EasyWayUSA

ENTERTAINMENT

Getting Tickets

Whether it is a play, an amusement park, a concert, or a sporting event, you have several options in buying tickets. Tickets are on sale at selected times at the event’s box office. There are usually no service charges, but this can be inconvenient, and you may have to pay for parking to go down there. Many events have authorized vendors that will sell the tickets at more convenient locations, such as a mall. Many events now sell tickets off their website, often with a convenience fee. And then there is TicketMaster, which is a national company that sells tickets for many events with a convenience fee of a few dollars. There are a lot of events that only sell their tickets through TicketMaster, so there is no way to avoid their fee. You can buy tickets from TicketMaster by going to one of their locations (usually within a music store or department store), ordering over the phone, or ordering from their web site (www.ticketmaster.com).

SHOPPING FOR DEALS

Rebates

Rebates are a major marketing tool for American businesses. You pay the price on the price tag, and then the company will give you some of that money back, usually by mail. Sometimes a rebate will require you to buy either another product from the same company, or a product from a partner company. Keep your receipt, because you will usually need that to send in for your rebate. Sometimes a rebate can offer a substantial discount.

Coupons

Coupons for day-to-day items are sometimes as small as 15 cents, but the savings add up substantially when feeding a household. Coupons can be found everywhere: magazines, newspapers, coupon books, junk mail, church bulletin’s etc. Many charity or non-profit organizations offer coupon books for food and entertainment. Many people choose to keep their coupons in a coupon book until needed. Electronic coupons are now available to be redeemed on the Internet. Many sites offer coupons, such as #1 Coupon Zone (www.1couponzone.com) and Amazing-Bargains.com (www.amazing-bargains.com).

Discount cards

Supermarkets now offer club cards which you can sign up for and get discounts on certain products. These cards are usually scanned with a magnetic stripe. They benefit the customer by saving money. They benefit the store because they can compile a database of your buying habits and sell it to advertisers.

Text Box: THE EXTENDED WARRANTY – IS IT GOOD FOR YOU OR GOOD FOR THE DEALER?

Text Box: Repair tip: Many consumers have the misunderstanding that they need to get their appliances and electronics equipment repaired by the manufacturer. That is not the case. Compare rates as you would for anything else. It is critical to keep your receipts for any large purchase. It is your only proof that you bought the product, and when you bought it. Most dealers of appliances/equipment of these equipment will try to sell you their extended warranty, in which they will cover repairs for longer than the normal warranty period. Salespeople tend to get very enthusiastic about the benefits of the extended warranty. In actuality, the benefit is theirs; the extended warranty is extremely profitable to the dealer. Often, you will be better off saving the money you would have paid for the extended warranty and using that money for future repairs.

CONSUMER RIGHTS

Although the government largely leaves private businesses alone, they are still subject to the law, and you have rights against companies that try to rip you off. Some industries have watchdog agencies. Problems with gas, electric, or telephone companies can be reported to the Public Utilities Commission. Airline complaints can go to the Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov), and long distance companies can be reported to the Federal Communications Commission (www.fcc.gov).

Return policies

Relative to many other nations, the United States has a liberal return policy. Stores and manufacturers are allowed to set their own policies as long as they meet broad guidelines regarding protecting the rights of the buyers. Stores are required to disclose their policy on refunding and exchanging goods. Your receipt is the only proof you have that you purchased the item. Maintain a filing system where you keep all your receipts. For an expensive purchase, it is wise to ask the clerk for a copy of the store’s refund policy.

Better Business Bureau

The Council of Better Business Bureaus has as its mission statement “to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.” They can help you get resolution when you are unable to resolve a dispute with a company. You can also report unfair business practices and get information and news alerts on companies. It is a non-profit organization and can be accessed at www.bbb.org

METRIC CONVERSION

The United States is one of the only countries that is not on the metric system, so shopping can be confusing for newcomers. The following chart can help with the conversions:

Length:

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

1 foot = 0.3048 meters

1 yard = 0.9144 meters

1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers