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Deals That Are Nifty by Sister Thrifty: February 2005

Deals That Are Nifty by Sister Thrifty

Great Steals and Deals around town and online to save you the big bucks and help you keep more of your hard-earned money!

Friday, February 25, 2005

Scam

Hi everyone!
I wanted to pass along messages from two of my friends....one is good and
the other is bad (the message, not the friend!) Here's the good news:
For those that wear contact lenses:
Bausch & Lomb is offering a FREE multi-purpose contact lens solution (2oz.
sample). Go to www.tryrenu.com and click on free sample.
And now for the bad news:
Telephone scam artists are getting more clever than ever. Here's the story:
My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person calling says, "this is
, and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA.
My Badge number is 12460. Your card
has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify.
This would be on your VISA card which was issued by bank. Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarke ting Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?" You say "yes". The caller continues... "I will be starting a Fraud investigation.
If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control #" The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "he needs to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers.
There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are your card number, the next 3 are the
'Security Numbers' that verify you are in possession of the card. These
are the numbers you use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. Read me the 3 numbers". After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say ,"That is correct. I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then Thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.
You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minute s to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charge on on our card. Long story made short, we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA card, and they are reissuing us a new number. What the scammers wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card direct. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued
the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think
you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost to late and/or harder to actually file a fraud report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of
these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that
this scam is happening.
So there you have it. EEESSH!
Be careful out there!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Random Acts of Kindness

Hi everyone!
I received information from a Mr. Bob Rohl (757-3417) that he and his wife
(retired) have some 20 dozen canning pint jars that they are looking to sell for for a nominal price. They are boxed...not new, but in good condition...brand name jars (Kerr, Mason, Ball). He's asking $3/dozen for the regular mouth jars and $4/doz for the wide mouth. He's also selling a pressure canner for $16.
Did you know that it's "Random Acts of Kindness Week? Actually, there are
plenty of weeks in the year where you can help and serve others. Here are some neat links to some very cool organizations that you and your family may like to get involved with this year:
February 14-20, 2005 Random Acts of Kindness Week - www.actsofkindness.org April 4 - July 25, 2005 Great American Bake Sale - www.greatamericanbakesale.org April 15-17, 2005 National Youth Service Day - www.ysa.org/nysd April 15-17, 2005 Global Youth Service Day - www.gysd.org April 17-23, 2005 National Volunteer Week - www.pointsoflight.org April 22, 2005 Earth Day - www.earthday.org May 7, 2005 Join Hands Day - www.joinhandsday.org September 11, 2005 One Day's Pay - www.onedayspay.org September 24, 2005 National Public Lands Day http://www.npld.com October 22, 2005 Make A Difference Day - www.makeadifferenceday.com November 7-13, 2005 World Kindness Week - www.actsofkindness.org November 18-19, 2005 World's Largest Thanksgiving Dinner www.forallstars.org November 19, 2005 National Family Volunteer Day - www.pointsoflight.org/organizations/nfvd.cfm
December 5, 2005 International Volunteer Day - www.worldvolunteerweb.org/events/ivd/index.htm
Sara Sampson is looking to purchase a crib and changing table (congrats on the baby!!). If you know anyone who would like to sell theirs she would be interested in taking a look at them. Call her at 760-438-2449.
Remember to stock up on Valentine's Day stuff for next year. So far you can get stuff for 50% off pretty much everwhere. If you hold out longer the price will go down even more but so does the selection. Storing chocolate, however, until next year isn't a good idea since it will lose its quality...as if it would last untouched that long in my house!
Amy Hartung's daughter is selling girl scout cookies, so if you're craving
Thin Mints like I am, you can e-mail your order at disneymom97@yahoo.com
I'd be happy to suggest others' daughters, but so far hers is the only girl scout I know this year!
Have a fantabulous day!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Friday, February 11, 2005

Inventors

Hi everyone!
If you need a good craft fix (and what woman doesn't every now and then) you
can save a bunch of money at www.joanndesigns.com To save 40% off the
regular price of one item enter promotion code TAB501301 To save $10
off your online order of $40 or more enter promotion code TAB501302 To
get free shiipping with NO minimum purchase use promotion code TAB501303.
VISIT SAN DIEGO MUSEUMS FOR HALF-PRICE IN FEBRUARY Birch Aquarium at Scripps, in partnership with San Diego's arts and culture community and Robinsons-May stores, will be celebrating Museum Month throughout February 2005 by offering half-priced admission with a special Museum Month pass. The Museum Month pass is available free of charge at all San Diego County Robinsons-May stores as of February 1, and can be presented at 27 participating institutions for half-priced admissions during the month of February.
Most of San Diego's museums and historic sites will be celebrating cultural awareness on a level witnessed by few cities in the United States. Museum Month is hosted by the San Diego Museum Council and is sponsored by Robinsons-May. For more information and a list of participating museums, visit http://www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org
If you're like me you've concocted all kinds of inventions in your head only to later see the ideas marketed on TV by someone else. That's when you see the other ads on TV about companies that will supposedly help you with your inventions....more often than not, they're scams. There was even a law passed in 1999 - the American Inventors’ Protection Act – to safeguard consumers against these fraudulent companies. But apparently, they are back.
The Patent & Trademark Office has issued a warning about these groups, and you can find it at uspto.gov. The scams usually work in three steps. At first, they send you a free information kit. Then, they hit you up for $500 to $700 to do some "preliminary research" into the viability of your idea.
After a few weeks, they send you another thicker package, saying your idea is a hit and they need more money to start a marketing campaign. This time, they hit you up for $5,000 to $10,000. Don’t allow yourself to be taken. So, how do you find legitimate groups? For general information, howstuffworks.com is a good starting point. Another one is inventored.org, which is an informational site for inventors. Another easy one is asktheinvenstors.org. The site tries to sell you things, as well, but you don’t have to buy. Then there is the International Federation for Inventors Association. They even have information specifically for women because women tend to experience some discrimination from men in the inventing world. It’s at invention-ifia.ch. So, stay out of harm’s way. When you see those ads on late night TV, steer clear.
I hope you have an incredibly romantic weekend!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Friday, February 04, 2005

Check 21

Hey there!
Love is in the air...Getting ready for Valentine's Day? You can place a FREE Valentine's Day message for your sweetheart in "Today's Local News" on
February 11, 12, 13. Simply log on to www.todayslocalnews.com You'll have
to register yourself and then click on to the classified section and choose "Valentine's message".
Only twice a year does Marie Calendar's have this great deal and now it's time! (February & October) You can buy any pie for $5.99 and if you have any of those old tins hanging around your house like I do, you can turn those in and drop the price even lower! Woohoo! mmmm
A loving home is needed for a FREE Bernina Serger, Model #234. You can't
beat that price! Call Rosanne @ 760-603-9366. No instruction manual.
Fine working order.
Now I want you to know that I've never done this! Some people have bought something in a store with a check even though they don’t have the money in their account at the time. You figure you have a few days for the check to clear, and by then the money will be there. It’s called the "float." Well, the float is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Because of a new law, money will be drafted from your account immediately when you write a check.
It’s called "Check 21," and it allows retailers to scan your check through a machine that deducts the cash within minutes. It’s essentially the end of the paper check system, as well, because the check will eventually be destroyed. There will be an image of the check online and that will serve as proof if you need it. But everything is becoming electronic, and a bank will know if a check is good right away. So, be prepared to move to an electronic bill pay system. It’s the smart way to go. What about checks that you deposit? Well, the float is no longer available to you, the customer. But the bank still will hold a deposit for a few days to make sure it clears.
It’s not fair, but it’s the way it’s happening.
Alrighty then, have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine! By the way, have you noticed how incredible the sunsets have been lately? What a beautiful area we live in. (sorry for those of you subscribers who don't live here in Carlsbad by the beach that you had to read that). :)
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

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