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A Free Box of iPhones Showed Up at His Door. Then the FBI Did.
Robert thought he was doing the right thing. He ended up charged with a felony. It started with a package he never ordered: a dozen new iPhones and eight new iPads. Later that day, the phone rang. The caller said it was all a mistake and asked Robert to help ship it to the “rightful…
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Frozen Pipes Can Wreck Your Home Overnight. Here’s How to Stop Them.
In winter, you never know when the temperature will crash and your pipes will freeze, especially overnight. When water freezes, it expands. That often bursts pipes. The damage can be devastating, and even with insurance, the hassle is terrible. Here’s how to keep it from happening to you. Fix your trouble spots If certain pipes…
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Parents: This “Shortcut” to Leave Your Home to the Kids Could Cost Them a Fortune
Want to leave your house to your kids? Do it the right way, or you could hand them a massive tax bill. The mistake To avoid probate court, some families have the parents sign a quitclaim deed that turns the home over to the kids before the parents die. It feels smart. It’s one of…
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Used Car Warranty? I Would NEVER Buy One. Here’s Why.
I would never buy a used car warranty. Why? The escape clauses. Almost all of them have them. If yours has any of these, beware. 1. The “effective date” trick Some used car warranties start on the day the car was originally put into service. Yes, really. Buy a 5-year warranty on a 3-year-old car,…
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NEW CAR EXTENDED WARRANTY? NO!
Extended warranties on new cars are funny things. After a dealer tries to convince us on the quality and dependability of the new car they are selling us, they then try to sell us a warranty because they’re not that reliable. Mmmmmm, kinda makes you think! Basically extended warranties are not good deals. Why? First…
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She Insured Her Ring for $10,000. It Arrived as a Pair of Socks.
Sara shipped her engagement ring to a New York City jeweler for repairs. She used an independent shipping store to pack it and send it through UPS, and since it was an expensive ring, she insured it for $10,000. The ring vanished, and the insurance wouldn’t pay. Until I got involved. Socks instead of a…
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The Contractor Mistakes That Get People Ripped Off, From 50 Years of Complaints
For nearly 50 years I’ve listened to people on radio, TV and the internet who got burned by lying, cheating contractors. Now I’m putting those complaints to good use. I’ve cataloged the 8 most common mistakes victims make. Virtually every contractor complaint I hear comes back to one or more of these 8. Avoid them…
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Home Warranties: Pay Now, Find Out Later What’s Covered
I have a basic problem with home warranties on used homes. It’s simple: they don’t cover anything. Let me explain. How it plays out Say you pay a $900 premium. It’s based on the home having 10 appliances plus a furnace and central AC. A few months later, your dishwasher dies. You call the warranty…
The Troubleshooter Archive
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