6 Insidious Ways You’re Getting Ripped Off, and How to Fight Back

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/economy/6-insidious-ways-youre-getting-ripped-and-how-fight-back



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1. Auto-renewal scams

The rip-off: You sign up for a product or service for a limited time period. Then, long after that time has passed, you notice mysterious charges appearing on your credit card bill. Very likely, you have been the victim of the auto-renewal/automatic billing scam. Somewhere in the fine print of the terms you agreed to was a note saying that your credit card would be charged whether you decided to continue or not. But of course, you didn’t see it, because the company didn’t want you to. This is a blatant scam, and a very common one, generating big bucks for many well-known companies, including Match.com, XM Satellite Radio and DirecTV. Time Warner has come under fire for screwing customers on magazine subscriptions, and GoDaddy, the domain registrar, is another notorious offender.

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2. The out-of-network doctor trap

The rip-off: You need medical treatment. You dutifully check the listings from your insurance provider to choose an in-network doctor or hospital. After your treatment, you receive a surprise in your mailbox—a giant bill, perhaps for many thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars. Why? A person involved in your treatment, unbeknownst to you, is considered out-of-network. This is the out-of-network doctor trap, a.k.a. the surprise billing scam.

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3. Cable TV is for suckers

The rip-off: All you really desire is basic cable, but you’ve somehow ended up with an overpriced bundle of channels featuring shows that you will never, ever watch, like “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” Maybe you signed up for a teaser rate, and then find that after a few months your bill has skyrocketed and you’re now signed up for every premium channel in existence. Even without the premium channels, you're still probably getting screwed. Sports channels, for example, are extremely expensive, and you pay for them whether you watch them or not: ESPN alone adds $5 to your cable bill.

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4. Electronics warranty game

The rip-off: You just want to buy a freaking TV, but there’s the sales rep, trying to pressure you into purchasing an extended warranty. Warranties may seem like a prudent buy, covering a variety of failures, but they can also be a ginormous rip-off. Two-year coverage on a laptop or an air conditioner could cost you nearly as much as the product itself.

[dipsydoodle]

1. The big print giveth and the small print taketh away.