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Consumer Protection: Advice from The Bucks County Consumer Advocates

January 2007

Q. I requested a quote on my auto insurance from Geico. They sent me a letter requesting permission to look at my credit report. They stated it was required to calculate my insurance score. Why would they need to see my credit report? F.H., UBE

A. Most insurance companies use a variety of factors when determining the rate that a consumer will pay. Your credit score is also a factor. The belief is if your credit score is high then you are probably a safer risk to insure. If your credit score is low it is assumed you are a higher risk. Keep in mind that your credit score is only one factor in your rate. Your driving record, driving habits and make of vehicle are also factors.

Q. Some time ago I hired a contactor to add a Florida room onto my home. I’m getting worried about the way the contractor is working. He shows up for an hour or two then leaves. We may not see him for a couple of days then he’ll show up again. Now he will not do any more work until I give him more money. He states that he needs more money to buy the material. He has almost all of the money that was estimated for the job and it looks like only half the work is done. I’m worried I’ll end up paying him in full and the work will never get done. Can I ask him to stop and give me some of my money back to get someone else to finish the job? R.W., Holland

A. First, do not give him any more money. According to your contract, you were only to give him half the money up front and the other half at completion of the job. Consumer Protection contacted your contractor and he states that you and he never spoke about a date of completion. He states that he is working to the best of his ability. He feels he has not breached his contract because there wasn’t a completion date written into the contract. He has agreed not to ask for any more money until the end of the project. He wants to finish this project and has refused any refund. At this point you would have to take him to court to end this contract. Consumers should always contact Bucks County Consumer Protection to check on a contractor and find out what should be in a contract before signing. Both parties should always follow the contract.

Q. I have a letter from a business called UPRR, Unclaimed Property Recovery and Reporting. It states they are sending me the letter on behalf of their client, GE Money. Their records indicate I may be the owner or have interest in the moneys, rights or intangible property represented by the item below. The item below gives a dollar amount and a date of 2001. Enclosed is a copy of the letter. What do you think, is this real or a scam? I.C., Levittown

A. This letter also states that if you do not act within thirty days they will turn the moneys over to the State of Pennsylvania as unclaimed funds. They do not ask for any fee like a tracer would and they are not asking, at least not initially, for any personal or financial information. There are specific laws that require businesses to turn over all unclaimed property to the state within a certain number of years. It appears this company may have been hired by GE Money so they do not have to go through the process the state requires. Since our office cannot verify the information at this time we would suggest letting them turn the moneys over to the state. All states maintain an Unclaimed Property Department. Pennsylvania’s Treasury Department handles the unclaimed property assets. The letter stated that the assets would be turned over in thirty days. You can reach the Pennsylvania Unclaimed Property Division by calling 1-800-222-2046 or go online to www.treasury.state.pa.us. We thank you for bringing this to our attention and encourage all consumers to use caution when dealing with notices like this. We would also recommend that consumers do a search on the unclaimed property website. There may be a pleasant surprise waiting.

Q. My husband and I are seriously considering putting my mother-in-law into a nursing home. We have tried to keep her with us, but it has become almost impossible to care for her on our own. We want what is best for her and need to find a good nursing home for her. Can you give us some suggestions? P.T., Bristol

A. Take the time to investigate. Contact the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging at 215-348-0510. They can provide a list of nursing homes in the area. Ask them for the free booklet on “Choosing a Nursing Home” and a copy of a nursing home inspection check list. You could also go to www.medicare.com and click on “Choosing a Nursing Home”. You can get a free copy of “A Consumer Guide to Nursing Facilities” by calling 1-800-628-8140. Another good source of information is the Nursing Home Compare database at Medicare’s Internet website www.medicare.gov. It gives you information about every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country and the results from their latest nursing home inspection. After you become well informed, go to the nursing homes that you are interested in and see if you can get an unscheduled tour of the place. This will give you an idea of how nice and cooperative the staff is. Notice how clean the facility is and if the people who live there are well cared for. Watch how attentive the staff is to the residents. You could also ask each nursing home to see their most recent nursing home inspection report. Make sure you take a copy of the checklist to each nursing home and fill it out. Then when you’re done, compare the checklists for each nursing home that you inspected. You may also want to ask your doctor or clergyman about the nursing home because they go to various nursing homes to visit residents. Finally, make sure the nursing home is close to friends and family so it’s easy for them to visit and keep an eye on the care of their loved one.

Q. We received a letter yesterday. It stated it was an official sweepstakes notice. There is a number that has to be called before the deadline expires. It was mailed by a company called NME, Clearwater, Florida. Is this a real sweepstakes contest or just a scam? C.B., Morrisville

A. This is one of those sweepstakes that is real but is run by a business that sells magazines. They invite people to call and enter the million dollar sweepstakes. There is no purchase necessary to enter. That does not mean the operators will not try and solicit you to make a purchase of a magazine subscription. This business goes by several different names like NME, National Publishers Exchange, National Clearing Exchange and National List Exchange. The marketing tool is the sweepstakes entry. If a consumer calls they explain the sweepstakes offer and then they hammer the sales pitch to close the deal. Better Business Bureau records show the business has addressed consumers’ concerns and complaints. Consumers should view sweepstakes offers with skepticism. The odds of actually winning are incredibly low. The odds of you buying a subscription are much higher. Consumers should also understand that if they reply to such offers, they may end up on endless marketing lists.

Q. I purchased a used car with 44,000 miles on it. At the time I also purchased a service contract for the car that covered my car for 48 months or 50,000 miles. I only had the car for a year and put 22,000 miles on it when I started having problems. I immediately had it towed to the place I bought it and they said my transmission went. At that time they advised me that my service contract had been voided and I would have to pay to have it repaired. They said that the car should have had the transmission serviced at 60,000 miles. Since this was not done my service contract is voided. If I only had the car for 22,000 miles, why should I be responsible for that maintenance? L.K., Croydon

A. Your service contract states under “Your Responsibilities” that to keep your contract valid, you must have your vehicle serviced as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. You were also required to show proof of required service including verifiable receipts showing date and mileage of the vehicle at the time of service. The manufacturer of your vehicle recommends that a transmission service be performed every 30,000 miles. Since your vehicle had 66,000 miles when you took it in to be repaired and you did not have the service done at 60,000 miles, the company voided your contract. It is important to read and understand the terms and condition of any contract before you sign. You will be held to those terms.

Department of Consumer Protection /
Weights and Measures
Michael D. Bannon
Director
50 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-7442
Fax: 215-348-4570
Canny Consumer Hotline 1-800-942-2669