Top 10 Consumer Complaints.

Attorney General Chris Koster has released the top 10 consumer complaints and scams reported to his office in 2010. Complaints against debt collectors led the list, with more than 2200 calls to the Attorney General’s office from consumers.

"Even though you may be responsible for the debt the collectors are calling about, there are federal laws governing just how far the debt collector can go," Koster said. "Your best protection against harassing and abusive calls from debt collectors is to know your rights. The Federal Trade Commission’s Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers can be found on their website at www.ftc.gov."

Koster noted that the number two scam involves telemarketers convincing consumers to provide their debit card or credit card numbers and then using those numbers fraudulently. He reminds consumers never to provide personal information to someone they don’t know unless they have initiated the call themselves.

Consumers can register complaints with the hotline at 800-392-8222 or online at ago.mo.gov.

Below are the top ten scams reported to the hotline in 2010:

1.DEBT COLLECTORS (2225 complaints) – there has been an increase in the number of complaints filed against debt collectors. Many consumers who file complaints indicate they are being harassed by debt collectors for debts they may not even owe. Others claim the debt collection agencies are abusive, threatening, and include repeated calls when attempting to collect a debt. Other complaints indicate consumers have notified the debt collection companies to cease contacting them, but without success.

2, CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD (1575 complaints) – telemarketers continue to find ways to scam consumers out of their money.

3. TELPHONE CRAMMING (1477 complaints)

4. MORTGAGE/FORECLOSURE/LOAN MODIFICATIONS (1204 complaints)

5. HOME REPAIR AND REMODELING (1083 complaints)

6. LOTTERIES AND SWEEPSTAKES (933 complaints)

7. PRE-NEED BURIAL PLANS/FUNERAL HOME/CEMETARIES (887 complaints)

8.CABLE/SATELLITE SERVICES (864 complaintsd

9. AUTOMOBILE REPAIR – (644 complaints) 10. AUTOMOBILE WARRANTY/SERVICE CONTRACTS (624 complaints).

I understand why vehicles are advertised as 4x4. Means four wheels and all four are powered by the engine. Thus the term four-wheel drive. Four-by-four is just an abbreviated way to say it. And it looks good painted on the side of the truck.

Apparently the 4x4 type of truck has become so popular that now you see trucks advertised as 4x2. Just a regular truck driven by two wheels. I at first thought it odd to see 4x2 in a pickup ad, but after thinkin’ about it, those ads are meant for me. I don’t want a 4x4 and it’s nice for ‘em to make the regular trucks stand out so I can spot ‘em easier.

I suppose a motorcycle would be a 2x1 or onea those trikes a 3x2. I ended up with a 6x0 dump truck once. Had six wheels but just wouldn’t go anywhere. All it was was a 6,000 pound radio.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Broken Bulb Blues

Q: I was trying to unscrew a burnt-out light bulb yesterday, which unfortunately stuck and then broke as I tried to force it to turn. I wasn’t hurt, but now I have a jagged remnant stuck in the socket. I’m afraid to turn that light on, but it’s the ceiling light in my den, and I’d really like to be able to work there. Any suggestions? Also, what do you think of those new fluorescent light bulbs? -- Derek N., Youngstown, Ohio

A: First, turn off the circuit breaker to that room to make sure no electricity is getting to the socket. Second, put on a sturdy work glove and place a wastebasket nearby to discard the bulb. Third, take a raw potato or a piece of soap. Cut the potato in half and trim to slightly larger than the diameter of the socket. Press the trimmed part of the potato or soap against the jagged edges of the broken bulb. Then, slowly turn counterclockwise to unscrew. You may need to brace the socket with your free hand or with a pair of needle-nose pliers if it tries to twist with the bulb.

If this doesn’t work, contact an electrician to remove the bulb and inspect the socket for damage.

As to your second question regarding CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs, well, they’re the wave of the future -- like it or not. The last U.S.-manufactured incandescent light bulb rolled off the production lines last year. The ones on store shelves now are produced overseas. CFLs do produce the same amount of light while using significantly less power, so you may see a slight difference in your power bill if all your home’s bulbs are CFLs. The cost of a CFL is higher than that of an incandescent bulb, but that price is coming down. Additionally, CFLs last much longer than incandescents, so you won’t be purchasing them as often.

By the way, if you break a glass-coil CFL bulb, the soap/potato trick isn’t effective. Wear sturdy work gloves and grip the socket and the small extension from which the CFL’s glass coil protruded and carefully unscrew it.

HOME TIP: Light bulb flickering? Before changing it or calling an electrician, try removing the bulb and cleaning its base with a pencil eraser. A clean contact may solve the problem.