Departments

Community Services

Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection: Advice from The Bucks County Consumer Advocates

May 2008

Q. My wife and I didn’t have a care in the world.  We were going about our business paying our bills until five months ago.  I lost my job and I’m having trouble finding another job paying anywhere near what I used to make.  My wife went out and found a job, but it is not nearly enough.  The bills are starting to pile up and we are getting calls from collection agencies.  We do not want to file bankruptcy, but I don’t know what else to do.  Do you have any suggestions?  H.E., Dublin     

A. You may want to consider the services of a credit-counseling agency.  These agencies, which are usually nonprofit, work with you to solve your financial problems.  The counseling is usually free, but there may be a small fee each month to help you with a debt repayment plan.  In these plans, you deposit money each month with the credit-counseling agency.  Your deposits are used to pay creditors according to a payment schedule the counselor develops with you.  If you want to work with a credit-counseling agency, interview several.  Find out what kinds of services are offered.  What their fees are and do you have to pay before you receive any help.  Check to see if you will have a written agreement with the agency.  Ask what qualifications their counselors have and will you be working with the same counselor each time.  Ask if they are willing to help you develop a plan for avoiding problems in the future.  Can they take your case immediately?  Find out if they can get creditors to lower or eliminate interest and finance charges or waive late fees.  Consumers should be aware there are some counseling centers that can be deceptive.  It is probably best to consider a counseling center that you can go to and talk with the counselor face to face.  Contact Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669 for more information.   

Fraud Alert: Scams Related to the Economic Stimulus Payment

The Internal Revenue Service has begun to transfer economic stimulus payments to millions of Americans, some of whom will see payments in their bank accounts as early as today.  Some scam artists are trying to trick individuals into revealing personal financial information that can be used to access their financial accounts by making promises relating to the economic stimulus payment, often called a “rebate.”  

Some criminals posing as IRS representatives are trying to trick taxpayers into revealing their personal financial information by falsely telling them they must provide information to get a payment.  For instance, a potential victim is told by phone or e-mail that he or she is eligible for a rebate but must provide a bank account number (or similar information) to get the payment.  If the target is unwilling, the victim is then told that he cannot receive the rebate unless the information is provided. 

Individuals should remember that the only way to get a stimulus payment is to file a 2007 tax return.  The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra-vigilant.  The IRS will not contact taxpayers by phone or e-mail about their stimulus payment.

Information about the Stimulus Payment

• To obtain the payment, eligible individuals in most cases will not have to do anything more than file a 2007 federal tax return. 
• Whether a taxpayer opted for direct deposit determines how soon the payment will arrive.  The first cycle of paper checks will be mailed starting May 9.
• The IRS will send notices to taxpayers who have already filed a 2007 tax return and who are eligible for an economic stimulus payment.  This notice will serve as an important recordkeeping document and should be retained by taxpayers. 
• Some taxpayers may receive smaller economic stimulus payments than they anticipated.  By law, the stimulus payments are offset to satisfy past-due taxes, student loans, child support and certain other debts.

If you have any questions, please contact the Task Force members below.  Always remember this simple rule, NEVER give your personal information over the phone or via email.  When in doubt, hang up or delete! 

Bucks County Crimes AGAINST OLDER Adults Task Force
Fighting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Adults in Bucks County
Bucks County District Attorney’s Office                                      Bucks County Area Agency on Aging
215-348-6344                                                                                         215-348-0510
Bucks County Consumer Protection                                              Network of Victim Assistance
215-348-6060                                                                                         1-800-675-6900
Bucks County Register of Wills                                                     Bucks County Coroner
215-348-6265                                                                                         215-348-3852

Q.  I fell behind in my car loan payments and the loan company repossessed my car.  I was behind on the payment for two months, but thought they had to notify me before they could repossess the car?  L.M.H., Newtown

A.  The loan company does not have to notify the consumer before repossessing a vehicle.  The truth is that once you default on your loan agreement the loan company can take action.  The reason for not giving advance notice is because some people would hide the vehicle.  Now that the vehicle has been taken, you need to contact the loan company.  Many loan companies are willing to work something out.  If you have any personal belongings in the vehicle you may pick them up from the repossession company.  If you take no action they can sell the vehicle and hold you responsible for the remaining balance.  The lender will probably start collection on the remaining balance.  The repossession company, which is hired by the loan company, will also charge a daily storage charge that can add up quickly.  There are many legitimate reasons that people fall behind in their payments.  The best course of action is always pre-emptive.  Call your creditors as soon as you know you are unable to make a timely payment.  Most loan companies are open to making some type of arrangement to avoid an immediate repossession. 

Q. My lights on the third floor of my house were blinking on and off.  I contacted an electrician that I found in the yellow pages.  The ad that caught my eye covered the whole page and seemed to be a family owned business.  I felt I would be dealing with a reputable company.  Now I’m definitely questioning their reputability.  They did come right out, but the man told me that I had too many plugs for the circuit box and that it was dangerous.  He replaced my panel box and charged me $4,565.00.  I felt that I had no choice because it seemed to be an emergency.  The day after the work was done a friend of mine who did this type of work before he retired told me that I was charged way too much and he also thought I really didn’t need a new panel box.  I called the business and tried to get some kind of reimbursement, but I was told that I had signed a paper telling them that I was satisfied with the work.  Is there anything that can be done?  C.P., Bensalem 

A.  The business does not have to refund you any money for several reasons.  First is that you did sign that the work was done and that you were satisfied.  Also, you should have gotten at least one other estimate from another company so you could compare apples to apples.  This way you would have known if you really needed that new panel box and if the price was too high.  You should always contact Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669 to see if a particular company has any complaints against them.  The company that you used does have a reputation for charging extremely high prices.  The extra estimates and the call to Consumer Protection would possibly have saved you a lot of money.

Q. I am getting ready to start some new flower beds and would like to know how to figure out how much mulch I need to order.  This is new to me because I usually used bagged mulch for two small beds.  C.W., Furlong

A. If you are going to have the mulch delivered to your home you should inspect the load before it is dumped. Make sure it is free from trash and other debris.  Mulch is sold by volume and should be sold in terms of a cubic yard which is 27 cubic feet.  You can measure the load in cubic feet before it is dumped or unloaded by simply multiplying the length, width and height of the load.  Keep in mind the load will have settled some while in transit. Use decimals for inches.  For example 3 ½ feet would be 3.50.   Then divide the number by 27 to get the amount of cubic yards.  The rule for determining how much mulch you will need is that one cubic yard will cover 162 square feet at a thickness of two inches.  So you need to figure out the square footage of the area you want covered.  Basically measure each bed by its length and width, and then multiply the number to get square feet.  After accounting for each bed, add up the square footage.  That will give you an accurate idea of how much mulch you will need. 

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