Scam-Proof Your Life: 377 Smart Ways to Protect You & Your Family from Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches »

Scam-Proof Your Life is the latest work by award-winning consumer crusader Sid Kirchheimer, who writes the popular “Scam Alert” column in The AARP Bulletin—the nation’s most widely circulated newspaper. Kirchheimer is the author of The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II (2 million copies sold), Never Pay Retail, and other critically acclaimed books devoted to empowering ordinary people to protect their money, time, health, and security.

Get inside information from those in the know on how to protect your money, your rights, and your health—with the most complete, practical, and easy-to-follow collection of consumer wisdom ever assembled.

In this essential action guide by dogged consumer reporter Sid Kirchheimer, more than 100 leading experts reveal smart and specific tips, techniques, and tactics that anyone can use to avoid being victimized—financially, physically, or emotionally. Car salesmen disclose secret strategies to save you thousands of dollars on your next vehicle purchase. Repairmen divulge the tricks of their trades … and disclose the advice you'll need to get superior service at an honest price. Con men and crooks offer defensive directives to deprive thieves of your money, your possessions, and your identity.

Kirchheimer gets the experts to cough up everyday counsel as well. Doctors share simple steps you can take today to guard against medical errors and lower your health-care costs. Attorneys tell how to protect yourself in a courtroom and in daily life. Industry insiders and consumer advocates detail when, where, and how to get the most for your time and money: They expose all sorts of stealthy solutions for saving when you buy a home or apply for a mortgage, telephone service, or a credit card. They even tell you how to save big on travel arrangements, and how to secure a college scholarship for less-than-Dean's List students!

Scam-Proof Your Life is the latest work by award-winning consumer crusader Sid Kirchheimer, who writes the popular "Scam Alert" column in The AARP Bulletin—the nation's most widely circulated newspaper. Kirchheimer is the author of The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II (2 million copies sold), Never Pay Retail, and other critically acclaimed books devoted to empowering ordinary people to protect their money, time, health, and security.

Publishers Weekly

The "Scam-Alert" columnist from the AARP newsletter, Kirchheimer has authored or edited 12-plus Ralph Nader-like salvos aimed at taking out consumer-directed fraud. Kirchheimer interviewed "nearly 100 reformed scammers" for this compendium of recent bilking schemes and corner-cuttings. His advice covers most major mid-life expenses, from buying a new car to buying a home to paying for college to booking a cruise. Chapters on credit cards and identity-theft go into greater depth than most coverage these issues usually get in similar books. Three chapters on healthcare go into detail on everything from drug pricing to malpractice. A final "Roundup of Common Scams" (including the infamous "Nigerian Letter" and cyber "phishing" scams) will leave readers well-informed, and perhaps slightly paranoid. Most helpful is the careful, practical way in which Kirchheimer walks readers through such tasks as reading a phone bill, where to go to find eldercare, or to whom they can complain about shady financial dealings. Copyright 1997-2005 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction     11
Protect Your Money
Cars: Don't Get Taken for a Ride     17
Buying New
Preparation That Pays
At the Dealership
Buying Used
Car Repairs
Prevent & Fight Traffic Tickets
Homes: Defend Your Dream     55
Mortgages
Closing Costs
Strategies for Buying & Selling
Home Repairs & Renovations
Credit Cards: Save Paper on Your Plastic     87
Tricks of the Credit-Card Trade
Avoid Common Cardholder Mistakes
"Rewards" That Don't
Telephone Service: Be a Talking Tightwad     107
Post-Deregulation Surprises
Long-Distance Savings
Common Phone Scams
College: Get Schooled on Scholarship Tools     129
Start Early for Payoff Later
University-Funded Scholarships
Private Scholarship Money
Essays That Excel
Travel: Go More Places for Less     151
Airlines
Hotels
Rental Cars
Cruises
Protect Your Health
Medical Errors: Avoiding Common Mistakes     179
Survive a Hospital Stay
Prevent Procedure Errors
Avert Medication Mishaps
Get More from Doctors
Health-Care Ripoffs: Shield Your Money & Your Life     201
Hospital Expenses
Tests & Procedures
Medications
Nursing Homes & Assisted-Living Residences
Everyday Protection: Halt Humdrum Health Hazards     229
Medication Smarts
Fighting Germs at Home & in Public
Food Safety
Protect Your Rights
Identity Theft: Armor-Plate Your Name & Reputation     245
Simple Steps to Take Now
Stop Junk Mail & Telemarketers
Shore Up Online Security
You've Been Victimized-Now What?
On the Job: Your Rights at Work     275
Avoiding a Layoff
Get More When You Say Goodbye
Fighting an Unlawful Dismissal
Starting Over
The Dirty Dozen: A Roundup of Common Scams     301
Advance-Fee Loans
ATM Skimming
Charity Cheats
Door-to-Door Deception
Employment Scams
Financial Account Updates & Alerts
Foreign Lotteries
Gift Grift
Government Cons
"Kid" Candy & Magazine Sales
Nigerian Letter
Pyramid Schemes
About the Author     324
Acknowledgments     325
Panel of Experts     326
Index     330