Not A Lawyer

I just read an excellent article that I want to tell you about. It relates to the new Iphones by Apple and the recent $200 price cut.

While Steve Job has apologized, and offered customers a $100 credit towards their next purchase, he also says that’s just how technology goes. And he’s right, but that doesn’t make you feel any less ripped off by Apple, does it?

The article I just read outlines 4 ways you can recoup your losses if you purchased an Iphone when they first came out.

I don’t want to cut and paste someone else’s work here so I’m going to give you the link and hope you will read it if you bought an Iphone. I was over at Digg when I saw it, and the article doesn’t have that many Diggs yet, but I’m hoping it will get more attention so that everyone who needs the information will see it.

I did not buy an Iphone. I tend to wait until technology cools a bit and the price drops before I dive in. Plus I get a new cell phone from Verizon in a couple months for free anyway and I’m happy with the service I get from them, so I’ll probably lock into another contract there.

If I had bought an Iphone, I’d want my $200 back. And not a “suck it” answer and $100 store credit from Steve Jobs.

Here is the article: 4 ways to get your money back and 200 reasons to love american express

I do not know the blogger who wrote this, but the information provided is, as far as I can tell, very true. I am posting this in hopes that it will help someone.

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Here’s a video from Total Bankruptcy on how to completely ruin your credit.

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Here are 7 steps to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft and instructions about what to do immediately if your wallet is lost or stolen. Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday.

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company. Maybe we should all take some of his advice!

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED”.

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary but if you have it printed anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards, etc.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first-hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here’s some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know.

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll-free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc. Were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

Here’s what is perhaps most important of all (I never even thought to do this.).

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves’ purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact when/if your wallet, etc, has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1- 800-680-7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

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