July, 2008

general — No Comments
22
Jul 08

Holiday Shopping Online – Delivery Rules For Your Orders

Holiday shopping online has taken a lot of stress out the holiday season with one exception. What if your order doesn’t show up on time? Here are the delivery rules.

Holiday Shopping Prompt Delivery Rules

The Internet is the fastest growing source of holiday gifts orders. The FTC, however, has received complaints in the past about gifts not being delivered on time. To stop this, the agency has set down rules for Internet retailers.

The FTC has issues directives spelling out the ground rules for making promises about shipments, notifying consumers about unexpected delays, and refunding consumers’ money. Enforced by the FTC, the Mail or Telephone Order Rule applies to orders placed by phone, fax or the Internet.

Delivery Rules

By law, an Internet retailer must have a reasonable basis for stating that a product can be shipped within a certain time. If their advertising doesn’t clearly and prominently state the shipment period, they must have a reasonable basis for believing they can ship within 30 days. Most retailers, however, will promise much shorter times, even a few days if you agree to extra shipping costs.

If a retailer runs into inventory problems and can’t ship within the promised time, it must notify you of the delay. The retailer must also provide a revised shipment date and explain your right to cancel and get a full and prompt refund. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Your Response

For definite delays of up to 30 days, a retailer can treat a customer’s silence as agreeing to the delay. But for longer or indefinite delays – and second and subsequent delays a retailer must get the customer’s written, electronic or verbal consent to the delay. If you tell the retailer to pound sand, they must promptly refund all of your money.

FTC Takes Care of You

The FTC takes a very aggressive stance towards retailers who fail to deliver orders on time. This is particularly true if a retailer blows it during the Christmas season. Millions of dollars in fines are handed out each year.

Summary

If you order gifts online, keep notes on when you ordered and expect delivery. Also, keep an eye out for emails from the retailer, particularly since they may end up in your spam box. If nothing comes from the retailer, get on the phone and find out what is going on. Taking these steps will keep the kinks out of your online holiday shopping experience.

general — No Comments
12
Jul 08

Two Dangers Which Cause Stress And Distress Are Debt And Adultery – Avoid Them

Whatever is going on when people know these two matters create such harm, hurt and havoc if not controlled and contained? They cause stress and there is a way to sidestep the growing catastrophe.

The dangerous month of December has come and gone for another year! But it will soon be round once more. Perhaps I should not concentrate on December, but that is when these two problems appear to reach their tragic height.

Because of what is going on in the ‘economic world’ and in the ‘moral world’, I was asked by someone who deals with the massive problem of debt, “Write again on debt”. All right. He asked so I will.

Let me deal with debt first. It is an issue, escalating out of all proportion.

The month of December is when more and more people incur debts, which can take months and occasionally even years to repay all depending upon the size of the debt.

But, of course, this applies to most months of the year. It just appears to be highlighted in December.

The burden is immense, causing stress, worry and worse.

I recall standing at a bus stop and overhearing two women in conversation where one said to her friend, “I have just finished repaying last year’s Christmas presents.” It was November, and she was about to start buying and buying and buying, and digging another ‘debt hole’.

Paralysing debt causes serious arguments, distress and trouble.

People get into debt for all kinds of reasons but especially when presented with special terms and offers that are appealingly tempting. Warning signals should be sounding!

There are companies popping up offering to resolve this matter of individual debt, and in some cases the problem is compounded.

How do you escape this imprisoning net? It is not easy once you are in it.

It is possible to escape and one very simple way of avoiding debt is to say clearly, adamantly and specifically, “I am not buying that, and the reason is quite simple – I can’t afford it.”

Now, that will take courage!

It is possible to resist that temptation to buy things which you know are beyond your means, and most people are aware that certain purchases are outwith their means, and very often they are totally unnecessary.

Like alcohol, we are shown the apparently attractive side, and the deceptively costly angle is cleverly hidden.

Plastic cards are subtly misleading. It was over 30 years ago when someone said to me as I was about to receive my first credit card – “Remember that whatever you buy using one of these ultimately has to be paid!” That was timely advice.

Almighty God has something very real and highly practical to say about debt. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.” You will find that in the Book of Romans, at Chapter 13, and you will not discover better advice anywhere.

This is a decision which an individual has to make. It is best made when things are quiet and calm. Sometimes the decision is not easy, but it will be a wise decision and most worthwhile.

It is possible to refuse to get into debt. It is possible to make that hard decision so that you and your family will not be burdened by debt.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with emotion. It has nothing to do with how we are feeling. It has nothing to with keeping up with the neighbours or thinking that you have to provide expensive gifts for those around you. It is a quiet calm cool decision which an individual deliberately makes.

Discover what God teaches regarding debt and it will save you from months of upset, anxiety, sleepless nights and painful heartache.

What positive advice is there? Well, I cannot improve upon this. Pay your tithes and offerings to God, your taxes to the government, and whatever you might owe your neighbour, no matter who your neighbour might be.

Debt can be avoided if a deliberate decision is made. Let me encourage you to do so.

May I also encourage you to avoid this equally disastrous area.

Adultery is another major December danger, where the ‘office party’ or ‘works outing’ is often the scene of the sin, causing embarrassment, havoc and hurt. Sadly and again tragically, like debt, this can can happen in any of the other months as well.

Apart from the rapid increase in sexual diseases going around, consider the damage done to children, who are quick to discern that something has been destroyed. Children know. Children know more than we are aware of at times, and some never recover.

Jesus Christ came to rescue us from debt and adultery, and so much more. He came to rescue us from all types of sin.

Listening to Jesus does not restrict or limit. He releases us and delivers us from these entrapments. He does not want to spoil our fun, but would have us enjoy life to the full.

This results in perfect freedom, saving us from unnecessary bills and excruciating pain – and yes, embarrassment and guilt!

Sandy Shaw

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2
Jul 08

March Madness Picks and Crystal Balls

Just after the flurry and the hurry for the Christmas holidays, people are again riding the thrill of the NCAA season. They’re not the only ones out there rooting and cheering for their favorite teams. The handicapping experts are again looking through their NCAA crystal balls for the March Madness picks to predict conference winners while speeding towards the last four showdowns.

Are You In?

College alumni and in-college students are again united, never mind political affiliations, to cheer their college to victory on the final showdown in March. Alice’s March Hare will be stunned to see much madness going around in college hard courts and tailgate parties.

Perhaps you’re not into the game, but the following drives you mad:

* Stunning cheerleaders with short costumes;

* New slam dunk heroes;

* Tailgate parties with lots of booze and grilled delights;

* Cool sports get-ups from head to toe;

* Soaring sales of NCAA goodies.

Whether you’re in or out, the March Madness picks will seep into your bones, into your home, and into little sleepy downtown areas in town. There’s no room for you to stay away from the NCAA fever. You can only catch the infection and have fun.

Crazy Busy Crystal Ball Season

But who’s going to take this year’s crown of the champions? Crystal ball gazers are now peering into the ball hoping to catch sight of the March champions, or just to find a load of March Madness picks. The countdown to March 18 is driving college basketball fans crazy and the crystal balls should deliver March Madness picks until the final four showdown in April 5-7. Would Memphis hold on to their staying power? Will Indiana survive the Sampson scandal? These are just a few of the questions the crystal balls have to answer – FAST.

Other critical questions revolve around the latest hard court performance. Now that Oregon has been humbled by UCLA, the fight for the championship berth and seeding is taking its toll on obviously physically drained conference champs.

The crystal ball will have to be careful because the underdogs still have a zesty fight in them. Now that Oklahoma is in, there will be fiercer battles now that the vindicated Oklahoma Sooners are up and ready to squeeze in a few more fights. Looking at the Cougars, will their center, Baines, perform another igniting performance?

Crystal Ball and Handicapping Experts

For the next Saturdays’ games check out the ranking. You can have a crack at crystal ball gazing. Check out the individual players, team strength and weaknesses, and track record. Track your strong contenders until the last game to qualify for the big finals. Don’t dismiss the small honchos. They can still upset your best bets. That’s a part of the March Madness picks and the headaches of crystal ball gazers.

Handicapping experts will be over the scene with their strong forecasts, and wading through free NCAA basketball tips can be a frustrating exercise when you have no time to browse and evaluate the free tips. If you’re like the thousands out there who can’t distinguish a loser from the champion, reputable basketball handicapping sites can make your life easier. They have the software and the crystal ball to predict the NCAA future, bets wise.

Instead of wasting your time guessing, get the handicapping experts to do the predictions. Watch the games on Saturday nights with friends and relax. But before you lose yourself into the craziness, get those tickets to the dome before these are all sold out. This is one prediction that will come true.