Ask the Watchdog
Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber helps you stand up for yourself against the system.
Most Recently Answered Questions
Questions 1 - 20 of 167 (Page 1 of 9)Submitted by Lydia Mann from Indianapolis, IN
Q: Re: Pinnacle Security Systems After searching on "Pinnacle" I read with great interest your 10/9/09 star-telegram article. I also signed on with Pinnacle after a visit from one of their door-to-door sales reps. My experiences with that company have been some of the worst ever! Since I only have a customer service number can you share a contact name and number or email address where I may have a voice? I believe the notes entered on my account by the various csr's have been slanted in order to cover their mistakes. Thank you!
Answered 10/09/09 18:59:28 by Dave Lieber
A: I would be happy to forward this on to my new Pinnacle contact. Send me an email to watchdog@star-telegram.com with your name, address, contract number and problem and phone, and i'll pass it on to them. daveSubmitted by Mike Senyard from FTW TX
Q: Hello .I worked for a co here in FTW for a little over ten years. I quit them a little over two years ago .They said that they hav a retirment /401 plan and I hav papers showing that .The papers also state that opon termination you will recieve your money or be able to transfer it to your account .. They wont even return my phone calls .
Answered 09/14/09 23:30:02 by Dave Lieber
A: I suggest you go and read the federal "Employee Retirement Income Security Act." It covers some of this. Under this law, you are allowed to sue your former employer for denying you benefits. When you read it and read descriptions about your rights, you'll find you have other options. The state of Texas may also regulate this, too. Best if you consult a lawyer for advice.Submitted by Michelle Davila from Fort Worth, TX
Q: Dave, I am Sandy Bailey's daughter & I just wanted to thank you for helping my mother. You don't know how much it means to our family. We have all been praying for her & her health for a long time. You have answered our prayers. We appreciate it very much! Thank you so much & God bless you, Michelle Davila
Answered 08/24/09 21:38:35 by Dave Lieber
A: Happy to help. I took all the readers that wanted to help Bob, the senior and veteran who was eating lettuce and potatoes because the state food stamp program is months behind -- and I let them know about Sandy. Bob didn't want help. Sandy needed it. We just turned the ocean liner of Watchdog Nation readers in a different direction. By the way, Bob wrote in, too, saying he had found the help he needed after the column appeared and he was very happy. If you missed the story of Bob, here it is: http://bit.ly/sNq8eSubmitted by judy from ft..worth tx
Q: i live in apartment on last month i receive my electric bills i receive a tamper feed on my bills but when i call to found out why they told me that my meter had been switch out but since i live there i was response for it but i told them that i be at work that was not my fault
Answered 08/20/09 20:21:19 by Dave Lieber
A: Send you problem with your name, account, address and phone to watchdog@star-telegram.com and if it's an electric company (please name it in the email) that I can forward to, I will.Submitted by olive wood from Ft Worth
Q: A large fine for brush on the curb gets my vote although all of the problems must be exceeding frustrating to the people who wrote.
Answered 08/19/09 18:43:10 by Dave Lieber
A: I agree they are all frustrating, Olive. I am unable to cast your vote for you. That would be election fraud. But if you go to this web site, you will see the ballot and you could vote. I hope you understand. I don't want to have to go to jail for rigging my own election. :) http://www.star-telegram.com/news/columnists/dave_lieber/Submitted by martin g from fortworth
Q: i want to send you this can explain in normal words the pros and cons i do not anderstend please help i got 4800 dls in a check no need to put the maney in the income tax
Answered 08/18/09 13:03:15 by Dave Lieber
A: My email address is watchdog@star-telegram.comSubmitted by Lina McClintock from Arlington, Texas
Q: I received a letter from "Mutual Service Corporation" telling me that as of Sept. 14, 2009, they are handing over my "mutual fund or insurance/annuity accounts"to LPL Financial. (I never heard of either co. and do not know what accounts they are referencing.) What really bothers me is this shortened version of their request. "If you do not wish to have LPL Financial as your broker/dealer, you will need to send the name of your mutual fund or insurance/annuity company and account numbers in a written notification by Sept. 11 to: 2810 Coliseum Centre Dr., Charlotte, NC 28217, ATTN: Conversion Department. (signed) Derek Bruton, CEO, Affiliated Broker/Dealers, National Sales Manager, Independent Advisor Services, LPL Financial" It recommends that I contact my Financial Advisor if I have any questions. I do not have a Financial Advisor. We do have annuities and two ever-shrinking mutual accounts. There is no phone # on the letter, just the address. The letter is full of meaningless doubletalk, and seems to me to be a scam. What do you think? Should I just tear it up? Thank you, Lina McClintock
Answered 08/18/09 10:35:17 by Dave Lieber
A: You wrote, "We do have annuities and two ever-shrinking mutual accounts." So what I would do is call the company where you have these accounts and check in with them. If all is OK, then yes, it's a scam. Keep the letter. Don't pitch it. But don't do anything with it. You are smart to check and fret about this. And this is a scam that I haven't heard.Submitted by Jim Riggs from Fort Worth, TX
Q: I have no question but wanted to say thanks for the great job you do. Your column is one of the best things about the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Answered 08/16/09 23:14:14 by Dave Lieber
A: Thanks Jim. And readers, I swear I didn't write this. :) LOLSubmitted by Robert Retter from Ft Worth
Q: Are you aware and can you explain how and why the cable and phone companies get away with fluctuating sales tax rates. It has been a mystery to me for many years. For example, all the various charges on my cell phone bill this month were EXACTLY the same as last month and the total due was EXACTLY the same. However, this month my local sales tax total decreased by a penny while the state sales tax increased by a penny. I've seen this happen many times, but, when contacted, the companies can't explain it so I thought I would pass this mystery along to you.
Answered 08/14/09 19:36:40 by Dave Lieber
A: Well, I'll tell you how you can find out. This is what I would do if the question bugged me. Call the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in Austin and ask them to connect you with the sales tax division. There are also local offices in Fort Worth and elsewhere and you can find them in the phone book. They will answer your question, and feel free to share your answer with everyone else here. That's how you get to be YOUR OWN watchdog! You'll find their numbers on their Web site.Submitted by colette mathias from arlington, texas
Q: This is more of a frustrated comment on "the system" and a cause of extreme internal rage when I read about the banking system abuses, profits and perqs. I'm looking at my mortgage refinance rejection from Bank Of America. One of the two reasons for rejecting my application? "Income insufficient to support expenses"! Why,that's a perfect reason not to lower my monthly mortgage rate! It would make it more affordable! I'm not in financial difficulties(yet) and have not gotten behind in any payments and refinancing was a way to reduce expenses, but the mortgage industry sure doesn't make it reasonable or logical. Etc, etc. I don't really understand how the Obama admins mortgage modification program works, but I gather one must be in actual arrears before being eligible. I don't really want to deliberately miss payments in order to qualify. Oh well. Thanks for listening, in a detached, electronic sort of way.
Answered 08/12/09 17:16:17 by Dave Lieber
A: Not so detached and electronic. I read this loud and clear and now I share with everyone else. If you want to vent intelligently, this is the place!Submitted by regina carter from hurst, texas
Q: I shipped 2 boxes containing treasured artwork my dying mother left me and shipped from Nevada to my work address in Hurst, TX. It was given to UPS by the shipping outlet called PostNet. I received one box but the other was missing. The UPS tracking report showed box was received empty and the merchandise was a "fallout" and the box was discarded. I filed a lost merchandise claim and UPS denied the claim saying improper packageing. Even though the box was discarded and I was never delivered anything. To date I have not gotten my missing merchandise and was denied the money I insured it for. I have made several efforts to communicate with UPS to find my paintings. I filed the claim within 3 business days after I knew the box was missing and to this day still no merchandise or any response from UPS or PostNet. I truly believe someone at UPS has stolen my merchandise and I am left with nothing. No insurance money , no merchandise. I am going to file a case in small claims court on both parties involved in the neglectful handling of my freight. My question is can I file a police report on this missing merchandise against the UPS employees who handled this merchandise? The UPS driver told me the box was scanned received at the FT Worth depot, but was never put on his truck. My mother died the day before I got news my stuff was lost. That is what makes this so hard to take. Serveral UPS drivers I have spoken to tell me it is not uncommon for merchandise to go missing like this and the claims department classify it as "bad packaging" to get out of paying customers. I see why the employees can get away with theft of goods. I think it's dispicable that this can happen to people who trust a shipper to deliver merchandise and can get away with neglecting it like this. I would appreciate your helpful advice because I have wriiten to other media outlets and have not gotten any response. Thank you for your time, Regina Carter
Answered 08/12/09 17:15:12 by Dave Lieber
A: Regina, Send me everything you have on this including your personal contact information and I will send to my postal clerk for a second look. Send email to watchdog@star-telegram.com.Submitted by Christine Bonine from Rising Star, TX
Q: you told someone to put tinfoil on an antenna to help with the digital signals. Would you suggest this for an outside antenna? We received 4 to 5 stations fine before the transition and now we barely receive 1 and thats in the evening. We have several neighbors in the same situation It seems like all it was was to get you to have to have some sort of pay for TV Thanks for your great column
Answered 08/11/09 19:50:58 by Dave Lieber
A: You know, it doesn't hurt to try wrapping foil around the outside and fastening it with some smart method that can stand up to the elements. But you could also try this: place a large aluminum cookie tray up there and let it make contact with the antenna and see if that works. These cookie trays are supposed to work to increase wireless signals inside a house by placing a tray near a wireless router. This comes to me from the same person who told me about the tin foil -- my wife. The Martha Stewart of Perotville.Submitted by Presley Hatcher from Fort Worth, Texas
Q: When I was about 12 years old my parents decided to obtain phones for my sister and me. They let each of us pick the phone we wanted and I picked a red wall-mounted phone. That was about 45 years (I am 57 now) - and approximately $2,500 in today's dollars - ago. My parents are now both deceased and I own the home with the red phone still where it was hard-installed about 45 years ago. The good news (particularly for the leasing company - now QLT Consumer Lease Services, www.qltcls.com, 1-800-555-8111) is the phone has never needed to be workded on for any reason as far as I know. The bad news is: I must continue to pay $14.85/3 months ($59.40/year) if I want to keep this high quality, but seriously outdated technology, and most importantly, meaningful phone, because the leasing company tells me that there is absolutely no option for me to purchase the red phone or any other leased products. They say that I must return it to them if I decide to discontinue my "lease". They say that if I am "unable to return the leased product, [I] will be required to pay an equipment recovery charge." (So they cany reuse this phone?) However, they say there is simply no way that I may continue to use the red rotary phone unless I continue to lease it. I have read their policies and talked to them on at least 3 occasions and they don't seem to budge. Please let me know if you know of or can find an alternative that I am not seeing or if I am stuck with continuing to pay $59.40/year (and possibly more in the future) to keep this outdated, but memory-filled and meaningful, phone. Thanks for your efforts! You provide a great service to the community! Presley Hatcher
Answered 08/10/09 15:44:04 by Dave Lieber
A: PH - They got you, man. They have a monopoly on the market. What other choice do you have? I mean, you are like one out of 10 million that actually wants to use an antique phone. So good for you. That appreciation for older things that still work should not go unrecognized. But objectively, we're talking about what, $60 a year? That's $5 a month. That's 30 cents a day for you to use this family heirloom. I think that's an excellent deal.Submitted by Patricia Reichman from Keller, TX
Q: I had damage on my mobile home from hail on March 30, 2009. I contracted [DELETED]. It was to put new roof and vinyl siding on my home. The job was finished June 8, 2009. On June 30th I called them to tell them that the small piece of siding on the overhang was coming down, no one came out. On Aug. 5 we had some wind and the larger piece of siding came down. I called again and again no one showed up to fix the problem. I am worried about rain coming in and ruining my insulation etc. I am a widowed senior citizen and live on a fixed income. I can not afford to do this myself. Can you please help me?
Answered 08/10/09 12:26:38 by Dave Lieber
A: I just called the owner of the company, and he told me, "I'm heading out right now to take a look at it." So sit tight and let me know if it doesn't work out. My email address is watchdog@star-telegram.com.Submitted by Sharon from North Richland Hills
Q: Dave, my neighbor has your new book and I'm wondering where I can get a copy?
Answered 08/09/09 23:07:47 by Dave Lieber
A: Yes, the new book -- Dave Lieber's Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong -- recently won a national book award for social change. It's a very good, if I do say so, loaded with information you won't find anywhere about how to protect you and your family from lies, frauds and other deceptions. You can learn more at the www.WatchdogNation.com Web site.Submitted by terry Lester from weatherford,texas
Q: My MOther in law owns 3 lots in Weatherford ,Texas...approx.2 years ago The Tax office redrew the boundaries on her land and last year She and My brother in law were socked with back taxes on their mobile homes for 12 years...All of her exemptions on the land were gone.she is over 65...She is the Widow of a disabled Military veteran......and last week she got a letter stating that she did not pay her taxes in 2006 or 2007......can you help me?
Answered 08/04/09 10:54:28 by Dave Lieber
A: I wish I could but this is a legal matter that has to be sorted out through the proper channels. Have you consulted with a property lawyer who is a specialist in these kinds of tax matters?Submitted by Janis Campbell from Keller, texas
Q: Can you help me with a company; they are very deceptive and altered contract after signed. Also another company continues to take monies from account after our termination date. I've been in business for 38 years, this is the worst experience I have ever had. HELP!
Answered 08/03/09 13:15:54 by Dave Lieber
A: Please outline your story idea in an email to watchdog@star-telegram.com, so the editor can review. Thanks.Submitted by johnny from fort worth, tx
Q: this matter concerns a roofing company in tolar, texas. way back in february i signed a contract with this company to replace our hail damaged roof. we finally got the roof replaced about six weeks ago. we have not paid this company a penny yet. the roofing company installed the wrong color roof. instead of a brown roof we now have a bright red roof. the salesman wrote on the contract we had a spanish red roof as existing and to replace it with same. i do not know what color spanish red is. i told the salesman we wanted a color similar to what we had. he drew up the contract. there is more problems. they did not replace two turbines or the broken skylight. the salesman called me the next night and i told him the roof had to come off and the other problems also had to be addressed. he said he would get with harvey [the owner of the company] and would get back with me. he finally called yesterday and said harvey would call at noon. harvey never called but the salesman called several times to say he was trying to get ahold of harvey. that night the salesman called and said harvey would not remove the roof and i would have to do what i have to. he also implied they would put a lein on our house. this is still not the end of the story. we have a wooden deck attached to the roof of our house. they raised the deck to replace the shingles and did not seal the posts properly [these post go through the roof to a load bearing wall]and now we have water leaks that are ruining our ceilings. what is your suggestion. i know you have experience with roofing companies.
Answered 08/01/09 17:14:38 by Dave Lieber
A: Yeah, but my experience ain't so hot. Anyway, to cut through this bull, why not just call in another roofing company, and get a written estimate of a complete re-roofing to match the original contract from the other roofer. Then get an estimate for the skylight, turbines and then ceilings, paint and repair. You have two choices: 1) Without a lawyer, you go to small claims court and sue for these expenses at the maximum $10,000, and you go for the cash and then pay for the repairs with that money, using somebody else. Or 2) you get a lawyer and file a civil court lawsuit for the actual real cost of these bills which could be over $10,000. But you also gotta calculate the lawyer fees. If your estimates are under the $10,000 threshold (doubtful), small claims court might be the way to go.Submitted by H. Plankton from Fort Worth
Q: Dave, how can I follow you on Twitter?
Answered 07/31/09 14:20:58 by Dave Lieber
A: It's easy. Just go to Twitter and search for my user name: DaveLieber And you don't have to be on Twitter as a registered user to read my tweets or anybody else's. For example, go to this web site: search.twitter.com and type in "DaveLieber" in the search box.Submitted by LAURENCE JACKSON from FORT WORTH,TX
Q: WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS HOME(renting)FOR 10 YRS,WE HAVE SPENT OUR OWN MONEY ON UPKEEP AND IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS HOME.LAST MONTH(JUNE)WE RENEWED OUR LEASE FOR ANOTHER YEAR.(it was accepted)last week WE GET A LETTER FROM OUR REALTOR SAYING WE HAVE TO VACATE THE PREMISES BY SEPT. 1ST BECAUSE THE OWNER IS HAVING PROBLEMS,SO HE WANTS TO MOVE BACK INTO HIS OWN HOME. WE USED OUR OWN MONEY TO ERECT A CYCLONE FENCE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE,WE HAVE HUNG CEILING FANS IN EACH ROOM(4) AND IN THE GARAGE,WE PAID HALF THE COST TO RECARPET THE WHOLE HOUSE,NOT TO MENTION THE $750.00 MOVE IN DEPOSIT(10YRS AGO).THE OWNER TELLS US THAT HE WONT CHARGE US AUGUST RENT($700.00)SO WE CAN USE IT ON MOVING,AS FAR AS ETHICS AND MORALS,WE KNOW THIS ISN'T RIGHT OR FAIR,BUT LEGALLY,CAN HE DO THIS?AND IS $700.00 ALL HE WOULD OWE US ON SUCH A SHORT NOTICE.RELOCATING,TRANSFERRING SERVICES,FINDING A PLACE,CREDIT CHECKS,APPLICATION FEES,BURNING GAS LOOKING,.ALL DEFINENTYLY WILL COST MORE THAN $700.00,ALONG WITH COMPLYING AND MOVING OUT IN A HURRY IS THER ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO RECOOP SOME OF OUR MONEY WE PUT INTO THIS HOUSE KNOWING IT WASN'T OURS FROM THE BEGINNING,BUT WE LIKE THINGS LOOKING GOOD AND WELL KEPT,SO WHEN THEY DO THEIR DRIVEBY INSPECTIONS THEY COULD SEE THAT WE CARED ABOUT HOW WE LIVE.
Answered 07/30/09 09:59:57 by Dave Lieber
A: What your rights are is spelled out in your lease. That's the base language. So study your lease. If you believe you have been wronged, call the Tarrant County Apartment Association and ask for advice (817-284-1121) and from there if you feel that you are being wronged, you can take the landlord to landlord-tenant court which is small claims court in Texas.