Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation is honored to be included on the list that includes such wonderful consumer advocates as Clark Howard, Consumers Union and ConsumerAffairs.com.

Watchdog Nation is listed as No. 5 on the list, behind The Consumerist and above Nader.org.

Watchdog Nation was founded by Dave Lieber

The site describes Watchdog Nation this way: “If a company or politician is doing something crooked, you can bet Watchdog Nation will report it here.”

The site also states: “Businesses, generally speaking, exist for the sole purpose of making money. While many of the products and services they provide often actively benefit consumers, others put profit over their safety, health and overall well-being. Lucky for shoppers, loads of resources out there can help protect them from these unscrupulous and irresponsible companies.

 ”Whether you’re a student trying to save money, a parent who wants to ensure your children’s toys are safe or just a buyer seeking the best values, consumer advocacy blogs provide a great conduit to research information protecting you from fraud and injury. While there are a plethora of great sites out there, we’ve listed a few here that we think are great resources. Visit them and start learning how to stand up for your rights as a consumer, enjoy better prices and find out what laws protect you from bad business.”

 Check out the entire list here. Why not bookmark them for future reference?

Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber 

Are you tired of fighting the bank, the credit card company, the electric company and the phone company? They can be worse than scammers the way they treat customers. A popular book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, shows you how to fight back — and win! The book is available at WatchdogNation.com as a hardcover, CD audio book, e-book and hey, what else do you need? The author is The Watchdog columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit our store. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. Twitter @DaveLieber 

I always told Ruth Wingfield of Arlington that she was the oldest citizen of my Watchdog Nation.

I met her when she was 98. She accidentally wrote a check to her insurance company for $480 when she meant to write $4.80. The company was in no hurry to give her money back. Read that Watchdog Nation report here.

I taught her what to tell banks and insurance companies when they hurt her. Forever after, she shouted into her phone: “Who regulates you? I’m going to file a complaint.”

At her 100th birthday party, I took this video of Ruth Wingfield. Please watch. She’s so wonderful. Here’s a report of her 100th birthday party, too.

She died on Sept. 3, 2011 at age 101.

She always called me Dogpatch Guy.

I always called her my favorite.

Ruth Wingfield, at her 100th birthday party, and the dude she called "Dogpatch Guy"

Are you tired of fighting the bank, the credit card company, the electric company and the phone company? They can be worse than scammers the way they treat customers. A popular book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, shows you how to fight back — and win! The book is available at WatchdogNation.com as a hardcover, CD audio book, e-book and hey, what else do you need? The author is The Watchdog columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit our store. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. Twitter @DaveLieber

Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber

The host for Here & Now, broadcast on 175 National Public Radio stations, is sweet enough about it, but the subject is painful. At one point, she stops the tape and asks you to stop rocking in your chair because the microphone is picking up the squeaking. Nerves! Nope, this ain’t easy.

Then she surprises you and asks if you have a Father’s Day message for America?

That’s what happened to me today. Me! Dave Lieber, a Texas newspaper columnist. Of all people. I’m a Bad Dad. At least, that’s the title of my new book, a true-story mystery thriller about what happens when the worst moments of your life go viral … and then the police come looking for you.

Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber

Yes, my story is about something that happened to me. But I wrote Bad Dad because it’s something that could happen to you, too. Anyone can have a bad moment; and in a world filled with cell phone cameras, the worst 10 minutes of your life can get shared with the world. It happens every day.

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Can you hear Dave Lieber’s chair squeaking? Listen to the radio interview here.

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A few years back, when my youngest son was 11 years old, I took him for breakfast one morning at McDonalds. He wanted to leave before I was done, and we got into an argument. He kept at it, pushing those worn-out parenting buttons of mine. I threatened: if he didn’t settle down, he was going to walk home, a 15-minute stroll across the street into our subdivision. He’d learn his lesson. But he didn’t believe me.

Well, believe it, son. Moments later, I was driving off, and he was standing in the parking lot, crying and bewildered.

When I returned minutes later, police were waiting for me. Someone had called 911. I was arrested and charged with two felony counts of abandonment and endangerment by a police department I had aggressively investigated for a dozen years in my column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Then the story went viral, around the world and back. TV news, radio talk shows, blogs and newspaper stories. Everybody had an opinion about whether I was a bad dad or a good dad. (Read Chapter One of Bad Dad here.)

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Talking about your worst moment: Listen to the radio interview here.

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So here I am, my first interview celebrating the national debut of Bad Dad book, a couple of days before Father’s Day.

Radio host Monica Brady-Myerov asks:

Q. “What’s your big take-away from this?”

Me: “This story is really not about me. It’s about everybody else. Because what I see is that anything that happens on any day that goes wrong in your life suddenly can go viral. Everybody has a camera these days. And it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from you doing something like yelling at your child or spanking them. Someone pulls out an iPhone camera, films it. Next thing you know, Fox News is knocking on your door, as they were with me.”

Q. Dave, since this is your first interview ever, and I mean since this incident took place in 2008, is there anything else you wanted to say or you’ve reflected on that you always wished you could have said to the media but haven’t had the opportunity?

A. … To the audience, I just want to say that I know that many people listening to me are relating because they have children that just push their buttons and sometimes they just want to explode. Just think about me. And remember that it’s better to take a deep breath and step away and calm yourself, or else you’re going to end up writing a book called Bad Dad, or Bad Mom, like me.

Remember: Deep breaths, Dads (and Moms). Happy Fathers Day!

Author Dave Lieber preps his youngest son recently for Dave's daughter's wedding.

Read the touching story of the wedding here.

Read Chapter One of Bad Dad book here.

Read Here & Now’s story about the interview.

Buy Bad Dad at BadDadBook.com. Bad Dad is also available as an e-book.

Watch the video book trailer below.

Here’s the 9-minute interview.

Listen to the radio interview here.

Author Dave Lieber

Buy the book here.

Lieber, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Watchdog columnist, attended IgniteDallas 2 last year and calls it “a way to learn the latest and greatest from creative minds in North Texas. I’m honored to get a shot at this. It’s the most fun!”

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More Watchdog Nation News:

Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes

America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview

Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book

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The nearly 20 presenters each have five minutes and 20 slides to get their point across. Based on a new communication tool called Pecha Kucha (20 slides in mere minutes), IgniteDallas 3 brings folks from all walks of life together for a you-never-know-what-comes-next night thrill.

Lieber says he will show the audience members how they can protect themselves against scammers, thieves and corporate thugs for the rest of their life. In five minutes!

Lieber made a similar presentation to the National Speakers Association/North Texas in December 2010.

Read organizer Danica Mathes’ announcement of the event here.

For ticket information, take a peek here.

Visit IgniteDallas 3 home page.

Follow @IgniteDallas on Twitter

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Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber

Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is available in hardcover, as a CD audio book, ebook and hey, what else do you need. Visit our store. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards in 2009 for social change. Twitter @DaveLieber

Now on iPad!

Here’s the link with host Brian Parker on www.onthehorn.com radio … or, if you can see the video box below, hit play.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK

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Dave Lieber

The fun book that won two national book awards for social change — and changes lives — is now available as an ebook on Amazon’s Kindle and BarnesandNoble.com. The reduced price for the ebook is only $8.88. LATEST NEWS: Now available on Apple’s iPad, too!

Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong is also available as a new multi-CD audio book. Perfect for commuters and iPod lovers. (Buy at Amazon, Dave Lieber’s Yankee Cowboy Store, iTunes, and, of course, WatchdogNation.com.)

Listen to the opening chapter, one of more than 60!

or

Listen here (for Apple products users)

This book pays for itself instantly. Why? Bernard Madoffs are everywhere! Don’t get snookered. Save time, money and aggravation. And the best part: Watchdog Nation — in any version, hardcover, ebook and multi-CD audio book — is FUN!

Now on iPad!

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More Watchdog Nation News:

Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes

America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview

Watchdog Nation Changes Lives/Two People Who Learned to Fight Back

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Although there’s nothing funny about getting hurt by a scammer or your bank or credit card company. Dave Lieber shows you how to overcome. Protect yourself in seconds, using techniques that are free. Take charge of customer service reps from around the world who won’t solve your problem. Learn how to gain the upper hand.

Watchdog Nation works! Stop scams and corporate thieves from hurting you. Learn how to buy the best products and hire the best individuals and companies. Don’t get fooled.

And when you must, fight back — and win.

Watch this video of Dave Lieber taping the new CD audio book.

Of course, nothing beats the hardcover edition of the latest edition of Watchdog Nation. Get free shipping when you order your hardcover book at Watchdog Nation.

Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new revised and expanded edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is available in hardcover,  an e-Book and a multi-set CD.

Save time, money and aggravation. This book changes lives. That’s why it won two national book awards in 2009 for social change

Shop at three exclusive locations for the new revised edition: Amazon.com, Dave Lieber’s Yankee Cowboy Store and, of course, world headquarters at WatchdogNation.com.

Thanks to Chris Gomersall and UpstairsMedia for production of the CD Audio book, and Jerry Simmons and WritersReaders.com, FirebirdWebDesigns.com and Janet Long for help with the ebook.

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Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber

Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation is shared with thousands of listeners across America on Robin Young’s popular radio show, Here & Now. The show is heard on more than 160 public radio stations across America.

Listen here (for Apple products users)

or

Dave Lieber

Robin Young

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More Watchdog Nation News:

Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes

Watchdog Nation Changes Lives/Two People Who Learned to Fight Back

Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book

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THE STORY BEHIND THE RADIO INTERVIEW

A producer at a national talk radio show recently got bit by a common scam. She signed up for a low-priced teeth whitening product on the Internet and then got hit with excessive charges on her credit card. She tried for weeks to cancel.

Producer Karen Pelland decided to turn her bad fortune into good journalism. She produced a segment on the scam for her show, Here & Now. The show is created at WBUR-FM in Boston and heard on more than 160 public radio stations across the nation.

She searched the Internet and found these two Dave Lieber Watchdog Nation reports on teeth whitening:

Trial offers are trouble: Watch out for teeth whiteners sold on the Internet

Dentists angry about non-dental teeth whitening clinics

Dave Lieber was invited on the show. When Dave talked to host Robin Young on air, they explored the producer’s smart handling of her scam. (She got her money back!) Robin and Dave also talked about many other scams popular in America and how to beat them. Do you know that the garage door repair business is beset with overcharging repairmen? That companies advertising free credit scores usually charge? That these days even middle school students are getting scammed?

Do you know why most scammers get away with it? Do you know how to prevent getting scammed? Or if you do get scammed, do you know how to get relief?

Listen to the fun radio interview here.

Robin Young web links:

Here’s Robin Young’s Here & Now show.

Here’s the Public Radio International story about this Dave Lieber interview.

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Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new revised and expanded edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is available in hardcover,  an e-Book and a multi-set CD.

Save time, money and aggravation. This book changes lives. That’s why it won two national book awards in 2009 for social change.

Shop at three exclusive locations for the new revised edition: Amazon.com, Dave Lieber’s Yankee Cowboy Store and, of course, world headquarters at WatchdogNation.com.

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Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber

Watchdog Nation, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and HGTV star Mike Holmes joined with some caring businesses to fix a heartbreaking problem involving an elderly man who lost $19,000.

Royce Benson gave two ex-convict brothers money for foundation repairs that were never done.

The story, which first appeared in a Dave Lieber column in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, led to a series of events that could culminate in criminal indictments.

After the original story appeared, staff members for Mike Holmes contacted Watchdog Nation and asked if they could help fix the house of 80-year-old Royce Benson for free.

Mike Holmes

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More Watchdog Nation News:

America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview

Watchdog Nation Changes Lives/Two People Who Learned to Fight Back

Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book

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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Watchdog Nation worked with Holmes to get area companies and suppliers to donate their time and materials. Thanks to Perma-Pier Foundation Repair of Dallas, Roto-Rooter of Fort Worth and Lowe’s for banding together and, in the motto of Mike Holmes, working to “make it right.” (Read the complete account here.)

Watch a video of Royce Benson explaining what he went through here.

Royce Benson points to a sample of the awful foundation repair job. He paid $19,000 for nothing.

Hubert Burdick runs a small remodeling business. He promised to do foundation work but never did. Photo: Texas Prison System

Billey Ray Burdick runs a tree-trimming service. He accepted two of Royce Benson's checks that were made out to him. Photo: Texas Prison System

Holmes, the star of his Holmes on Homes TV show, also produces Holmes, The Magazine to Make It Right now available in the USA.  In the debut USA issue (January 2011), Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber tells the story in a “Holmes Heroes” feature about how Benson’s house is getting a makeover.

Read the Holmes magazine story by Dave Lieber here.

The debut issue of Holmes’ USA magazine is now for sale. See a list of retailers here. And following a new Federal Trade Commission rule that requires bloggers who promote products to disclose any financial relationship, we disclose: Holmes magazine paid Lieber for the story. Lieber, in turn,  donated the funds to Summer Santa, the all-volunteer children’s charity he co-founded in 1997. (Visit www.SummerSanta.org. You’ll be surprised.)

The folks from Perma-Pier Foundation Repair of Dallas work with Benson to make it right.

Final note: Watchdog Nation is honored to work with Mike Holmes and his wonderful team. His continued efforts to keep contractors honest and do it right the first time is nothing short of heroic.

Watch his show on TV. Read his magazine. Learn how to find the honest contractors and stay out of trouble. A mission we share at Watchdog Nation.

# #

Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new revised and expanded  edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is available in hardcover,  an e-Book and a multi-set CD.

Save time, money and aggravation. This book changes lives. That’s why it won two national book awards in 2009 for social change.

Shop at three exclusive locations for the new revised edition: Amazon.com, Dave Lieber’s Yankee Cowboy Store and, of course, world headquarters at WatchdogNation.com.

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Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber

Watchdog Nation sets you up for the rest of your life. With simple steps that take only a second and are free, you can know that you are making the right decisions.

Terry Martin of Euless, Texas writes to Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber:

“I know you must get dozens of letters each day in regards to the big corporate  companies and their incompetence. I have read your book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation. And the one thing that struck a nerve with me is: never give up. The stories in your book had so much common sense, and I admired the way you helped the victims find a fair and ethical way or relief from all of their problems.

“Dave, your book inspired me to fight AT&T. I never gave up. It was a long and tedious fight, but I feel I won the battle. Thank you again for all the help and inspiration you gave me. Sincerely, A Huge Fan, Terry Martin.”

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More Watchdog Nation News:

Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes

America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview

Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book

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Tim Durkin writes to Watchdog Nation:

“I just finished listening to your multi-CD audio book of Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation, just in time to learn how to handle an emergency where I live, thank goodness.

“My next door neighbor rang my bell at midnight. She told me the glass on her front door was shattered and the wood was splintered. She worried that someone had broken into her house.  We called the police.

“The robbers had torn off her electric meter to disable any alarm, and then kicked in her door and helped themselves to everything they wanted. They did this in broad daylight.

“Because I had finished the Watchdog Nation audio book and was enjoying my new honorary citizenship, I knew what to do. I immediately began an Internet search to find the strongest deadbolts and locksets. I kept reading until I found a video for Strikemaster Pro II which affords steel protection to any door frame, which is the weakest part of a door. I was amazed when I placed and order and the owner of the company called.

“Ed Anderson is passionate about trying to keep the bad guys out of your house. Anyone who has been robbed will tell you that losing their possessions is one thing but losing their piece of mind is really the bigger thing.

“I installed my Strikemaster in about 10 minutes. And when I told Ed about my neighbor and how she lost her family photos in the burglary, he asked if it would be OK if he sent my neighbor a free Strikemaster.

“My point is that your Watchdog Nation inspired me to quickly search for the  best and most inexpensive solution to solve my problem and my neighbor’s. I buy into it. It works. I can’t wait until the next problem. OK, not really. Best wishes, Tim Durkin.”

# #

Dave Lieber, The Watchdog columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, is the founder of Watchdog Nation. The new revised and expanded edition of his book, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, is available in hardcover,  an e-Book and a multi-set CD.

Save time, money and aggravation. This book changes lives. That’s why it won two national book awards in 2009 for social change.

Shop at three exclusive locations for the new revised edition: Amazon.com, Dave Lieber’s Yankee Cowboy Store and, of course, world headquarters at WatchdogNation.com.

- – - – - -

Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters

Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook

Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube

Twitter @DaveLieber