complaints

What to Do When Your Tax Preparer Makes a Mistake

Dan Rafter — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:00:10 +0000

You might think that hiring a tax preparer to file your income taxes will guarantee a mistake-free return. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong.

In 2015, the National Consumer Law Center used mystery shoppers to test the work of 29 tax preparers. The results were surprising: Only two of the returns compiled by these preparers came in error-free. That's bad news for a lot of people. USA Today reported in February that almost 79 million e-filed tax returns were completed last year by professional tax preparers.

And here's even more bad news: The IRS says that if your tax preparer makes a mistake resulting in you having to pay additional taxes, interest, or penalties, you are responsible for paying these fees — not your tax preparer.

If your tax preparer does make a mistake on your return, what can you do? Here are five suggestions.

1. Contact your preparer

If the IRS sends you a letter claiming that there are mistakes on your taxes, call your tax preparer for an explanation. Tax preparers who do make mistakes might offer to pay any fees, penalties, or interest charges for you. This might not restore your confidence in their abilities, but it will help save your budget.

2. Pay the penalties

If the IRS is charging you a penalty for a tax mistake, even if that mistake was made by your preparer, pay it. You might be battling it out with your tax preparer in the hope of getting this professional to pay the penalty on your behalf, but the IRS doesn't care. If it doesn't receive its payment, you are the one who will face additional financial penalties.

If your tax preparer refuses to pay for its mistake, send a check to the IRS. Then continue your fight against the preparer.

3. Know your rights

Check any contract you signed with your tax preparer. There might be language in the contract stating what your tax preparer will do in the event of a mistake. Some tax preparers will pay the interest and penalties that result from a mistake, but not any extra taxes you might owe.

Some tax preparation firms, especially the big ones, might offer insurance that you can purchase for an extra fee. If you've bought this insurance, your tax preparer might be obligated to pay any interest, fees, or extra taxes you owe because of their mistakes.

Be aware that tax preparers won't pay any penalties on your behalf, even if you've purchased extra insurance, if the mistakes they've made are because you provided them with inaccurate information.

4. Check the statute of limitations

If your tax preparer made a mistake that caused you to overpay on your taxes, you have three years to request a refund from the IRS. You must provide documentation to back up your claim that you overpaid.

This statute of limitations works in reverse, too. If you underpaid your taxes because of a preparer mistake, the IRS has three years in which they can come after you for the money you owe. If your tax preparer made a substantial error, however (such as omitting 25 percent or more of your gross income), the IRS can go back up to six years. It's recommended to keep your records for at least this long. Be aware there is no statute of limitations for those who knowingly file fraudulent returns, evade taxes, or fail to file altogether.

5. File a complaint

If you discover that your preparer made an intentional mistake, perhaps to boost your return, make an official complaint with the Office of Responsibility at the IRS. If your preparer is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Enrolled Agents, or a state law association, you can also file a complaint with these organizations. Such complaints could cause tax preparers to face fines or lose their licenses.

Reduce the odds of a mistake by hiring the right professional

Sometimes you can prevent a future mistake by hiring the right tax professional upfront. The truth is, anyone can work as a tax preparer. Preparers must apply for a Preparer Tax Identification Number from the IRS. But getting this number is easy: It costs $50, and the IRS says that applying takes just 15 minutes.

If you're searching for a tax professional, it's best to work with either a certified public accountant with experience completing tax returns, or what is known as an Enrolled Agent. To become an Enrolled Agent, tax preparers must first pass a three-part test given by the IRS that covers the ins and outs of individual and business tax returns. Some certified public accountants will also be Enrolled Agents.

Ask any tax preparer for the phone numbers of past clients. Then call these clients to ask about the work the tax preparer turned in. The IRS also recommends that consumers only work with tax preparers who charge a flat fee. Preparers who charge a percentage of your tax refund might be tempted to fudge the numbers to boost your return.

Finally, make sure that you provide all the proper documents and numbers. The tax preparer may or may not double check your numbers. Maybe you forgot about the antique you sold on eBay. Maybe you transposed a number when adding up your home office deductions. You can't depend on the tax preparer to notice that something is off or verify your numbers. The best professionals will ask you a lot of questions to ensure you've provided all the information. But others may just take your documents and enter the numbers.

The bottom line is if the IRS audits you and discovers that the preparer made mistakes — intentional or accidental — you'll have to pay any penalties and fees.

This article is from Dan Rafter of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Effectively Complain to Get What You Want

Nick Wharton — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 21:00:06 +0000

You're on your third business trip this month. Exhausted after a full day of presentations, all you can think about on the cab ride to the hotel is how great it will feel when your head hits the pillow. You requested a room away from the elevator and ice machine, but guess which room they gave you? And when you enter your hotel room, you hear the drip from the leaky faucet in the bathroom. (See also: In Praise of Complainers)

Do you stew in silence, or run down to the lobby and create a scene at the reception desk?

Neither. There is an art to complaining — with tact — to get what you want.

First, Calm Down

When you have a complaint, it's because something went awry. And chances are, you're not happy about it. Before saying or doing anything at all, pause. Count to 10. If you're banging out an angry email, wait an hour before hitting the "send" button.

Even when you don't have the luxury of time — when the waiter spills the hot coffee on your lap — it's wise to muster up all the mental energy you can to think before you react. When expressing a complaint, verbally or in writing, you want your words to speak louder than your emotions, not the other way around. (See also: Letting Go: 8 Steps to Forgiveness)

Bark up the Right Tree

Go easy on the messenger. I feel badly when I see a waiter being lambasted for bringing out an order that was improperly prepared; it's the chef's responsibility to cook a meal to order.

Make sure the person on the receiving end of your complaint has the power to provide a resolution. It's not the customer service rep's fault that the cable TV service went out during the playoff game, but they probably have the authority to give you a $25 "valued customer" credit for the inconvenience. If interruptions in service become a repeated problem, maybe it's time to escalate your complaint to a manager, who can assign a technician to investigate — and fix — the problem.

Sandwich the Complaint Between Compliments

Generally speaking, the aforementioned hotel (the one with the leaky faucet) is a great place. You've stayed there before, and have always been pleased with the accommodations and service. Start your exchange with the desk clerk or manager on this upbeat (but sincere) note.

Then express your dissatisfaction with your current experience — the fact that your request to be in a room away from the elevator was ignored and that the faucet in your room leaks.

The bottom "layer" of the sandwich is another positive statement, perhaps expressing your appreciation for the manager's attention to your concern.

Using the complaint sandwich sets a positive, respectful tone to your exchange. It also reduces the chances of the person on the receiving end becoming defensive.

Know What You Want — And Ask for It

When talking to the hotel manager, what is it that you want? Are you simply venting, looking for validation — or do you want to be moved to another room in the hotel?

Let's say you bought a new gym bag online, but the strap ripped the second time you used it. When you send an email to the retailer, are you going to ask for a refund? A replacement strap? Unless the person on the receiving end of your complaint letter is a mind reader, you need to be clear about your expectations.

Sometimes, there is no resolution. A curmudgeon-like clerk sends you on an unwarranted guilt trip when you return a sweater, even though you only bought it last week, it has all its tags intact, and you pleasantly present your receipt. A letter of complaint can help make store management aware of problems — like unfriendly employees — so that they can take steps to rectify them. In this case, be clear that you don't want anything other than to let management know that there is an unpleasant associate in their midst.

Get to the Point

People are busy, torn in a million different directions; succinctness counts. Especially when writing a letter, assume that the reader will skim it. Be specific about your complaint and your expectations about how and when it might be resolved. Don't ramble on about impertinent details or the story of your life.

Be Nice

Whether in person or on paper (including email), remember that the person reading it may not have had a part in creating the problem; rather, they will (hopefully) be part of the solution.

The focus of your exchange should be on the problem, not on verbally beating up the person hearing or reading about it.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, as the saying goes. In a recent article about the power of being nice, Anthony Iannarino, Managing Director of B2B Sales Coach & Consultancy, says "Being nice doesn't mean that you lack candor, that you can't be demanding, and that you can't engage in productive arguments and disagreements." Rather, he says, it means you can't be mean, and ought to treat people well.

Being nice can also involve acknowledging resolution of a problem, even, or perhaps especially — after a string of complaints. After you've gotten what you want, be nice about it, and say thanks.

How do you complain? Please share your best complaints in comments!

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

I Just Think Things Should Work Properly too, Mr. Dyson. UPDATED 7/7/09

Paul Michael — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:25:16 +0000

I don’t own a lot of stuff that’s considered top of the line. Hardly anything in fact. But I do have the “Rolls Royce” of vacuum cleaners – The Dyson DC14 Complete (well, it was top of the line when we bought it, costing over $500). And it sucks. Boy, does it suck.

When my wife and I first got married, we couldn’t afford the holy Dyson. We wanted one. We lusted after one. But instead, we bought a Kenmore from Sears and it did us proud for five years. It needed a clean now and then, but it was quiet and ran well.

Then, in 2006, we decided to bite the bullet and use what little savings we had to buy the vacuum cleaner we would keep forever. The vacuum cleaner that never loses suction. The vacuum cleaner that all sorts of people were swooning over.

We ordered our DC-14 Complete and I picked it up a few days later. It sure looked pretty. And it cleaned the floor like nothing we’d ever had before. In fact, we cleaned an area with our old vacuum, then went over the same area with the Dyson. We picked up dirt that the old vacuum simply couldn’t lift. Terrific! We sold the Kenmore for about $50 (it had originally cost about $250) and put our beloved Dyson in pride of place on the top floor.

Then, after about 18 months, problems began. Very occasionally, it would make a noise that sounded like a lawn mower having a panic attack. It was horrendous. The kind of noise that makes you think the whole thing is falling apart. We would turn it off, turn it on again and it would go away.

But after another few months, the noise became more than an occasional event. And after just over two short years of owning a Dyson, a $539 marvel, it had gone from something we loved to something we loathed.

We called Dyson and the customer service department was far less appealing than the eloquent Mr. James Dyson in his ads. I was on hold for a while, then a quite abrupt CSR took me through a “home fix.” It didn’t work for long. When I called back, just a few weeks later, I was taken through the same fix. It didn’t work at all.

That’s when I asked about my five-year warranty, the one that comes big and bold on all the packaging and the adverts. I was told that my warranty had already ran out. “After two years?” I said, shocked. “Yes” I was flatly told. “Two years.” I was given the name of a local authorized repair shop, but I would have to cover the fix myself.

Now, I did some digging. As it turns out, the earlier Dyson machines didn’t come with the now famous five-year warranty. It looks like it was introduced because the machines that Mr. Dyson just wants to work properly, don’t actually work properly. A lot of them have faults ( I looked through over 100 complaints before writing this article) and that was just the tip of the iceberg. So, perhaps the five-year warranty was introduced to overcome some of the complaints being registered on the web?

I wrote to Dyson to see if I could get some kind of help with my own Dyson vacuum, a machine we can now only use when our little girls are outside because the noise scares them so much. I was hoping that I could get some kind of good will resolution, after all, I paid top money for a vacuum that lasted less than two years before developing a fault…you’d expect better than that from a $150 vacuum from WalMart.

I received a short reply from Dee Carter, another helpline representative, who told me:

“Thank you for contacting us! I apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused you. According to our records the vacuum was purchased in 2005 and at that time the vacuum came with a limited 2 year warranty. We will be more than happy to refer you to a local Dyson authorized repair center to have the vacuum inspected and repaired. Unfortunately the repair will be an out of pocket expense. Again I apologize for the inconvenience.”

I'm not sure where Dee got her information from, but I still have my receipt from March of 2006, so Dyson's records are wrong. But that's of little consequence, because the two year warranty has expired anyway. Ironically, if I'd bought the same vacuum a few months later, this wouldn't be an issue.

So, I’m on my own. And I’m left with three options:
1: Pay a lot of money to have my Dyson repaired
2: Sell my Dyson and buy a new one
3: Sell my Dyson and buy a Hoover bagless model
4: Do nothing and vacuum wearing earplugs.

Right now, I’m looking at option three. I worked hard to pay for a vacuum of this quality, and it turned out to be a façade. And I write this to warn you all of the Dyson vacuum cleaner and the possible consequences of buying one. Yes, you’ll get a five-year warranty. But it may suffer from many problems in those five years. And when they’re up, you’re looking at stiff repair bills.

If only things really did work properly. It’s nice in theory, right Mr. Dyson?

UPDATE:
Well, after I posted this story I was contacted by a Dyson customer service representative. From the sounds of it, she was the head of customer service relations. Anyway, after a few minutes of empathizing with my situation, AND telling me that I was just a few months short of buying a vacuum with a 5-yr warranty, I was told that there was nothing she could do. Actually, let me rephrase that...there was nothing she was allowed to do. She could, in fact, have easily picked up the bill for the repair of this broken machine, but it is against Dyson's policy to treat any customer any differently. Although, I suspect if I were someone famous or rich, that would work a little differently. I did wonder why she had contacted me to tell me something I already knew; they weren't going to help. She said she'd get back to me. That was a few weeks ago. So, I bit the bullet and forked over the money to have the machine repaired. While my machine was in the shop we borrowed a Miele, and yep, my wife fell in love with it instantly. So, I guess the Dyson will be going away soon, never to return. What an awful situation that Dyson could have so easily put right.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How To Get A Customer Service Phone Number, Fast!

Paul Michael — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:52:27 +0000

So, you've ordered a product or service and something goes wrong. You need to speak to a customer service rep as soon as possible, so you pop onto the website and start searching. And continue searching. And search some more. You'll notice that a lot of companies have buried that information, or don't even have it on the website at all. What now? Well, you can do an online search for the phone number, or you can keep two handy sites bookmarked.

I stumbled across ContactHelp.com recently after an order I placed at Buy.com went very wrong. (See also: How to Get a Refund When Something Is Non-Refundable)

First, the product they sent was faulty. So, I was prompted to go into my account and process my own return to get a refund. Great, except my account showed no record of the purchase. I trawled the internet for a while and found a number, which I called to get an RMA# and a UPS label. I was expecting a refund, but guess what...today, I got a replacement. I didn't want it so I had to repeat the process all over again. Luckily, ContactHelp.com got me the contact info immediately.

Not unlike the original GetHuman.com, ContactHelp.com gets you the information you need to get to a customer service rep immediately. Both sites have a search engine and instructions on how to reach an actual human, but ContactHelp.com has the advantage of a more user-friendly interface and extended information, incuding email addresses, hours of operation, Top 50 lists for easier access, and a very handy User Comments section. This is a place where you can recount your own experience with the company and see how other people have faired. However, if you prefer your sites with the raw simplicity of Craigslist, GetHuman.com is for you.

Now, the reason these sites are even necessary is down to pure cost-cutting. Even though many US companies have farmed out their customer service operations to India, they still want to keep the call volume down to an absolute minimum. So, first they'll put measures in place for you to try and solve the problem on your own. Next will be a customer service email form. Only after all these roadblocks have failed will the option of a phone call be offered up. And as you know, finding that phone number on a website is more tricky than finding Waldo.

So, keep ContactHelp.com and GetHuman.com in your bookmarks. When you do encounter a problem (and you will...sorry) these are invaluable resources for you.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Want a Company to Hear You? Talk to Their “People.”

Linsey Knerl — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:24:27 +0000

Many of you were already following my recent credit card turmoil, where I was blacklisted from using my own card. When talks with the regular customer service/fraud department left me unfulfilled and wanting to switch credit cards, I got a little creative in my communication efforts. I enlisted the PR department.

What is PR? Public relations companies may be internal to a large company, but usually there is some kind of outside entity representing a corporation's interests, looking out for any negative attention, and working very hard to get the good word out. Since perception is their business, they are usually very interested in any rumblings concerning their client, especially when those rumblings involve a bad experience.

How do you reach a PR contact? Sometimes it's easier than you think. You can start by going to the company's website, searching for a contact page, which may list a separate number or name for media inquiries or press. If you don't find one easily available, I would try looking for a site map. This will bring up all possible links on the website, and sometimes PR contacts are listed. If all of this doesn't work, I start googling for the company's name and “press release.” I follow any links within the last month (because PR reps change all the time), and read to the bottom of the press release, where there is usually a contact name and number. This is the person I want to talk to.

What do you say? You can start by introducing yourself. Don't say that you are just a guy that buys dish soap. Tell them who you are, how influential you are among your circle (not in a pompous way, mind you), and why your recent experience with the client has left you frustrated. You can say that you would love to know how your issue will be resolved, and that you're confident the PR rep can help get your complaint to the right person. Don't be arrogant, don't be demanding. Understand that the PR rep is doing a job, that they don't control how the company does business, and that they want you to be happy. Then sit back and wait.

What happens next? If the PR rep is doing their job (and you haven't been unreasonable in your feedback), they will address the matter. It may take some time for them to do some back-and-forth with the company. Eventually, someone will get back to you.

What if you don't get any results? This does happen. I haven't had it happen to me personally (although I've only had to resort to enlisting the PR rep once or twice, as of late.) If you don't get results, you can try looking for another PR company. Sometimes they switch reps, companies, or go through a period of transition. They may have simply dropped the ball. They may have deemed your complaint unimportant. If you feel that you've been wronged, however, don't give up. (Paul has some great tips for going straight to the top: The CEO.)

I can say that I've known some fabulous PR people who would go to the ends of the earth to straighten out a misunderstanding with a client. They want all to be well in their world, and their job depends on it. Treat them with dignity, the way you would want to be treated, and let them know your qualms. Not enough of them get this kind of feedback for free – they might be thankful to have it.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Great idea for Papa Murphy’s – make the pizzas in order.

Paul Michael — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:25:05 +0000

What do you get if you cross a bunch of hungry people with an ineffective ordering system? You get the riot that almost happened at my local Papa Murphy’s on Friday. And if they don’t do something about it, blood will be shed next time…I’m sure of it.

I’ve always had issues with Papa Murphy’s. My biggest gripe is cost; they don’t have the same overheads as any other pizza chain and yet the pizzas cost the same, if not more. A large specialty pizza from Pizza Hut, in my area, is $3 cheaper than the same one at Papa Murphy’s. But they have won Pizza Chain of the year for the last 5 years, so they’re clearly doing something right…somewhere.

However, one thing they’ve got dead wrong, at least at my local store, is the ordering system. Or should that be ordering nightmare?

It works something like this –

1. Call ahead and order your pizza.
2. Turn up 20 minutes later and pay.
3. Be told “that’ll be just a few minutes.”
4. Wait a few minutes.
5. Watch some guy come into the store and order.
6. Wait a few more minutes.
7. Watch more people come in with phone orders.
8. Watch them pay.
9. Watch the guy who just came in get his pizza.
10. Scratch your head and wonder why.
11. Wait a few more minutes.
12. Watch some lady wander into the store and place an order.
13. Watch more people come in with phone orders.
14. Try not to laugh at them.
15. Wait a few more minutes.
16. Watch lady who just came in get her pizza.
17. Start getting really annoyed.
18. Watch other people with phone orders get annoyed.
19. Repeat steps 5 though 18 for the next HOUR.
20. Form a protest gang with fellow hungry, pissed off phone order customers.
21. Go to counter, see masses of tickets in no particular order.
22. Watch young store clerk give you bewildered ‘help me’ look.
23. Organize a committee.
24. Sort through tickets, find phone orders.
25. Get phone orders made, hoping there is no spit in the pizzas.
26. Receive, as a way of saying sorry for the long wait, NOTHING extra in return.
27. Leave store with pizza, grumpy.
28. Return home to hungry, annoyed family.
29. Recount steps 1 through 27 while pizza cooks using your own electricity.
30. Eat pizza begrudgingly.

Pizza worth waiting for? Not really.

Now, I know a thing or two about advertising. I also know that more people will recount a bad customer experience than a good one. What surprised me most, other than the shambolic way of making pizzas in no discernable order, was the complete ignorance of the staff that day.

It was obvious to anyone in the store that there was a long line of people getting very annoyed. It was also obvious, due to the hints and complaints we dropped throughout the process, that nothing was being done.

Sure, they were busy. It was a Friday night after all. But most other places manage to process orders in the order in which they receive them…I believe that’s why it’s actually call an order. And having waited a total of 80 minutes for a pizza, to be given nothing in return for my time and trouble was just as confusing.

Papa Murphy’s, your pizzas are tasty. But your ordering system needs work. A lot of work. And I’m afraid I won’t be going back for a long, long time; even longer than I waited for that pepperoni pizza last Friday night.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Share your brilliant burst (or dashed dream) as a consumer advocate

Julie Rains — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:54:05 +0000

Ever protested an unfair retail policy, pointed out that an advertisement is misleading, organized a boycott, or somehow advocated for yourself or another consumer? Whether you won or lost, tell us your story and you'll be entered into a random drawing for a $25 Amazon gift certificate!

CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHRYN, OUR WINNER FOR THE $25 AMAZON GIFT CERTIFICATE DRAWING. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING.

Julie Rains demands that her coupon be honored (it's the principle, not the dollar)

When I was a junior in college, my residence hall-mates and I received expiration-date-less coupons from a major pizza delivery company in August when we arrived for the start of the fall semester. Many of us hadn't used the coupons all year but found them when we were getting ready to move out for the summer in May. So I (and others) tried to use the coupons to get $1 off our pizza orders.

As a side note, I was taking a business law class and learning about the concept of the "reasonable" person. Basically, companies need to determine what the reasonable person (not the wacko person or the ultra-safe person) would do in a certain circumstance, and then set policies that are consistent with what the reasonable person would think or do. Of course, companies have to abide by laws but absent specific regulations or contracts, businesses should try to communicate in a way that a reasonable person can comprehend.

Anyway, I ordered my pizza and tried to use the dollar-off coupon. My pizza delivery person was resistant to accepting the coupon. I protested but decided that if his response to me, upon my insistence, was something like, "well the reasonable person would not think that a coupon given in August would still be valid in May," then I would accept his decision. He said, however, "so, sue me."

Well, I lost that round and paid full price for the pizza.

What I lack in persuasion, however, I make up in persistence. The following August, when I was attending a workshop presented by the campus legal advisor, I learned about a complaint process through the state attorney general’s office. I filled out a form that explained my complaint and waited for a reply. A few weeks later, I was thrilled to learn that the attorney general's office agreed with me!!

From that point until my graduation, coupons with no expiration dates were accepted by the delivery drivers, and within a couple of years, this particular pizza delivery company started putting expiration dates on its coupons. I am sure that I am not the only one who complained. Over the years, the coupons from the pizza delivery companies have drifted back to their old ways (with vague references such as "expires within 30 days") but my victory still seems sweet.

My dashed dream? I received compensation for a cleaning product that didn't work as expected from the retailer where I made my purchase. I received an unsigned check from its trustee (a major U.S. bank) for something like $1.93. I had recently relocated and was holding over $10,000 in a savings account (the proceeds from my home sale, awaiting investment) and had a checking account with the same bank. I tried to deposit the check but the bank refused to accept the deposit because there was no signature on the check. Surely, the bank could have cashed the check, waited for it to clear, and upon settlement, made the funds available to me. I guess I could have pursued my cause but at this point, I felt I had wasted more time than $1.93 was worth.

Linsey Knerl gets tough while recovering from surgery

My most challenging consumer dispute involved a gym membership. While I was recovering in the hospital from major surgery, my ex decided to get us a couple's membership at the franchise gym nearby. (Nothing says, "rest and get better" like 24-hour access to the elliptical trainer.) Under a fair amount of morphine and some little red pills, I agreed, and I signed the contract for a one year term.

I was released the next day, and upon returning home had a case of buyer's remorse. (Could it be because I was instructed by my Doc not to exercise for a full 6 months?) I contacted the gym, and attempted to terminate the contract without penalty on the last day of the 3 days allowed by the terms of the contract. I was told it was cancelled and my check would be returned by mail within a week.

The check ended up being cashed, and they called the next week to confirm that I still wanted to meet with the personal trainer! I was in shock, and upon telling them about my call to cancel the membership, they told me that it was too late because I had called on a Saturday. Since business wasn't conducted on Saturdays, my call was not honored.

Since I knew this was garbage, I called daily. Twice daily. Three times daily. I went to the gym. I wrote letters to corporate. I threatened my local news team on them. 7 months (and a heck of a lot of polite but firm squawking) later, I received payment in the amount equal to my check.

Of course, by then I was able to exercise, and needed to join a gym. But you can guarantee that I went to the mom and pop place down the street.

Jessica Harp educates staff of apartment rental office on federal law

With my husband being in the military and having to move around a lot, I cannot tell you how many times we have had to break leases and/or rental contracts. Thankfully, we are protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which allows us to break leases and contracts without having to pay early termination fees. But every time we have had to move, there has always been at least one company that insisted they did not have to follow the SCRA -- even though it is federal law! The most memorable company that has insisted that they did not need to abide by the SCRA was our apartment complex in Alabama.

As per the SCRA, when my husband received his military orders for us to move, I took the orders down to the rental company so that I could fill out the paperwork to break the lease. They told me they would be more than happy to break the lease for me, but that I was going to have to pay for the remainder of my contract plus an early termination fee. WHAT? I reminded her of the SCRA, showed her the military orders, and suggested that she talk to her boss if she needed any clarification. She didn't even blink before she said, "We don't follow the SCRA." Oh really? Why not? "We don't have to. It's optional." Um...I don't think federal law is optional. "Well, we can't just let you out of your lease." At this point, I realized I was going in circles, so I asked to speak with her manager, who (conveniently) was not in the office. The only next step I knew to take was to threaten to call the military lawyers. She didn't even blink when I threatened to call the lawyers. She said, "People threaten us with lawyers all the time. What makes you think you're any different?" At this point, I left and called the military lawyers, and they had the situation resolved within hours.

I went back to the rental office the next day to complete the paperwork, and the manager was tripping over himself to apologize to me. He gave me this huge speech about how the company supported the troops and how the lady I talked to the day before had been reprimanded for her attitude and lack of customer service. Honestly, his apology was great, but I was just glad that I knew the law. If I hadn't of known the law, as well as stood my ground, we would have paid A LOT of money in unnecessary fees.

Friend of Will Chen leads an exodus of poorly treated movie-goers

My friend John loves the movies. A fea years ago John attended a showing at one of those craptacular multiplex theaters. Ten minutes into it he noticed that the screen was unusually dim and the sound was out of sync with the action. There was a lot of discontented murmuring and a couple of people actually left the theater. But most of the audience stayed despite the problems.

My friend wasn't going to take it. He went to the front of the screen and told everyone that they deserved better treatment after paying $12.50 for tickets and sitting through 20 minutes of gawdawful previews. My friend stormed out after his speech and the entire audience followed him. The manager of the multiplex ended up giving everyone a refund and two free tickets to future showings. The movie they were watching? The Prince of Egypt.

Paul Michael seeks simple explanation for friend, spurs incident investigation

I was 21 and working in my first job as a junior copywriter in a London ad agency. One of the account managers I was working with came to work one day very shaken and stressed. She was a wreck. My art director and I sat her down, made her a drink (tea, we're English) and asked what happened.

She cleared away the tears and described a horrible train journey. This was in the mid 90's, when train accidents in the UK were increasing. She said her usual morning commute was going well, but then the train started speeding up. And speeding up. It was rocketing down the tracks, everyone started freaking out, the train took a corner at a nasty speed and literally started tipping over. Everyone was screaming, people and kids were crying, it was your basic "oh my lord, I'm going to die" moment.
Thankfully, just as suddenly as the train had started speeding up, it started slowing down. The train arrived at the station and not one thing was announced to the passengers. No explanation. Nothing. When she asked what had happened, she was met with a vacant expression and a complete denial.

I was only in my first year of copywriting, I was still learning the trade of persuasive writing. But I was so enraged by my friend's ordeal that I turned straight to my PC and crashed out letters to everyone I could think of. The management of the train company, the press, you name it. I hoped for something of a resolution for this poor girl who just wanted to know what happened. My letters prompted a full investigation of the incident, the firing of the driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel and compensation for my friend. From that point I knew that sometimes you can make a difference. That words matter. That one voice can raise an army of voices. I have been looking out for the consumer ever since.

Justin Ryan's mom gets a department store to alter its policies

I've not had any wild advocacy moments that come to mind, but I wrote recently about my infamous mother and her quest to have the ring I bought her for Mother's Day sized for free. I can't think of a better anecdote to include!

Read her story in The Affair of the Sapphire Ring.

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This article is from Julie Rains of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: