Everything In Its Place

Do you need a contractor? Electrician? Plumber? (heaven help you if so, $$$$$$) Checking the yellow pages isn't enough these days. You have to protect yourself from bad companies. There's little defense (let the buyer beware, as they say). But one thing you can do once you find a company/contractor (or wonder about another online or offline business and it's reputation) is check them out with the Better Business Bureau. Nothing is foolproof (not even relatives and word of mouth from your very best friend), but if you're not a gambler, and even if you are, it's better than taking an unnecessary risk.

It's worth a moment to check out the services they offer. For example, you can look for information about a specific company here. And find possible help resolving a(n unfortunate) dispute here.

You can find a location near you here if you prefer to call them. This (peace of mind) extends to charities too. Whatever your concern, the main page (BBBOnline) is a good place to start.
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Hate telemarketers? Most of us do (what's to like?). And (thanks to the many complaints about them, and the media coverage), most people already know about the National Do Not Call Registry. But do you know your registration (which can be done online) expires after 5 years? Luckily, you can Verify A Registration providing you have a valid (short-term will do) e-mail address.

National registration is good, (great even), but not enough. Then you should check if your state has any Do Not Call List Laws in effect and register there as well. You can check that here. There are still ways around these laws, unfortunately (like those calls that pretend not to know your name, clever. not!), and some exceptions, so don't expect total peace and quiet. But registering has definitely made a difference for me. (gee, instead of 20+ calls a week, we get maybe 5. hmmm. thank goodness for answering machines.)

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DoItYourself.com is a handy site. If you're good with your hands you can find how-to info on a number of various home improvement and repair projects. They offer products for sale and help finding contractors as well.

I find this site handy when something needs replacing, and I don't have a clue what the item is called. Sounds silly perhaps, but when the handle on our screen door broke, searching major home improvement websites for pricing info (and just the name of the piece) was an exercise in futility. DoItYourself.com helped me figure out what it was called (providing pricing info and the option to buy it from them), and, many how-to articles if I wanted to fix it (or improve it) myself.

Pretty handy. If you need help, start here and search the top menu bar for the project or quick-fix you have in mind.

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