WHEN A COMMUNITY FIGHTS BACK: Last Friday morning at 8:05 I got a call from a telephone number identified as “No Caller ID.” Unfortunately, I was at a breakfast meeting and did not have my trusty digital recorder at the ready. The caller, in a thick Jamaican accent, asked me if I knew who he was. It was the caller who on two occasions had called me, once representing himself as from Publishers Clearing House and more recently from Winners Circle. Both times he was calling to inform me that I had won multi-million dollar prizes, a new Mercedes Benz and a year’s supply of gasoline. This time “John” was calling me up to attempt to intimidate me. He threatened to kill me, and my family, and kept saying, “in Jamaica we have lots of guns and people that know how to use them.” He also said he had my home address, which he did. (I doubt that “John” knows who I am or understands what kind of people we have here in North Idaho!)

Obviously, this writer, this column, and my readers have made an impression on “John” from Jamaica. In an earlier recorded call, which can be heard at: https://youtu.be/5iH8kFTL_Lo, “John” shows his tactics and true colors when he brags about scamming 500 people a day! He’s a crook, a coward, a scammer and a petty thug. If we weren’t making a difference, “John” wouldn’t be making threats. If he calls, laugh at him and HANG UP! Obviously, don’t give him ANY information. Maybe he’ll get the message and leave people in our area alone.

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YOU KNOW IT’S NOT FREE: Don’t make the famous P.T. Barnum quote a reality. Old P.T. said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” There’s actually no proof Barnum ever said those words, but we all understand the point.

If you really believe that a company is going to give you something for free, with no obligation, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. My advice is this: As soon as you hear or read the words “free,” “no cost to you,” “no obligation” or “you’ve won,” hang up the phone or shred and throw away the junk mail you’re reading. You’ll be happier and won’t lose any money to those who prey on “the one born every minute”. Don’t be the sucker!

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YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE: Once upon a time ago, not so long ago, it was possible to cheat people or take their money, not provide the good or service promised, and just disappear. In today’s world, for better or worse, it’s almost impossible to completely disappear.

A lady called me and told me about a “handyman” who charged her hundreds of dollars for work to be done and then just disappeared. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a contract, or phone number, just initials and a last name.

I was able, through a friend who does investigations, background checks, and “skip tracing,” to find out that this miscreant was holed up in a small town in rural Idaho. I got a good telephone number on him and left a message. All I did was let him know, before I took further action, that I wanted to hear his side of the story.

The lady had called him on numerous occasions. He never answered the phone, so she was always forced to leave a message. Once I left my message, I called the lady and told her that I thought he’d either call me or call her directly. Within a couple of days, I received a call from the lady. She told me that he called her, acknowledged the debt, and promised to get the money back to her immediately. He didn’t call me, but I did call his number and thanked him for “taking care of this matter,” just to let him know I would be following up if the money wasn’t paid in a timely fashion. We got another one!

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THAT’S GOING TO BE A VERY EXPENSIVE $9.99: A consumer called a few weeks ago to report that a company had charged her credit card $9.99, after she had canceled the standing order she’d placed by mistake. She called the company immediately, assuming that the charge was an unintentional error on the part of the company. What she got instead was a nasty, unsympathetic clerk who insisted that the charge was legitimate.

My advice (you know the drill): Put the charge “in contest” with your credit card company. The credit card company, in accordance with federal law, is required to ask the company for a full explanation in writing. If the company doesn’t provide the information or doesn’t supply the information within a very specific time, the charge is ruled invalid and the customer is not charged.

In this case, the company did provide just enough information and the charge, only $9.99, was decided to be a valid charge. The consumer asked me what she could do. I explained that she could ask that the ruling by the credit card company be appealed. This will take another 45 days and require the company submit another bunch of paperwork. Maybe the appeal won’t be resolved in favor of the consumer, but the consumer can have the satisfaction of knowing they cost the questionable company a bunch of money and time.

My advice: Don’t lie down; fight back! This consumer did a good thing — Bravo!

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ASPCA: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the outfit that exploits suffering animals to raise millions of dollars for bloated budgets and executive salaries. They show graphic scenes of suffering animals in an attempt to compel you to give them money.

MY ADVICE: Don’t do it. Instead, consider donating to a local “no-kill” shelter. If you feel as strongly as I do, call the ASPCA and tell them that because of their exploitation of suffering animals for fundraising purposes, you’ll never donate any money to their organization. Instead contact Kootenai Humane Society. They are a local “no-kill” shelter. The animals housed there do not face a “be adopted quick or else” ultimatum, but rather are cared for until they can be placed.

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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. Bill Brooks is a consumer advocate and the Broker and Owner of Bill Brooks Real Estate in Coeur d’Alene.