Amazon: More than a river
Amazon is not just a river in South America. It turns out it’s also a major target for thieves and scammers.
The legitimate website, www.amazon.com, is upending and reshaping consumer buying habits. Unfortunately, it’s doing the same to a horde of scammers. A couple recently called me and reported they had received an email advising him of an impending delivery. The email looked very official, logos and legal warnings, even a statement about not disclosing his Amazon password. The problem was, he hadn’t used that email account for more than a decade and he never had an Amazon account. (The couple used her email and an Amazon account for online purchases.) The email to the old account had a convenient “secure” link and went on to explain that all he had to do was click on the link and answer a few identity questions to have “secure” access to his Amazon account.
Fortunately, the couple called me and I alerted them to the scam. They weren’t the only ones. This week I received six identical calls. The readers of this column know better than to click on links sent to them — don’t you?
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY — NOT: It’s always nice to get many Facebook friends wishing you a happy birthday. Your address isn’t hard to find and with a little work the evildoers can probably get your Social Security number or use a stolen number to construct a new identify.
Facebook is becoming a wealth of information to the bad guys. Identity thieves are all over Facebook looking for personal information that they can steal and use. Would you put a sign on the front door of your home like this? “We’re in Hawaii from Dec. 12 to Jan. 6. There will be nobody home. Come on in at your leisure and take whatever suits your fancy.”
Your home becomes a prime target for burglars while you’re on some tropical beach. Maybe I’m just the suspicious type, but that looks like an open invitation to some really bad people. MY ADVICE: Keep your personal information OFF Facebook, including your legal name, birthday, address and vacation plans.
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A WEIGHTY WINTER TIP: Having lived in Alaska for almost 20 years, I have some experience with snow on my roof. Almost every year we, here, in North Idaho, get a little extra snow. I see legions of young men on snow-covered roofs, shoveling madly trying to lessen the weight of the snow.
Bad idea.
First of all, if the snow is weighing down the roof, close to its approximate 40 pounds per square foot capacity, what do you think a 175-pound guy with a snow shovel is going to do? It sounds like a potential quick trip through the roof onto the living room floor to me.
Three years ago, one of my brilliant neighbors hired a crew of three. As I looked out my window, they were in the process of hoisting a full sized, self-propelled snow blower onto the roof! I saw this as my opportunity to win America’s Funniest Videos so I grabbed my camera. I was sure they’d either drive the snow blower off the roof or they would all disappear in an explosion of snow as they went through the roof. Fortunately, none of the above happened, due in part to the strength of the roof and the providence of God.
Before contracting with anyone to shovel snow off your roof consider the following:
- Your roof is more than likely NOT going to collapse under the weight of snow.
- Does your homeowner’s insurance cover accidents AND injuries that may occur?
- Do the individuals working on your roof carry insurance, including workers’ compensation policies?
- Scraping off the top layer of coating on your roof WILL substantially shorten the life of your very expensive roof.
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DON’T PUSH THAT BUTTON UNTIL YOU’RE SURE: Much like Amazon has changed retail shopping, websites like Expedia and Priceline have changed the world of travel, including car rental, hotel room reservations and airline tickets. Most booking companies like this are done online without personal interaction. Once a reservation is made, the consumer receives an email or fax with confirmation information.
Occasionally, it is necessary to deal with a person, often from a foreign country through a call center. Especially in these situations, you should insist on a confirmation email with dates, prices and reservation numbers. When a discrepancy is noted, either in the confirming email or at your destination, you can refer to your email. Also print out a copy and keep it with you when you travel.
One caller this week “took the word” of the customer service rep on the phone and ended up with three rooms and a $2,000 bill. The hotel where they stayed explained, rightfully so, that her dispute was with the booking service, in this case Expedia. She spent hours on the phone talking with service reps and supervisors and supervisors of supervisors. Last I heard, the problem was still not resolved, but it sounds like it would eventually be settled in favor of the consumer.
In the meantime, because she was smart enough to use a CREDIT CARD and not a debit card, I advised her to put it in contest. Chances are she won’t have to overpay for her hotel stay.
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BILL’S RANT: I hate the tiny disclaimers at the bottom of ads, on TV or in the newspaper. Now the “fine print” is even invading the audio portion of radio and TV ads.
The FCC has recently approved the use of hyper-speed speech disclaimers at the end of electronic advertising. I don’t like it because it’s specifically designed to take advantage of consumers. It especially hurts older consumers, like me, with a hearing disability. It’s about time government did something right to protect us from shady dealers. REMEMBER: Big print is written by the sales and marketing guys. Little print and fast talk is part of the lawyers’ set of tools to protect their clients.
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REMEMBER BILL BROOKS: “He’s On Your Side”
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I have many more tips and interesting cases that I’m working on. Call me at 208-699-0506, or email me at BillBrooksAdvocate@gmail.com or fax me at 866-362-9266. You can follow me at www.billbrooksconsumeradvocate.com. I am available to speak about consumerism to schools, and local and civic groups.
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Bill Brooks is a consumer advocate and the Broker and Owner of Bill Brooks Real Estate in Coeur d’Alene.