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Consumer Protection: Advice from The Bucks County Consumer Advocates

July 2009

Q. My wife sent away for a supplement that she saw in a magazine.  This supplement was supposed to stop osteoporosis.  She received the supplement in the mail and we both thought they looked like candy.  She figured since she had them she would give them a try, but when she took them she started getting really bad indigestion.  She went to her doctor about the indigestion and they both figured out that it was probably the supplements.  She called and canceled the monthly order of supplements following the directions the company gave, but our credit card is still being billed.  The credit card company helped us by freezing our account, but boxes of supplements are still coming to our door.  Can you help us with this issue?     A.B., Levittown

A. Consumer Protection contacted the company and they will credit you for any unopened boxes of supplements that you send back, plus they have taken you off their mailing list so you shouldn’t receive any more shipments.  There are a lot of miracle drugs that promise quick cures and easy solutions to many different problems from your health to beauty issues.  Consumers who fall for fraudulent “cure all” products usually don’t find what they are hoping to get from the product.  Usually they end up feeling like they have been taken.  Then consumers end up wasting their money and a lot of their time trying to return these “miracle” products.  Some products may even cause serious harm.  To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, consumers need to learn how to access health claims and seek the advice of a health care professional.  When evaluating health and beauty-related claims of these so called miracle products that are going to “cure all”, be skeptical.  If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.      

Q. Last year my mother bought a prepaid oil contract and it worked out okay.  This year we are checking several different oil providers.  Only two companies have sent a copy of their contract for us to review.  It seems they want her to agree on the phone and take her verbal commitment as a binding agreement.  We have not agreed to anything at this point.  What should we be aware of before locking into a contract?  S.W., Newtown

A. The most important decision is to make sure you understand all the terms of the contract.  Make sure there is never an automatic renewal of the terms when the contract expires.  Remember when your contract starts and when it is finished.  Most contracts have a terms and conditions section that includes a financial penalty for canceling a contract.  A really important part of your contract outlines what happens if you use less fuel then you prepaid.  That needs to be spelled out.  Most companies offer a pre-pay program that will lock the consumer in at a certain price for the entire year.  However if the price of oil drops you are still stuck paying the higher price.  That is where the CAP programs come into play.  A cap protection is usually a two or three hundred dollar upfront fee that guarantees the agreed upon price and if the price of oil drops so will your cost.  However, if it rises the cap guarantees that the price will not exceed your agreed upon price per gallon.  There are also budget programs that allow you to pay each month for twelve months at a set price per gallon.  If you have a cap with that program you will likely be assured that the price will not go up and that if the price goes down you will get the lower price.  There is also the automatic delivery market price.  Basically you are signed up for the year to get deliveries automatically and you will be billed at the market price for that day.  There is also the option of just paying cash on delivery from anyone you choose to use.  There is usually a minimum delivery required with this option.  The price you pay will be market price.  We encourage every consumer to ask questions before agreeing to anything.  Make no commitment until you know the costs and penalties and understand the terms fully.

Department of Consumer Protection /
Weights and Measures
Michael D. Bannon
Director
50 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-7442
Fax: 215-348-4570
Canny Consumer Hotline 1-800-942-2669