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	<title>Watchdog Nation Blog</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog</link>
	<description>Consumer Protection against Scams and Fraud</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 13 May 2012 20:51:21 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Watchdog Nation proudly sponsors Summer Santa children&#8217;s charity</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/watchdog-nation-proudly-sponsors-summer-santa-childrens-charity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/watchdog-nation-proudly-sponsors-summer-santa-childrens-charity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 May 2012 20:51:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children's charity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dave Lieber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summer Santa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[watchdog nation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation is a proud sponsor of the Summer Santa children's charity in North Texas, Learn more about the charity that Dave co-founded in 1997 at www.SummerSanta.org.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation is a proud sponsor of <a href="http://www.summersanta.org" target="_blank">Summer Santa</a>, one of North Texas&#8217; largest children&#8217;s charities.</p>
<p>The donation goes to the charity which sends several hundred children to summer camp each year. Summer Santa has no physical office and no paid staff. All of its work is done by volunteers.</p>
<p>Summer Santa was co-founded by <a href="http://www.yankeecowboy.com" target="_blank">Dave Lieber</a> and Westlake Municipal Judge Brad Bradley in 1997. Since then, Summer Santa has helped tens of thousands of children with its back-to-school clothing program, free medical checkups, after-school activities, toy distribution to area charities for summertime play and sports league scholarship.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am just as proud of my work on Summer Santa as I am of my work creating Watchdog Nation,&#8221; <a href="http://davelieber.org" target="_blank">Dave Lieber</a> says. &#8220;One helps children; the other helps adults. Helping others is a key component of Texas culture. I&#8217;m so grateful that I have learned that lesson!&#8221;</p>
<p>Learn how you can donate to the tax-deductible charity <a href="http://www.summersanta.org/donate.php#how_can_i_donate" target="_blank">here</a>, and know for certain that your money will only go directly toward paying for these valuable children&#8217;s programs that help children in need.</p>
<div id="attachment_4615" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 501px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/donation.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-4615  " title="donation" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/donation-1024x768.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="491" height="368" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Cyn Choate, Summer Santa Chairman, accepts a sponsorship check from Watchdog Nation and Summer Santa founder Dave Lieber.</p></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Book Review: 2012 Edition of Watchdog Nation &#8220;shows you how to win the war.&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/book-review-2012-edition-of-watchdog-nation-shows-you-how-to-win-the-war/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/book-review-2012-edition-of-watchdog-nation-shows-you-how-to-win-the-war/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 00:14:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dave Lieber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Watchdog Nation book]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4594</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Book reviewer Marianne Flanders authored this review of Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong, now out in a revised 2012 edition. "This is invaluable information that leads the reader/victim to victory in the war for justices," she writes. "These are your marching orders."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong</em></p>
<p><strong>by Dave Lieber</strong></p>
<p><strong>Yankee Cowboy Publishing</strong></p>
<p><strong>Non-fiction (New 2012 edition just released and only available here)</strong></p>
<p>By Marianne Flanders</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yankeecowboy.com" target="_blank">Dave Lieber</a> has avenues of thought, no, more like 8-lane freeways, on the subject of consumer justice.<br /> He has founded a new country:  Watchdog Nation.</p>
<p>His wit and ability to construct statements that show the strength of the idea being presented will amaze the reader. Or, as he explains it:  “Watchdog Nation seeks to inspire millions of Americans to rise up and bite back.”</p>
<p>This is more than just good ideas well-written, though. Here is a detailed plan of attack.</p>
<p><a href="http://davelieber.org" target="_blank">Lieber</a> uses the power of the pen to expose the inane problems so many customers have with oh too many businesses and organizations, and then gives directions on how to deal with them — a step-by-step how to, plus the what and why in detail.  In other words, he instructs the reader on ammunition—and demonstrates how to fire it — and win the war. </p>
<p>It’s not an easy task, but neither is it the all-too-familiar exercise in futility.  Americans stop asking questions too soon, Lieber says. The book contains a wealth (double entendre intended) of information regarding how to get lower rates or prices and a practical, informational plethora of information on what, when, where, and how to deal with shoddy work or unfulfilled contracts. Add to that the names of bureaus and phone numbers and the reader is ready to tackle most anything from phone stalkers to oil changes. </p>
<p>No, this is not a book of stories or even your ordinary inspirational call to action.  This is invaluable information that leads the reader/victim to victory in the war for justice.  These are your marching orders.</p>
<p>You can get your copy of the newly published 2012 edition at <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">www.watchdognation.com</a> or by calling 1-800-557-8166.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3938" title="watchdog book cover use" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a-283x300.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="283" height="300" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Who is American Water Resources, and do you need their water and sewer pipe warranty?</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/who-is-american-water-resources-and-do-you-need-their-water-and-sewer-pipe-warranty/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/who-is-american-water-resources-and-do-you-need-their-water-and-sewer-pipe-warranty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:11:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Water Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AWR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home warranty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sewer line]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water line]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4576</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you need a warranty on the water and sewer lines outside of your home? That's the questions homeowners are asking when they receive marketing mailings from American Water Resources, a company that is spreading across the United States.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Homeowners in some of North Texas&#8217; biggest cities &#8212; Fort Worth, Arlington and North Richland Hills &#8212; contacted Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation to ask about a mailing they received advertising a new company selling repair protection for water and sewer lines. They wonder whether it&#8217;s legitimate.</p>
<p>As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, <a href="http://www.awrusa.com/american-water-resources/" target="_blank">American Water Resources of Texas</a>, which bought its state license in November, is a residential service company that promises to cover some repairs to water and sewer lines outside a home.</p>
<div id="attachment_4577" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 202px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AWR-1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4577 " title="AWR-1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AWR-1-192x300.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="192" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Scare tactic? This is the cover of the brochure that arrived in the mail. City officials say the photo of a bulldozer in a front yard is an exaggeration of what happens in a typical homeowner repair.</p></div><p>Generally, water and sewer lines would be covered to the point where the cities take over the lines &#8212; at the water meter and where the sewer line hits the main drain.</p>
<p>Enough homeowners peppered their water and sewer departments with questions about the mailing that all three cities felt compelled to take stronger-than-usual action to address concerns.</p>
<p>Fort Worth posted a notice on its website with the headline &#8220;Water Department does not endorse service line warranty programs.&#8221;</p>
<p>North Richland Hills spokeswoman Mary Peters told me, &#8220;I&#8217;m glad you are writing about this&#8221; because the city received questions. She wanted to counter what she considered an exaggeration in the mailing.</p>
<p>Arlington officials went as far as contacting the company and asking for changes on the website. Arlington wants residents to know that it offers a repair program that goes beyond what many other cities offer.</p>
<p>Water Resources&#8217; plan works much like an extended warranty for an appliance. Buyers gamble that they will need it someday. The key word is <em>gamble</em>.</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>First, as Water Resources says in its mailing, cities generally do not pay for repairs to water and sewer lines from the house to the city&#8217;s portion of the lines. That&#8217;s the homeowner&#8217;s responsibility. Repairs can cost thousands of dollars but sometimes cost far less.</p>
<p>Many insurance companies cover little of the repair cost from leaks. Water Resources does somewhat, but it doesn&#8217;t pay to repair any waterline clogs or blockages. The company also says it pays for leaks or breaks in sewer lines only if they&#8217;re caused by a blockage or a clog.</p>
<p>Water Resources charges $5 a month for up to $5,000 in waterline repairs and $9 a month for up to $4,000 in sewer-line repairs, with $4,000 more covered if a roadway has to be dug up. There&#8217;s also a $50 service fee per sewer line problem but no charge for a waterline problem.</p>
<p>Company officials told me that those are the only out-of-pocket costs for customers. After a problem is found &#8212; if it is covered &#8212; the company hires a contractor, gets required permits and completes the covered repairs.</p>
<p>The company has a perfect rating from the Better Business Bureau. The Texas Real Estate Commission, which regulates home warranty companies, says the company is too new to have any complaints on file.</p>
<p>The company is a subsidiary of the 126-year-old <a href="http://www.amwater.com/" target="_blank">American Water Co</a>., a publicly traded water- and wastewater-utility company based in New Jersey. Cities that outsource their water and sewer services use such companies.</p>
<p>American Water Resources of Texas was formed as part of the company&#8217;s expansion into other states.</p>
<p>As with any service warranty company, it&#8217;s important to look at what isn&#8217;t covered. Anything not resulting from normal wear and tear on water and sewer lines, such as problems caused by a homeowner or other third party, problems caused by natural disasters or anything caused by poor construction or defective materials, isn&#8217;t covered.</p>
<p>Arlington officials wanted the company to make sure that the public knows that Arlington offers a repair program for the portion of a sewer line in the public right of way or in a utility easement, even if it&#8217;s on a homeowner&#8217;s property, but only in cases of structural failure of the sewer line in that area.</p>
<p>North Richland Hills officials want residents to know that a photograph on the company&#8217;s brochure showing a bulldozer digging up a front yard is a bit overdone.</p>
<p>&#8220;Most service line problems we hear about from homeowners are minor issues such as roots getting in the line,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;In that situation, all a homeowner needs to do is call a plumber to clear the line.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fort Worth offers a program for water customers who have a leak. They can send receipts for plumbing repairs and parts to the Water Department and request a 50 percent cut in their water bill for a leak adjustment.</p>
<p>Fort Worth gives sound advice on its website: &#8220;Like with any insurance or warranty program, individuals should do their own due diligence to learn what is and is not covered and what exceptions apply.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/" target="_blank">Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2863" title="watchdog_badge profile pic" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1-150x150.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="27" height="27" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/WatchdogNation">Like Watchdog Nation on Facebook</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/facebook-icon-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3106" title="facebook icon 1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/facebook-icon-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="22" height="22" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/WatchdogNation">Watch Watchdog Nation on YouTube</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/youtube-icon-4.png"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3112" title="youtube icon 4" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/youtube-icon-4-150x150.png" alt="" width="22" height="22" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/twitter-icon-3.png"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3108" title="twitter icon 3" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/twitter-icon-3-150x150.png" alt="" width="24" height="24" /></a></p>
<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3938" title="watchdog book cover use" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a-283x300.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="283" height="300" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Pharmacy staffers seeking your personal info put you at ID theft risk</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/pharmacy-staffers-seeking-personal-information-put-you-at-identity-theft-risk/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/pharmacy-staffers-seeking-personal-information-put-you-at-identity-theft-risk/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:08:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[identity theft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmacist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmacy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here's a pet peeve of Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: people who talk too loudly when sharing their personal information, especially with pharmacy staffers. It's an  easy way to get your identity stolen.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My pet peeve: Sometimes when I&#8217;m sitting in a car repair shop or a car wash, I hear another customer talking loudly on a cellphone to a pharmacist. The customer orders medicine and blurts out name, address and date of birth.</p>
<p>Why don&#8217;t people step outside and talk in private? Don&#8217;t they realize that anyone else listening could use that information to engage in identity theft?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/identity-theft.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4547" title="identity theft" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/identity-theft-199x300.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="199" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Apparently, I&#8217;m not the only one with this kind of pet peeve. As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, for Christopher Dills, a retired high school journalism teacher, his sore spot is standing in line at a Walgreens pharmacy in Mansfield, where he lives, and being asked to give the same information. Recently, he got so upset that he complained to a store manager.</p>
<p>He says he understands the need for such information to make sure people get the right medicine. But he told the manager that he heard the name, address and Social Security numbers of two women in front of him.</p>
<p>&#8220;I refused to give my information out loud when I was called,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I explained firmly but nicely that I and anybody else could be at the homes of the &#8216;victims&#8217; before they were because Walgreens made it possible.&#8221;</p>
<p>He asked the manager why an identification card showing the information wasn&#8217;t acceptable. He was told that those cards sometimes contain incorrect information and that answering orally was corporate policy.</p>
<p>He asked Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation, &#8220;Can you help stop this practice of needlessly putting people at risk?&#8221;</p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>I can, but first, let me share Walgreens&#8217; response. It took me 11 days to get an answer from the company, and I had to send five pleading e-mails. But when a spokeswoman wrote back, she said the company had retrained the Mansfield staff in response to the complaint.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are committed to patient privacy,&#8221; Vivika Panagiotakakos wrote. &#8220;If a patient or caregiver would like to pick up medication, we do ask for patient information to help verify that the right prescription is given to the right customer.&#8221;</p>
<p>She said patients can ask to move to a private area. &#8220;In addition, many of our pharmacies do have signs near the counter to help promote patient privacy so customers can feel comfortable speaking to pharmacy staff.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have retrained our Mansfield staff about steps they can take to ensure patient privacy and making sure that only one customer is near the counter at a time.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another Walgreens pharmacy customer, Paul Diviney of Fort Worth, tells me he is so concerned about keeping his information private that he uses only the drive-through lane closest to the window so that when he speaks to the staff, other drivers can&#8217;t hear him.</p>
<p>CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis told me corporate policy for CVS stores is to ask for private information softly so others can&#8217;t hear. He says the information is sought at a separate window, which is not in the immediate pickup area. &#8220;Privacy is one reason we set it up like that,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Jay Foley, a founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said information as simple as a name, address and date of birth is &#8220;enough to get the ball rolling&#8221; for an identity thief.</p>
<p>He told the story of a case in a California pharmacy several years ago involving a woman who regularly roamed the aisles. Pharmacy staffers thought she was lonely. &#8220;She&#8217;d talk to people and seemed like a pretty harmless lady,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Turns out she wasn&#8217;t so harmless. When she was arrested on charges of identity theft, police found her carrying the names of 18 people and their Social Security numbers, all of whom were customers of that pharmacy.</p>
<p>Foley&#8217;s solution: &#8220;If I were a customer, what I would do is take a slip of paper and write the answers down and show it to the clerk. Then I&#8217;d take that piece of paper home and shred it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Panagiotakakos said that would work in Walgreens stores.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/" target="_blank">Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2863" title="watchdog_badge profile pic" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1-150x150.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="27" height="27" /></a></p>
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<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
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		<title>VIDEO: 2012 edition of Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation book debuts on TV</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/2012-edition-of-dave-lieber-watchdog-nation-book-debuts-on-tv/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/2012-edition-of-dave-lieber-watchdog-nation-book-debuts-on-tv/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:56:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consumer rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Good Morning Texas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[patriot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Watchdog Nation book]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4680</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The tornadoes that ripped through North Texas in April 2012 worried Fort Worth Star-Telegram Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber for reasons that had little to do with weather. Ripoff roofers and scamming contractors are flooding the region to sign up unsuspecting customers who've already been hurt once, The founder of WatchdogNation.com took to the airwaves on WFAA/Channel 8's Good Morning Texas to show simple ways to weed out evil from good before hiring anybody. The TV appearance marked the debut of the 2012 edition of the award-winning book on social change called Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;Most of the bad actors that I write about in the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/news/columnists/dave_lieber/" target="_blank">Star-Telegram</a> just have a truck, a cell phone and a website. They don&#8217;t have an office. They&#8217;re not real. They don&#8217;t have a company. They don&#8217;t have workers. They&#8217;re just guys putting together jobs. It&#8217;s just not worth it.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gmt-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4684" title="gmt 1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gmt-1.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber celebrates the debut of the 2012 edition of Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation book on Good Morning Texas, WFAA, Dallas, TX" width="464" height="262" /></a></p>
<p>So says <em><a href="http://www.star-telegram.com" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram</a></em> columnist <a href="http://www.yankeecowboy.com" target="_blank">Dave Lieber</a>, founder of the consumer rights movement WatchdogNation.com, in a TV appearance on WFAA/Channel 8&#8242;s <em><a href="http://www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas/How-to-avoid-scam-artists-afer-the-storms-146432645.html" target="_blank">Good Morning Texas</a></em> in Dallas. He went to the airwaves to warn Texans whose property was damaged in this week&#8217;s tornado outbreak not to fall for slick-talking roofers and contractors. There are good guys and bad guys, Dave says. It&#8217;s easy to distinguish between the two if you know what you&#8217;re doing. </p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want anyone to get hurt in these next few weeks,&#8221; he told host Paige McCoy Smith.</p>
<p>Watch the 4:38 video to learn more about Dave&#8217;s tactics and strategies by clicking on the box below. </p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/jwUepei5qCM">Dave Lieber Watchdog Nation on Good Morning Texas TV Show</a></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jwUepei5qCM" frameborder="0" width="425" height="350"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Alternate viewing site <a href="http://www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas/How-to-avoid-scam-artists-afer-the-storms-146432645.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>
<p>The TV appearance marked the official launch of the new 2012 edition of <em>Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong</em>. The book is updated with the latest information. Become a citizen of Watchdog Nation. Get the book, exclusively here at <a href="http://store.yankeecowboy.com/the-store/dave-liebers-watchdog-nation/" target="_blank">www.WatchdogNation.com</a>&#8216;s secure store. (Don&#8217;t buy previous out-of-date editions sold elsewhere.)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gmt-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4686" title="gmt 2" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gmt-2.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber celebrates the debut of the 2012 edition of Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation book on Good Morning Texas, WFAA, Dallas, TX" width="468" height="268" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Find out what thousands already know.</strong> Protecting yourself and your family and business is easier than you think. When you know what you&#8217;re doing, it takes just seconds, and it&#8217;s free. <strong>Get wise &#8212; or get ripped.</strong></p>
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<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>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, <em>Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong</em>, shows you how to fight back — and win! The book is available at <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> as a hardcover, CD audio book, e-book and hey, what else do you need? The author is<a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/news/columnists/dave_lieber/" target="_blank"> The Watchdog columnist</a> for the <em>Fort Worth Star-Telegram</em>. Visit our <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded for 2012, the book won two national book awards for social change. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/" target="_blank">Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2863" title="watchdog_badge profile pic" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1-150x150.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="27" height="27" /></a></p>
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		<title>How to check out your tax preparer</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/how-to-check-out-your-tax-preparer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/how-to-check-out-your-tax-preparer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:46:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1040]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internal Revenue Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Preparer Tax Identification Number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PTIN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax preparer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4586</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Before you get your federal taxes done, check out your preparer's qualifications. Some don't have any. Worse, some are crooks. Fortunately, the federal government has created a new system that requires preparers to show their qualifications to you. It's being phases in now. Here's everything you need to know about it.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Tax season is here. Blah. That means refunds (maybe), checks to the IRS (more likely), frustration and, for some unlucky taxpayers, high prices paid for poorly done tax work.</p>
<p>Last year, The Watchdog told the story of an Arlington man who saw a sign advertising a $69 tax special. He ended up getting charged $469. When I tried to find the storefront business he used, the place was shut down.</p>
<p>And there was the Dallas single mom who saw an ad offering $38 tax returns. She ended up paying $289, yet her adjusted gross income was only $1,031.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tax-scam-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4587" title="tax scam 2" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tax-scam-2-300x199.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="300" height="199" /></a></p>
<p>As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, here&#8217;s good news for taxpayers worried about such shenanigans. New rules have gone into effect for Texas&#8217; 87,000 tax preparers. Most preparers who are paid by customers must now have a nine-digit Preparer Tax Identification Number. That is designed to help eventually bring integrity and oversight to the industry.</p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>The numbers will be used by the Internal Revenue Service, which is requiring tax preparers to pass a background check and a competency test by the end of 2013. Some community colleges and businesses are offering 15-hour continuing education courses to help preparers pass the tests. Those who go through the program and pass the test will get a new designation that will help consumers choose wisely: registered tax return preparer.</p>
<p>Some have earned the certificate, and they&#8217;re the best bet to hire right now.</p>
<p>To keep that certificate, the preparer must take 15 hours of continuing education a year.</p>
<p>Eventually, consumers will have access to a searchable database of preparers who have registered, taken classes and passed competency exams.</p>
<p>But this doesn&#8217;t apply to volunteers who do taxes for free, such as people at organizations like AARP, Catholic Charities and some senior centers and churches. But that&#8217;s OK. It&#8217;s unlikely that these groups allow tax preparation rip-off artists to volunteer for them.</p>
<p>These new requirements also don&#8217;t apply to attorneys, certified public accountants and enrolled agents who are active and in good standing with their licensing agency, the IRS says. And employees who work for companies owned and operated by these professionals also do not have to fulfill these requirements because the IRS assumes that their work is supervised.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tax-scams-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4588" title="tax scams 1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/tax-scams-1-300x225.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Community colleges are beginning to offer tax preparation classes. The cost for an online version may be around $500. I did an Internet search for &#8220;IRS tax preparation classes&#8221; and found various groups offering classes. Prices vary.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this new federal effort is to clean up the industry and protect good tax preparers from bad ones &#8212; and to protect consumers who could find themselves in bad situations.</p>
<p>IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman has said, &#8220;The few bad apples cause great harm to taxpayers and the industry.&#8221;</p>
<p>One bad apple is Iris Yolanda Smith, who was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth to four years in prison and ordered to pay $103,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to one count of making false claims.</p>
<p>Smith owned All Money Tax Services on Loop 820 South in Fort Worth, and before that she prepared returns at Towne Center Mall under the name Yolanda&#8217;s Tax Service, prosecutors said.</p>
<p>In 2007, she filed a fraudulent tax return for a customer. Her customer received an improper $7,000 refund.</p>
<p>So if you are trying to hire someone to do your taxes, especially if you are entering a storefront tax prep business because of an advertised special, the questions to ask are: &#8220;What&#8217;s your Preparer Tax ID number? Did you take the class yet? Let me see your certificate.&#8221;</p>
<p>If the answers are negative, that&#8217;s a warning sign that the person is not up to date on the new law. Sure, he or she has until next year, but why take a chance?</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t forget that if the IRS detects a fraudulent or mistaken tax return, the preparer is rarely blamed. The taxpayer pays the extra taxes, interest and penalties.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/" target="_blank">Visit Watchdog Nation Headquarters</a><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2863" title="watchdog_badge profile pic" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/watchdog_badge-profile-pic1-150x150.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="27" height="27" /></a></p>
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<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3938" title="watchdog book cover use" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Watchdog-2ed-cover-3D-a-283x300.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="283" height="300" /></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Watchdog Nation looks at Oasis Getaway in Southlake, Texas</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/watchdog-nation-investigates-travel-club-offering-free-tickets/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/watchdog-nation-investigates-travel-club-offering-free-tickets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:02:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free cruise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oasis Getaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oasis Getaway Southlake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reservation Services International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royal Caribbean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southlake travel club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel club]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4562</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber attended one of those cheesy travel clubs that offer free cruise tickets in exchange for listening to a sales presentation. Everything went along predictably until the very end when something surprising happened.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>A Story about Oasis Getaway in Southlake, Texas</strong></p>
<p>The wife of The Watchdog understands that Valentine&#8217;s Day is a little different in our household. No fancy restaurant for us. Instead, we went to a sales presentation where we were offered free cruise tickets if we listened to an hourlong pitch for a travel club.</p>
<p>Thousands of North Texans recently received letters with Royal Caribbean International as the return address, but the letter didn&#8217;t come from the cruise line. It&#8217;s from <a href="http://www.accessoasisgetaway.com/" target="_blank">Oasis Getaway</a> in Southlake, Texas, and it includes a fake Royal Caribbean boarding pass with the recipient&#8217;s name on it.</p>
<div id="attachment_4565" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/royalcaribbean_logo1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4565" title="royalcaribbean_logo" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/royalcaribbean_logo1-300x77.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="300" height="77" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The company&#39;s letter arrived with this logo, but Royal Caribbean issued a cease and desist order telling them to stop.</p></div><p>Several readers sent me copies of their invitation. When mine arrived, I quickly signed up. But Valentine&#8217;s Day evening was the only sales session Karen and I could attend.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-getaway.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4566" title="oasis getaway" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-getaway.jpg" alt="" width="196" height="109" /></a></p>
<p>As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, when we arrived to hear the pitch, we were surprised when Michael, the sales director, told us that since it was a holiday, he would give us our travel voucher and we could skip the presentation.</p>
<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; I protested. &#8220;We drove all the way here.&#8221;</p>
<p>Michael relented and said we&#8217;d hear the fastest sales presentation &#8220;you will ever get.&#8221; Only one other couple was in the room.</p>
<p>Michael is a fast-talker from New Jersey. He began by telling us about his life. When he was 12, his father left his family after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. She died the day he graduated from high school. With his tough life, he said, he never got to go on vacation.</p>
<p>As a young adult, he got divorced, but his life changed when he joined the travel program he was now selling. He got to see the world.</p>
<p>He has since remarried. He&#8217;s happy, and he&#8217;s found God. &#8220;You have no idea how saved I am.&#8221;</p>
<p>Michael paced as he told us he didn&#8217;t care whether we bought the program he was selling. He has pitched it to thousands of people, he said.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, he announced the price at the beginning, rather than the end, as is the norm in these types of presentations: $8,995 for a lifetime membership and $309 in annual renewal dues.</p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>For that, we can get steep discounts for trips to fantastic locations: Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, St. Maarten, Italy, almost anywhere.</p>
<div id="attachment_4567" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-filmstrip.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4567" title="oasis filmstrip" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-filmstrip-300x179.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="300" height="179" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">This is how Oasis Getaway promotes itself on its website.</p></div><p>The secret? Buying in bulk means discounts for club members.</p>
<p>&#8220;You give me nine grand, and you&#8217;ll get it back&#8221; with one or two trips, he promised.</p>
<p>Near the end of the hour, he told us that if we had four specific numbers on our credit card, we&#8217;d get a thousand dollars. I had the numbers but didn&#8217;t see the cash. Instead, I got a travel voucher good only if I bought into the program.</p>
<p>Afterward, in a smaller room, Michael tried to close the deal. But for me, it was time to ask a bunch of questions.</p>
<p>&#8220;How long have you guys been working out of Southlake?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Five months. Why do you ask?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just curious.&#8221;</p>
<div id="attachment_4568" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-31-years.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4568" title="oasis 31 years" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/oasis-31-years-300x106.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="300" height="106" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The company website says it has been in business for 31 years, but actually it&#39;s only been around for less than a year.</p></div><p>I asked about Royal Caribbean shown as the return address on the invitation.</p>
<p>&#8220;We can&#8217;t do that anymore,&#8221; he answered.</p>
<p>&#8220;What happened?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We got in trouble,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We got a letter from Royal Caribbean asking us to cease and desist.&#8221;</p>
<p>Score a point for honesty. A Royal Caribbean spokeswoman told me the next day that her company sent Oasis Getaway a warning letter Feb. 2.</p>
<p>&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t our doing,&#8221; Michael said. &#8220;We have five marketing companies. &#8230; In order to get you to bite, they were putting that on there.&#8221;</p>
<p>Someone had complained, he said. &#8220;You weren&#8217;t the one that did it, were you, David?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;No.&#8221;</p>
<p>(The Texas attorney general also lists five complaints against the new company.)</p>
<p>Then I said, &#8220;Before I came here, I Googled you and was reading comments.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Before you came in?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Yeah.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;And you still came in?&#8221; he asked, surprised.</p>
<p>Search engines bring up comments about travel club presentations that aren&#8217;t kind. Oasis Getaway is no exception.</p>
<p>&#8220;How long has Oasis Getaway been in business?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Five months.&#8221; His company works with another company, Reservations Services International, that&#8217;s been in business a lot longer, he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Each time we change offices, we have to have a different name for different states,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>&#8220;Dave, I wish I could tell you.&#8221;</p>
<p>He saw where I was going. &#8220;You&#8217;re coming at me with logic, and I&#8217;m glad because you&#8217;ll be my best customer.&#8221;</p>
<p>Then came the clincher. He said: &#8220;I will incent you, and you&#8217;ll appreciate this. We weren&#8217;t expecting anybody to come in tonight.&#8221;</p>
<p>My wife interrupted with laughter. Valentine&#8217;s Day, remember?</p>
<p>&#8220;So any money I get tonight is free money for the company, OK? So you give me three grand, and you&#8217;ll be a member for life. How&#8217;s that? Cover my marketing costs. That&#8217;s cutting right to the chase. Get you out of here.&#8221;</p>
<p>I wonder what people who spent nine grand in Southlake in recent months would think about that.</p>
<p>Oh, and I said no.</p>
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<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
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		<title>Some dentists make promises that flout government rules</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/some-dentists-make-promises-that-flout-government-rules/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/some-dentists-make-promises-that-flout-government-rules/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:45:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHIPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dental ads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dental marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dentistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dentists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicaid]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4645</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dentists trying to attract new patients promise everything from deep discounts to retail store gift cards for referrals. But a top official at one state regulatory agency that oversees dentists says many promises appearing in advertisements in newspapers, magazines and telephone books are improper and unethical and violate state rules and even state law.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dentists trying to attract new patients promise everything from deep discounts to retail store gift cards for referrals.</p>
<p>But a top official at one state regulatory agency that oversees dentists says many promises appearing in advertisements in newspapers, magazines and telephone books are improper and unethical and violate state rules and even state law.</p>
<p>As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, the problem is particularly widespread, the state regulator says, because as of March 1, 2012, the government is changing the way young people up to age 20 enrolled in Medicaid or the Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program will receive dental care. Recipients will have to choose a primary dentist.</p>
<p>This has caused a flurry of advertising by dentists seeking new patients, and with that comes a flurry of violations.</p>
<div id="attachment_4647" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 405px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dental-1.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-4647 " title="dental 1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dental-1.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="395" height="451" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">This ad is illegal, according to Texas rules, because it promises free braces. But nothing is free. Somebody always pays for it, whether it is taxpayers or an insurance company.</p></div><p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>The widespread use of improper promises to prospective patients came to Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation&#8217;s attention after an anonymous person sent me a thick envelope filled with dozens of dentists&#8217; ads from the past year.</p>
<p>When I showed them to Joy Sparks, general counsel of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, she taught me which ones are clear-cut violators &#8212; and why.</p>
<p>Many of the most basic promises in the ads aren&#8217;t allowed. So why do dentists do it anyway?</p>
<p>&#8220;Sometimes in the economy, like it is, people are desperate for business,&#8221; Sparks said.</p>
<p>The dental board investigates after someone complains, she said, and &#8220;we get a lot of complaints.&#8221;</p>
<p>The main goal of the rules is to make sure that when a new patient, lured by an ad, walks into a dental office, there are no surprises. The ads must not be false or misleading, and they must be subject to verification.</p>
<p>Here are examples:</p>
<p>Ads that promise &#8220;free braces&#8221; are misleading, because braces are never free. They are paid for by Medicaid or a third party.</p>
<p>An ad offering &#8220;free teeth whitening/restrictions apply&#8221; is also false and misleading. What are the restrictions? They must be spelled out.</p>
<p>Ads that lure patients with promises of &#8220;free teeth cleaning&#8221; without offering more specifics are wrong. &#8220;What if you don&#8217;t need a basic cleaning?&#8221; Sparks asked. &#8220;What if you need a deep cleaning because you haven&#8217;t been to a dentist in 10 years? It has to say also, &#8216;Appropriate to your diagnosis.&#8217; Some people need root cleaning and scaling of teeth. The promise has to be diagnostically appropriate.&#8221;</p>
<p>Similarly, an ad offering &#8220;Free store gift card upon completion of treatment&#8221; is also false. What is the definition of treatment? The answer must be clearly explained in the ad.</p>
<p>Ads promising &#8220;20 percent discount off for patients with CHIP&#8221; are false because the ad should explain what the discount is for. Specifics are required.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dental-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4648" title="dental 2" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dental-2.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="292" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;They need to tell how much the coupon is for,&#8221; Sparks said. &#8220;If you get a coupon for a free cleaning, and they get you in there and they say, &#8216;You have to get an X-ray before the discount,&#8217; people get mad and say, &#8216;You didn&#8217;t tell me I had to have X-rays.&#8217; But that&#8217;s right. They do need to get X-rays. That&#8217;s the most basic diagnostic tool.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rules forbid health providers in Texas from paying a third party to solicit new patients. Many dental ads promise people who refer patients a retail store gift card. Not allowed. But a new patient can receive a gift card for coming in.</p>
<p>One ad I saw states, &#8220;Free gift card and much more for all patients and new patient referrals after completion of exam and X-rays.&#8221;</p>
<p>That&#8217;s almost OK for new patients (&#8220;and much more&#8221; needs to be spelled out) but not OK for the patient referrals. Plus, the value of the exam and X-rays has to be explained.</p>
<p>When complaints come to the dental board, advertisers are given 30 days to fix problems. If they don&#8217;t, they get an administrative citation with a fine. Ultimately, they could face further action ranging from a warning or a reprimand to a public disciplinary order, which may include required continuing-education courses.</p>
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<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
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		<title>Universal Adcom president vows to improve company practices</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/universal-adcom-president-vows-to-improve-company-practices/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/universal-adcom-president-vows-to-improve-company-practices/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer Service Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hometown Productions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jim Gildenblatt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Premier Map Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scoreboard Productions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Totes to Go]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal AdCom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4652</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A company that makes products for local communities has been scorched in numerous Internet postings for its questionable sales practices. Now the company president vows to improve and clean up the company's reputation.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The leader of an Arlington advertising company that has come under fire for its sales practices says he is working diligently to improve his company&#8217;s operations.</p>
<p>As readers of the <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/davelieber/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dave Lieber Watchdog column</a> first learned, Jim Gildenblatt, president of <a href="http://universalad.com/" target="_blank">Universal AdCom</a>, said a new system installed now records phone calls in which staffers verify all sales. That will help ensure they were properly done, he said.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/sign-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-4654" title="sign-1" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/sign-1.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="384" height="287" /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;If we find anybody saying anything unethical, then we terminate them,&#8221; said Jeff Wolpa, director of operations.</p>
<p>Gildenblatt said that recently he has fired at least two employees, including the second-ranked saleswoman, for unethical behavior.</p>
<p>&#8220;She couldn&#8217;t believe we were firing her, but she was just not being respectful toward customers,&#8221; he said. &#8220;She just expected everyone to buy from her. We received two complaints through customer service, and we started monitoring her without her knowing it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Marc Alcorn, the executive vice president, said, &#8220;We want to protect ourselves and our customers.&#8221;</p>
<div id="attachment_4657" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 545px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/universal-adcom-magnets.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4657" title="universal adcom magnets" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/universal-adcom-magnets.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="535" height="532" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">One example of the company&#39;s products</p></div><p>Universal AdCom sells ad space to businesses and prints the ads on maps, magnets, tote bags, T-shirts, cups and other items. Company officials say they give these items free of charge to schools, chambers of commerce, police departments, city halls, public libraries, recreation centers, fire departments and businesses across the United States for distribution.</p>
<p>But the company has been the subject of hundreds of complaints in recent years from officials with some of those entities. They say company sales personnel claim affiliation with them when none actually exists.</p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p><strong>More Watchdog Nation News: </strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3094">Watchdog Nation Partners with Mike Holmes</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3187">America meets Watchdog Nation/Listen to Fun Radio Interview</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=3151">Watchdog Nation Debuts New e-Book and Multi-CD Audio Book</a></p>
<p>- &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - &#8211; - -</p>
<p>Other complaints come from customers who say they have paid for ads but never saw the items on which they were supposed to be printed.</p>
<p>Gildenblatt said the complaints are caused by misunderstandings: &#8220;When we say we&#8217;re working with the band director at a school, some people hear that we are with the school. We&#8217;re not [employed] with the school. We&#8217;re working with them.&#8221;</p>
<p>He also said he handles complaints and works hard to ensure that customers are satisfied.</p>
<p>Wolpa acknowledged to Dave Lieber&#8217;s Watchdog Nation that, in the past, some overly aggressive sellers working for the company of 375 employees may have exaggerated their affiliations with respected entities in a community to gain credibility when selling to prospects.</p>
<p>&#8220;We call it misrepping,&#8221; he said, which stands for misrepresentation. &#8220;We don&#8217;t condone lying to customers.&#8221;</p>
<p>After I requested an interview, senior staffers met with The Watchdog for several hours in a company conference room with company lawyer Mark D. Hatten of Fort Worth. I requested the interview because, two days before, I had interviewed two former sales employees who described a pattern of unethical business practices. The Watchdog wrote about the company in October 2011, the same month both employees left their jobs.</p>
<div id="attachment_4658" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 368px"><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/universal-adcom-interior.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4658" title="universal adcom interior" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/universal-adcom-interior.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="358" height="267" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Interior shot of company headquarters in Arlington, TX. (Courtesy of company website.)</p></div><p>Nancy Royal worked for the company for four years before she said she was fired in October because she refused to sign a noncompete agreement. Gildenblatt told me that she wasn&#8217;t fired, that she had angrily resigned. The second former employee, Adrian Tella, worked for the company for seven years. She resigned, she said, because &#8220;of business practices that I didn&#8217;t feel were in the best interests of the customers.&#8221;</p>
<p>Both women said salespeople engaged in aggressive, even bullying business tactics to get customers to renew ad contracts. They said customers were often confused about what they had agreed to buy and what they owed.</p>
<p>Gildenblatt said every sale is supported with a signed contract. He insisted that the taping of sales verification calls will end such problems.</p>
<p>Taping procedures will soon spread to the company&#8217;s five other offices in Fort Worth; Molina, Ill.; St. Louis; Davenport, Iowa; and Peoria, Ill., the president said.</p>
<p>Tella said, &#8220;I feel bad for the customers being abused and not getting a resolution. As a small business, they can&#8217;t afford an attorney and just let things go.&#8221;</p>
<p>She said the company philosophy was &#8220;you have to do what you have to do&#8221; to make a sale.</p>
<p>Royal said that when customers complained to her about problems with their accounts, managers told her to let it go because &#8220;buyers are liars.&#8221;</p>
<p>Alcorn, the vice president, said that sometimes &#8220;buyers are liars, but that&#8217;s not our company philosophy. Will they try to get out of paying for an ad? Absolutely. They change their mind and say, &#8216;I don&#8217;t like the way it looks.&#8217; It happens in businesses all the time.&#8221;</p>
<p>To satisfy angry customers, he said, the company reprints items, refunds money, sends out free products or writes off accounts.</p>
<p>The company president said his No. 1 priority is to use the new taping system as factual evidence to improve the company&#8217;s Better Business Bureau rating. The BBB gives Universal AdCom and its subsidiaries an F.</p>
<p># # #</p>
<p>Read a previous post about this company &#8211; <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=371" target="_blank">Company&#8217;s Defense of Sales Tactics Doesn&#8217;t Square with Complaints</a>.</p>
<p>If you have a problem with Universal Adcom or any of its affiliated companies, send an email to Watchdog Nation <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/contact.php" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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<p>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 <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/">WatchdogNation.com</a> 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 <a href="http://yankeecowboy.com/store">store</a>. Now revised and expanded, the book won two national book awards for social change. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davelieber">Twitter @DaveLieber</a></p>
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		<title>Listen to Watchdog Nation on a Texas radio station</title>
		<link>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/listen-to-watchdog-nation-on-a-texas-radio-station/</link>
		<comments>http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/listen-to-watchdog-nation-on-a-texas-radio-station/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:44:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave Lieber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Introduction to Watchdog Nation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brownwood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dave Lieber radio interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KXYL]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/?p=4662</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber shared some of the principles of the popular consumer-rights movement on Texas radio station KXYL with host Mark Cope. Listen here on the Watchdog Nation website.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Watchdog Nation founder Dave Lieber shared some of the principles of the popular consumer-rights movement on Texas radio station KXYL with host Mark Cope. Listen here on the Watchdog Nation website.</p>
<p>The main topic is telephone bill &#8220;cramming&#8221; where your phone bill has added charges on your landline or your cellular phone that you didn&#8217;t order. But then the newspaper columnist and the radio host veer off into other subject areas in Watchdog Nation.</p>
<p>Listen here:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/brownwood-radio-interview.mp3">Brownwood radio interview</a></p>
<p>For Apple product users, listen <a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/brownwood-radio-interview.mp3" target="_blank">here</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/022.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-4668" title="022" src="http://www.watchdognation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/022-1024x768.jpg" alt="Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong" width="368" height="277" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
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