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Scams and Ways to Separate You from Your Money

Folks are getting letter saying they have won significant money and all they need to do is send “$20” or such to get their check. All they really get is a $20 donation to the scammer. Sometime “free” winnings can get you onto mailing lists that target you for other hard sell products.

Since the storm and hail damage last month we have many “storm chasers” in town offering cheap roofing or dent removal. While their prices may seem cheaper than our own local companies, their work or materials may be of inferior quality. And if you have a complaint in the future you will never be able to find them. Before hiring any contractor make sure they are licensed and bond by the state of Montana. Get an estimate from a local company to compare the out-of-towner too – it may not be any more expensive.

A lot of advertisers are using the words “stimulus money” to justify their lower cost or special offers. They aren’t part of the government money, they are just choosing to create their own “stimulus” for sales. While many of these sales are at reduce cost, it is important especially for an expensive item that you comparison shop sometime the “pre-stimulus” price is high enough that the “stimulus reduction” is the same price that other companies normally charge. Be a smart shopper some mark-downs are only after a significant mark-up!