A doc no woman should ever see alone

Which is worse, doc's conduct then or his thuggish try at intimidation now? 
 Defamation suits against people who report on the misdeeds of powerful people are attempts to SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) people. 

Thank goodness Oregon has a strong Anti-SLAPP law.

Scam Warning: Robocalls from "ALS"

Image via Wikipedia

Some idiot just directed a robocall to LOVESalem HQ, apparently unaware that here abides someone who likes nothing better than fighting back against consumer scammers like this one.

If you get any robocall solicitations -- like the one just received here from "Dave at ALS," at 888-712-4668 then you should go here to make a complaint. When you get the call, note the time, any name given (of the company or the caller) and especially any phone number they offer you.

These calls are illegal, and usually are the hallmark of a scam . . . this one promised me the opportunity to have my overdue taxes reduced (although I don't have any overdue taxes).

As times get hard, these roaches will come out of the woodwork, preying on people in dire straits and promising to get their debts adjusted. DON'T FALL FOR IT. As you can see from the message boards here, this company is nothing but a scam.

Reader Participation Post: Send link to this post to your Legislators

Pretty covers, but lacks a lot in the way of consumer protections. Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes I emerge from LOVESalem HQ and head over to Legal Aid to volunteer in the ELVIS program (Elder Law Volunteers in Service . . . cute, no?). And one thing I've learned as a result is that Oregon has really, really, really weak consumer protection laws, and very few chances for a regular person to hold their own against the corporate bullies.

One of the worst scams I've seen is people who fall for the "teaser" rates offered in service contracts --- such as for cell phones, home alarm systems, gym memberships, etc. The way the scam works is that smiling, blow-dried young person gets unsophisticated older person to sign on the dotted line by hiding the total cost of the package. Nowhere is the mark (the sucker) ever told what they're actually going to pay each month and they are never, ever told how much they'll have to pay in total to avoid the harsh penalties for trying to wriggle off the hook once it's been set.

Thus, a proposal: A new section in the Oregon Revised Statutes chapter on Trade Practices (ORS 646) --- a proposal to require full-cost disclosure in any consumer service contract, meaning that the seller has to actually tell you

(a) the full cost, with all taxes and fees, that you'll have to pay every month;

(b) the total you'll have to pay over time to avoid any penalty for early cancellation;

(c) the total remaining each month that you'll have to pay to avoid a penalty, and the amount of the penalty.

In other words, this is simply a straight disclosure law that would be easy for any reputable business to satisfy. Here's a first shot at the text, but that's subject to change.

YOUR PART: Send a link to this post to your state senator and representative and ask them to introduce a bill to put this statute into the books ASAP.

Here's the link! Just copy it into an email and send it to your Legislators with a short note explaining that you live in their districts and want better consumer protections for Oregonians:
http://lovesalem.blogspot.com/2010/04/reader-participation-post-send-link-to.html

Chapter 646 — Trade Practices and Antitrust Regulation

646.190 Full-Cost Disclosure on Service Contracts.

1. No consumer services contract may impose any fee, charge, or penalty (including loss of otherwise-available discount) against the buyer for early service termination unless, when the contract was signed, the offeror disclosed and the buyer acknowledged in writing a disclosure the same or substantially the same as follows, with the specific amounts included:

   “OREGON FULL-COST INITIAL DISCLOSURE: This contract includes a penalty provision for early termination of $________. The total of payments, including taxes and incidental charges required to avoid any early termination fee or penalty under this offer is $________.”

2. Every invoice under such a service contract must include updated information to advise the consumer any remaining amount owed under the contract to avoid a fee, charge, or penalty and the amount of the fee, charge, or penalty that would be imposed if the service contract was cancelled before the invoice is paid.

“OREGON FULL-COST BILLING DISCLOSURE: As of the date of this statement, the total of payments, including taxes and incidental charges, required to avoid any early termination fee or penalty under this contract is $________.” The penalty for early termination as of the date of this statement is $________.

3. Any person or entity that offers a service contract or issues an invoice on a service contract without properly and accurately disclosing the remaining total of payments needed to avoid a penalty and the amount of the penalty shall not be allowed to collect any penalties under those contracts or to retain any penalties, fees, or charges collected in violation of this section.


4. The Attorney General or any consumer who enters into a service agreement but who is not given the required Oregon full-cost disclosure or who receives an invoice without an accurate Oregon full-cost billing disclosure shall have standing to bring a civil action to recover court costs, attorney fees, and the greater of $500 or treble the amount of the penalty improperly imposed or not properly disclosed.

Dump your bank -- join a credit union

The banks' attitude captured on film. Image by Steve Rhodes via Flickr

In addition to hyper reckless behavior that makes blind, drunk guy behind the wheel of a Camaro at 80 mph look sober and responsible, banks are some of the absolute worst miscreants in terms of anti-consumer lobbying. Their racket is so profitable that they think loan sharking is for small-timers, and they intend to keep it that way, with hidden fees, usurious interest rates, and constant lobbying and buying of politicians to grease it all.

In Oregon, the Oregon Banking Association was one of the big givers to the campaigns to defeat Measures 66 & 67 -- apparently the banks are so blinded by greed that they think nothing of campaigning to destroy the social services network.

All good reasons to dump your bank and switch to a credit union, where you're an owner, not a serf.

The large print giveth and the small print taketh away

Some arrogant outfit called "Clear" -- some sort of wireless internet scam -- sends junk mail to LOVESalem HQ, despite our energetic efforts to get on every "Do Not Call" and "Do Not Mail" list in existence and our total lack of interest in supporting any business that is converting forests to landfill material by sending junk mail to unwelcoming non-customers.

But to top it off, they reveal themselves to be deceptive liars to boot.

In clean, normal-size print in the body of the letter you see this:

CLEAR is simple
Just plug and surf. No appointment, no installation visit and no annual contract required.

But lo! Down at the bottom, in the middle of a dense paragraph SIX-POINT GREY-ON-WHITE-BACKGROUND type, you can, with a magnifying glass and strong lighting, barely make out

Requires $35 activation fee with a one-year agreement.

So just remember: CLEAR -- a firm you clearly don't want to support.

A worthy group we'll all need one day

Roman cremation chest. Image by mharrsch via Flickr

Funerals are one of the biggest ripoffs in modern America. Nearly five decades after Jessica Mitford's expose of mortuary greed and wheeling dealing, it's only become worse. Luckily, there's an alternative for those of us in Salem (and elsewhere in Oregon):

The consumer-run non-profit called the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Oregon, part of a national network. They do one thing: help people make plans for the handling of their remains in a way that suits them (including in more environmentally friendly ways) so that nobody falls prey to any of the vicious operators who use grief and shock as tools to separate families from staggering sums of money.

Join. Make your plans (but don't prepay!). Contribute to FCAO. You can participate in managing the alliance if you wish. Just don't put it off -- by the time you need this, it's too late.

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Oregon

FCA of Oregon is dedicated to protecting a consumer’s right to choose a dignified, meaningful and affordable service at end of life, whether it be a funeral, cremation, or memorial service.

This is the place to find free information to help you plan end of life services for yourself and family members.

Click on “Join” to download a membership form which you can complete and mail to FCAO.

You can obtain free educational materials, brochures and information about funeral choices. See “Member Options”.

The companies listed under “Participating Mortuaries” have all agreed to provide FCAO members with reasonably priced arrangements so that members may plan their funerals in advance.

Our organization welcomes opportunities to provide speakers at small or large groups (churches, civic groups, retirement homes, hospice, etc.) increasing public awareness of funeral options.

Our membership is open to residents of western Oregon or southwestern Washington. To find an FCA affiliate in other areas of the USA please look at the national FCA Affiliates Listing.

e-mail: fcaoregon@gmail.com
Portland Area: (503) 647-5590
Toll Free: 1-888-475-5520
13038 SE Kronan Drive, Clackamas, OR 97015