High-priority issues for consumers

A succinct list of what this column does and does not cover

“Hi there, welcome to ER Inc. How can I help you?”

Great customer service is a lost art. But when you contact ER Inc., you usually get help with questions and advice on resolving complaints.

No outsourcing here. The only person you deal with is me.

My columns have appeared in the Toronto Star’s Business section for 20 years. But I’m reintroducing myself because ER Inc. recently moved to a new location: on the cover of the Life section every Tuesday.

Please don’t confuse me with Ellie, who has a popular advice column in the Life section. I give advice, too, but mainly about how to save money and avoid being misled by large companies.

Which companies? In my 2013 book, Fight Back , I focus on banks, telecom firms, travel providers and retail chains — with tips on how to protect yourself from “corporate trickery.”

Which issues grab my attention? You can find an archive of 1,000 ER Inc. columns at thestar.com.

The oldest one is from Jan. 31, 2007, when I talked about buying natural gas from your utility or signing a fixedprice contract with a door-to-door seller. Gas prices have dropped since then, but aggressive energy product sellers are still around.

Here is my latest list of high-priority consumer issues. Warranties: Many products come with only a 12-month manufacturer’s warranty. This opens the door to retailers’ promotion of expensive extended warranties.

You shouldn’t have to pay extra for a product to work longer than one year.

When readers told me about Google Nexus phones made by LG and Huawei that died in the second or third year, I led a successful fight to get free repairs.

I also handle complaints about fridges, stoves and laundry equipment. My intervention can lead to repairs or replacement.

Take Owen and Bev Taylor, who found their LG range had an electrical outlet that didn’t work with their small appliances. They had a four-year protection plan from Sears Canada, which they couldn’t use when the chain went under.

I helped them reach LG Canada’s executive office. After negotiating for a few months, the Taylors received a new extended warranty for three years and a $350 contribution to upgrade their electrical outlets adjacent to the stove. Refunds: Because of abuse, companies are making it harder for customers to get refunds or exchanges. Readers complain about having to bring back products in the original packaging — or in a box that has never been opened. How can you tell a product doesn’t work unless you try it out first?

It can also be tricky to get refunds of prepaid services. A common complaint is buying a furnace plan from Enercare or Reliance for one year. If you sell your property during that time, you don’t get money back for the unused months.

Here’s a refund snafu I helped resolve. Lynn Courtney and Kiet Du paid $80 for online seat selection on a return Air Canada flight to Jamaica last March.

When the airplanes were switched at the last minute, they didn’t get their upgraded seats. Air Canada sent them to Air Canada Vacations (ACV), which kept them on hold until early August.

It took only one hour for ACV spokesperson Francoise Casciario to tell me that the elusive refund for pre-assigned seats was being processed. Fraud: Online scams abound. And they keep changing. In one common scam, you see a pop-up window at a favourite website. It claims you can get a free product in exchange for doing a survey.

You have to click through to a website that takes you to another website, which turns out to be a subscription trap. Soon, you’re getting monthly shipments at an inflated price charged to your credit card.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has tips on recognizing scams. In this case, beware of giving your credit card number for a reward with a small shipping fee. And watch out for surveys with general questions that don’t seem to be useful.

There’s little I can do to help recover money lost to fraud. But I do try to alert you to the latest tricky sales pitches.

Which issues don’t I cover? The list includes employment problems, landlord and tenant disputes, health care complaints and most governmentrelated issues.

As a consumer advocate at Canada’s largest newspaper, I have more pull with companies that have a well-established brand to protect. I don’t chase small firms that make you pay up front and don’t deliver. Try the BBB for those complaints.

Finally, I can open corporate doors if you have an interesting story. But ER Inc. is a oneperson shop — so please keep trying if you don’t hear from me ASAP.