), we discovered that legally, the written amount in words always trumps the written amount in numbers. Read more

If you’re a big fan of Consumer Reports magazine AND the Stephen Colbert show like I am, you’ll love these two hilarious segments. Colbert decides to investigate the testing process and labs at the magazine’s Yonkers, N.Y. headquarters in a 2-part series.

Part 1

Part 2

My favorite parts are when Colbert tries to test aluminum foil in microwaves and later when he starts tossing plates, soiled for dishwasher tests, at the lab technician. You’ll also see him in labs where cameras and sound systems are evaluated. I enjoyed seeing the people at Consumers Union, who are extremely serious about their work, have a little fun with the top-rated comedian. Read more

Do you know all the verses to our national anthem? I didn’t. Happy 4th!

The Star Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key

O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Read more

It’s a lot of fun to explore Sonoma on your bike. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. A few weeks ago, we needed a pair of bicycle socks and stopped in at the local bicycle shop. While paying for the socks, the owner asked about where we’d been riding and suggested another loop to try. He went out of his way to be helpful and friendly, even though we had only made a very small purchase. We went on our way.

The following week I had the inevitable breakdown. The chain and gears jammed. A passing cyclist helped get into one gear so I could ride it back to the same bicycle shop. Read more

One of the columnists I enjoy reading in the New York Times is Christopher Hitz, who’s also known as “The Haggler.” In a recent column, he asked readers to send their best strategies for resolving consumer disputes. I must be “old school,” because I believe that simply working your way through the chain of command is what usually works best. Others have more novel approaches.

Someone wrote in suggesting that you use your camera to document your complaint. For example, if your hotel room has dingy towels, take some pictures of the dingy towels and show them to the clerk when you ask for an adjustment to your bill. Really good idea. Show versus tell. Read more

If you subscribe to my e-mail newsletter, The Diamond Certified Consumer Report, you may have heard my interview with Kia Ricchi, the contractor who wrote Avoiding the Con in Construction. She describes many of the shady practices that plague the construction industry. Ms. Ricchi emphasizes that “The con artist will always be with us. Consumers need more tools to find better contractors.”

I agree. Diamond Certified ratings are definitely one of those tools. Contractors listed for your county have had to go through a rigorous review process, which includes credential verification and consumer surveys, to earn Diamond Certified.

Ms. Ricchi has a useful checklist in her book to help you find better contractors. Read more

Seth Godin’s blog is one of my favorites. He asks some fascinating questions. Here’s something for all consumers to think about when considering a purchase or conducting any kind of business transaction. Are you easily manipulated?

Sometimes (and too often) marketers work to manipulate people. I define manipulation as working to spread an idea or generate an action that is not in a person’s long-term best interest.

The easiest people to manipulate are those that don’t demand a lot of information, are open to messages from authority figures and are willing to make decisions on a hunch, particularly if there’s a promise of short-term gains.
If you want to focus on the short run and sell something, Read more