Opinion

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Written by: Rebecca Harpster

Published: 23 November 2017

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Enticed by price cuts on electronics, toys, and everything in between, consumers flock to stores in the hopes of completing their holiday shopping in one chaotic, and savings-filled, day.

According the National Retail Federation, 164 million Americans plan to shop during the 2017 Thanksgiving weekend, and holiday retail sales are expected to increase to $682 billion.

With that much money on the table, businesses are doing all they can to attract customers and stand out from the competition.

However, it’s important to do your research: in 2016, consumers nationwide filed more than 1,300 complaints with BBB against retail stores.

Completing your holiday shopping while sticking to a budget is hard enough, so let your BBB help you navigate the complexities of Black Friday with these tips.

Do your research

Before doing business anywhere, make sure to look up the company at bbb.org to see their BBB Business Profile, which includes information about the business, their complaint history, BBB Customer Reviews, and any major advertising issues.

It’s also smart to look up prices, find deals, and comparison shop online before the main event so that you can go in with a game plan.

Make sure to read product reviews of potential purchases before heading out so that you don’t have any regrets.

Protect your identity

Identity theft can happen at any time, and fraudsters might try to take advantage of the swell of shoppers on Black Friday.

It’s OK to use public Wi-Fi to read product reviews and check out businesses on www.bbb.org, but be careful entering any personal information when connected. Steer clear of online banking and social media – your login information could be stolen. It’s also important to be aware of your surroundings and watch your wallet – someone might try to snatch it while you’re occupied comparing TVs.

Watch out for deceptive advertising

You’re bound to see ads for deals that seem too good to be true. Unfortunately, some of these advertisements may be misleading at best and fraudulent at worst.

Make sure to read the fine print, as ads often come with a multitude of restrictions. BBB’s AdTruth campaign can help you identify and avoid common schemes and highlights bad ads. If you see false advertising while out shopping you can report it at www.bbb.org/council/ad-truth/ as well.

Read up on return and exchange policies

Before you make a purchase, make sure you understand the return and exchange policies, and keep your receipts in one place in case you need to take something back.

Some stores may not let you return specific “final sale” items, charge restocking fees, or only refund you in store credit.

If you’re shopping for presents, get gift receipts and save all warranty information in case a problem occurs.

Watch out for phishing

You’re bound to receive emails from brands advertising huge sales. But be careful, some might be phishing.

Fraudsters can create fake, look-alike business Web sites to trick you into entering credit card information, so search for the company’s Web site independently instead of clicking on any link.

Be careful clicking on links on social media or from unfamiliar or unsolicited senders, and look up businesses you don’t know on www.bbb.org before engaging with them.

Check out www.bbb.org to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, report a scam, read tips, follow them on social media and more.

Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

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Written by: Greg Dill

Published: 18 November 2017

If you have Medicare, you can protect your identity and help prevent health care fraud by guarding your Medicare card like you would a credit card.

Identity theft arising from stolen Medicare numbers is becoming more common. Medicare is in the process of removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and replacing them with a new, unique number for each person with Medicare.

Medicare will mail new Medicare cards with the new numbers between April 2018 and April 2019.

The new card won’t change your Medicare coverage or benefits. And there's no charge for your new card.

But watch out for scammers!

Thieves may try to get your current Medicare number and other personal information by contacting you about your new Medicare card. They may claim to be from Medicare and use various phony pitches to get your Medicare number, such as:

– Asking you to confirm your Medicare or Social Security number so they can send you a new card.
– Telling you there's a charge for your new card and they need to verify your personal information.
– Threatening to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your Medicare number or other personal information.

Don’t fall for any of this.

Don’t share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or by approaching you in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance.

Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in these situations:

– A Medicare health or drug plan can call you if you’re already a member of the plan. The agent who helped you join can also call you.
– A customer service representative from 1-800-MEDICARE can call if you’ve called and left a message or a representative said that someone would call you back.

Only give personal information like your Medicare number to doctors, insurers acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare, like counselors from the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare number or other personal information, hang up and call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

There are other steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft that can lead to health care fraud.

Don’t ever let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare number. And review your Medicare Summary Notice to be sure you and Medicare are being charged only for items and services you actually received.

We’re in the midst of Medicare open enrollment season right now. This is the time every year when you can sign up for, switch, or drop a Medicare health plan (Part C) or a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D). Open enrollment ends Dec. 7.

Scam artists often try to take advantage of open enrollment season. So if someone calls and tries to get you to sign up for a Medicare plan, keep in mind there are no “early bird discounts” or “limited time offers.”

Don’t let anyone rush you to enroll by claiming you need to “act now for the best deal.” And be skeptical of promises of free gifts, free medical services, discount packages or any offer that sounds too good to be true.
It probably is.

To learn more about protecting yourself from identity theft and health care fraud, visit www.Medicare.gov/fraud or contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (www.smpresource.org).

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Details

Written by: Bruno Sabatier

Published: 12 October 2017

Please know that all agencies involved are doing their best to prepare for the repopulation of the areas that are still under mandatory evacuation.

It has been a slow day today as half of our resources have been taken away to deal with fires that are currently threatening other residential areas.

For the most part from what I saw today taking a boat tour with the sheriffs, there were only a few hot spots left on the Clearlake area of the fire, but there were more very visible hotspots in the Elem Tribe area on the north and northeastern part of our peninsula.

Be vigilant if you live in this area, just in case that something flares back up as the winds are blowing at a decent speed.

I have not heard of any reason to be frightened or panicked about the situation, just make sure you have a full battery charge on your phone, gas in your car, just in case something does happen.

I just woke up from a long nap that obviously my body and mind needed to deal with the lack of sleep that I've endured, as well as others, during the past couple of days. I know I've been trying my best, as have many others, to keep you posted on the fire status, but I have not had the chance to say my thank yous.

To our local Fire Departments, CalFire, and local police enforcement, your efforts at saving lives, and saving homes are beyond outstanding. I have watched you working tirelessly day in and day out until we reach 100% containment. You are organized, you are thoughtful and the respect given is incredible. I'll quote one of the officers that came to help when we asked what their agency was willing to do. "You tell us what we need to do we're here to help you in any way we can. This is your house and we're here to help." Thank you.

To our Salvation Army, Red Cross, Twin Pine Casino and Grace Church, your volunteerism to help those displaced by fire is honorable and memorable. You are our first line in supporting people's hierarchy of needs. Mental support, food, sleep, and you even helped with the animals. I can't thank you enough. I want to single out Twin Pine Casino for being our rock through each and every fire in our county. You don't even blink an eye before you say "yes, we need to help." Thank you.

To our city staff here in Clearlake. We had Public Works, our Parks Department, Code Enforcement and more working 12-hour shifts all through the night and day to keep those barricades up. I know from doing my own barricade at Burns Valley near the public library and helping at the Lakeshore and Olympic barricade that it is a difficult task to hear everyone's story as to why they need to go back into the evac zone. You are possibly the most hated in this event as you are the ones holding people back from going back to the lives they believe they may have lost, but your efforts kept people safe, kept people's homes safe, and provided the space needed for our first responders and agencies to complete the work to get people back home as soon as possible. Thank you.

Last but not least, I want to single out some people. Russ Perdock, Phil Harris, Nick Bennett and Joyce Overton, Greg Folsom, Tim Celli and Doug Herren. Because of you, the process to repopulate was done days in advance of what we originally estimated would happen. Because of you, communication to the public was constant and the organization of the town hall meetings allowed evacuees and residents to know what was happening.

I know that I worked and stood side by side with Russ and Phil for more than 16 hours each day, sometimes even longer, especially on day one. Thank you. This is the type of leadership that Clearlake needs.

While some have found their homes intact and have repopulated others are still waiting to go home or waiting to look at what is left of their homes. We all have friends that have lost something in this fire and it's important that we support one another.

Even the roller coaster ride of not knowing and finally finding your home intact requires a certain amount of support. Support is not needed only for those who have lost something.

We all know each other in this city, let's hold each other up, let's offer one another a hand. I say this not only for moral and mental support, but also for physical support. In the days ahead we are already preparing for a cleanup effort. It will be vital to get this done ASAP so that our lake and our environment does not get any more negatively affected by this fire.

Lend a shoulder, and lend a hand when and wherever you can when the opportunity arises. Make sure to stop and thank those people above that I mentioned. I am so proud to have worked with them. I am filled with sadness in my heart as I've held close friends in my arms who have lost homes in this fire, but we have been brought closer together than any other time I've ever felt.

To those in Middletown, Lower Lake, Cobb, and other fire survivors. I thought I empathized and understood your emotions and your experiences. I lied, I thought I did, but I didn't. I have never wanted to cry as much as I have in the past two days knowing that we can feel that helpless when faced with such danger. I understand, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this fire and all previous fires.

Lastly, to those unknown heroes who helped their neighbors, or took a boat from across the lake to help save people in harm's way, or those who randomly brought food and water to evacuees. Your love in your hearts will never be forgotten and I can't thank you enough.

Stay strong, be safe, and let's keep our neighboring brothers and sisters in our thoughts and in our hearts as they battle other blazes that surround us.

Sorry so long, but my mind has been busy with my thoughts.

Bruno Sabatier is vice mayor of the city of Clearlake, Calif., which has suffered significant loss during the Sulphur fire.