Home Kitchen

Things to consider when buying an office chair

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An office chair is part of any office whether it is small or large. They make an office look good as well as provide comfort for employees. Before opting for this piece of furniture for your office, we suggest you consider a few important things. Designs or ergonomics are not the only factors you should consider.

lumbar support: First of all, make sure that the unit offers enough support for the lower back. If you go for a good unit, it will feature an adjustable backrest so you can adjust it to suit your needs. This feature prevents back pain, which can worsen over time if left untreated.

adjustability: All types of office chairs come with adjustable arm and height. However, this is not the only setting you need. Ideally, the unit you are going to opt for has a minimum of 5 types of settings. In fact, some units may allow you to make up to 14 different settings.

For example, the unit must have adjustable tension control, backrest angle, seat width, height, and lumbar support. Most stands can be controlled by a dial. On the other hand, a couple of them are adjusted with manual levers.

distance between axis: Almost all office chairs come with a long wheelbase. Here, it is important to note that if you have carpet in your office, you may want to opt for a unit that has wheels designed for carpet.

For strain prevention, rolling is paramount. After all, you may not want to bend over to pick up the items you need from the desk. So having a product that has a long wheelbase is a great idea.

swivel baseNote: Another great feature to look out for is the swivel base. This can help you enjoy easy access to your entire desktop without any hassle. If your chair cannot swivel smoothly, you may be suffering from arm fatigue as you will have to extend your arm to access different items on your desk.

Cloth: Make sure the fabric of the chair is breathable. This will keep the unit from getting hot, especially in the summer when you will be sitting on it for hours. Other than this, the chair should offer plenty of cushions to give you enough support. If the cushion is of poor quality, you may not be able to sit on the chair without getting tired.

Importance of a good chair

Having a good chair in your office is a great idea if you want to enjoy great benefits. With a good office chair, you can prevent back pain and discomfort that occurs when you sit in the chair for several hours a day. If you don’t feel comfortable enough, you may not be able to focus on your projects properly.

According to many studies, comfortable employees can do a much better job than uncomfortable ones.

In short, here are some things to consider when shopping for an office chair. I hope this helps.

Digital Marketing

Snappy Sound Bites will turn a TV appearance into a smash hit

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Anyone who wants to be a guest on Oprah or Good Morning America must learn to master the fine art of generating sound bites for television. Television thrives on sound bites, those short, quotable comments that will be repeated over and over on TV news and talk shows. Sound fragments are the pearls that flow from our mouths into the ears of television producers and into the airways.

If you want to be quoted, you need to convert the message points in your book into sound bites. To do this, remember that analogies, bold action words, emotions and personal examples, attacks, and absolutes are good quotes and sound bites. The classic and highly personal sound bite has action, emotion and attacks – all of these elements will work to make reporters swoon.

My experience as a book publisher and marketing consultant has taught me to steer clear of humor, which can be a tricky business. What seems like fun to colleagues, friends, or family at 5:30 pm may not seem as fun the next morning when you read your comments in USA Today. Sarcastic and mocking types of humor do not usually work well in the media because you lose control of the context and, in the case of print media, you lose the ability to communicate with voice and facial expressions. The humor that is most effective is self-deprecating humor.

And you? Are you skilled enough to produce sound bites to win an interview on local or national television? If you haven’t had any media training, trust me, it’s too late once you get the call. You may need to board a car or plane an hour early. It’s too late to get the training then. That is why you must be prepared before receiving the call. When my clients accept media coaching, my first choice for them is TJ Walker, CEO of Media Training Worldwide.

TJ Walker is one of the world’s leading authorities on media training. With more than 20 years of media training experience, Walker has trained thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials in the United States, European prime ministers, and African diplomats.

Here’s TJ Walker’s sound bite checklist:

1. Create 10, 15 and 30 second sound bites.

2. Work an example on the sound bite.

3. Clichés make good quotes and sound bites. Reporters can’t write cliches, but they love to quote other people using cliches.

4. Humor makes good quotes and sound bites, but the problem with using humor in front of the media is that someone somewhere is likely to be offended, resulting in a permanent public record of your comments. So joke around if you have to, at your own cost and risk.

5. A great way to get reporters to quote your message is to state your ideas in the form of a rhetorical question.

6. Opposition quotes are good quotes and sound bites. Opposition quotes remain a favorite with reporters, but use them only if they are appropriate to your message.

7. The first letters of the following: Analogies, Bold Action, Emotions, Attacks, Clichés, Humor, Pop Culture, Rhetorical Questions, and Opposition Quotes spell out A BEACH PROFESSIONAL. The greater the number of A BEACH PRO items you use, the greater your chances of being cited. If you have not used any A BEACH PRO elements, you will not be quoted.

8. Absolutes are absolutely worth listing. If I say “We’ll be the next champions”, that has a better chance of landing in history than “We’re hoping to win”. Saying “Our company is the best in this field” would be another example.

9. Recycle your quotes. If one worked well with another media interview in the past, use it again.

10. Fill in your quotes with pop culture references.

11. Put analogies in your answers, use bold, action-oriented words, let your emotions run free, and attack your way to the headlines.

Memorize that checklist, but understand that a sound bite is only one aspect of a successful TV appearance. You also need to be concerned with your total message, the knowledge you display and the self-confidence you display.

As a book publisher, I prepare questions for our clients ahead of time and include them in our press kits emailed to stations. Often times, the TV host will read those questions in order. Other times they refer to our questions and include some of them. This will help you because you will know what to expect and you will be able to respond with the “sound bites” that you have already developed.

The bottom line: Prepare some clever responses and short sound bites ahead of time, rehearse them every day, and you’ll sound like a pro, making your TV appearance a huge hit.

Relationship

How to Throw an American Girl Birthday Party

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Little girls love their American Girl dolls just like their best friends, so why not throw them a fun and unique birthday party showcasing their favorite toy?

Many girls will ask to have a princess party. Princess parties are the most popular between 2 and 10 years old. Why not put your own spin on the same old princess party by involving the girls and their dolls? Usually 1-2 hours is a good amount of time to keep the kids busy and involved in the party.

When inviting the kids, ask them to wear a princess costume and bring their American Girl doll or other favorite doll dressed up for the party. If your budget allows, you can find cute princess dresses for girls that exactly match the 18″ doll dresses that you can give the girls to wear to the party. They can be found relatively cheap. A great brand is Little Adventures because they’re soft and comfortable and best of all, they’re machine washable.

When the guests arrive, plan a surprise visit from your child’s favorite princess. You can ask a teen or family member to come dressed to the party in an adult princess dress found online or at a local party store. These dresses are also great for Halloween costumes or dress up parties. For example, if your child’s favorite princess is Cinderella, you could ask an adult to come dressed as Cinderella and talk to the girls individually, give them hugs, read them a Cinderella story, and give each of them a small gift. they. Girls will love the attention from the surprise guest and this will be something unique that can set your party apart from other princess parties.

There are many games and crafts that you can do at the party. Look online for free princess games or buy a princess board game at your local supermarket. You could have the girls attend a girls and dolls tea party. You could have everyone talk about their doll and what she wears and why she likes it. You could make a headband or hat for the doll and a matching hat for the girl decorated with glitter or fancy flowers. Little girls love to make jewelry, so they could make beaded necklaces, bracelets or tiaras, it would be so much fun.

You could make a castle cake or cupcakes for snacks and then open presents. As is customary, when each child leaves, they should be sent home with a parting gift or goodie bag. You could send some candy or a princess wand or tiara. If you want to be fancy, you can buy some pretty doll dresses at a volume discount price and send them home as an easy going away gift.

Hosting your own princess and doll party will be a huge hit for your little girl and will be a unique and easy party for you, whether you’re on a tight budget or have enough money to afford to splurge.

Health Fitness

Can I pay for the Medifast diet?

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Sometimes I hear from people who are interested in trying (and hopefully succeeding) the Medifast diet but are concerned about the cost. I often hear comments like, “Will I really be able to fit Medifast into my budget? Is it really affordable? There has to be some hidden costs, isn’t there?”

I can try to answer these questions by sharing my own experiences. But first, I’d like to get this out of the way. You don’t have to pay anything to look at the company’s website. It is full of guides and useful information, all of which you can read and use right away without paying anything. You can chat or email the staff if you have any questions. I have found that support to be quite good, always available and encouraging. There is no charge for this either. You are paying for your food. That is the only cost associated with this diet. So why don’t we look at that?

Almost always, Medifast has some kind of special way of working. They will usually take some money off your order or offer a really decent amount of free food. Both types of discounts are generous. But, for the purposes of this article, I am not going to take into account those special offers or discounts. I’m going to pretend they don’t exist. And, I’m going to assume you’re going to be on the full-time plan, five plus one. You can order individual Medifast meals and you don’t have to buy food for the entire month. But for simplicity, I’m going to assume you’re ordering the most popular package: the Women’s Five Plus One Four-Week Package, better known as “Medifast Favorites.” Right now, the cost of that package is $339. Again, I’m looking at this without coupons.

With this plan, you will eat 5 times a day and eat the meals provided by Medifast. (She also makes a main meal each day on her own.) So you’re looking at just over $11 a day for five meals. This is about $2.20 per meal. Now, you must be wondering where you can buy a healthy diet food that supports your weight loss for $2.20. I mean, I can certainly go through a fast food service and pick up some value menu items for about $2-$3, but that meal will ensure I gain weight, not lose it.

If you’ve ever shopped at a health food store or gone to the supermarket armed with recipes for diet foods, then you know that you often have to buy expensive ingredients that are specialized and expensive. And to get the amount of protein in Medifast meals, you’ll have to add protein powder which is quite expensive, at least in my own experience. I highly doubt you can cook your own diet meals for less than $2.20 per meal. And, if you can do it, then I suspect it wouldn’t be without a lot of time and effort. With this diet, it is fully prepared for you. They do the shopping and most of the cooking. For most meals, you will simply need to put them together.

Now, there is the matter of groceries. You will be responsible for one “lean and green meal” per day. You can have this anytime, but many people choose to have it at dinner when they sit down to have a larger (or more formal) meal. And many people simply modify what their family is already eating. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on your lean, green food.

So if you’re trying to figure out if this plan is affordable, you have to ask yourself how much you’re spending on food. In my case, I was a fan of the vending machine and the drive-through. However, I bought my food at work and bought a lot of lower quality food. So I don’t pay any more than I was before and I’m much healthier. I can’t answer how much you already spend on food, but you probably can.

Another consideration is how much your weight loss is worth to you. This is very individual. For me, I was perfectly willing to cut back on some not-so-tasty expenses like expensive coffees (which I didn’t even try) or books I could buy but read only once when I could have easily checked them out at a library, in order to restore my health. But that’s just my opinion. Yours may be different.

For me, Medifast is more affordable than many diets I have come across, at least for me. But I can’t assess if you find $11 a day or $2.20 a meal before coupons affordable. Only you can evaluate that. Hope this has helped some.

Legal Law

There may be benefits to incorporating in foreign states

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One of the most common questions for entities that want to incorporate is: “Where should I incorporate?” In fact, an entity can choose from any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. There has been a lot of publicity about incorporating in certain states that happen to be well known for having corporate-friendly laws. When an entity chooses to incorporate outside of its “home” state, the most common states in which entities incorporate include Delaware and Nevada. However, even allowing for favorable laws in certain states, an entity’s “home” state (i.e., the state in which the corporation does most of its business) can often be the best state to incorporate. .

Due in large part to their liberal incorporation laws and favorable tax policies, the most “incorporation-friendly” states are Delaware and Nevada. And here’s why…
Do I have to incorporate in Delaware?

Delaware’s advantages as a place of incorporation range from the Delaware General Corporation Law to the flexibility built into the company formation process.

Incorporating in Delaware is generally less expensive than most other states. The initial fee for incorporation in Delaware can be as low as $89.00; the annual franchise tax can be as low as $65.00 in many cases; and the cost of ongoing operations is also low. There is no Delaware corporate income tax for corporations formed in Delaware, as long as they do not transact business in Delaware.

Another benefit of Delaware incorporation is Delaware’s extensive and often easily interpretable law. Delaware has a separate Court of Chancery (a commercial court) that does not use juries, but rather merit-based (unelected) judges. Because there are no juries, Chancery Court decisions are rendered as written opinions, and as such, Delaware has a wealth of written legal precedent to rely on.

Delaware law also allows for a version of the Limited Liability Company called a Serial LLC. Traditionally, an LLC is relatively simple to form and maintain. It is similar to forming a sole proprietorship or partnership, but also provides a layer of protection (the corporate shield) such as a limitation of liability. Unlike regular LLCs, the Delaware “series” LLC allows different lines of business to be treated separately from a liability standpoint.
Incorporate a business or form a limited liability company in the state of Delaware.

Come at tax time next year, you’ll be glad you did!

What about Nevada?
Nevada began with Delaware-based corporate charters and went further by establishing a corporate structure that allows the investors and owners of Nevada corporations to remain completely private. The Nevada Supreme Court has always taken a very strong position in protecting corporate privacy, even when a corporation fails to comply with basic corporate formalities.

Since the implementation of these privacy statutes in 1991, the number of new additions in Nevada has skyrocketed. Unlike most other states, Nevada does not require corporate shareholders to disclose their information. In fact, the information is not kept in the state files.

Additionally, to ensure privacy, Nevada allows its corporations to use bearer share certificates, making it virtually impossible to prove ownership of a Nevada corporation. Consequently, owners or investors using bearer shares can have complete control and ownership while remaining anonymous.

Nevada also does not tax the income of its corporations or citizens of its state. A Nevada corporation is also not subject to any other hidden taxes, such as franchise taxes, capital stock taxes, or inventory taxes. Sales tax applies only to products sold within the state.
Incorporate a business or form a limited liability company in the state of Nevada.
Come at tax time next year, you’ll be glad you did!

Incorporation in your home state may be the BEST!

However, for most small businesses, it may still be best to incorporate in the state where your business is located. Many legal and business professionals advise that you incorporate in the state in which your corporation intends to do most of its business, and if you intend to do business in only one state, you should incorporate in that state.

If you incorporate in a state that is traditionally considered “corporate friendly,” but then conduct business outside of your state of incorporation, you will likely need to qualify to do business in the state in which you are conducting business. The qualification to do business outside of your state of incorporation is called a “foreign qualification” or “foreign qualification.” Qualifying as a foreign corporation involves: (1) filing the appropriate foreign qualification documentation with the appropriate Secretary of State; and (2) pay additional filing and maintenance fees. For some entities it may be worth the additional time and money associated with foreign qualification, but for many corporations, it simply creates an additional and unnecessary headache.

When determining the appropriate state of incorporation, you should make the following considerations:
1. What are the tax implications/benefits of incorporating outside of your home state vs. incorporating within your home state?
2. What are the additional costs of incorporating outside of your home state and where, if anywhere, must you qualify as a foreigner?
3. Are the corporate laws in a state favorable to the type of business entity you are forming and how do they affect the obligations of the directors and/or shareholders of the corporation?

Although some factors favor incorporating in the “friendly” states of Delaware or Nevada, it can be more expensive and more complicated to incorporate out of state. For this reason, it is important to consult with your attorney or accountant about the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating out of state before making your final decision.

Lifestyle Fashion

How to Win and Keep the Love of a Man Whose Heart Has Been Broken Before

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Have you ever found out that the man you want to be in a relationship with is someone whose heart has been broken before? What do you do in such a situation? How do you penetrate the walls he has built around his heart? This is a practical situation. He often makes girls cry. You know that he has what it takes to be a good husband to you so much so that you find him attached to your dream of a good and happy home. But because some “girl” has treated him badly and broken his heart, he has decided not to fall in love again.

How do you win and keep the love of a man whose heart has been broken before? How do you find your way into his heart and assure him you’re not a heartthrob? How do you make him believe that girls are not the same? And how do you make him feel safe with you? Here is another practice exposed on how to win the love of a broken hearted man.

The first step is friendship. Since he is not ready for another love relationship, you can start a relationship on the note of friendship. Don’t go up to him and ask him to be your friend, he will most likely see you as another demon coming to break his heart. The easiest way is to reach him through his friends or siblings. These people have sympathized and empathized with him. He believes in them. Seeing you as a friend of a friend, brother or sister means to him that you are not harmful after all, at least as a friend.

When you have managed to become his friend, try asking him about his past relationship and sympathize with him. He condemns the hurtful acts of his ex-girlfriend and promotes the ideals that would have sustained that relationship. If you’ve been hurt before, tell him how it happened and tell him how you got back on your feet. This is a good way to start a friendship.

Think about possible means to help him recover from the painful memories of the previous relationship. He make him get used to being with a girl again. Invite him to places where you can talk and have fun.

Call him at intervals and text him from time to time just to let him know that you appreciate him as a good friend. Don’t forget to buy him gifts on the anniversary of his birthday and other memorable days. Don’t buy him casual gifts, but rather ones that suggest that he means a lot to you and that you love him. With these gestures, you will discover that he is on the way to love again. And before you know it, he will compliment your efforts and explicitly ask you out.

Once you start a love relationship between the two of you, avoid everything that happened in your previous relationship. This is the main way to catch and keep it.

Pets

Scotty Cameron California Coronado Putter Review

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Designed for purists who demand perfect balance and feel, the Scotty Cameron California Coronado putter features a timeless blade design that is precision-milled from 303 stainless steel that helps provide a smooth sound and feel that promotes control. accurate from distance, and it has a two-tier flange that flows back into a pulled heel, which Scotty likes to call a pintail.

The Coronado Putter benefits from the same successful technology enhancements as the Studio Select Putter line series, with one of the major beneficial enhancements being the introduction of new interchangeable weighting technology.

This technology uses circular weights that are screwed into both the heel and toe of the putter sole, which not only helps increase the sweet spot and moment of inertia for greater stability, balance, and forgiveness, but also allows Scotty perfectly balance the putter. head weight in relation to the 3 different shaft length options offered. which are the 33″, 34″ and 35″.

If you prefer a heavier putter that gives you a more solid feel, the Scotty Cameron California Coronado Putter offers 2 heavier shaft length options with the 34″H and 35″H shafts.

Like the rest of the Scotty Cameron California putter series, the California Coronado putter benefits from a high toe configuration, which helps reduce the common mistake many golfers make of raising the toe of the putter head. putter at address, which results in aiming to the left of the target, and comes complete with a distinctive honey dipped finish that looks absolutely great in natural light and helps reduce topline glare.

There are 5 total putter models in the California line, each named after Scotty’s favorite California cities and with their own unique design, and each featuring their new shot sole design that keeps the putter head square. in steering and promotes precise alignment.

Real Estate

Best selling books on how to invest your money

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For seventy years, Dale Carnegie How to win friends and influence people has influenced people around the world by teaching people skills that not only win over others, but lead to personal financial success. This book is as useful today as it was when it was first published. Carnegie teaches skills through the underlying principles of dealing with people to make them feel appreciated and important; therefore, he can make someone do what he wants them to do by learning to see the situation in his eyes. This newly revised and updated edition teaches the ways to win people over, to change people without making them feel like you, and to make people like you. It is valuable reading for anyone who wants to make a claim in the business world.

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham provides essential information on the value of investing your money. Graham’s world-famous “value investing” philosophy protects investors from material mistakes and teaches them how to develop long-term strategies. Since its publication sixty years ago, The Intelligent Investor has become a stock market bible. This updated version incorporates financial commentary from journalist Jason Zweig, who discusses the realities of today’s market and applies it to Graham’s philosophy. This is an essential book that will help you reach his financial goals.

Diana B. Henrique uncovers the shocking story of Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme in the magician lies. Ever since news spread around the world of the revered New York financier who swindled his friends, family and many investors out of a large sum of money, millions of people have been fascinated by Bernie Madoff. No reporter so far has been able to get the full story. Drawing on over a hundred interviews, some with Madoff himself, Henrique explores vivid details of the government investigations and lawsuits surrounding the myths surrounding the Madoff scheme. This true story and financial thriller is the most comprehensive account to date of Madoff’s rise on Wall Street and his downward spiral toward self-destruction.

Bottom Line: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard Marks, President of Oaktree Capital Management, provides insights into market opportunities and risks. He has been sought after by investors around the world and now, for the first time, his valuable investment philosophies can benefit readers like you. This book explains the keys to successful investing and warns against pitfalls that can destroy a career. Marks honestly shares his own experiences and occasional mistakes to provide essential lessons in critical thinking, risk assessment, and investment strategy.

Millions of Americans have turned to Suze Orman for financial advice. In The Money Class: Learn How to Create Your New American Dream, Orman advises readers to seriously reconsider the American dream: its promises, its need for revision, and how it fits into our lives in such a way that a successful future is within our grasp. This book provides important lessons on personal finance while addressing issues such as home, family, career, and retirement. She advises readers to be realistic and honest about their lives and to gain confidence that what they have worked for cannot be taken away from them.

Shopping Product Reviews

What are the benefits of car covers?

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For many people, a vehicle is considered an investment. This is because some people borrow one, while others use theirs as part of their business. For reasons like these, you’ll definitely want to protect them from non-accident related elements like acid rain, corrosion, tree sap, bird droppings, excess dirt, and other factors.

As much as you are a careful driver, someone hit you with an open door or grazed you with a shopping cart and many other situations that could cause some damage to your car. Getting good quality car covers will ensure that your car does not suffer any damage from such situations.

Another benefit of getting these covers is protection from natural forces. This means protection from acid rain, hailstorms, snow and also from the sun. It is not easy to tell the difference between normal and acid rain. However, the constant acid rain begins to corrode or eat away at the car’s paint and even the bodywork itself. So it is recommended to get a heavy duty waterproof cover that will protect your vehicle from this. Snow and hail storms can also cause some damage to the car after long periods of time and therefore it is recommended that you take precautionary measures such as using car covers. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are also known to damage the car’s new look and getting the right cover can solve that problem for you.

Beyond dents and weather damage, there are other types of car threats that you can protect your car from with the use of car covers. These include bird droppings, dust, trees, fallen leaves, or fruit. These can cause some stains or dents on your car. Trees can cause scratches on your car, especially if you are used to parking under trees.

When choosing a car cover, you should choose one based on the area in which you live. This means that those who live in warm, humid areas need to wear lighter fabrics and colors than those in cooler areas. The material you choose should also be easy to clean and store. Quality covers can be cleaned while they are still in the car, which is also a plus for you. When it comes to storage, choose car covers that can be easily rolled up and stored without a hassle.

As you can see, getting a car cover is very beneficial in keeping your vehicle in top shape. Don’t worry about the cost as you can easily find deals like used tires and those on sale as well.

Sports

Recognize marketing deception (fraud?) before becoming a victim

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Lately, I’ve been listening to a certain radio ad bombing the New York subway news station that I enjoy listening to. The reason I like this station is simple: It’s smart, it’s interesting, and it carries John Sterling/Susan Waldman Yankee commentary during the games of the season.

However, this particular radio ad strikes me as so full of misleading marketing language that it gives me goosebumps every time it plays. Not only does it give my profession a bad name, but I may be tricking thousands of resourceful consumers into signing up and becoming victims of what I almost consider to be fraud. But, too cleverly manipulative for that, he probably can’t even be found guilty of deceit, since all the statements made are true. But it is definitely misleading unsuspecting listeners to interpret these “true” statements as a good reason to respond to the ad and commit to the advertised service, only to later discover the naivety of their gullible decision to do so.

Let me explain: The ad starts out as an overbearing ad that claims it can save American car owners thousands of dollars in auto repair bills. As long as you have less than 200,000 miles on your car (like most people), you’ll never have to pay a repair bill out of pocket again! The advertiser will pay for you. If you’re sick and tired of spending your hard-earned money on car repairs, call to see if you qualify! (This places the onus on you to prove that you are one of the eligible owners of a car with less than 200,000 miles who can take advantage of this scam to trick you into buying.)

You can even keep your own mechanic or auto repair service and have the advertiser pay the bills for you. This includes all of the most advanced auto tech repairs you could ever need! (Again, they say this to throw you off course, so think about what kinds of repairs your car may need now or in the future and whether you’ll qualify.) So far, everything they’ve said with the possible exception of “saving you thousands of dollars” has been true. That is until you read between the lines.

No, you won’t spend your hard-earned money on your car repair bill. Instead, you will spend your hard-earned money to pay them a fee to represent you and pay your car repair bill for you. And while they claim you can save a lot of money, you may actually be paying more if you make them a middleman. After all, they are in business to make money. They won’t do this for nothing. And how can they be paying for these expensive radio ads on such a powerful New York station? Just through the responses of hundreds of unsuspecting customers signing up en masse.

So what do you get from this? Maybe a lot of trouble if you sign a contract and don’t pay your fee, and who knows what else! They probably make it seem like they’re giving you a great service by guaranteeing they’ll pay for your car repair on your old clunker (with less than 200,000 miles), allowing you to keep driving and hopefully going to work (if you still have a job) while they wait for you to cover the (possibly late) bill with interest.

I’m guessing at all the finer details, but you can see the risks I’m pointing out. I remember hearing about a similar fraudulent attempt by another car payment company in the past few years that was distributed through the mail. I later received a series of telemarketing calls about it. Now, I’m hearing this ad from a different company on the radio. Could it be the same organization operating under a different name? And ironically, as soon as I recognized it, I suddenly don’t listen to it anymore, which may also be part of their formula: run it for a short time to rack up new customers and then disappear into thin air, so to speak. These are the kind of questions I ask, as I’m naturally suspicious of marketing claims that raise these kinds of red flags.

The concept is much like the service a credit card offers: You pay with plastic, then pay the credit card company with interest for their generosity in allowing you to pay over time. But we all know the enormous risk that implies, as a nation and as a world, insoluble economic problems wherever you look at it! If you’re one of the unlucky people who’s lost the privilege of using some or all of your credit cards, this car repair payment service ad might sound pretty appealing, especially if old Bertha is making horrible noises and putting on jeopardize your journey. But I urge you to tread carefully and carry a big stick.

So what exactly are the laws regarding false advertising? According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection, there are three attributes that determine whether an ad is false or unfair:

1. If it offends public order;
2. If it is immoral, unethical, oppressive or unscrupulous; Prayed,
3. if it substantially harms consumers.

This last point is considered the most important when weighing whether the advertisement is false or disloyal, and the damage to the customer is usually based on the loss of money as a result of a purchase that would never have been made if the advertisement had not been misleading in the first place. False statements are determined by whether they are false on their face; or if they are implicitly false. In my opinion, the above radio ad may be making a blatantly false claim that it can save you huge sums of money if you use their service. However, with a clever twist of interpretation, that statement could be held true if they attribute their savings to payments made directly to auto repair providers.

If you’re not paying your mechanic directly for your car repairs, you are essentially saving that money. However, you will need to use that “saved” money to pay the auto repair payment company that will pay your mechanic for you, regardless of how misleadingly they are advertising their service. Does this seem ethical to you? Also, I think the ad says “can save you” instead of “will save you”, implying that there may be other conditions involved that you need to meet to ensure your claim can perform as stated.

Based on the complaints the FTC receives, some consistent themes emerge, most often about undisclosed costs and conditions. Responsible radio advertisers avoid legal trouble simply by adding a statement like “Restrictions may apply,” while some overzealous advertisers spend a good percentage of the radio ad’s time explaining in detail a long rant of disclosures delivered at the speed of light, making it virtually impossible to understand what is being said. Depending on the space available, the FTC advises advertisers using visual media to disclose details “clearly and conspicuously.” If space is limited, perhaps the 3-word disclaimer mentioned above might suffice, but the small type and deliberately ambiguous terminology are frowned upon.

What the FTC allows or regulates appears to be a somewhat gray area with decisions depending on whether the ad is national or regional in scope; if you represent an industry regulated by another branch of government (such as airlines, banks, insurance companies, public transportation companies, and companies that sell securities and commodities); or if it can be resolved by some other more local agency like the Better Business Bureau. As stated above, the most important thing for the FTC seems to be issues related to harm to the consumer, whether to “health, safety, or wallet.”

Penalties for non-compliance can be severe and range from a simple “cease and desist” order which, if not properly obeyed, amounts to as much as $16,000 per day for further violations; to fines reaching millions of dollars where applicable, sometimes requiring refunds to consumers affected by the offending ad; to post new ads and contact customers to correct previously misleading information.

If an advertisement has harmed you in any way as a result of deceptive practices, you have the right to file a complaint with the FTC and contact an attorney. If the offending ad is broad enough, your case may be considered suitable for a class action lawsuit, involving many plaintiffs other than yourself. Keep in mind, however, that no matter how noble your attorneys’ representation may seem in such cases, it is generally the attorneys who stand to gain the most in class action lawsuits.

What if you think a competitor’s ad is misleading? You have a few options, some or all of which you can follow:

1. You can contact an attorney to explore whether you should sue for unfair competition by making misleading claims in advertisements.

2. You may file a complaint with the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, which investigates and resolves such disputes both nationally and regionally.

3. If the ad is local, you can contact your local Better Business Bureau to file a complaint.

4. You may contact the print or broadcast outlet where the advertisement was published to report your suspicion of the misleading nature of the advertisement.

5. You can contact your state Attorney General’s Office or your city, county, or state Office of Consumer Affairs to report the problem.

6. Finally, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580; or call: toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP.

As a piece of advice from a marketing expert, if you are an advertiser using vagueness, or worse, duplicity, to camouflage the full truth of your message, keep this in mind:

“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” -Benjamin Franklin

Translation: An unsatisfied customer will share their unpleasant experience not only with their friends and family, but will also spread bad words about you on blogs, forums, and chat rooms, giving your business a negative reputation it can never live on . today’s Google-dominated universe. If your publicity mischief was unintentional, it will be far less expensive to try to win back the loyalty of a dissatisfied customer with a valid complaint than it will be to weather the devastating winter of their discontent.