Three for Thursday 12.22.2022

Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.

"Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth." As I wrote last year, this is my favorite line from my favorite Christmas song. This year I have a whole new appreciation of it. Many of us think of the birth of Jesus as the moment civilization began moving toward a broader sense of order, hope and love. Earlier this year, I lost a dear, dear friend named Jay Grover. Jay loved everyone, never had a bad word to say, and was always there for me. Jay was suddenly and unexpectedly taken in July. A few months later, I heard a song by Warren Zevon, covered by Eddie Vedder called "Keep me in your heart." It represents how deeply we can love, and how much we can miss. Today, because of my faith I have confidence that I'll see Jay again. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. I hope you enjoy the song below:

Watch this Investigation

Today's investigation = No Contract Contractor part 2. When you find no one, nowhere except TrustDALE will help you. Watch because This Could Happen to You!

Ask Dale

Today's Ask Dale question comes from Nancy, who wants to know if you can hold home inspectors financially responsible for missing significant repair issues. Watch and find out!

Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!

Today's seven-point lesson is on knowing how much you can rely on a so-called expert.

Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Paying money upfront without confirming credentials is very dangerous.

Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Some self-described experts will lure you with a significantly discounted price. There's usually a nefarious reason for it!

Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. It's dangerous to hire an out of state expert who you will only see once.

Define - Your deal by comparing product, Offer and Price. Obtaining quotes will help you get your arms around what you can and can't expect your expert to be responsible for.

Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. Get a competing expert or someone who works in the expert's field to inspect the agreement with the expert you're considering hiring. You'll learn a lot.

Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Unreliable experts are often exposed by bad reviews.

Legitimize - your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. These are basics but don't necessarily protect you from not knowing enough about your expert's qualifications.