The Ultimate Consumer Resource Guide

Ultimate Consumer Guide 1

Below you will find a comprehensive collection of our consumer resources. We encourage you to comment on articles in the guide and share your solutions and advice with other consumers.

Energy

Your consumer guide to everything energy!

Electricity

Below you will find helpful consumer information related to electricity

Understanding Your Electric Bill

Have questions about your gas or electric bill? Or wonder how all those charges are calculated? Then this is the place to go!

The two tariffs applicable to reading your Residential SDG&E bill are the
Domestic Residential Tariff [1] and Electric Energy Commodity Charge.

*Line item components updated 9/21/2011.

The first part of the bill is composed of the Residential Tariff noted above.

Total Usage: This amount, listed in kilowatt hours (kWh), shows how much electricity your meter registered for the billing cycle. A rough average of a single family San Diego home is about 624 kWh per month, according to information [2] from the California Energy Commission.

Baseline Allowance: This allowance is the threshold amount of energy that is billed at a lower rate than the non-baseline amount. Oftentimes, a residential user will have 249 kWh as a baseline allowance. Any electricity consumption above this threshold will be billed at a higher, non-baseline rate per kWh. The Baseline Allowance is supposed to meet 50 to 60% of your home's electricity consumption. The Baseline Allowance is determined by four things: The climate zone in which the account is located, whether the home is all-electric or uses both Natural Gas and electricity (see page two [3]), number of days in the billing cycle, and whether it is summer or winter.

You may be eligible for an increased baseline allowance if you or someone in your home uses a medical device that runs on electricity. For m information about the Medical Baseline Allowance. [4]

Baseline Usage: If your total usage is greater than the baseline allowance, your baseline usage will be the baseline allowance; any remainder will be your non-baseline usage. If your total usage is less than the baseline allowance, your baseline usage will be your total usage and you will have no residual usage billed at the higher, non-baseline rate.

If total usage > baseline usage, then baseline usage = baseline allowance
If total usage < baseline allowance, then baseline usage = total usage
In this example, the baseline usage is 249 kWh and the non-baseline usage is 500 - 249 or 251 kWh

The overall rate that you pay for the baseline usage is listed on your bill. For instance, your bill may look like this:

Baseline Usage 249 kWh @ $.06326

This indicates how much you were paying per kilowatt hour (about 6.3¢) for your baseline allowance. This rate is determined from the line items below the Total Electric Charges, such as Transmission, Distribution, etc. to determine the Baseline Usage Rate per kWh. In this instance, the total charges for Baseline Usage are $15.75.

Non-Baseline Usage: If your total usage is greater than the baseline allowance, any additional amount is considered to be your Non-Baseline Usage. This is billed at a higher rate than the Baseline Usage. Your bill may look something like this:

Non-Baseline Usage 251 kWh @ $.08781

This indicates how much you were paying per kilowatt hour (about 8.8¢) for your non-baseline usage. This rate is also determined from the line items below the Total Electric Charges, such as Transmission, Distribution, etc. The slight difference between the Baseline and Non-Baseline charges is due to an increase in the Distribution and Transmission charges for Non-Baseline kilowatt-hours. In this instance, the total charges for Non-Baseline Usage are $22.04.

So, the total bill is calculated as $15.75 + $22.04, or $37.79, plus the actual cost of electricity, which is listed as the Electric Energy Charge minus the Electric Energy Rate Adjustment. If you take the Energy Charge, subtract the Rate Adjustment and then divide this by your total kWh, you should find that you are being charged $.065 (6.5¢) for the market price, which is the current capped rate for SDG&E customers. This price is an average of the market value of electricity that the State's Dept. of Water Resources is currently purchasing on behalf of consumers for your billing cycle. Yes, this is a big chunk of change. In fact, if you meet certain low-income guidelines, you can qualify for the California Alternate Rates for Electricity [5], or CARE Program.

Line Item Components

Electric Energy: This is the actual price you are charged for electricity. In California, the price of electricity used to be wholly determined by supply and demand, but given the upheaval in the electricity market that has been experienced for the last year, the State's Dept. of Water Resources has locked in long term contracts. The average rate of those contracts has been hovering just above our capped rate for the last month and is shown on your bill. The price for electricity fluctuates on a day-by-day and hour-by-hour market structure. The price you are charged on your bill is the average price for which electricity was selling over the duration of your billing cycle.

SDG&E and all other private California utilities must buy the electricity for all of their customers from the Dept. of Water Resources. If you are a typical residential customer, this price for electricity is then averaged over the number of days in your billing cycle. SDG&E makes these average rates available. For which ever week you want to view, the current residential rate is listed near the bottom of all the different kinds of accounts and is listed as "Residential--Secondary--Total" for 29 to 35 days (5 weeks) in the billing cycle. Or you can count the eighth line up from the bottom.

Electric Energy Rate Adjustment: This credit comes about because of the legislated rate cap implemented in September, 2000. Now that the commodity price of electricity is capped at 6.5¢, the rate adjustment credits back the difference between the market price listed under the Electric Energy Charge and the capped rate for the total amount of kWh on your bill. For those customers who are with alternative providers (ESPs), you will not see this rate adjustment on your billl.

How do you make sure the adjustment was properly calculated? Take the market price from your bill and subtract $.065. Take this difference and multiply if by your kWh. This rate adjustment is what is being incurred in the balancing account that will be have to be repaid in the not-too-distant future.

Transmission: This is the cost to bring high-voltage electricity from power plants to distribution points near to you and includes the cost of high-voltage power lines and towers, as well as monitoring equipment.

SDG&E is the company that paid for the construction of the transmission grid back when it was the local, regulated utility. No other companies were allowed to generate their own electricity and build their own grid, since that would be redundant. Now that SDG&E is no longer in the business of generating power, it receives revenue by charging for transmitting electric energy from the power plant to consumers over its grid.

Transmission charge = Total Usage X $.02072 / kWh

Distribution: This charge is the cost to deliver electricity through power lines strung on utility poles, across transformers, to where you use it. This charge also includes repair crews and emergency services. Basically, this charge reflects any extensions from the transmission grid to your home and the maintenance of keeping you connected to the grid.

Distribution charge = (Baseline usage x $.08202 / kWh) + (Nonbaseline usage x $.09130 / kWh)

Public Purpose Programs: This cost provides for state-mandated assistance programs for low-income customers and energy-efficiency efforts.

Public Purpose Programs = Total usage x $.00622 / kWh

Nuclear Decommissioning: Nuclear power was once the wave of the future for power generation. In hindsight, however, the risks and costs associated with producing electricity in this fashion far outweigh the benefits of this form of "cheap" energy. SDG&E previously invested in nuclear power and subsequently bills this charge to recover the additional costs and stranded assets associated with nuclear power.

Nuclear Decommissioning = Total usage x $.00040

Trust Transfer Amount (TTA): This is a bond repayment charge, the same bond that was recently paid off 2.5 years early by SDG&E and from which customers will be receiving a refund. At the time, SDG&E purchased $650 million in bonds, of which they only subsequently needed $260 million. Therefore, the additional $390 million is being returned to the people who paid for it, averaging $260 for most customers. However, all SDG&E customers will be paying off the interest from this bond.

Trust Transfer Amt. = Total usage x $.01077 / kWh

Competition Transition Charge (CTC): When California had only regulated, monopolies as utility providers, utilities made investments in what was then new forms of power production and long-term power contracts. Those costs have always been recovered in the electric rates charged to consumers and by the revenue created from the contracts. So, in essence, this charge has always been on your bill. Now, however, in California’s deregulated utility industry, private utilities like SDG&E recover their assets that are "stranded" in these investments through the CTC charge, and thus can remain competitive in the new market. This charge will be phased out in four years.

Competition Transition charge = (Baseline usage x $.00194 / kWh)

The amounts of each line item above, when added up, should equal the Total Electric Charge amount shown under your baseline and non-baseline usages. So, you should get the exact same total in two places, which assures consumers that they are being billed appropriately (or confuses the heck out of them).

Getting Assistance With Your Electricity Bill

Want to save big on your electricity bill? These programs can help. Read more to find out if you qualify.

The programs below could help you save big on your electricity bill. Click on the links to find out if you qualify.

California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE)

Find out if you qualify for a 15% discount on your SDG&E bill under the California Alternate Rates for Energy program.

If you meet certain eligibility guidelines, you may receive a 20% discount on your SDG&E bill. To qualify for the California Alternate Rates for Energy program (CARE), the "total combined annual income" for your household is determined by all money and non-cash benefits available for living expenses from all sources, both taxable and non-taxable, before deductions for all people who live in your home. The SDG&E bill the residence must be in the name of the person filling out the application, and the application must be renewed upon request.

If you apply for the CARE Program, please be advised that SDG&E has the right to verify your income with payroll stubs and tax forms. In addition, income information may be shared with your other energy utility, if applicable. Call SDG&E at (800) 411 - 7343 to ask for a CARE application and be sure to send your application to SDG&E via certified mail.

Income limits are effective June 1, 2008, through May 31, 2009
Maximum Household Income

Number of persons in Household	Total Combined Annual Income
1 or 2	$30,500
3	$35,800
4	$43,200
5	$50,600
6	$58,000
Add $7,400 for each additional person

If you qualify, click here [9] for the application that you can print and mail in.

If you qualify for CARE, then you also qualify for having a free energy audit for your residence with free energy conservation upgrades! If you are a senior who is 60 years old or older are, you can earn more than the CARE guidelines and still qualify for the free home energy audit. Click here [10] for more information about The Energy Team.

To apply, contact your utility company directly:

PG&E [11]: 1-866-PGE-CARE (1-866-743-2273)
SDG&E [12]: 1-800-411-SDGE (7343)
Edison [13]: 1-800-447-6620
SoCalGas [14]: 1-800-427-2200

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

Many utility customers in the SDG&E territory are on a fixed income or simply don't earn enough to cover the monthly increases and fluctuations in their bills. If anyone is in this category, there are several agencies that can be contacted for help. Applicants must have an SDG&E gas and/or electric account in their name or must living at a residence served by SDG&E. This would be the name shown on the energy bill, social security card, proof of income, etc. If a husband and wife are living together in the same household, the bill may be in either name without affecting eligibility. The following relief funds are only applicable to current outstanding balances and cannot be applied to deposits, but can be applied to reconnection charges and other fees included in the monthly bill.

In general, the following income guidelines apply to the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), though as noted below, these guidelines may be waived given certain circumstances.

Maximum Household Income

Number in Household Total Monthly Income
1 $1,804
2 $2,359
3 $2,914
4 $3,469
5 $4,024
6 $4,579
7 $4,716

These funds are also available for residents of apartment buildings and mobile home parks, but such residents will need to know the master meter account number from the property manager. The customer must also contact their manager to ensure they receive the amount credited to the master meter account.

HEAP
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides non-emergency financial assistance one time annually only to qualifying low-income consumers. This takes 10 to 12 weeks to process and applications are made to an agency according to zip code. This program is administered either through Campesino Unidos, Inc. (CUI) or through Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC) Program, depending on the zip code of the customer.

In general, CUI (Campesinos Unidos, Inc.) is for people who live in North County, Imperial Valley, Orange County and San Diego. The Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC) is intended for South Bay and East County residents, including El Cajon and Santee. To sign up for HEAP at MAAC, the agency must be called usually early Monday morning. CUI has more funding and you call them anytime. Funds are limited. Certain low-income guidelines must be met and the recipient cannot have used HEAP within the last year (though this can be waived). This program assists with the current outstanding utility bill balance and in turn, the recipient must attend a class on how to conserve energy. The agencies listed below administer HEAP funds by zip code [15]. If you want to make sure you're calling the right agency, call the Dept. of Community Services and Development at 211 (the new social service hotline for referral).

CUI ______

800-371-1380 or 3771

MAAC

619-409-8582

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR

If you do not meet the low-income guidelines for HEAP or do not have a valid Social Security number, but have a temporary hardship such as the ones below, you're a good candidate for the Neighbor to Neighbor program. This is an SDG&E program but the best way to contact would be to dial 211 and ask for assistance and they will help direct you to either HEAP or Neighbor to Neighbor whichever is more applicable.

There are some mitigating circumstances that might make you eligible for Neighbor to Neighbor funds if you are above the HEAP income guidelines. For example, you might be facing:

Illness
--Serious illness of a life threatening nature
--Person with emphysema, arthritis or other chronic condition, where use of air conditioning is a factor

Temporary Unemployment
--Verification from employer or Employment Development Department
--Disabled or over age 60
--Person with income above HEAP limits, yet very limited income and no alternative sources of funds

These and other circumstances might qualify you for the Neighbor to Neighbor program, but not the HEAP program, so make sure you explore both.

HEAP Contact Info

Zip Code	Agency to Contact for HEAP Funds	Zip Code	Agency to Contact for HEAP Funds	Zip Code	Agency to Contact for HEAP Funds	Zip Code	Agency to Contact for HEAP Funds
91901	MAAC	91980	MAAC	92064	CUI	92114	MAAC
91902	MAAC	92003	CUI	92065	CUI	92115	CUI
91903	MAAC	92004	CUI	92066	MAAC	92116	CUI
91905	MAAC	92007	CUI	92067	CUI	92117	CUI
91906	MAAC	92008	MAAC	92068	CUI	92118	CUI
91910	MAAC	92014	MAAC	92069	CUI	92119	CUI
91911	MAAC	92019	MAAC	92070	CUI	92120	CUI
91913	MAAC	92020	MAAC	92071	MAAC	92121	CUI
91915	MAAC	92021	MAAC	92075	CUI	92122	CUI
91916	MAAC	92022	CUI	92082	CUI	92123	CUI
91917	MAAC	92024	CUI	92083	CUI	92124	CUI
91931	MAAC	92025	CUI	92086	CUI	92125	MAAC
91932	MAAC	92026	CUI	92101	CUI	92126	CUI
91934	MAAC	92027	CUI	92102	CUI	92127	CUI
91935	MAAC	92028	CUI	92103	CUI	92128	CUI
91941	CUI	92036	CUI	92104	CUI	92129	CUI
91945	CUI	92037	CUI	92105	CUI	92131	CUI
91947	MAAC	92040	MAAC	92106	CUI	92133	CUI
91948	MAAC	92053	MAAC	92107	CUI	92135	MAAC
91950	MAAC	92054	CUI	92108	CUI	92137	CUI
91962	MAAC	92055	CUI	92108	CUI	92139	CUI
91963	MAAC	92056	CUI	92110	CUI	92145	CUI
91977	MAAC	92059	CUI	92111	CUI	92154	MAAC
91978	MAAC	92060	CUI	92112	CUI	92173	MAAC
91979	MAAC	92061	CUI	92113	MAAC

Medical Baseline Allowance

Have a medical device requiring electricity? Find out how to take advantage of the medical baseline allowance inside.

Medical Baseline Allowance

If you have a medical device that uses electricity, SDG&E has a medical baseline allowance that provides additional energy for the appliance at the baseline electricity rate. Anyone with a medical need can apply for medical baseline allowance. Residential consumers usually receive approximately a baseline allowance and any additional energy is billed at a higher, non-baseline rate. If you have a medical device, the baseline allowance can be increased up to 16.5 kilowatt hours per day (about 500 kWh per month). This is not a rebate or a discount. To qualify, you or a full-time resident of your home must meet one of the following requirements:

Require permanent space heating or air conditioning as a parapalegic, quadriplegic, hemiplegic, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma patient, or have a compromised immune system or a life threatening illness.
Require one of the following devices:
Hemodialysis Machines
Electric Nerve Stimulators
Electrostatic Nebulizers
Utrasonic Nebulizers
Kidney Dialysis Machine
Motorized Wheelchair
Respirators
Apnea Monitors
Compressors
Pressure Pumps
IPPB Machines
Iron Lungs
Suction Machine
Pressure Pads

For more information, click here [16]. If you have any questions, call UCAN's Fraud Squad at 619/696-6966. If you would like an application, call SDG&E at (800-411-7343). In order to process your application, you will also need a letter from a doctor, verifying the medical condition that requires the appliance. Remember, send the application and the letter by certified mail.

Energy Efficiency & Alternatives

Below you will find tips on energy efficiency as well as information on renewable energy alternatives.

Energy Conservation Guide

[17]
Save money on your energy bill AND reduce your carbon footprint with the Energy Conservation Guide [17]!

[17]The energy consumer's Secret Weapon

19 Quick Energy Saving Tips

1 Get rid of the leaks. Whether you are trying to heat or cool your home, caulking and weatherstripping are the easiest and least expensive weatherization measures and can save you more than 10% on energy bills. If you can see daylight around door and window frames, then the door or window leaks. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air, and seal them up! Less than $20 for most caulk and weatherstripping. Rebates: $3 per home for caulking; $5 per door for weatherstripping.

2 Get "incensed" with those leaks. On a breezy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weatherstripping. In addition, recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss. Almost free.

3 Check windows for old glazing. The putty-like substances around the panes in your windows can get old and allow drafts to enter your home. Reglazing can help seal up those air paths. Less than $20 for glazing.

4 Remember, close your chute. We mean, your chimney flue. When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed to let smoke escape, so until you close it, air escapes--24 hours a day! Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue. Free.

5 Get time-savvy. Want your lights or appliances to turn on and off at specific times of the day? Timers ensure that devices are properly turned on and off when you're asleep or away from home. Less than $20.

6 Don't be dim - use dimmer switches. Rheostats allow you to control the brightness of a lightbulb with a dial, and are easy to install. We even show you how to do it at www.ucan.org [18]. Less than $20.

7 Ahhh, a hot water wrap. That is, with jacket insulation: This is especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater. Savings up to 10% on water heating costs. Less than $20. Rebate: $5 per blanket for gas water heaters.

8 Keep your fridge full - with water. An empty refrigerator is a terrible waste of energy. Filling the unused space in your fridge and freezer with plastic water jugs will minimize the loss of cold air when the doors are opened or closed and will keep your food chilled during a power outage.In addition, it lets you use UCAN's low-cost "Texas" air conditioner (see next tip). Free.

9 Try our "Texas" Air Conditioner. If you're sweating to death during the daytime this summer, keep a rotating stock of water-filled gallon containers in your freezer (see above). Put the frozen gallons in a large tub or basin and place a fan behind the tub, aimed at yourself. This is cheap evaporative cooling, folks. For the cost of running your fan, you can stay nice and cool. Free.

10 Hug a tree. Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units - but don't block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10 % less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Shade trees planted in front of west-facing windows will cut down on the amount of heat that gets into your home during the summer. Carefully positioned trees and vines can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy used for heating and cooling. The Dept. of Energy predicts that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually. Trees can also deflect winter winds. Cost: A little more than $20.

11 Get audited ... with no tax penalties. There are a few local licensed contractors who can perform a whole-house energy audit and suggest conservation upgrades that will save money. For more information, call or visit UCAN's website. If you would like your company added to this list, contact UCAN. If you meet certain low-income guidelines, you can have the Energy Team conduct a free energy audit that may include upgrading your insulation, weatherstripping and conservation products and appliances for no cost.

12 Make your refrigerater purr. Gently brush away dirt and dust from the exposed tubes at the back of your refrigerator, and make sure it has breathing room. Also, check the seals on the doors to make sure they are tight. If you can put a dollar bill in the door and pull it out after it is closed, you probably need new seals. If your fridge is more than ten years old, it may pay to get a new one. Cost: nothing to clean it; new seals vary.

13 Light up your life, not your electric bill. Use CFLs. Lighting typically costs about 25% of your electric bill. And chances are, 90% of the lighting portion of your bill comes from 10% of the lights in your home! For example, one 22-watt compact flourescent light (CFL) throws as much light as a 100-watt incandescant bulb and uses less energy. What's more, screw-in flourescent bulbs last six to ten years on average. Cost: $5 to $15 per bulb.

14 Reduce the flow - Use low-flow showerheads and aerator faucets. If you don't have them already, low-flow showerheads and faucets can drastically cut your hot water heating expenses. Saves of 10-16% of water heating costs. Cost: Well under $20 for most showerheads, a little more for faucets. Rebate: $3 per showerhead, $1 per faucet aerator.

15 Go three-ways. Bulbs with three different settings allow you to select a lower watt setting than bulbs with only one level of lighting output. Three-way fluorescent bulbs are also available on the market. Less than $20 for most 3-way flourescent bulbs.

16 Get on a powerstrip. Many small appliances continually use energy whether you are using them or not. Put any VCRs, stereos, computers and other smaller appliances that tend to remain on (even when not being used) on the same power surge protector strip. This way, one switch turns off all of these appliances easily. This will also help to protect your appliances from the power surges that can follow a rolling blackout. Cost: Under $20.

17 Turn down the heat .... on your water heater. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used to heat water - use less water and use cooler water (about 80% to 85% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water). Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half. Turning your water heater down by a few degrees will also trim your utility costs. Free

18 Light-activated photocells. Light-sensitive devices turn lights on when ambient lighting gets too dark and turns lights off at daylight. Don't keep those outdoor or indoor lights turned on when they're not needed. Cost: $10

19 Clothes lines. This cheap investment can cut your bill by as much as 20%. Check with your homeowner's association before installing. Cost: less than $3.

1 Get rid of the leaks. Whether you are trying to heat or cool your home, caulking and weatherstripping are the easiest and least expensive weatherization measures and can save you more than 10% on energy bills. If you can see daylight around door and window frames, then the door or window leaks. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air, and seal them up! Less than $20 for most caulk and weatherstripping. Rebates: $3 per home for caulking; $5 per door for weatherstripping.

2 Get "incensed" with those leaks. On a breezy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weatherstripping. In addition, recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss. Almost free.

3 Check windows for old glazing. The putty-like substances around the panes in your windows can get old and allow drafts to enter your home. Reglazing can help seal up those air paths. Less than $20 for glazing.

4 Remember, close your chute. We mean, your chimney flue. When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed to let smoke escape, so until you close it, air escapes--24 hours a day! Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue. Free.

5 Get time-savvy. Want your lights or appliances to turn on and off at specific times of the day? Timers ensure that devices are properly turned on and off when you're asleep or away from home. Less than $20.

6 Don't be dim - use dimmer switches. Rheostats allow you to control the brightness of a lightbulb with a dial, and are easy to install. We even show you how to do it at www.ucan.org [18]. Less than $20.

7 Ahhh, a hot water wrap. That is, with jacket insulation: This is especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater. Savings up to 10% on water heating costs. Less than $20. Rebate: $5 per blanket for gas water heaters.

8 Keep your fridge full - with water. An empty refrigerator is a terrible waste of energy. Filling the unused space in your fridge and freezer with plastic water jugs will minimize the loss of cold air when the doors are opened or closed and will keep your food chilled during a power outage.In addition, it lets you use UCAN's low-cost "Texas" air conditioner (see next tip). Free.

9 Try our "Texas" Air Conditioner. If you're sweating to death during the daytime this summer, keep a rotating stock of water-filled gallon containers in your freezer (see above). Put the frozen gallons in a large tub or basin and place a fan behind the tub, aimed at yourself. This is cheap evaporative cooling, folks. For the cost of running your fan, you can stay nice and cool. Free.

10 Hug a tree. Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units - but don't block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10 % less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Shade trees planted in front of west-facing windows will cut down on the amount of heat that gets into your home during the summer. Carefully positioned trees and vines can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy used for heating and cooling. The Dept. of Energy predicts that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually. Trees can also deflect winter winds. Cost: A little more than $20.

11 Get audited ... with no tax penalties. There are a few local licensed contractors who can perform a whole-house energy audit and suggest conservation upgrades that will save money. For more information, call or visit UCAN's website. If you would like your company added to this list, contact UCAN. If you meet certain low-income guidelines, you can have the Energy Team conduct a free energy audit that may include upgrading your insulation, weatherstripping and conservation products and appliances for no cost.

12 Make your refrigerater purr. Gently brush away dirt and dust from the exposed tubes at the back of your refrigerator, and make sure it has breathing room. Also, check the seals on the doors to make sure they are tight. If you can put a dollar bill in the door and pull it out after it is closed, you probably need new seals. If your fridge is more than ten years old, it may pay to get a new one. Cost: nothing to clean it; new seals vary.

13 Light up your life, not your electric bill. Use CFLs. Lighting typically costs about 25% of your electric bill. And chances are, 90% of the lighting portion of your bill comes from 10% of the lights in your home! For example, one 22-watt compact flourescent light (CFL) throws as much light as a 100-watt incandescant bulb and uses less energy. What's more, screw-in flourescent bulbs last six to ten years on average. Cost: $5 to $15 per bulb.

14 Reduce the flow - Use low-flow showerheads and aerator faucets. If you don't have them already, low-flow showerheads and faucets can drastically cut your hot water heating expenses. Saves of 10-16% of water heating costs. Cost: Well under $20 for most showerheads, a little more for faucets. Rebate: $3 per showerhead, $1 per faucet aerator.

15 Go three-ways. Bulbs with three different settings allow you to select a lower watt setting than bulbs with only one level of lighting output. Three-way fluorescent bulbs are also available on the market. Less than $20 for most 3-way flourescent bulbs.

16 Get on a powerstrip. Many small appliances continually use energy whether you are using them or not. Put any VCRs, stereos, computers and other smaller appliances that tend to remain on (even when not being used) on the same power surge protector strip. This way, one switch turns off all of these appliances easily. This will also help to protect your appliances from the power surges that can follow a rolling blackout. Cost: Under $20.

17 Turn down the heat .... on your water heater. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used to heat water - use less water and use cooler water (about 80% to 85% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water). Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half. Turning your water heater down by a few degrees will also trim your utility costs. Free

18 Light-activated photocells. Light-sensitive devices turn lights on when ambient lighting gets too dark and turns lights off at daylight. Don't keep those outdoor or indoor lights turned on when they're not needed. Cost: $10

19 Clothes lines. This cheap investment can cut your bill by as much as 20%. Check with your homeowner's association before installing. Cost: less than $3.

Available Rebates

Thinking of buying a new dishwasher? Then be sure to look at this guide. Not only will you get info on which models are the most energy efficient, but you'll also get a look at the rebates being offered on appliances, home improvement equipment, and even pool pumps.

The following rebates are available through SDG&E, call 877-534-2854 for information. To apply for a rebate, you will need to call the toll-free number listed above, and fill out the 2007 Rebate Application [19]. To view a list of retailers that sell rebate-qualifying products click here [20].

Appliances

Dishwasher - Energy Factor of 0.62 - 0.67 Tier I - $30 [21] *

Dishwasher - Energy Factor of 0.68 or greater Tier II - $50 [21] *

Refrigerator - ENERGY STAR-qualified - $50 [22]

Room Air Conditioner - ENERGY STAR-qualified - $50 [23]
* not all ENERGY STAR-labeled dishwasher units will qualify for a rebate

Home Improvements

Attic and Wall Insulation - $0.15 sq/ft [24]

Gas Water Heaters - 30-gallon minimum, minimum Energy Factor of 0.62 - $30 [25]

Electric Water Heater - 30-gallon minimum, minimum Energy Factor of 0.93- $30 [25]

Pools

Single Speed Pool Pumps and Motors - $30 [26]

Two Speed Pool Pumps and Motors with Automatic Controller - $100 [27] **

Pool Time Clock Reset - $25 per pool [28]

** Automatic Controller [29] required for two-speed units

Energy Audits

SDG&E's Energy Team will provide free weatherization upgrades for those that meet certain income qualifications.

THE ENERGY TEAM If you meet the following low-income guidelines, you can qualify for a free home energy audit with free upgrades to your home! Available to anyone who lives in an apartment, home or mobile home, whether you are a renter or the owner.

Upgrades may include: Weatherstripping Caulking Compact fluorescent bulbs Low-flow shower heads Furnace repairs and replacement Water heater blankets Attic insulation Replacement of Energy Star refrigerators purchased before 1992

Qualification guidelines: Your total annual income cannot exceed . . .

Number in Household Max. Income 1-2 $28,600 3 $33,600 For each add'l person $ 6,900

For more information, click here [30]

If you qualify, call the Energy Team at . . . 858-514-4030 Or if you live in North County . . . Toll-free 888-340-4030

Energy Efficient Mortgages and Financiers

Several companies fund renewable energy and energy efficiency measures through issuance of energy efficient home mortgages or low-interest loans for a wide range of home improvements that reduce energy costs including the replacement or upgrade of central heating and cooling systems and ductwork, water heating systems, windows and doors, roofing and siding, insulation, low-energy lighting, water conservation, solar applications, and other energy-related upgrades.

For a list of energy-efficient mortgages & financiers, click here [31]. (being updated)

Mortgages and Financiers

Lender	Contact Number	Who?
Equity Group Inc.	530-378-1956	Residential & Commercial Loans
Fannie Mae	626-396-5100 or 800-732-6643	Residential Mortgage
Freddie Mac	800-373-3343	Residential Mortgage
GMAC Mortgage	858-626-2452	Residential Mortgage
Golden Shores Financial	888-225-3840	Residential Loan
SAFE- BID Co.	800-273-8637	Commercial Loan
U.S. Small Business Assoc.	800-827-5722	Commercial Loan

ViewTech: Works in conjunction with Fannie Mae to offer energy efficiency loans through contractors registered with the California State Licensing Board (CSLB) and the League of California Homeowners. To locate a qualified contractor, go to www.energyloans.org [32] or call 888-502-4222.

Heating and Cooling

Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained (ie: filters changed, ducts tested for leaks, appliances cleaned for maximum efficiency and seals tested for leaks). Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills.

Remember, close your chute: We mean your chimney flue. When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes--24 hours a day! Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
Cost: Free

"Texas" air conditioner: If you're sweating to death during the daytime this summer, keep a rotating stock of water-filled gallon containers in your freezer (this will also help your fridge run more efficiently). Put the frozen gallons in a large tub or basin and place a fan behind the tub, aimed at yourself. This is cheap evaporative cooling, folks. For the cost of running your fan, you can stay nice and cool.
Cost: Free

Keeping cool at night: An old trick for staying cool on hot nights is to sleep in a wet t-shirt or under a wet sheet. As the water evaporates throughout the evening, you'll stay cool without running the AC unit.
Cost: Free

Shade trees & vines: Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units - but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Shade trees planted in front of west-facing windows can also cut down on the amount of heat that gets into your home during the summer. Carefully positioned trees and vines can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy used for heating and cooling. The Dept. of Energy predicts that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually. Trees can also deflect winter winds.
Cost: A little more than $20

Programmable thermostats: You can save from 15% to 75% a year on your heating and cooling bills without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. If you have an older home that doesn't have a setback thermostat, you can usually replace your existing wall thermostat with a setback model in a single morning. Only Energy Star-labeled models qualify for utility rebate.
Cost: $50 to $80
Rebates: $20 per unit.

Radiant barrier: Thin, reflective film insulation can reduce air conditioning costs by at least 20% if used as an attic radiant barrier to reflect 97% of the radiant heat. It also helps to keep hot air inside the home during the cool, winter months. Companies that sell radiant barriers include:
Advanced Foil Systems Inc: 800-421-5947
Astro-Foil International: 248-362-2447
Innovative Energy: 800-442-3643
Cost: $20 for 32 sq. ft.

Air conditioning & duct testing: It's a good idea to have your air conditioner and ducts tested, tuned up and sealed to ensure they are running at top efficiency.
Cost varies

Room Air Conditioner: If you're in the market for a new room-sized air conditioner, look for these
Energy Star models which will allow you to qualify for a $50 rebate from the utility.
Rebate: $50

Room Air Conditioner Trade-In Rebate: Now that you've decided to purchase a new room air conditioner, you can get an additional $25 rebate for trading in your old one by calling the Appliance Recycling Center of America at 800-599-5795.
Rebate: $25

Insulation: Increasing your insulation to up to R-38 can reduce heating costs by 5-25%.
Cost: $300 to $800
Rebate: 15¢ sq. ft.

Solar Space Heating: Usually referred to as "radiant heating," a solar, gas or electric hot water system can also be used to provide indoor space heating by running the heated water through baseboards or radiant floor-heating pipes.
Cost: Expensive

Large Appliances

LARGE APPLIANCES

Appliances account for about 20% of your household’s energy consumption, with refrigerators, clothes dryers and washers at the top of the list. If you're looking for information about hot water heaters, clothes washers or dish washers, see our Water Heating section.

Make Your Refrigerator Purr: Gently brush away dirt and dust from the exposed coils at the back of your refrigerator, and make sure it has breathing room. Also, check the seals on the doors to make sure they are tight. If you can put a dollar bill in the door and pull it out after it is closed, you probably need new seals. If your fridge is more than ten years old, it may pay to get a new one.
Cost: Free to clean; new seals vary.

Power Planner: Maybe you've seen these $40 gizmos at Home Depot that claim they can cut the number of kilowatt-hours your refrigerator and other motorized appliances use. One UCAN employee is putting these gadgets to the test and will update this site with her findings in the near future. In the meantime, Energyideas.org [33] has some information on how the Power Planner operates as does this link [34].

$50 Rebate for Old Refrigerators: If your old refrigerator is operational and more than 10 cubic feet, you qualify for this rebate. Contact the Appliance Recycling Center of America [35](ARCA) at 800-599-5792 for more information. You can use this incentive to purchase a new Energy Star [36] refrigerator (see below).
Rebate: $35

Clothes Line or Rack: Investing a few dollars in a clothes line or clothes-drying rack can cut your utility bill by as much as 20%. Check with your homeowners' association before installing. And remember, the lint that you collect from your dryer after every cycle used to be in your clothes! A clothes line or drying rack will keep your clothes more intact and help them last longer.
Cost: Less than $15

Energy Star Refrigerator: Can save you between $35 to $70 a year compared to models designed 15 years ago. This adds up to between $525 and $1,050 during the average 15-year life of the unit. Click here [37] for more info.
Cost: $500 or more
Rebate: $50

Energy Star Central Natural Gas Furnace: New central furnaces are available that use 20-30% less energy to heat your home than older models. Replacing your old furnace with an Energy Star furnace or an Energy Efficient furnace qualifies you for a rebate of $200 or $100 respectively.
Cost: $500 to $1500
Rebate: $100 or $200.

No need to keep the pilot light on your furnace lit during the hot summer months. Turn off the pilot until the cooler weather comes or contact the utility to come to your home to do it for you.

Energy Star Central Heat Pump: A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating as much as 30% to 40%. If you use electricity to heat your home, consider installing an energy-efficient heat pump system. Heat pumps are the most efficient form of electric heating in moderate climates, providing three times more heating than the equivalent amount of energy they consume in electricity by collecting heat from the air, water, or ground outside your home and concentrating it for use inside. Heat pumps do double-duty as a central air-conditioner. They can also cool your home by collecting the heat inside your house and effectively pumping it outside.
Cost: $100 to $500
Rebate $175 to $500.

Whole House Evaporative Cooler: Also known as a 'swamp cooler', this appliance uses significantly less energy than an air conditioning unit for those who live in drier, desert areas.
Cost: $300 to $700
Rebates: $300.

If you need to purchase a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic electric ignition, so that a pilot will not need to be continuously on.

Whole House Fan: A whole house fan allows hot air in your home to easily escape to your attic and out of your house. To qualify for the utility rebate, the whole house fan you purchase must move 1,000 cubic feet per minute or more and you must have existing air conditioning.
Rebate: $75

Energy Efficient Central Air Conditioner: Qualifying Central air conditioners must be listed by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute [38] (ARI) and must have an ARI reference number obtained from the licensed contractor [39] who installs the unit.
Rebate: $100 to $500 depending on SEER rating

Lighting

LIGHTING

Lighting can represent up to 25% of your monthly utility bill and is one of the easiest energy appliance to control. For instance, if you replace 25% of your lights in high-use areas with fluorescent bulbs, you can save about 50% of your lighting energy bill. Using motion sensors and photocells ensure that lights are turned on only when you need them, helping you to cut down on unnecessary electricity use. In addition, many types of solar-powered outdoor lighting are also available. See listing under Renewables.

Get Time Savvy: Want your lights or appliances to turn on and off at specific times of the day? Timers are a great way to ensure that devices are properly turned on and off even if you're asleep or away from home.
Cost: Less than $20

Don't Be Dim-Use Dimmer Switches: Want your lights or appliances to turn on and off at specific times of the day? Timers ensure that devices are properly turned on and off when you're asleep or away from the house.
Cost: Less than $20

Go Three-Ways: Bulbs and switches that have three different settings allow you to select a lower energy consuming light level than bulbs and switches with only one level of lighting output. Three-way fluorescent bulbs are also available on the market.
Cost: Less than $20 for CFL three-way bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs): 90% of the electricity used in an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat. Fluorescent bulbs use 60 to 80% less electricity than incandescent and halogen bulbs. If you replace even two 60 watt bulbs that run for 5 hrs. per day with 2 CFLs that use 22 watts instead, you'd save $1.59 per month (72% savings). These bulbs last for upwards of 10,000 hrs. and emit the same amount of light!
Cost: $5 to $15 per bulb

Light-Activated Photocells: Light-sensitive devices turn lights on when ambient lighting gets too dark and turns lights off at daylight. Don't keep those outdoor or indoor lights turned on when they're not needed.
Cost: $10

Motion Sensors: No need to have outdoor lighting burning all night long. The sensors on these lights are sensitive to motion and heat up to 35 feet away.
Cost: $30 to $70

Fluorescent Ballasts: Use 4-foot low-wattage, fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage and laundry areas.
Cost: $25 to $75 per fixture

Skylights: Allow natural daylight into your home or business and avoid turning on the switch. Look for energy efficiency and non-aluminum frames.
Cost: $100 to $500

Renewables

RENEWABLES
Anytime you purchase renewable power, you’re not only investing in decreasing your monthly utility bill, but you’re doing your part to reduce the total demand for power in California. For stores that sell the following products, check our resource links [40] page.

Solar-Powered Products

Solar-Powered Headset Radio: Allows you to tune in AM/FM stations in as little as thirty percent of full sunlight. Any additional power is used to charge the NiMH rechargeable batteries while the headset is operating. Perfect for those predicted rolling black outs this summer.

Solar-Powered Pathway Lighting: No need to run hazardous electrical wires and won't add to your monthly utility bill.
$20 per light

Solar-Powered Car Battery Charger: Solar panel can connect through your cars cigarette/power socket or to your battery directly to ensure your battery is always charged. The panel can also help run small appliances such as CBs, stereo and TVs.
$29.95 for 1.8 watt panel
$69.95 for 5 watt panel

Solar-Powered Porch Lighting: Built-in rechargeable batteries use solar energy to recharge, and provide up to 8 hours of nightly run time.
$60

Solar-Powered and Hand-Cranked Radio: This radio is not dependent on batteries or an outlet. In fact, 20 seconds of winding produces 45 minutes of reception and this type of radio has unlimited playtime in direct sun.
$70

Solar-Powered Motion Sensor Security Lights: Same as the above but totally solar powered, so any electricity they use doesn't show up on your monthly, volatile utility bill. These also cut down on California's total demand for power.
$120

10-watt Portable Solar Panel: Perfect size for running or recharging your laptop, cellphone, camcorder or other small, portable appliances.
$129

Solar-Powered Pathway Lighting: No need to run hazardous electrical wires and won’t add to your monthly utility bill.
$20 per light

Solar-Powered Car Battery Charger: Solar panel can connect through your cars cigarette/power socket or to your battery directly to ensure your battery is always charged. The panel can also help run small appliances such as CBs, stereo and TVs.
$29.95 for 1.8 watt panel
$69.95 for 5 watt panel

Solar-Powered Porch Lighting: Built-in rechargeable batteries use solar energy to recharge, and provide up to 8 hours of nightly run time.
$60

Solar-Powered and Hand-Cranked Radio: This radio is not dependent on batteries or an outlet. In fact, 20 seconds of winding produces 45 minutes of reception and this type of radio has unlimited playtime in direct sun.
$70

Solar-Powered Motion Sensor Security Lights: Same as the above but totally solar powered, so any electricity they use doesn't show up on your monthly, volatile utility bill. These also cut down on California's total demand for power.
$120

10-watt Portable Solar Panel: Perfect size for running or recharging your laptop, cellphone, camcorder or other small, portable appliances.
$129

Solar Water Heating

Solar water heating systems typically are roof-mounted panels that absorb the sun's heat into water and deliver it to the home's water heater or swimming pool. Solar systems can also provide indoor space heating by running the heated water through baseboards or radiant floor-heating pipes. These systems can provide heat and hot water with very little energy use.Before purchasing a solar water heater of any kind, make sure the equipment you're considering is certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation [41]. For a list of solar water heater manufacturers that have been certified by the SRCC certification program, click here [42]. For more general information about solar water heating, check out these Dept. of Energy links here [43], and here [44]. You can also view a "how-to" consumer guide to solar water heating from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy here [45].

Solar Water Heater Manufacturers Certified by SRCC

ACR Solar International
5840 Gibbons Drive
Suite G
Carmichael, CA 95608 USA
(916) 481-7200
(888) 801-9060
(916) 481-7203 Fax
RichSolar@aol.com
[46]www.solarroofs.com [47]

Alternate Energy Technologies
1057 N. Ellis Road, # 4
Jacksonville, FL 32254 USA
(800) 874-2190
(904) 781-8305
(904) 781-1911 Fax
billy@aetsolar.com [48]
www.aetsolar.com [49]

American Solar Works Holdings
295 Princeton Hightstown Road, Unit 251
West Windsot, NJ 08550 USA
(908) 397-6449
(888) 876-5279
(908) 292-1185 Fax
sales@americansolarworks.com [50]
www.americansolarworks.com [51]

Apricus Solar Co., Ltd
402, Building 8 East
Pukou New and High Tech Development Zone
Nanjing, China 210061
+86 25 58649133
+86 25 58649133 Fax
mick@apricus-solar.com [52]
www.apricus-solar.com [53]

[53]Beijing Sunda Solar Energy Technology Co Ltd
No. 3 Hua Yuan Road
Haidian District
Beijing, 100083 China
86 58 10-62001008
86 58 10-62374906 Fax
sunda@public3.bta.net.cn [54]
www.sundasolar.com [55]

Bobcat & Sun Solar & Heating Systems, Inc.
65548 76^th Street
Bend, OR 97701 USA
(541) 389-7365
(541) 317-9265 Fax
bobcat@bendcable.com [56]
www.bobcatandsun.com [57]

BTF, Ltd.
P.O. Box 409
Fennville, MI 49408 USA
(269) 236-6179
(269) 236-6186 Fax
info@btfsolar.com [58]
www.btfsolar.com [59]

Butler Sun Solutions
980 Santa Estella
Solana Beach, CA 92075 USA
(858) 259-8895
(858) 259-8895 Fax
butlersunsolutions@adelphia.net
[60]www.butlersunsolutions.com [61]

Dawn Solar Systems Inc.
183 Route 125, Unit A-7
Brentwood, NH 03833 USA
(800) 803-1476
(800) 642-7897 Fax
bill@dawnsolar.com [62]
www.dawnsolar.com [63]
Energy Laboratories, Inc.
5191 Shawland Road, Unit A
Jacksonville, FL 32254 USA
(904) 693-4555
(904) 693-6999 Fax
mike.newman@solarenergy.com [64]
www.solarenergy.com [65]

EnerWorks, Inc.
PO Box 9, 252 Hamilton Crescent
Dorchester, ON NOL 1GO Canada
(519) 268-6500
(519) 268-6292 Fax
request@enerworks.com [66]
www.enerworks.com [67]
FAFCO, Inc.
435 Otterson Drive
Chico, CA 95928 USA
(530) 332-2100
(530) 332-2109
contactus@fafco.com [68]
www.fafco.com [69]
Genersys, PLC
37 Queen Anne Street
London, UK W1G9JB
(0044 020) 7637-9708
(0044 020) 7637-0901 (Fax)
info@genersys.com [70]
www.genersys.com [71]

Heliocol USA, Inc.
927 Fern Street
Suite 1500
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 USA
(407) 831-1941
(407) 831-1208 Fax
victor@heliocol.com [72]
www.heliocol.com [73]

Heliodyne, Inc.
4910 Seaport Avenue
Richmond, CA 94804 USA
(510) 237-9614
(510) 237-7018 Fax
info@heliodyne.com
[74]www.heliodyne.com [75]

King Solar Products
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon Street, Suite 1100
Portland, OR 97204 USA
(503) 471-1424
(503) 210-0379 Fax
info@kingsolarproducts.com [76]
www.kingsolarproducts.com [77]

Mr. Sun Solar
6125 NE Portland Highway
Portland, OR 97218 USA
(503) 222-2468
(503) 245-3722 Fax
john@mrsunsolar.com [78]
www.SolReliant.com [79]

Morley Manufacturing
P.O. Box 1540
Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 USA
(530) 477-6527
(530) 477-0194/0915 Fax
pelsol@inreach.com [80]

Power Partners Solar
200 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA 30607 USA
(706) 548-3121 X416
(800) 545-3121 X416
(706) 548-1929 Fax
www.powerpartnerssolar.com [81]

Radco Products, Inc.
2877 Industrial Parkway
Santa Maria, CA 93455 USA
(805) 928-1881 (800) 927-2326
(805) 928-5587 Fax
radcoproducts@utech.net [82]

Rheem Water Heaters
101 Bell Road
Montgomery, AL 36117-4305 USA
(334) 260-1586
(334) 260-1514 Fax
jeff.mahoney@rheem.com [83]
www.rheem.com [84]

R&R Solar Supply
922 Austin Lane, Bldg D
Honolulu, HI 96817 USA
(808) 842-0011
(808) 847-4938 Fax
rolfchrist@hotmail.com [85]

Schuco International KG
Karolinenstrase 1-15
Bielefeld, D-33609 Germany
49-521 783-7471
49-521 783-7480 Fax
solar@schuco-usa.com [86]
www.schuco-usa.com [87]
Sealed Air Corporation
3433 Arden Road
Hayward, CA 94545 USA
(510) 887-8090 (800) 451-6620
(510) 783-6817 Fax
dick.beach@sealedair.com [88]
www.sealedair.com [89]

Sensible Technologies, Inc.
4723 Tidewater Avenue
Oakland, CA 94601 USA
(510) 434-3130
(510) 434-3138 Fax
morgan@jtgmuir.com [90]
www.jtgmuit.com [91]
Solahart Industries
101 Bell Road
Montgomery, AL 36117 USA
(334) 260-1500
(334) 260-1526 Fax
jeff.mahoney@rheem.com [83]
www.solahart.com.au [92]

Solar Development, Inc.
PO Box 13139
North Palm Beach, FL 33408 USA
(561) 842-8935
(561) 842-8967 Fax
solardev@aol.com [93]

Solar Energy, Inc.
5191 Shawland Road
Jacksonville, FL 32254
(904) 786-6600
(904) 786-1775 (Fax)
tim.teichert@solarenergy.com [94]
www.solarenergy.com [65]

Solargenix Energy, LLC
2101 Westinghouse Blvd, Suite 115
Raleigh, NC 27604 USA
(773) 847-8333
(773) 847-8555 (Fax)
rreed@solargenix.com [95]
www.solargenix.com [96]

Solar Tech International LLC
2913 E. 19th Street
Tucson, AZ 85716 USA
(520) 940-2565
(520) 881-7772 (Fax)
sundog23@aol.com [97]

Solene
927 Fern Street
Suite 1500
Altamont Springs, FL 32701 USA
(407) 831-1941
(407) 831-1208 (Fax)
jberrios@solene-usa.com [98]
www.solene-usa.com [99]
Stiebel Eltron
17 West Street
West Hatfield, MA 01088 USA
(413) 247-3380
(413) 247-3369 (Fax)
tim@stiebel-eltron-usa.com [100]
www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com [101]

[101]SunBank Solar
PO Box 779
Anderson, CA 96007 USA
(530) 347-5015
(530) 347-4811 Fax
info@sunbanksolar.com [102]
www.sunbanksolar.com [103]

[103]Sun Systems Inc.
2030 W. Pinnacle Peak Road
Phoenix, AZ 85027 USA
(623) 869-7652
(623) 869-0891 Fax
tbohner@sunsystemsinc.com [104]
www.sunsystemsinc.com
[105]SunEarth Inc.
8425 Almeria Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335 USA
(909) 434-3100
(909) 434-3101 Fax
info@sunearthinc.com [106]
www.sunearthinc.com [107]

Sunsiaray Solar Manufacturing, Inc.
4414 N. Washburn Road
Davison, MI 48423-8006 USA
(810) 653-3502
(810) 653-9267 Fax
sunsiaray46@earthlink.net [108]
www.sunsiaray.com [109]

Suntrek Industries, Inc.
5 Holland, Building 215
Irvine, CA 92618 USA
(949) 348-9276
(949) 348-1626 Fax
ceo@suntreksolar.com [110]

Synergy Solar
5926 Balcones Drive #290
Austin, TX 78731 USA
(512) 656-0858
(512) 419-0411 Fax
thomas@synergysolar.com [111]

[111] Techno-Solis, Inc.
301 20th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33712 USA
(727) 823-6766
(888) 99SOLAR
(727) 823-6768 Fax
seb@techno-solis.com [112]
www.techno-solis.com [113]

Thermal Conversion Technology, Inc.
101 Copeland Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204 USA
(904) 358-3720
(904) 358-3728 Fax
sgorman@tctsolar.com [114]
www.tctsolar.com [115]

Thermo Dynamics, Ltd.
101 Frazee Avenue
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3B 1Z4 Canada
(902) 468-1001
(902) 468-1002 Fax
solarinfo@thermo-dynamics.com [116]
www.thermo-dynamics.com [117]

Thermo Technologies
5560 Sterrett Place
Suite 115
Columbia, MD 21044 USA
(410) 997-0778
(410) 997-0779 Fax
solar@thermotechs.com [118]
www.thermotechs.com [119]

Thermomax Industries Ltd.
3181 Kingsley St.
Victoria, BC V8P4J5 Canada
(250) 721-4360
(250) 721-4329 Fax
patrick@solarthermal.com [120]
www.solarthermal.com [121]

Trend Setter Industries
818 Broadway
Eureka, CA 95501 USA
(707) 443-5652
(800) 492-9276
(707) 442-0110
michael@trendsetterindustries.com [122]
www.trendsetterindustries.com [123]

Viessmann Manufacturing Company (US) Inc.
45 Access Road
Warwick, RI 02886 USA
(401) 732-0667
(800) 288-0667
(401) 732-0590 Fax
info@viessmann-us.com [124]
www.viessmann-us.com [125]

Consumer Guide to Solar Water Heating

The attached file is a consumer guide to solar water heating from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Attachment	Size
solar water heating guide.pdf [126]	603.17 KB

Photovoltaics

If you have a roof or side-yard with Southern exposure and are interested in providing your own power on-site, this is the section for you. The San Diego Regional Energy Office [127] of SANDAG has additional information and is a source of assistance for local consumers interested in installing solar panel systems. For additional information on solar panel systems including system sizing, see the Dept. of Energy's resources, here [128]. For more information about the Calif. Energy Commission's Emerging Renewables Program, click here [129].

Local Solar Installers

This is a somewhat dated list of San Diego installers from the San Diego Regional Energy Office (SDREO [130]).

For a more updated list, we recommend you go here [131].

Installer	Services	Contact Information
1AU, Inc.	Utility, Commercial Design, Build CA Contractor, Solar PV & DC Lighting, Wind Power, Wave Power, and Hydrogen Fuel Systems	Contact: Peter Duchon 1645 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd., Suite 201 San Marcos, CA 92078 Tel: 760-591-0011 Solar PV Inquiries: Toll-free: 1-800-594-2193 Email: info@1auinc.com [132] Web: www.1auinc.com [133]
Allied Sun Technologies	Quality Commercial and Residential Photovoltaic System Solutions. Providing Installation, Sales, Service, Financing and Design of Solar Systems.	Contact: Brian Weintraub 6881 Alvarado Rd - Suite 4 San Diego, CA 92120 Toll-free: 888-Solar-40 Tel: 619-286-5000 Fax: 619-287-3365 Email: info@alliedsun.com [134] Web: www.alliedsun.com [135]
Altair Energy	Installation and repair of photovoltaic systems only	Contact: Scott Whitley 13117 Quate Ct., Suite B Poway, CA 92064 Toll-free: 800-836-8951 Email:info@altairenergy.com [136] Web: www.sunchoice.net [137]
Bill Swinnea Construction	Installation of photovoltaic systems	1944 Playa Rivera, Cardiff, CA 92007 Tel: 760-436-2574 Fax: 760-436-0294 Email: bmswinnea@att.net [138]
Borrego Solar Systems	Commercial and residential photovoltaic systems. Provides installation, sales, services, financing and design	1800 John Towers Ave. Suite B San Diego, CA 92020 Tel: 619-562-7183 Fax: 619-562-4310 Email:staff@borregosolar.com [139]Web: www.borregosolar.com [140]
Captain Voltage Electric	Installation of photovoltaic systems	1033 Derby Street San Diego, CA 92114 Tel: 619-264-4099 Fax: 619-527-7870 Email: captnv@aol.com [141]
Carlson Solar	Installation and repair of photovoltaic systems only	Contact: Scott Carlson 43430 E. Florida Ave. PMB#221, Ste. F Hemet, CA 92544 Showroom address: 27412 Enterprise Circle West, Suite 105 Temecula, CA 92589 Tel: 909-927-0782 Fax: 909-587-8359 Email: scott@carlsonsolar.com [142] Web: www.carlsonsolar.com [143]
Clean Power Resources	Sales, installation and service of photovoltaic systems, microturbines, UPS systems and generators.	14440 Golden Sunset Lane Poway, CA 92064 Tel: 858-486-9733 Fax: 858-486-4611 Email: sales@cleanpowerusa.com [144] web: www.cleanpowerusa.com [145]
Clean Power Systems	Commercial and residential installation of photovoltaic systems	Contact: Kirk Mulligan 13230 Evening Creek Drive South San Diego, CA 92128 Toll-free: 866-474-3843 Tel: 858-748-3636 Email: info@noelectricbill.com [146]
Clean Power USA	Specializing in Commercial and Residential Photovoltaics	Contact: Dennis/Vicki Gowey PO Box 664 Poway, CA 92074 Tel: 858-486-9733 Fax: 858-486-4611 Email: buckelectric@cox.net [147] Web: www.buckelectric.com [148]
Diversified Power Systems & Engineering	Installs residential and commercial photovoltaic systems	8652 Magnolia Ave Suite 9 Santee, CA 92071 Phone: 619-562-8869 Toll-free: 877-841-3420 Fax: 619-562-4755 Web: www.divpower.com [149]
D.S.H. Electric	Certified Electronics Technician. C-10 Electrical Contractor. Commercial and residential PV systems sales, design and installation.	Contact: Dirk S. Hosmer, CEO 2785 Kurtz St., #5 San Diego, CA 92110 Tel: 619-497-1195 Fax: 619-497-0507 Email: dirk@dshsolar.com [150] Web: www.dshsolar.com [151]
Harbaugh Electric, Inc.	Installation of photovoltaic systems	Contact: Dale Harbaugh 6517 Avenida Manana La Jolla, Ca 92107 Tel: 858-456-8434 Fax: 858-456-8077 Cell: 858-864-2036 Email: dharbaugh@harbaughelectric.com [152] Web: www.harbaughelectric.com [153]
Hardy Solar-Divison of Hardy Diesel & Equipment, Inc.	Installs residential and commercial photovoltaic systems	Contact: Bob Carson 15749 Lyons Valley Road Jamul, CA 91935 Toll-free: 800-341-7027 Tel: 619-669-1995 E-mail:bob [154]@hardydiesel.com [155] [156]Web: www.hardydiesel.com [157]
HelioPower	Specializing in photovoltaic installation as well as solar pool heating systems	Contact: Mo Rousso 550 Industrial Ave. Fallbrook, CA 92028 Tel: 760-451-9374 Fax: 760-451-9393 E-mail: mrousso@heliopower.com [158] Web: www.heliopower.com [159]
Home Energy Systems, Inc.	Installs residential and commercial photovoltaic systems	Contact: Martin Learn 10981 San Diego Mission Road #245 San Diego, CA 92108 Tel: 619-692-2015 Fax: 619-641-0010 E-mail: mark@hessolar.com [160] Web: www.homeenergysystemsinc.com
Horizon Industries	Installation and repair of domestic hot water, solar pool heaters and photovoltaic systems.	Contact: Mike Landry 120 N. Pacific St. San Marcos, CA 92069 Toll-free: 800-564-0403 Fax:760-744-7074 Email:info@horizonsolar.com [161] Web: www.horizonsolar.com [162]
Independent Energy Solutions	Installation and repair of photovoltaic systems only	Contact:Troy Strand 1273 Linda Vista Drive San Marcos, CA 92069 Tel: 760-752-9706 Email:energy@indenergysolutions.com [163] Web: www.indenergysolutions.com [164]
Kerr Enterprises	Installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems. Home Depot representative.	Contact: Barbara Kerr 8861 Balboa Avenue, Suite A San Diego, CA 92113 Tel:858-503-0158 E-mail: bkerr@energy-exchange.org [165] Web: www.energy-exchange.org [166]
Mark Naylor Solar Specialists	Installation and repair of domestic hot water, solar pool heaters and photovoltaic systems	Contact: Mark Naylor 7930 Arjons Drive, Suite C San Diego, CA 92126 Tel: 858-695-9465 Fax: 858-695-8559
Matrix Solar Technologies	Installation of photovoltaic systems	Contact: Rich Schwartz 810 Emerald St., Suite 101 San Diego, CA 92109 Tel: 858-483-8658
New Vision Technologies	Installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems	Contact: Brian Jacolick 1130 Calle Cordillera San Clemente, CA 92673 Tel: 949-218-0235 E-mail: info@n-v-t.com [167]
Natural Energy Systems	Installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems	Contact: Ted Mount 147 S. Vinewood St. Escondido, CA 92029 Phone: 760-743-6400 Toll-free: 800-576-7657 Fax: 760-743-0871 E-mail: info@naturalenergyusa.com [168] Web: www.naturalenergyusa.com [169]
Powerlight	Installation of commercial PV systems	Contact: Kevin Ross Sales Mgr., Southern California PowerLight Corporation 4217 Calle Abril San Clemente, CA 92673 Tel: 949-429-6366 Fax: 949-429-6355 E-mail: kross@powerlight.com [170] www.powerlight.com [171]
REC Solar	Specialize in the design and installation of residential and commercial solar electric systems.	Contact: Max Dworkin Solar Energy Consultant 1236 Los Osos Valey Rd. Suite J Los Osos, CA 93402 Tel: 619-990-1800 Email: mdworkin@recsolar.com [172] www.recsolar.com [173]
Robinson Electric	Installation of photovoltaics	8871 Troy St. Spring Valley, CA 91977 Tel: 619-697-6040 Email: tomp@robinsonelectric.com [174] Web: www.robinsonelectric.com [175]
Skelly Electric Inc	Design and install commerical and residentioa PV systems	Contact: Jim Kelly 440 N Hale Ave Escondido, CA 92029 Tel: 760-480-4400 Fax: 760-480-4494 Email: jim@skellyelectric.com [176]
Silverwood Energy	Sells and installs photovoltaic (solar) and hydrogen fuel cell systems.	Contact: Joe Bessler 6716 Bestwood Ct San Diego, CA 92119 Tel: 619-501-2713 Fax: 619-583-7257 Email: joe@silverwoodenergy.com [177] Website: www.silverwoodenergy.com [178]
Solar Mining	Sales, and installation for residential and commercial photovoltaic systems	1121 Merritt Drive El Cajon, CA 91935 Tel: 619-980-4577 Fax: 619-669-2822
Sullivan Electric	Specializing in the installation of grid-tied photovoltaic systems. A C-10 licensed contractor	Contact: Dan Sullivan 7933 Silverton ave San Diego, CA 92126 Tel: 858-271-7758 E-mail: dsullivan@sullivan-electric.net [179] Web: www.sullivan-electric.net [180]
Sundance Technology	Installation of residential and commercial photovoltaic systems	Contact: Scott Whitley 12463 Rancho Bernardo Rd., #250 San Diego, CA 92128 Tel: 858-673-7754
UNI-SOLAR	Installation of UNI-SOLAR (commercial) & SmartRoof (residential) photovoltaic systems	Contact: Mark Holohan 8920 Kenamar Drive San Diego, CA 92121 Tel: 858-530-8586 Toll-free: 800-397-2083 Fax: 858-530-8686 Email: info@uni-solar.com [181] Web: www.uni-solar.com [182]
Watts New Under the Sun	Sales, installation and consulting for Residential and Commercial Solar Water Heating, Photovoltaics, and Wind Turbines	Contact: John Henry P. O. Box 204 Warner Springs, CA 92086 Tel: 760-782-9200 Fax:760-782-0800 Email: JHWATTSNEW@aol.com [183] Web: www.wattsnewunderthesun.com [184]
Western Solar	Installation of photovoltaic systems	Contact: Stewart Clem 14211 Gardem Rd Poway, CA 92064 Tel: 858-668-1701; 858-679-7623 Cel: 619-993-7476
WorldWater & Power Corporation	Design and installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems	Contact: Larry Slominski 18827 Rangeland Road Ramona, CA 92065 Tel: 760-505-6822 E-mail: LSWORLDWATER@AOL.COM [185]

Wind Generators

Wind is a great way to produce electricity and pump water from wells—if you have the wind. Windmills are best located along coastlines, on hills, or in other areas where higher winds are more commonly found. You can find wind maps at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [186], the California Energy Commission [187], and this interactive Energy Atlas [188]. A site-specific assessment is usually necessary. A good wind speed is 16 mph but many wind generators will produce some power with as little as 7 mph. Check with your local zoning for height constraints. For more information about wind energy, visit the America Wind Energy Association [189]'s website. Wind generators also qualify for the Calif. Energy Commission's Emerging Renewables Program [129]. Click here [190] for a list of local wind generator installers.

Local San Diego/Southern California Wind Generator Installers

ASAP Power License Number Yr. Issued Verified Okay
3208 Morningside Dr. 771080, C-10 1996 Yes
Oceanside, CA 92056
760-724-3777
www.podnine.com/airblade [191]
airblade@podnine.com [192]

Hardy Diesel & Equipment License Number Yr. Issued Verified Okay
15749 Lyons Valley Rd. 793924, B, C 2001 Yes
Jamul, CA 91935
800-341-7027
www.hardydiesel.com [157]
bob@hardydiesel.com [155]

Mark Snyder Electric License Number Yr. Issued Verified Okay
12900 Brookprinter Place, Ste. 200 395602, C-10 1980 Yes
Poway, CA 92064
858-748-4612
www.marksnyderelectric.com [193]
mark@marksnyderelectric.com [194]

Rollins Custom Electric License Number Yr. Issued Verified Okay
1906 Monte Vista Dr. 603476, C-10 1990 Yes
Vista, CA 92084
760-599-9781
www.bergey.com [195]
RollinsCustomElectric@home.com [196]

SD Solutions, Inc. Is a wind consultant for contractors
570 Oleander Road
Palm Springs, CA 92264
760-322-8784
sdsolutions@dellnet.com [197]

Seawest Energy License Number Yr. Issued Verified Okay
1455 Frazee Rd. Ste. 900 758527, A 1999 Yes
San Diego, CA 92108
619-293-3340
www.seawestwindpower.com [198]
droberts@seawestwindpower.com [199]

WECS Electric Supply, Inc. *only does electric distribution
19465-3A N. Indian Avenue
N. Palm Springs, CA 92258-0276
760-251-0040
800-276-9327
cjustesen@aol.com [200]

Net Metering

When you take electricity from the electric grid for your needs, your meter runs "forward" as it counts up the kilowatt hours consumed. But if you generate electricity with a photovoltaic (solar panel) or wind generating system and you make more electricity than you need at the time it's produced, net metering allows this excess electricity to run the other way through the meter and back into the electric grid. Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility and the electricity you produce using your own generating equipment. At this point, Net Metering is applicable to solar and wind generators that are 1 MegaWatt (MW) or less in size. Net Metering allows you to effectively store excess electricity you generate in the transmission grid, therefore curtailing the need for expensive storage batteries for your on-site generation system. If you produce more power than you consume, your bill will be zero. At this point, you would not receive a credit from the utility for additional power you produced beyond your own demand. Please be aware that if there is a power outage and you are net metering without a battery storage mechanism, you will not be able to use the power produced by your system during the outage.

California Energy Commission's ABC's of Net Metering [201] informational brochure.

CEC's Handbook on Buying a Photovoltaic Solar Electric System [202].

Interstate Renewable Energy Council's (IREC) solar interconnection guide, "Connecting to the Grid [203]"

Download a copy of SDG&E's Interconnection Agreement [204] to connect your solar or wind-powered system to SDG&E's power grid.

California Energy Commission's ABC's of Net Metering [201] informational brochure.

CEC's Handbook on Buying a Photovoltaic Solar Electric System [202].

Interstate Renewable Energy Council's (IREC) solar interconnection guide, "Connecting to the Grid [203]"

Download a copy of SDG&E's Interconnection Agreement [204] to connect your solar or wind-powered system to SDG&E's power grid.

Renewable Rebates - California's Emerging Renewables Energy Program Rebates

California Energy Commission (CEC): Emerging Renewables Program [129]. The State's Emerging Renewables program (formerly the Buy Down program) is applicable to Fuel Cells, Solar Panels and Inverters, and Small Wind Turbine installations. The CEC is offering up to $4,500 per kilowatt, or up to 50 percent off your system purchase price (whichever is less), making it more affordable to generate your own electricity using renewable energy. Contact the California Energy Commission's Energy Call Center at 800-555-7794 for more information.

To find rebates see the Emerging Renewables Program Rebates [205] page at the Consumer Energy Center, search by zip code on Flex Your Power [206], or search the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency [207].

The CEC's Emerging Renewables Program Guidebook [208] provides all the information needed to reserve your CEC funds, including the Reservation Request Form (which can also be submitted online [209]).

If you decide to hire a contractor to upgrade your home, please check their status with the Contractor's State Licensing Board (CSLB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). We will update this site with information on installers as it comes available. There are two different contractor licenses that applicable to installing solar hot water systems and solar power systems. The C-10 license is for Electrical Contractors, the C-46 license indicates a Solar Contractor and a C-53 license applies to Swimming Pool Contractors.

CSLB: 800-321-2752 or www.cslb.ca.gov [210]

BBB: 858-496-2131 or www.sandiego.bbb.org [211]

League of California Homeowners has a list of approved contractors [212]

The CEC's Emerging Renewables Program Guidebook [208] provides all the information needed to reserve your CEC funds, including the Reservation Request Form (which can also be submitted online [209]).

CSLB: 800-321-2752 or www.cslb.ca.gov [210]

BBB: 858-496-2131 or www.sandiego.bbb.org [211]

League of California Homeowners has a list of approved contractors [212]

California Solar Rights Act and Solar Shade Control Act

The Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) has recently conducted a review of the Solar Rights Act and the Solar Shade Control Act in anticipation of increased demand for solar energy in the near future. Please see California's Solar Shade Control Act [213] and California's Solar Rights Act [214] for an in depth look at each important Act.

The Solar Shade Control Act grants certain protections to owners of solar collectors. Solar collectors that are blocked by the shade of a neighbor's tree or shrub may be protected under the Shade Act. The solar owner must be able to answer "Yes" to the following questions:

Does the neighboring tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2 pm local standard time?

Was the tree or shrub in question planted, or did the tree or shrub in question grow to shade the solar collector, after the solar collector's installation?

Did the tree or shrub in question begin to cast a shadow on the solar collector one year after the solar collector's installation?

Was the tree or shrub in question planted after January 1, 1979?

Was the solar collector installed pursuant to the Section 25982 setback requirements?

Does the solar collector meet the statutory definition of a "solar collector" provided in Section 25981?

There may be no violation of the Shade Act on the part of the tree or shrub owner if any of the following questions can be answered "No":

Does the tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2pm local standard time?

Do you own or lease the property on which the tree or shrub is located?

Was the tree or shrub in question was planted after January 1, 1979?

In addition to the questions above, the tree owner may not be in violation of the Shade act if any of the following questions can be answered "Yes":

During the 12 months following installation of the solar collector, did the tree or shrub in question cast a shadow on the solar collector?

Is the tree or shrub in question owned by a municipality that has passed an ordinance exempting itself from the Act?

Is the tree or shrub in question growing on land designated as timberland or agricultural land?

Are the trees or shrubs in question part of a passive cooling and heating strategy in which net energy savings from the passive solar system are demonstrably greater than those of the shaded solar collector?

The Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) has recently conducted a review of the Solar Rights Act and the Solar Shade Control Act in anticipation of increased demand for solar energy in the near future. Please see California's Solar Shade Control Act [213] and California's Solar Rights Act [214] for an in depth look at each important Act.

Does the neighboring tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2 pm local standard time?

Was the tree or shrub in question planted, or did the tree or shrub in question grow to shade the solar collector, after the solar collector's installation?

Did the tree or shrub in question begin to cast a shadow on the solar collector one year after the solar collector's installation?

Was the tree or shrub in question planted after January 1, 1979?

Was the solar collector installed pursuant to the Section 25982 setback requirements?

Does the solar collector meet the statutory definition of a "solar collector" provided in Section 25981?

There may be no violation of the Shade Act on the part of the tree or shrub owner if any of the following questions can be answered "No":

Does the tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2pm local standard time?

Do you own or lease the property on which the tree or shrub is located?

Was the tree or shrub in question was planted after January 1, 1979?

In addition to the questions above, the tree owner may not be in violation of the Shade act if any of the following questions can be answered "Yes":

During the 12 months following installation of the solar collector, did the tree or shrub in question cast a shadow on the solar collector?

Is the tree or shrub in question owned by a municipality that has passed an ordinance exempting itself from the Act?

Is the tree or shrub in question growing on land designated as timberland or agricultural land?

Are the trees or shrubs in question part of a passive cooling and heating strategy in which net energy savings from the passive solar system are demonstrably greater than those of the shaded solar collector?

Other Resources

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute: www.ari.org [38]

The Alliance to Save Energy: www.ase.org [215]

Alternative Energy Solutions www.alternativeenergysolutions.org [216]

American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA): www.aamanet.org [217]

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE): www.aceee.org [218]

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA): www.asla.org [219]

American Solar Energy Society: www.ases.org/solar [220]

America Wind Energy Association (AWEA): www.awea.org [221]

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers: www.aham.org [222]

Backwoods Home Magazine: www.backwoodshome.com [223]

BP Solarex: www.bpsolarex.com [224]

California Energy Commission's Flex Your Power Site: www.consumerenergycenter.org/flex/index.html [225]

California Energy Commission's Energy in California Statistics: www.energy.ca.gov/electricity/ [226]

California Energy Commission's Energy Facility Sitings & Licensing: www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/ [227]

California Energy Commission's Renewables Buy-Down Program: www.energy.ca.gov/greengrid/equipment.html [228]

California Energy Commission's Residential Energy Conservation Fact Sheets: www.energy.ca.gov/efficiency/home_energy_guide/index.html [229]

California Energy Commission's Title 24 Requirements: www.energy.ca.gov/title24 [230]

California Independent System Operator Links: www.caiso.com/aboutus/links/ [231]

California Public Utilities Commission's Green Team Report (Financing Programs for Renewable Energy): www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/REPORT/3824.htm [232]

Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (CIMA): www.cellulose.org [233]

Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST): www.solstice.crest.org [234]

Diversified Power Sytems: www.divpower.com [149]

DOE PV Program: www.eren.doe.gov/pv.com [235]

Efficient Windows collaborative Alliance to Save Energy: www.efficientwindows.org [236]

ENERGY STAR: www.energystar.gov [36]

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN): www.eren.doe.gov [237]

Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection: www.ftc.gov [238]

Florida Solar Energy Center: www.fsec.ucf.edu [239]

Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association: www.gamanet.org [240]

Home Depot (has tips on installation and price comparisons for conservation upgrades): www.homedepot.com/home.html [241]

Home Power Magazine: www.homepower.com [242]

Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA): www.insulate.org [243]

International Solar Energy Society Wired: www.ises.org [244]

Joe McCabe's Energy Efficiency and Renewables Legislation: energyi.mccabe.net/ca_eere.htm [245]

Kawneer Company: www.kawneer.com [246]

Maine Solar House story: www.solarhouse.com [247]

National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF): www.arborday.org [248]

National Association of Energy Service Companies: www.naesco.org [249]

National Association of Home Builders: www.nahb.com [250]

National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO): www.naseo.org [251]

National Center for PV: www.nel.gov/ncpv.com [252]

National Insulation Association: www.insulation.org [253]

National Renewable Energy Laboratory: www.nrel.gov/pv [254]

National Wood Window and Door Association: www.nwwda.org [255]

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA): www.naima.org [256]

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association: www.solstice.crest.org/cliennts/nesea [257]

Owens Corning : www.owenscorning.com [258]

Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA): www.pima.org [259]

Preston's Guide to A/C, Heat Pumps & Furnaces: www.prestonguide.com/ [260]

Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project: www.citizen.org/CMEP/ [261]

PV Power Resource Site: www.pvpower.com [262]

Real Goods Trading Store: www.realgoods.com [263]

Rocky Mountain Institute: www.rmi.org [264]

SDG&E's Online Tariff Rate Book: www.sdge.com/tariff/res_tariff.html [265]

Senator Bill Morrow's Energy Legislation Website: republican.sen.ca.gov/web/38/energyleg.asp [266]

Siemens Solar: www.siemensolar.com [267]

Solar Depot: www.solardepot.com [268]

Solar Design Associates: www.solardesign.com [269]

Solar Energy Industries Association: www.seia.org [270]

Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC): www.solar-rating.org [41]

United Solar Systems: www.Ovonic.com/unisolar.html [271]

U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC): www.eren.doe.gov/erec/factsheets [272]

U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS): www.eren.doe.gov/buildings [273]

Utility PV Group (UPVG): www.ttcorp.com/upvg/index.htm [274]

San Diego Cool Zones

Want to beat the summer heat and keep your A/C bills down? Find out where Cool Zones are available throughout San Diego County.

Cool Zones in San Diego County

Locations where older adults and others can take refuge during dangerous hot weather spells.

Operated by San Diego County

Aging & Independence Services

To find the Cool Zone nearest you, call

800-510-2020

Organization	Address	City Region	Hours of Operation
Alpine Community Center	1830 Alpine Blvd.	Alpine 91901	MF 6am - 6pm
Mtn. Empire Community Ctr.	876 Sheridan Rd	Campo 91906	T 2pm-5, WThF 8am-4
South County Division-Superior	300 Third Ave.	Chula Vista 91910	MF 7am -5pm
Norman Park Senior Ctr	270 F St.	Chula Vista 91910	M-F 8am-10pmTh 8-5, SS 12-4
HHSA South Region Admin.	690 Oxford St.	Chula Vista 91911	M-F 8am -5pm
Descanso Library	9545 River Dr	Descanso 91916	MF 1-5, WTh 11-6 S 10-1
Jacumba Library	44605 Old Hwy 80	Jacumba 91934	T 12-8, W 9-12 1-5, ThF 9-12, S 1-4
La Mesa Senior Adult Ctr	8450 La Mesa Blvd	La Mesa 91941	M-F ? Call 619-464-0505
Christian Science Reading Room	8370 La Mesa Blvd.	La Mesa 91941	MWThF 9-5, T, 7-7, Sa. 10-4
Lemon Grove Christian Church	6970 San Miguel	Lemon Grove 91945	M-F 8-4:30
Plaza Bonita Mall	3030 Plaza Bonito Rd.	National City 91950	all day
Organization	Address	City Region	Hours of Operation
Pine Valley Library	28804 Old Hwy 80	Pine Valley 91962	T 1-8, WF 11-3, Th 1-6, S 11-2
Potrero Library	24883 Portrero Valley Rd.	Portrero 91963	TTh 10-5, W 5-8, FS 10-1
Spring Valley Park & Rec	8735 Jamacha Blvd	Spring Valley 91977	M-S 9am -8pm
Borrego Springs Library	500 Palm Canyon Dr.	Borrego Springs 92004	TF9-3, WTh 10-6, S 9-2
Carlsbad Senior Center	799 Pine Ave	Carlsbad 92008	MF 8am - 5pm
Westfield Shoppingtown	227 E. Via Rancho Pkwy.	Carlsbad 92008	all day
Parkway Plaza Mall	415 Parkway Plaza	El Cajon 92020	all day
East County Division-Superior Ct	250 East Main Street	El Cajon 92020	MF 7am -5pm
El Cajon Library	201 E. Douglas	El Cajon 92020	MTWTh 10-8, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
Salvation Army	1011 East Main St.	El Cajon 92020	MF 8am -4pm
Patchwork Plus	1135 N. Second St	El Cajon 92021	M-Sa 10am -6pm
Crest Library	105 Juanita Lane	El Cajon 92021	T 1-6, WTh 12-5, S 11-4
North County Fair Mall	272 E. Via Rancho Pkwy.	Escondido 92025	all day
Escondido Joslyn Senior Center	210 Park Ave.	Escondido 92025	MF 9am - 4pm
Organization	Address	City Region	Hours of Operation
Interfaith Community Svcs	550 W. Washington	Escondido 92025	M-F 6am - 5pm
Summerville at Escondido	2500 S. Escondido Blvd.	Escondido 92025	M-Su 8:30-5
Rincon del Diablo Water District	1920 North Iris Lane	Escondido 92026	M-F 7:30-5pm
Fallbrook Library	124 S. Mission Rd	Fallbrook 92028	TW 10-6, Th 12-8, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
Fallbrook Senior Citizens Svcs.	399 Heald Lane	Fallbrook 92028	MF 8am -4pm
Lakeside Library	9839 Vine St.	Lakeside 92040	MTh 10-6, TW 10-8, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
Lakeside Community Center	9841Vine St	Lakeside 92040	MF 8am -6pm
Golden Goose Coffeeshop	10001 Maine Ave.	Lakeside 92040	M 6-7, TTh 6-8, W,F,Sa 6-10
Oceanside Sr. Citizens Assoc.	455 Country Club Lane	Oceanside 92051	MF 8am -4pm (limited space)
Oceanside Community Center	3935 Lake Blvd.	Oceanside 92056	MF 10am-2pm
Poway Valley Senior Center--Weingart	13094 Bowron Rd.	Poway 92064	MF 8am - 5pm
Poway Library	13137 Poway Rd.	Poway 92064	MTWTh 10-8, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
Ramona Library	1406 Montecito Rd.	Ramona 92065	T 12-8, WTh 10-6, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
Organization	Address	City Region	Hours of Operation
Ramona Senior Center	434 Aqua Lane	Ramona 92065	MF 8am -3pm
San Marcos Library	#2 Civic Center Dr.	San Marcos 92069	T 10-6, WTh 10-8, FS 10-4
Joslyn Senior Center	111 Richmar Ave.	San Marcos 92069	MF 8am -4pm
Valley Center Library	29115 Valley Center Rd.	Valley Center 92082	T 10-6, WTh 10-8, FS 10-5
Brengle Senior Center	1400 Vale Terrace Dr.	Vista 92083	MF 8am -4pm
North County Division-Superior	325 South Melrose Dr.	Vista 92083	MF 7am -5pm
Vista Library	700 Eucalyptus Ave.	Vista 92084	MTWTh 10-8, FS 10-5, SUN 1-5
County Court House - Superior Ct	220 West Broadway	San Diego 92101	MF 7am -5pm
Hall of Justice-Superior Ct	330 West Broadway	San Diego 92101	MF 7am -5pm
Family Law Court-Superior Ct	1555 Sixth Ave.	San Diego 92101	MF 7am -5pm
Madge Bradley Building-Superior	1409 4th Ave.	San Diego 92101	MF 7am -5pm
Organization	Address	City Region	Hours of Operation
Senior Community Centers	928 Broadway	San Diego 92101	MF 7am- 3pm, SS 9am -2pm No A/C
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church	4335 Van Dyke	San Diego 92105	MF 10am -2pm
Neighborhood House Senior	841 S. 41st Street	San Diego 92113	MF 8am -3pm
Kearny Mesa Branch-Superior Ct	8950 Clairemont Mesa	San Diego 92123	MF 7am -5pm
Juvenile Court-Superior Ct	8950 Meadow Lark Dr.	San Diego 92123	MF 7am -5pm

Small Appliances

SMALL APPLIANCES

Many small appliances around your home may have a continual readout displayed. For instance, VCRs, coffee makers, stereos and the like will have the time or station continually showing even if the appliance isn't being used. This type of energy usage, though small, can add up over time. Put VCRs, stereos, computers and other smaller appliances that tend to remain on even when not being used, on the same power surge protector strip. This way, one switch can turn off all of these appliances quickly and easily. This also helps to protect those appliances from power surges if a rolling black out should occur. To see how much electricity many small appliances use and what they cost to run per hour, click here. [275]

If someone in your home is dependent on a medical appliance, you may qualify for a reduction on your utility bill with the Medical Baseline Allowance [4] program.

A UCAN member recently purchased a watt-meter (available in many electronics stores) to measure the "phantom load" of various appliances. This usage indicates how much electricity appliances consume by just being plugged in but not in use.

Appliance	Phantom Load	Appliance	Phantom Load
50 watt stereo	18 watts	Fax/phone Machine	8 watts
Uninterruptable Power Supply	17 watts	VCR	4.5 watts
Cable Modem	17 watts	Drill Charger	3 watts
CDRom Changer	6 watts	Total Phantom Load:	73.5 watts (or approx. 44 kWh/ month)

NOTE: If your computer runs on Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP, you can fine tune the energy consumption of monitor, hard drives and fans On average, a 17-inch monitor can consume up to 180 watts during normal use. The same monitor can power down to 10 watts when in sleep mode. Advanced Power Management gives you the power to control how long your computer stays on, when you monitor should turn off, and when the hard drives should spin down.
To adjust these settings, right click anywhere on the desktop where there is no icon.
Click on Properties
Click on Screen saver
Click the button marked Power or Settings for the "Energy Saving Features of the Monitor."

Kilowatt Calculator

UCAN'S KILOWATT CALCULATOR

This table gives you a good idea of the cost per hour to run typical appliances. We have estimated the average cost of a kilowatt-hour at 17.5¢.

The estimate includes transmission costs, baseline costs, the average tiered rate, etc. Your actual electric cost may be slightly more or less.

Calculate the hourly electric cost of almost anything in two easy steps.

1. Take the wattage listed on the device and divide it by 1000 to get the number of kilowatts that is uses in one hour (one kW = 1000 watts).

2. Multiply that number by 17.5¢ to determine how many cents it costs you to run that item for one hour. Example: To calculate the hourly cost of running a 100-watt bulb for one hour, take 100 watts and divide it by 1000. Then multiply the result by the current market rate of 17.5¢ (that’s 00.175). The result is 17.5¢ per hour.

What to do if wattage isn’t listed ... If no wattage is listed on the device, take the Amps the appliance uses and multiply by the number of volts. The result is the wattage. Most small appliances use 120 volts - large appliances are usually 240.

*Lighting*	kW per Hour	Cost per Hour
Light bulb, 100 watt incandescent	0.10	1.8¢
Compact fluorescent, 22 watts (a 22-watt fluorescent throws about as much light as a 100 watt incandescent)	0.02	0.4¢
Holiday lights, 50 bulbs, 5 watt ea.	0.25	4.4¢
Icicle lights, 150 bulbs, 1.9 watt ea	0.29	5.1¢
*Large appliances*
Clothes washer, 1/2 hp motor	0.5	4.4¢ load
Clothes dryer, 1/2 hp motor with 5000 watt heat element	5.4	94¢ load
Refrigerator 16 cubic feet, (30¢ per hour when running, usually about 3 to 15 hours daily).	.70	12¢
Dishwasher *with* drying cycle	2.4	32¢ load
Dishwasher without drying cycle	1.2	16¢ load
Freezer 12 cubic ft upright	3	53¢ day
Microwave, 1500 watt	1.5	6.6¢ (for 15 min)
Electric oven baking, 3000 watt	1.00	18¢
*Home office*
PC and monitor	0.13	2.3¢
Fax Machine	0.05	0.9¢
Photocopier (active)	1.5	26¢
Answering Machine	0.03	0.5¢

*Electric cooling*	kW per Hour	Cost in Cents
Air conditioner (whole house, cooling only, 3 ton, 10 SEER)	5.0	88¢
Room air conditioner, one ton	1	18¢
Ceiling Fan, 80 watt motor no light	0.08	1.4¢
Evaporative Cooler	0.5	8.8¢
Whole House Fan	0.75	13¢
*Water heating* (electric)
Shower, (cost shown is for 7 min shower - cost per hour is $3.52)	2.5	44¢
*Electric heating*
Portable heater, 1500 watt	1.5	26¢
Wall heater, 4500 watt	4.50	79¢
Central forced-air, 5000 watt	5.00	88¢
Ceiling cable heater, 3000 watt	3.00	53¢
Heat pump, 4 ton	5.0	88¢
*Small appliances*
VCR, 20 watt	0.02	0.4¢
20" Color television	0.11	1.9¢
12" Black & white TV	0.02	4/10¢
Waterbed heater, 400 watt, 90^o	0.40	7¢
Electric blanket, 100 watt heater	0.1	1.8¢
Coffee maker	0.9	15.8¢
Stereo, 50 Watts	0.05	8.8¢

Water Heating

The four ways to cut your water-heating bill are to: Use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater and appliances that use hot water, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient, water heater and other appliances that use hot water. Lowering the thermostat on your water heater to a setting of 115 o F should provide comfortable hot water for most uses.

Reduce the Flow--Use Low-Flow Showerheads & Aerator Faucets: If you don't have them already, low-flow showerheads and faucets can drastically cut your hot water-heating expenses. Savings of 10-16% of water heating costs.
Well under $20 for most showerheads, a little more for faucets.

Ahhh, a Hot Water Wrap: Wrap your hot water tank with jacket insulation: This is especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater. Savings up to 10% on water-heating costs.
Less than $20

Energy Star Dishwasher: 80% of the energy used for dishwashing is for water heating. An Energy Star [36] dishwasher can save up to 20% on water- heating costs. Use the air-dry setting or turn the dishwasher off after its final rinse and open the door. Click here [276] for qualifying models.
$200 to $500
Rebate: $50

Solar Water Heater: If you have an unshaded, south-facing location (such as the roof) on your property, you should consider having your water heated by incident sunlight. For information, see our Renewables section.
$200 to $5000

Energy-Star Clothes Washer: A front-loading, Energy Star [36] clothes washer uses up to 50% less energy than a standard washer. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half. And remember, your spin cycle uses large amounts of energy; so, skip the second rinse unless you really need it.
$500 to $1500
Rebate: $75 from Utility; $125 for Water District Voucher (see below)
NOTE: If you're looking to qualify for both incentives, you will have to purchase a model that is approved by both the utility and the water district.

In addition to rebates from the utility, the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, City of Del Mar, City of Escondido, Helix Water District, City of Oceanside, City of San Diego, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, City of Poway, Ramona Municipal Water District, Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, Sweetwater Authority, Vallecitos Water District, Valley Center Municipal Water District, and Vista Irrigation District offer a $125 applicable voucher on approved clothes washer models. Call 800-986-4538 or click here [277] for more information.

High-Efficiency Gas Water Heater: An efficient gas water heater can help you save up to $35 per year. Lowering the thermostat on your water heater to a setting of 1150 F should provide comfortable hot water for most uses. View qualifying models here [278].
$200 to $500
Rebate: $30

Pools & Spas: Pumps and motors that keep pools and spas operating should be upgraded to more efficient models [279] that use half the horsepower. You can also receive a credit if you switch to filtering during off-peak hours, outside of 12 pm to 6pm.
$400 to $500
Rebates: $30 or $250 per unit.

And while you're at it, consider installing a low-flow toilet. It won't save you money on your water heating bill, but will decrease your monthly water bill! Click here [280] for more info from the San Diego County Water Authority.

Weatherization

You can save 10% or more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home. If your attic has ample insulation and your home stills feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer, you may benefit from weatherizing your home. Here are some tips that may save you money and keep you more comfortable in cold and hot weather.

Get "incensed" about those leaks: On a breezy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke streams horizontally, you have located an air leak that many need caulking, sealing or weatherstripping. In addition, recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss.
Cost: Almost free

Weatherstripping & caulking: Caulking and weatherstripping are the easiest and least expensive weatherization measures and can save more than 10% on energy bills. If you can see daylight around door and window frames, then the door or window leaks. Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home and seal them up!
Cost: Less than $20

Check windows for worn glazing: The putty-like substances around the panes in your windows can get old and allow drafts to enter your home. Re-glazing can help seal up those air paths.
Cost: Less than $20

Windows

WINDOWS

Windows can account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, sunny windows make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. If your home has single-pane windows (almost half of U.S. homes do), consider replacing them.

Reflective Window Film: Reflects up to 50% of incoming solar heat and 90% of UV radiation light. Decreases cooling costs in the summer. For the average 1,600-2,000 sq. ft. home, it only takes 18-24 months to pay back your initial investment in the film, which has a lifetime of about 15 years. Not recommended for south-facing windows if your goal is solar heating.
Cost: 50¢ to $1.20 per sq. ft.

High-Efficiency Windows: Each single-paned window in your home is akin to having a 6" circular hole installed in your wall. If you have single-paned, aluminum framed windows, you can reduce your heating and cooling costs from 15% to 60% percent, by upgrading to Energy Star [36] double-paned windows. For more information on high-efficiency windows, click here [281].
Cost: Expensive
Rebate: $.501 per sq. ft.

Energy Saving Vinyl Windows

Can Vinyl Windows Really Cut Your High Utility Bill?

By definition, a "window" is nothing more than a hole in your wall. That is why windows are usually the biggest source of energy loss in your home. Knowing this, UCAN replaced all 12 of its large exterior windows with costly, but efficient, vinyl windows.

The result: Our energy bill was cut in half

With savings like that, it’s not surprising that vinyl window replacements are the most frequent reason for home improvement loans. But, choosing the wrong installer can penalize you to the tune of $1,000 or more per window.

Will vinyl windows save YOU money?

We significantly reduced our energy bills by replacing our old windows with double-paned vinyl windows. Of course, with seven unshaded south facing windows, and no awnings or shade trees, the decision was a no-brainer, but how much energy will you save? According to the California Energy Commission, trading in your single-pane aluminum frame windows for dual-pane vinyl windows can reduce your bill by 7% to 15% in the coastal area, and 13% to 38% in desert areas like Borrego Springs. Not bad.

Are your windows energy hogs? Here’s how to tell

You can test your windows in two ways: First, by putting your hand on it in hot or cold weather. Is the glass as cold or as hot as the temperature outside? And second, by listening when the window is open, then closed. Good windows block sound.

Did your windows pass both tests? If not, they could be energy hogs, and this guide is for you.

Why dual-pane vinyl windows save energy A closed 30" by 30" single-pane, aluminum frame window can transfer the same amount of energy as an uncovered six-inch-wide hole in your wall. With dual-paned windows, the outside air has to slog its way though two panes of glass and one or more layers of insulated vinyl. Some windows have Argon gas, or low-e coating as an added insulator. Another benefit of double-paned windows is that they block noise, too.

Aluminum framed windows: Cheap to install, but expensive to keep. Aluminum frames conduct heat and cold two-thousand times faster than vinyl. In the summer, the frames and thin glass actually work like a heat-exchanger, sucking cold air out of your home while piping hot air in. In the winter, this process is reversed, and in the long run, those cheap windows can cost you big energy bucks. Good for Enron, bad for you.	Dual panes keep hot air out, cold air in. Dual-pane vinyl windows keep weather where it is supposed to be — outside. Some use Low-e coatings or have Argon gas inside for more weather-repelling insulation.
	Covering your glass ... on a budget You don’t have to retrofit your entire home with costly windows to save on energy. For example, you can replace only those windows that are exposed to extreme heat and cold (usually South and West windows). You can also get insulated drapes and window coverings, or apply reflective window film to keep out the sun. Another approach is to install awnings. Properly placed awnings keep the high summer sun out, and let the lower winter sun in. Finally, you can plant shade trees and vines. According to the Department of Energy, three carefully placed shade trees can save $100 to $250 in heating and cooling costs annually. You can also visit www.ucan.org [18] or mail the order form on page one, and get many more inexpensive energy-saving tips free of charge.
The NFRC, or National Fenestration Rating Council (www.NFRC.org [282]) developed standards used for Federal ENERGY STAR windows. SDG&E/Sempra offers modest rebates (see "Deals and Discounts" next page) for brands with these NFRC characteristics: Argon: Some windows have a layer of heavy Argon gas between the panes for extra insulation. It is a great idea ... at least in theory. Argon is an extremely heavy gas that insulates well. The problem is, Argon gas is odorless and invisible. There is no way of telling if it has dissipated out of your windows over time. "U-Factor" of 0.4 or less: The lower the U-Factor, the better the window. It tells you how well your window stops heat from escaping. Most windows rate between 0.20 and 1.20. "SHGC" of 0.4 or less: The SHGC, or Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, tells you how well the window blocks out the hot summer sun. The best possible rating is zero, and the worst is 1.0. Low-e & Low-e² Coatings: "Low-e" is industry jargon for "low emittance of energy." These coatings, which are on the inside of the glass between the panes, keep hot air out and cool air in (and vice-versa). Most utility rebates require a Low-e or Low-e²coating. "VT" or Visible Transmittance: The higher the VT, the more light you see. VT is rated between zero and one. If the window lets in no light, it would be rated zero. Most rebate deals don’t consider VT ratings.

Spotting high pressure sales scams

BE VERY SUSPICIOUS if you notice any of the following high-pressure sales tricks when you are shopping for your windows:

You feel uncomfortable or guilty. High pressure sales people are good at making you feel ashamed about how much money you have, and at making you think you are a bad person if you do not buy.

They are pushy and will not leave. If you ask a salesperson to leave and they refuse, call the police and have them removed.

They get you to agree to a "What if" deal: They say "What if I could lower the price, would you buy it then?" Don’t be surprised when the price magically drops. Remember, you are under no legal obligation to buy until after you sign the contract.

They "call the boss" for a lower price because they "like" you ... but the price is good only if you sign the contract today.

They question your integrity, or make you feel bad by saying you aren’t their "friend," suggesting that you’re not good for your word, or that you wouldn’t know a deal if it jumped up and bit you.

You lose money if you don’t buy NOW. When you tell them you are still shopping, they offer a huge "Sign Now Discount." IMPORTANT: You may have three days under California law to cancel your contract, but you must do it in writing. Questions? 619-881-UCAN

UCAN advises getting at least three bids when you are shopping for contractors

Check the BBB record (Better Business Bureau) 858-496-2131 www.sandiego.bbb.org Avoid contractors with "unsatisfactory" BBB ratings. In March 2002, we found that one of the contractors we looked at ThermoView Industries, had complaints about high pressure sales tactics, and an inability to meet deadlines.

[39]

Verify CSLB status (Contractors State Licensing Board) 800-321-2752 www.cslb.ca.gov [39] This state agency tells you if a contractor’s license is in good standing. Always verify the license. Ideally, a window retrofit contractor should have a C-17 Glazing License. A C-17 isn’t required, but it does show the contractor is qualified to assemble and install glass windows.

See if they’re LCH approved (League of CA Homeowners) 909-931-1653 www.homeowners.org [283] Before a contractor is LCH approved, the contractor must have a valid contractor’s license for at least two years and be in compliance with the Contractor’s State License Board (CSLB). They must also provide certificates of workers compensation and general liability and be free of any unresolved or outstanding complaints to the CSLB. In addition, they must have no outstanding litigation relating to their work. They must also undergo a financial background check and provide references from customers,

Consider an LCH background check

If your contractor is not LCH approved, you can actually purchase a background check from LCH. For a total of $25 (as of this writing) LCH will check the contractor’s public record for you. This report includes a BBB check, a CSLB check, and a search of city hall and court records to determine if a contractor has filed any liens against its customers, or has been sued for any reason. For an additional $25, LCH will also check the contractor’s credit through the Experian credit bureau. This report includes the public records search described previously, plus valuable information about the contractor’s financial stability and bill-paying history. This information can be especially useful when evaluating long-term guarantees, warranties and overall business practices.

Cover your sash; check their insurance!

Though a CSLB-licensed contractor must have workers compensation insurance, you should verify whether they have General Liability Insurance that will cover any accidental damage or injury that could occur on your property.

Also, you may have to pay a higher monthly premium for your homeowners insurance while the contractor and employees are on your premises. Call your insurance agent to find out. Otherwise, you may not be covered.

As of Feb. 2002, contractors must disclose whether they have General Liability Insurance or not on their contract.

Lastly, once you have your upgrade

completed, make sure your insurance policy reflects the increased value of your home.

Deals, Discounts and Rebates

Energy Rebates: SDG&E has renewed its energy efficient window rebates until December 31, 2002, or until the funds are used up. This modest rebate gives you 50¢ per square foot for dual pane windows that meet the following requirements:

- A U-factor no greater than 0.4

- SHGC no greater than 0.4

- Low-e glass or better

As of this writing, you can get a rebate application on the Web at www.sdge.com/efficiency/rebates_home.pdf [284]. WARNING: The application and the receipts you provide, must be of the same calendar year. You can also contact the utility by telephone to earmark funds, get more information, and order an application form at 800-411-7343.Always ask about discounts: Many of the contractors interviewed by UCAN offered different types of discounts off their bids. A few offered an immediate discount or "initial visit discount" for initiating service during the preliminary appointment. But be wary. This type of discount is often used as a ploy by high-pressure sales people. Some contractors offered an advertised discount of 10% to 15% because there was an existing promotional offer, a "whole house" discount or an additional 15% reduction for writing a letter of recommendation and allowing the company to put a sign in your yard for 30 days to advertise their services.

Miscellaneous legal stuff

How much down? Contractors, by law, can’t ask for more than $1,000 or 10% of the total bid, which ever is less, upfront.

Timely delivery:Under § 7159 of the Business and Professions Code, failure of the contractor without lawful excuse to substantially commence work within twenty (20) days from the approximate date promised is in violation of the Contractors State License Law.

Safety codes: Every bedroom must have an opening that is at least 5.7 square feet and not more than 41" from the floor to meet fire safety codes. In older homes, windows may not meet this standard, and you may be required to pay a little more for a bigger window.

Stopping the deal: California law gives you a three-day right of cancellation, or the ability to rescind a contract if the request is made (in writing) within three days after the contract has been signed. This law is meant to prevent high-pressure sales. WARNING: This three-day right does not apply to contracts signed in a store or showroom.

Warranty: The window industry’s "standard warranty" usually covers manufacturer defects as long as you own your home. They usually do not cover breakage, natural wear and tear, or labor costs. Some warranties only cover the cost of materials, and do not pay for labor, condensation between the panes, poor workmanship, broken glass, etc. Check to see if the warranty is transferable to the next homeowner and if labor is included. Your contractor may also offer a labor guarantee. If the contractor offers a long-term guarantee, make certain the company is financially solid (defunct companies rarely honor guarantees).

Permits: Permits are required if you are making any structural changes to your home such as removing load-bearing mullions, or changing the physical shape of the existing walls that your windows currently are in, especially if the change impacts the architectural integrity of your home.

Tempered glass: A good window contractor knows that windows near doors, close to the ground, or near a bath drain must be tempered. Tempered glass shatters like a safety windshield, while untempered glass can break into large, potentially hazardous shards.

Telecommunications

This section contains valuable consumer resources related to wireless and landline telephones. If you can't find what you are looking for, try visiting telenforcers.org [285].

Emergency wireless safety tip: keep an 'in case of emergency' (I.C.E) contact in your cell phone

Do you have "I.C.E." in your Mobile Phone?

It could save your life!

"I.C.E." stands for "In Case of Emergency." Paramedics around the world have been trained to look through the address books in wireless phones under "I.C.E." for an emergency contact information. Entering an ICE contact into your cellular phone is a good idea in the event you are rendered unconscious in an accident.

So put an I.C.E contact in your phone

Rumors that there are "ICE" viruses that can infect your phone are not true.

Form Demand Letters

Please see our page at telenforcers.org [286] for telecom specific form demand letters.

Free 411 Directory Assistance

In recent years the cost of directory assistance has skyrocketed (thanks, deregulators!) . Telephone companies are charging their customers unreasonable fees. Thankfully, there are some real alternatives available that should ensure consumers never pay for directory assistance again.

In recent years the cost of directory assistance has skyrocketed. Telephone companies are charging their customers unreasonable fees. The cost of directory assistance from wireless carriers now ranges from $1.50-$1.79 plus airtime minutes. Long distance providers are even worse, charging customers from $2.00-$3.50 per call. Thankfully, there are some real alternatives available that should ensure consumers never pay for directory assistance again.

1-800-FREE-411 [287]
Free411 offers free nationwide directory assistance for busisness, government, and residential listings. Yes, free. The service is supported by short advertisments (around 12 seconds). Most ads are related to your directory request. For example, if you ask for a Dominoes listing, you might hear a Pappa Johns ad. There are some exceptions, you may have to listen to an ad before being connected to an operater. On the whole, the service runs fast and smooth. If the automated operator cannot fulfill/understand your request, a human operator is on the line right away. There is an added bonus at the end. You can have the number you requested text messaged to your phone. Free411 does not charge any additional fee for this service, however, your carrier's SMS charges still apply. Free411 [288] also offers free directory assistance through its website, so check 'em out.

1-800-411-SAVE [289]
411Save is another great free directory assistance provider. Like Free411, 411Save is supported by advertisements (10-15 seconds). At this time 411Save only provides business listings, but the service is quick and easy and promptly connects you with a human operator if there is trouble with the automated system. Users also have the option to recieve their listing via text message at no additional charge. 411Save gives consumers a superior alternative to the major carriers' directory assistance services.

Google SMS [290]
Have you ever wanted to "call" Google? Now you can. What's better is that they'll even answer you...for free. Instead of calling a toll-free directory assistance number, try asking Google for a listing via SMS (text messaging). There is no fee, however, you will be charged for each text message by your carrier (usually no more than $0.10-$0.15 per message depending on your plan). You don't need a phone-based Web browser, or an Internet subscription package, just text messaging capability.

Here's an example of how it works. Create a new text message and enter "46645" (the numeric equivelant of GOOGL) as the number you will send to. In the text area add: "pizza 92103"
Within a few seconds, you will receive 2 text messages (depending on the number of results). The first:

Bronx Pizza Inc
111 Washington St
San Diego, 92103
619-291-3341

Papa John's Pizza: Hillcrest-Uptown
1280 University Ave
San Diego, 92103

Google SMS allows you to search pretty much anything in a directory listing plus a lot more. Search for stores: best buy san diego. People: jerry sanders san diego ca. Find movie showtimes: braveheart 92101. Get directions: from petco park to 3100 fifth san diego. And sports scores: pittsburgh steelers.

Google will provide directory assistance services for non-smartphones by sending a text message to GOOGLE (466453) with the name and location of the business they want and get a text back in response. Gmail also has new phone-calling features built in, and smartphone owners can get a free voice search applications from Google via Google Mobile. But it is ending its free directory assistance at 800-GOOG-411 in November 2010.

For more information, see the Google SMS [290] guide. Also visit SMS 411 [291]. It is a good site with lots of tips and tricks for Google SMS and text messaging in general. If you are new [292] to text messaging then this site is a must.

Free Products and Services for the Impaired

Free? That's right. California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) is a state-mandated program that provides free telecommunications equipment and services for California individuals certified as having functional limitations of hearing, vision, mobility, speech and/or interpretation of information.

Deaf and Disabled
Telecommunications Program (DDTP)

What is it?
Under the DDTP, the California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) is a state-mandated program that provides free telecommunications equipment and services for California individuals certified as having functional limitations of hearing, vision, mobility, speech and/or interpretation of information.
Scroll down for a summary of equipment and services provided.

Who runs it?
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

Who pays for it?
The program is funded by a small surcharge that appears on all Californians' telephone bills.

How can I contact the program?
For more information and instructions on ordering any of the following services, click here [293] or call 800-806-1191, 800-806-4474 (TTY).

Hearing Impaired: Hard of Hearing, Deaf or Deafened
For California local phone customers who qualify as being hearing-impaired, the CCTP program can provide the following equipment or services free of charge:

Amplified telephone to increase volume
Loud ringer or flashing light device to indicate that the telephone is ringing

TTY, a telecommunications device with keyboard and visual display for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
Three-way calling for use with two-line Voice Carry Over (VCO)
Flashing or vibrating alert device to indicate that the phone is ringing
TTY toll discount - provides discounted rates to customers who use a TTY to make and receive telephone calls, as TTY calls generally require longer periods of time to complete a call.

Visually-Impaired or Blind
For California local phone customers who qualify as being visually-impaired, the CCTP program can provide the following equipment or services free of charge:

Large button phone
Cordless phone
Speaker phone
Speed dialing (stores telephone numbers for memory dialing)
Speed Calling 8 or 30 - Enables the programming of (8) or (30) frequently dialed numbers into the telephone line. All phones on that telephone line may then be dialed with the touch of two buttons.
Directory Assistance Exemption - Provides directory assistance at reduced or no cost, within a specified calling area.
Manual Operator Service - Provides operator-assisted dialing at no additional cost.

Speech-Impaired
For California local phone customers who qualify as being speech-impaired, the CCTP program can provide the following equipment or services free of charge:

Speech amplifier to increase outgoing voice volume over the phone
Artificial larynx
TTY (telecommunication device with keyboard and visual display for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired)
Speech to Speech relay service
Three-way calling - Enables a customer to talk to two people in two different places at the same time. This is especially helpful for people whose speech is not easily understood by an unknown party on the other end of the call. The speech disabled person may "add-on" a third person, one that is familiar with his/her speech pattern, who may then assist with the call. This service is also available for Two-Line VCO users.
TTY toll discount - provides discounted rates to customers who use a TTY to make and receive telephone calls, as TTY calls generally require longer periods of time to complete a call.
Some local telephone companies offer a toll discount to speech disabled customers

Mobility-Impaired
For California local phone customers who qualify as being mobility-impaired, the CCTP program can provide the following equipment or services free of charge:

Telephone headset
Speed Calling 8 or 30 - Enables the programming of (8) or (30) frequently dialed numbers into the telephone line. All phones on that telephone line may then be dialed with the touch of two buttons.
Speakerphone or remote speakerphone for hands-free calls
Cordless phone
Speed dialing (stores numbers for memory dialing)
Directory Assistance Exemption - Provides directory assistance at reduced or no cost, within a specified calling area
Manual Operator Service - Provides operator-assisted dialing at no additional cost.

Cognitively-Impaired
For California local phone customers who qualify as being speech-impaired, the CCTP program can provide the following equipment or services free of charge:

Picture phone
Speed dialing
Speakerphone with visual display of numbers dialed
Three-way calling which allows a familiar third party to assist with phone communication.
Speed Calling 8 or 30 - Enables the programming of (8) or (30) frequently dialed numbers into the telephone line. All phones on that telephone line may then be dialed with the touch of two buttons.
Directory Assistance Exemption - Provides directory assistance at reduced or no cost, within a specified calling area.

California Relay Service (CRS)
The California Relay Service (CRS) enables a person using a TTY (telecommunication device with keyboard and visual display, for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled) to communicate by phone with a person who does not use a TTY. The service also works in reverse - allowing a non-TTY user to call a TTY user. This service is accessed by dialing 711.

How To Check Your Cell Phone Minutes and Account Balance

How not to go over your minutes and how to know the balance you owe

Verizon
T-Mobile [294]
Cingular [295]
Sprint Nextel [296]

As with any bill, it would be very rare to find a company to alert you if you exceed your plan minutes or if you spend more than you intended. However, the following examples show you how to prevent over-spending. There is no reason any subscriber should be surprised when the bill arrives. By checking your account regularly, you can stop using your phones and avoid minute overage charges. In addition, you are strongly encouraged to report any cramming (unauthorized charges) immediately to the company in writing by sending a certified return receipt requested dispute letter. The dispute letter should be followed ASAP by filing an on-line complaint form to the California Public Utilities Commission at www.cpuc.ca.gov [297] for any unauthorized charges.

1. Verizon Wireless customers can check their balance and minutes any time. #BAL (225) gives the last payment and the balance. # MIN (646) gives you the number of minutes used. It's FREE of charge and Verizon will text message if someone has not blocked the Internet. Whether you have Internet access or not, you can check your status every day to protect yourself. Internet account checking is also available.

2. T-Mobile customers can be proactive. By dialing these short codes on their handsets, customers can obtain balance, usage and messaging information. Dialing #BAL# (#225#) and pressing send will get you your balance. There are also short codes to track minutes used #MIN# (#646#) and messages used #MSG# (#674#). In addition to short codes, T-Mobile customers can use their handset to obtain account balance and usage information from the web via T-Zones mobile web homepage. The information is also available by logging into an account through T-Mobile's homepage at www.t-mobile.com [298] and this can be done through any computer connected to the internet. Account information is also available by calling T-Mobile at 611 from a handset or 800.937.8997 from a landline. Customers can use self service options to check balance and usage information or if they prefer they can speak to a representative. For those customers that have difficulty with the English or Spanish offerings we also offer a translation service with our live representatives.

3. Cingular customers can check their balance and minutes any time as well. By pushing the *646# send - Cingular will send a text message with remaining minutes available. You can also view the instuctions at the Cingular website [299]. If you have an internet active phone you can always log onto Cingular.com, access & view minutes and balances that way.

4. Sprint Nextel customers can view their minutes by signing into their account on the Sprint website, or by dialing *4 and following the voice prompts.

How to Cancel Your Cell Phone Contract

[300]Cell phone providers will let you get out of your contract for around $175 per phone line with no questions asked.

If that just isn't good enough for you, and it shouldn't be, then take a look at this guide [301] to learn about asserting your rights!

What's the average penalty for breaking your cell phone contract?

Wireless companies charge anywhere from $150-$350 PER PHONE LINE. View each carrier's termination fee [302].

Kiosks, which may appear to be service providers, can charge even more. Kiosks are 3rd party providers, not cell phone carriers. Additional early termination penalties from kiosks can be as high as $400 PER PHONE LINE

**Be VERY careful about buying cell phone service from a kiosk at a mall; they often add additional terms to the contract that make it even more expensive for you to get out of a contract (not including the sometimes contradictory return policies and trial periods.) We even received a complaint from a blind couple that had been sold a family pack of camera phones by a kiosk vendor. Promises, promises, promises, but as one UCAN consumer advocate likes to say, "If it ain't in writing, it ain't in the contract."

What if your service isn't as good as you expected -- will they let you out?

Yes, for around $175 PER PHONE LINE. Cell phone companies do not guarantee quality of service. AT&T explicity states in its Terms and Conditions, "AT&T does not guarantee availability of wireless network." Other providers have similar provisions.

How bad does the service have to be before they let you out?

In many ways, all that you are entitled to with a cell phone plan is a phone, working or not. Cell phone contracts may not be drafted to cheat you, but they ARE drafted to keep you! Cell phone companies spend upwards of $300 in marketing costs and subsidies to win each customer and they are going to make it as difficult as possible for you to switch to a competitor.

Make use of your trial period to test your phone EVERYWHERE you are going to use it, because it is the only chance you will get. Do not expect the quality of service to improve. If you are told reception will get better once the new tower is put up, find a different provider

Can a change in contract terms be used as grounds for cancellation?

Contracts vary, but most changes to your contract can provide grounds to get out. Almost any new fee or new charge is your opportunity to break the contract. Why? Because they can't change any part of the contract without your permission. But they do it all of the time because they know that you DON'T know that you can use that change as a basis for canceling your contract. Here are some recent examples:

Text message price changes (Cingular T-mobile)

Administrative charge increase (Verizon, from $0.40 to $0.70)

Increase in unpublished number fee (Might entitle a bundled AT&T customer to quit Cingular/AT&T wireless,or AT&T DSL)

Make sure the change/increase applies to you. Typically you need to get to a manager. Be sure to use the term "materially adverse" when referring to the change, and have notice of the change in hand as well as the relevant provisions of the contract. See our Sample Script [303].

Each carrier takes a different stance on what is materially adverse and who can get out. You usually only have a short time to claim a change as materially adverse. See our guide to "Material Adverse" Clauses in Cell Phone Contracts [304] for more info.

How good are those new websites that allow you to sell the remainder of your cell phone contract to someone else?

The concept has been around for a number of years. Most of the carriers have a process that allows you to transfer your contract, which can help to avoid activation fees, or perhaps find a deal. The contract "swapping" sites are OK for Plan B, but clearly the better option is to get out of the contract entirely. See a list of carrier activation fees [305]. Available services include Cellswapper [306], Celltradeusa [307], and Resellular [308]. Here is a short list of drawbacks:

There are a lot of outlandish sales to be found like $4/month plans and $5000/month plans.

Typical internet field of potentially sketchy anonymous buyers.

Not usually an instant process, can take up to 7 days, and buyer must pass a credit check.

Cost of plans do not generally differ widely from carriers' rates

Still a relatively little used process after many years of the concept being around

Are there any other ways I can get out of my contract? I'm desperate.

We've heard some pretty ridiculous contract cancellation stories and we thought we'd share a few for entertainment purposes. The following tips are not guaranteed to get you out of your contract, nor are they guaranteed to be legal.

Set your phone to "roam only." Instead of utilizing its own network, the phone will search for the networks of other carriers. Most plans give users free roaming these days, but carriers must still pay for the roaming minutes. The reasonong goes that it costs the carrier more to pay for the roaming than the customer is worth, so the carrier will drop the customer. Some phones, however, can be forced to roam easier than others, depending on the model. Sprint users seem to have the easiest time making this happen, but there is not a large enough sample available to know for sure.

The Consumerist has a story about Sprint dropping customers for calling customer service too much [309]. Apparently, most of the calls were to correct billing errors, not to complain.

If you are a journalist doing a story on canceling cell phone contracts, UCAN's legal staff deals with these issues every day. Just email info@ucan.org [310] or contact UCAN at 619-696-6966.

If your a consumer with a cell phone issue file an online complaint [311] with the UCAN Fraud Squad or call 619-696-6966 for assistance.

"Material Adverse" Clauses in Cell Phone Contracts

Each carrier takes a different stance on what is materially adverse, who can get out (Cingular for instance has eliminated language in some contracts that claims that text messages are an "optional service"). You usually (except for Verizon which does offer 60 day period to call and claim materially adverse) only have a short time to claim a change as materially adverse, sometimes less than 14 days.

Each carrier takes a different stance on what is materially adverse, who can get out (Cingular for instance has eliminated language in some contracts that claims that text messages for instance are an "optional service"). You usually (except for Verizon which does offer 60 day period to call and claim materially adverse) only have a short time to claim a change as materially adverse, sometimes less than 14 days. Listen to UCAN attorney Art Neill's tips to cancelling your contract here [312].

Cingular [313]
Sprint/Nextel [314]
T-Mobile [315]
Verizon [316]
CTIA-International Association for Wireless Telecommunications [317]

CINGULAR
Changes to the terms and conditions: These terms and conditions may be changed from time-to-time. Cingular will post the most current version of these terms and conditions on the MEdia Net web site (www.cingular.com/medianet [318]) or other appropriate location. Please check these regularly to inform yourself about changes to the terms and conditions, policies, news, etc.

SPRINT/NEXTEL
When You Don't Have To Pay An Early Termination Fee
You aren't responsible for paying an Early Termination Fee when terminating Services: (a) provided on a month-to-month basis; (b) consistent with our published trial period return policy; or (c) in response to a materially adverse change we make to the Agreement as described directly below.
Our Right To Change The Agreement & Your Related Rights
We may change any part of the Agreement at any time including, but not limited to, rates, charges, how we calculate charges, or your terms of Service. We will provide you notice of changes that may impact you in a manner consistent with this Agreement (see "Providing Notice Under This Agreement" paragraph). Except as provided below, if a change we make to the Agreement is material and has a material adverse affect on you, you may terminate each line of Service materially affected without incurring an Early Termination Fee only if you: (a) call us within 30 days after the effective date of the change; and (b) specifically advise us that you wish to cancel Services because of a material change to the Agreement that we have made. If you do not cancel Service within 30 days of the change, an Early Termination Fee will apply if you terminate Services before the end of any applicable Term Commitment.
The following, without limitation, will generally not be considered changes to the Agreement as contemplated in this provision and will not result in the waiver of applicable Early Termination Fees: (a) changes to our Policies; (b) changes to rates or charges that are not a core part of the rate plan package for which you contracted - for example, incidental, occasional or casual use charges and other options that do not require a Term Commitment; (b) changes to Taxes & Government Fees; or (c) changes to Surcharges, including assessing new Surcharges.
Our Right To Suspend Or Terminate Services
We can, without notice, suspend or terminate any Service at any time for any reason, including, but not limited to: (a) late payment; (b) exceeding an Account Spending Limit ("ASL"); (c) harassing/threatening our employees or agents; (d) providing false information; (e) interfering with our operations; (f) using/suspicion of using Services in any manner restricted by or inconsistent with the Agreement; (g) breaching the Agreement, including our Policies; (h) providing false, inaccurate, dated or unverifiable identification or credit information, or becoming insolvent or bankrupt; (i) modifying a Device from its manufacturer specifications; or (j) if we believe the action protects our interests, any customer's interests or our network.

T-MOBILE
Changes to the Agreement or Charges. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, IF WE: (A) INCREASE THE CHARGES INCLUDED IN YOUR MONTHLY RECURRING ACCESS RATE PLAN, OR (B) MODIFY A MATERIAL TERM OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND THE MODIFICATION WOULD BE MATERIALLY ADVERSE TO YOU, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU OF THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION AND YOU CAN CANCEL THAT SERVICE WITHOUT PAYING A CANCELLATION FEE (WHICH IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY) BY FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE. IF YOU DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SERVICE BY FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, OR YOU OTHERWISE ACCEPT THE CHANGE, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION, EVEN IF YOU PAID FOR SERVICE IN ADVANCE. IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SAY HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO CANCEL, THEN IT IS WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE NOTICE, UNLESS A LONGER PERIOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, CHARGES FOR PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OPTIONAL SERVICES, OR ANY OTHER CHARGES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR MONTHLY RECURRING ACCESS RATE PLAN (SUCH AS DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE, ROAMING, DOWNLOADS, AND THIRD-PARTY CONTENT) ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND IF YOU CONTINUE TO USE THOSE SERVICES, OR YOU OTHERWISE AGREE TO THE CHANGES, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE NEW CHARGES. VISIT OUR WEB SITE, RETAIL LOCATIONS, OR CALL CUSTOMER CARE FOR CURRENT CHARGES.

VERIZON
Our Rights To Make Changes
Your service is
subject to our business policies, practices, and procedures, which we
can change without notice. UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN
ALSO CHANGE PRICES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY
TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH
THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR SERVICE
AFTER THAT POINT, YOU'RE ACCEPTING THE CHANGES. IF THE CHANGES HAVE A
MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED
SERVICE, WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHIN
60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE.

CTIA CONSUMER CODE
Provide Customers the Right to Terminate Service for Changes to Contract Terms
Carriers will not modify the material terms of their subscribers' contracts in a manner that is materially adverse to subscribers without providing a reasonable advance notice of a proposed modification and allowing subscribers a time period of not less than 14 days to cancel their contracts with no early termination fee.

Sample Script to Cancel Your Cell Phone Contract

1. Have notice of the contract change/increase on hand

2. Call carrier

3. Ask if the change/increase applies to you

4. Read the "Material Adverse" [304] section of your contract to the CSR

5. State that the change/notice has a material adverse affect on you and that you want to cancel your contract without being charged a termination fee

6. Escalate to a supervisor when the CSR tells you that you can't cancel without paying an early termination fee

7. Be persistent and don't back off your position that the change/increase has a materially adverse affect on you and that the carrier's own contract entitles you to cancel without penalty

Cell Phone Activation Fees

See our updated page [305] of activation fee costs

AllTel: $45 per phone

AT&T: $36 per phone

CellularOne: $35 per phone

Centennial: $40 per phone

Cingular: $36 per phone

Nextel: $35 per phone

Sprint: $36 per phone

T-Mobile: $35 per phone

Verizon: $35 per phone

AUDIO: How to cancel your cell phone contract interview with Art Neill on KNX 1070

Artist: UCAN

Title: How to cancel your cell phone contract interview with Art Neill on KNX 1070

Length: 14:03 minutes (12.87 MB)

Format: Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

Download [319]

UCAN staff attorney Art Neill [320] talks with Bob McCormick of KNX 1070's Money 101 about cancelling your cell phone contract. Listen here [321].

Cell Phone Termination Fees

See our updated page [302].

Alltel: $200 per phone line

CellularOne: $200 per phone line

Centennial: $250 per phone line

AT&T: $175 per phone line

Nextel: $200 per phone line

Sprint: $200 per phone line

T-Mobile: $200 per phone line

Verizon: Prorated

Mobile Phone Plan Checker - Buying a Cell Phone

[322]Don't sign a cell phone deal without it! UCAN's new and improved Mobile Phone Plan Checker forces cellular phone salespeople to back up their sales claims in writing.

The guide can help you compare and choose cell phone plans. It also offers lots of tips about researching before you buy and even how to handle a dispute with your cell phone company.

[323]The guide that strikes fear in the hearts of wireless salespeople IS NOW REVISED. REQUEST A MAILED COPY. [323]

Download the old Mobile Phone Plan Checker HERE [324]

Please remember that UCAN is a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to fighting for consumers. We are able to provide the Mobile Phone Plan Checker thanks to grassroots donations [325] from people just like you. Help us fight for you by making a donation today [325]!

You need the Adobe PDF Viewer [326] to read and print this document.

See a humorous video about the Mobile Phone Plan Checker [327] or check out this video of UCAN investigating misleading practices at cell phone kiosks [328].

Attachment	Size
phone fact checker.pdf [329]	368.98 KB

Mobile Phone Plan Checker Request Form

[330]

Fill out this form [330]to request a FREE copy of UCAN's 2009 updated Mobile Phone Plan Checker

Portability of cell phone and landline numbers

Like your phone number? Want to keep it? Learn what your portability rights are in this guide.

Basic Facts

What is number portability?

Number portability means that, with some important limits, you own your phone number. You can take your phone number with you when you switch wireless phone companies. You can even take your home landline phone number and assign it to your wireless phone. In the near future, you may also be able to move a cell phone number to a landline.

So what are the "important limits?"

Basically, the most important limit is location. If you are switching the number between wireless phone companies, both must serve your local area. If you are switching from a landline to a cell phone, the cell phone company must serve the area you are in.

Cell phone portability will also only be available initially in the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country. This includes almost all of the population California including Southern California, the Bay Area and most of the Central Valley. If you are in a smaller area, you can ask a local cell phone retailer or look at the map at the FCC website to see if you are covered. (See link below).

What if I am still under contract with my cell phone company?

You can still switch service and take your number with you. However, you will be breaking your contract with the old company and will have to pay whatever termination fees you might owe.

Beware: Many people are still under cell phone contracts without realizing it. If you made any changes to your account or upgraded your phone, you may have started new contract. Review your contract or talk to your old company to find out if you are subject to a termination fee.

So I want to take my wireless phone number to a new company, how do I do it?

All you need to do is go to the new carrier you choose and tell them what you want. Don't cancel with your old company. This may cause you to lose your number. The new carrier will take care of the cancellation for you.

We recommend that you bring a recent cell phone bill with you when you switch. This will help the companies locate the right account.

The only person allowed to request the switch is the designated account holder, so that person must be present to make the switch happen.

The whole process of switching among cell phone companies should only take about two to three hours, according to the FCC. To avoid any problems, UCAN recommends you go to a company-owned cell phone store, rather than deal with an agent that might not be well trained.

And what if I want to take my home wireline number and assign it to a wireless phone?

If you are getting new cell phone service, don't cancel with the old company, just go to the new provider and tell them what you want, and let them take care of it. Again, you should bring a copy of a recent bill on the phone number you are trying to switch so the company can easily access your records.

If you want to keep your current cell phone service, but change your cell phone number to match your home landline number, contact your cell phone company. Your company may require you to enter a new contract or change service plans.

Switching numbers between landline and cell phone will also take some time. Your new service could be interrupted. Right now, the FCC thinks companies will take a few days to complete the switch so ask your new provider how long it will take.

Does it cost anything to switch?

The biggest cost will probably be the new phone you will need to buy. Right now, cell phones that work on one service will not work on another. You will almost certainly have to get a new phone if you are switching to a new company. The carriers are permitted to charge you for changing your phone number. As of now, none have announced any specific charges, but you should still ask. Many carriers have collected "regulatory fees" for years to pay for the cost of number portability, so they should have plenty of money to pay for it.

If a wireless company wants to charge you a switching fee, challenge them; most wireless companies have indicated that they'll waive any switching fees.

Here's how to do it:

1. Tell the new provider you want to "port" your number. Bring a copy of your phone bill and the new carrier will take it from there. But don't cancel your old company yet ...

2. After your number ports: Your old company will consider your account cancelled and send a final bill. If you are still under a contract, you will owe a termination fee.

3. Numbers should be ported quickly: Porting should occur in a matter of hours. Numbers should switch from landlines to cell phones within a few days. If yours takes too long, call your new company, then let UCAN know.

4. You will usually need a new phone.
Most phones are locked to prevent their use on other systems.

Pre-Paid Wireless Phone Service

Looking for a cell phone but don't want a lot of minutes or an extended billing plan? Pre-paid wireless offers some advantages over traditional wireless plans that you should know about.

How Prepaid Cell Phone Plans Work

Buy a phone from a prepaid wireless provider.
Buy online or at a store. You cannot use an old phone from another provider.

Buy a card worth anywhere from 10 minutes to several hundred minutes.
Cards usually expire 30 to 90 days after activation.

Talk.
Your account will be deducted for each outgoing and each incoming minute. Billing increments are a minute: a 2 second call counts as one minute.

Typically, you must buy a new card before the current one expires.
If you do not renew your card, you will not have phone service (other than 911) and when you renew, your phone number will probably change. Buying a new card, however, will usually allow your old minutes to remain active.

To cancel your service, don't buy any more minutes.
You have no contract with a prepaid plan, so you can just allow your minutes to expire, and never buy another card again. Continue to use your cell phone for 911 calls, see below for more info.

Prepaid vs. Billed

Prepaid Plan	Billed Plan
No contract	Contract Cancel early and you will incur steep termination fees [331]
Per-minute cost is usually higher	Per-minute cost (of your bulk minutes) is usually lower. Use more than your bulk, and the per-minute cost goes up.
No credit check	Credit check
When your minutes run out, your phone won't work--you'll need to buy another card. When your minutes run out, you could lose your phone number and your phone stops working until you buy another card. To avoid losing your number, you must buy another card before you use all your minutes or they expire.	When your minutes run out, the charges per minute skyrocket- just wait for the high bill.You NEED to keep track of your minutes.

Shopping Tips

Watch out for plans that charge by the "unit" instead of by the minute!
The definition of a unit can change at any time.

Make sure your phone comes with a battery charger.

Ask the provider about any initial setup charges.

Who is providing the actual service?
Many prepaid providers use others' network to transmit your calls. Make sure the network is a good one.

Buy the cards that are right for you!
Cards do have expiration dates, so don't buy more than you can use. But don't buy too little, either: the more you spend, the less the acutal per minute rate is. For example, a $100 card will usually get you a better rate than a $50 card.

911-only Phones

Get a used, deactivated cellphone for 911 emergencies.
Talk to friends, family and coworkers.

By law, you cannot be disconnected from 911 service.
Even if you don't have a prepaid card or service, the service must carry 911 calls.

Remember that the phone must still be charged and be in range of a cell tower to work.
In other words, cellphones are not fool-proof. Landlines are still the preferred option for 911.

Prepaid Mobile Phone Comparison Chart

Description:

Save money on phone service by switching to prepaid. Compare providers with this useful chart.

Content Type:

UCAN News

Body:

Save money on phone service by switching to prepaid. Compare providers with this useful chart.

Prepaid Wireless Comparison Chart

UPDATED: 08/22/2011

Provider	Set-up	Cost to Talk	Long Distance	International	Coverage	The catch	Comments
payLo by Virgin Mobile [332]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $9.99)	$20 - $0.20/min, $0.15/mess, $1.50/MB. Expires in 90 days $20 - 400 min, $0.15/mess, $1.50/MB. Expires in one month. $30 - 1500 min, 1500 mess, 30MB. Expires in one month.	Yes US, PR, and USVI	See Rates [332]	Check Coverage [333]	Need to top up every month to get $30 plan.	Simple plan for no frills user. If you want a smart phone, check out Virgin's Beyond Talk below.
Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk [334]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $89.99)	$35/month for Unlimited Text, E-mail, Data, Web, and 300 Anytime Minutes $45/month for Unlimited Text, E-mail, Data, Web, and 1200 Anytime Minutes $55/month for Unlimited Text, E-mail, Data, Web, and Anytime Minutes	Yes US, PR, and USVI	See Rates [334]	Check Coverage [333]	Monthly minutes expire if they are not used. No night and weekend minutes	Pretty good deal with no annual plan. No longer a premium for Android or Blackberries b/c built into cost. Decent selection of prepaid Android phones.
Tracfone [335]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $9.99)	$0.17-$0.33 per minute	Yes US, PR, and USVI	Many international calls are charged at the same rate as domestic. See included countries. [336]	Check Coverage [337]	You have to top up every so often to keep your account current. Rates can be high.	No contracts and local rates to many international destinations. Free nights and weekends.
Tracfone [335]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $9.99)	$0.25 per minute Double Minutes For Life Card ($19.99) halves the minute price	Yes US, PR, and USVI	Many international calls are charged at the same rate as domestic. See included countries. [336]	Check Coverage [337]	You have to top up every so often to keep your account current.	No contracts and local rates to many international destinations. Free nights and weekends.
Verizon Prepaid [338]	$25+ Cost of Phone (Starting at $19.99 with $10.00 worth of airtime.)	Basic: $0.25 p/m, $0.20 p/text Core: $0.99 on days you use $0.10 p/m, $0.10 p/t Plus: $1.99 on days you use $0.05 p/m, $0.5 p/t, unlimited Mobile to Mobile and Night & Weekend Unlimited: $3.99 on days you use Unlimited talk, $0.01 p/t	Yes US and PR	See Rates [339]	Check Coverage [340]	Most plans don't have free nights/weekends. Activation fee.	Kind of different that you pay only on the days you talk. No long-term contract.
AT&T GoPhone [341]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $9.99)	Pay as you go: $0.25 p/m Pay as you go unlimited talk: $1.00 on days you use $0.10 p/m; $3.00 per day unlimited talk $60/month Unlimited Talk and Text	Yes US, PR, Guam and USVI	See Rates [342]	Check Coverage [343]	Top up cards for <$100 expire in 30-90 days.	Pay only on days you talk. No long-term contract.
T-Mobile [344] Pay as you Go [344]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $19.99)	$10 card = 30 minutes ($0.333 p/m) $25 card = 130 minutes ($0.192 p/m) $50 card = 400 minutes ($0.125 p/m) $100 card = 1000 minutes ($0.10 p/m) $0.10 p/text (to send) $0.05 p/text (to receive)	Yes	See Rates [342]	Check Coverage [345]	Top up cards for <$100 expire in 30-90 days. Whatever you do, don't call Vanuatu or Tuvalu ($5.10 p/m)	$100 cards are best value
T-Mobile--Prepaid [344]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $19.99)	$1 on days you use $0.10 p/m $0.10 p/text (to send) $0.05 p/text (to receive)	Yes	See Rates [346]	Check Coverage [345]	Calls to voicemail will count as a call. You will be charged. You will be charged for any data sent to your phone whether you want it or not	Unlimited nationwide calling from 7pm to 7am to any T-mobile number.
T-Mobile Prepaid	Cost of Phone	$50/month for unlimited talk and text	Yes	"	"
T-Mobile Prepaid	Cost of Phone	$15/month for unlimited text, 10 cents/min for talk	"	"	"
Net10 [347]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $29.99) NOTE:You get 300 minutes worth of calling when you buy a new phone ($30 value).	$0.10 p/m $0.05 p/text	Yes	See Rates(Calls to included countries are $0.05 p/m + airtime ($0.10). So $0.15)	Check Coverage [348]	Top up cards for <$200 expire in 30-180 days.	Very good deal. Stripped down, not trying to sell you bells and whistles. Just cheap calling/texting. The company slogan is: "No bills. No contracts. No overages. No evil."
Cricket--Prepaid Mobile Plan [349]	Cost of Phone +$15 Activation Fee	$35/month - Unlimited Talk and Text $45/month - Unlimited Talk, Text, and Web	Yes	See Rates [350]	Check Coverage [351]	High roaming charges ($0.25) Limited coverage area	No plan.
Cricket--Prepaid Smartphone Plan [352]	Cost of Phone +$15 Activation Fee	$55/month - Unlimted Talk, Text, and Web (1GB 3G)	Yes
Cricket--muve music plan [353]	Cost of Phone +$15 Activation Fee	$55/month - Unlimited Talk, Text, Web, and Music Downloads	Yes
Boost--Daily Unlimited [354]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $29.99)	$2/day for unlimited talk, text, and web	Yes	See Rates [355]	Check Coverage [356]		Cheap talk/text rates if you are heavy user on some days (e.g. weekend) and not at all on other days (e.g. weekday)
Boost--Monthly Unlimited [357]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $29.99)	$50/month Unlimited talk, text, web, and walkie-talkie.	Yes	See Rates [355]	Check Coverage [356]
Boost--Blackbery Monthly Unlimited [354]	Cost of Phone (Starting at $149.99)	$60/month Unlimited talk, text, and web.	Yes	See Rates [355]	Check Coverage [356]
STi Mobile [358]	$4.95 + Cost of Phone (starting at $36.99) NOTE: New phones come with $20 worth of airtime	Easy 7.9 plan: $0.25 per day + 0.079 p/m Easy 8.9 plan: $0.09 per day + $0.089 p/m Minutes don't expire 25 cent per day cost	Yes	See Rates [359]	Check Coverage [360]	Very stripped down.	Another good option. Non-expiring minutes and low rates. Low international rates.
StraightTalk [361]	Cost of Phone (includes one month of service)	$30/month – 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, 30MB data, 411 $45/month – Unlimited talk, text, web, 411	Yes	No	Check Coverage [362]	Expensive and limited phones	Supposedly on Verizon's network, might have access to 3G

Prepaid Calling Cards

There is a multitude of calling card companies in the marketplace these days, so be careful.
There are also some good deals out there if you know what to look for.

Things to consider

Hidden charges: billing increments, minimum call length, taxes and surcharges,
connection fees etc. 2.9¢ a minute might seem like a good deal, but if there is a connection charge of 99¢ for each call and a Universal Service Fund charge of $1 for the first call on a $10 calling card, your savings are diminished. Be a smart consumer and shop around for the best rate.

Quality of Service: A company may offer great rates, but also offer a terrible
connection or no connection at all.

Expiration of card or service: Many cards expire within a certain time limit,
and many companies go bankrupt. The calling card market is extremely volatile
so be careful of what companies you use.

For more information about Prepaid Calling Cards from the FCC, click here [363].

Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison Chart

Welcome to UCAN's prepaid mobile broadband comparison chart. Check back frequent as it will be updated with both new plans and updated plans.

UCAN's Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison Chart

UPDATED: 05/10/10

Company	Setup Cost	Use Cost	Download Speed	Bandwidth Cap	Network	Coverage	OS Compatibility	Comments
Cricket Wireless [364]	Up to $25 activation fee, plus modem purchase	$40/month	Up to 600 kpbs (Best Speed)	Unlimited, but only 5 GB at Best Speed	3G	Cricket Coverage [365]	"These USB modems make Cricket Wireless Broadband compatible with major operating systems like Windows 2000®, Windows XP®, Windows Vista™, Windows 7, and Mac Leopard."	Cricket's plans are great because they are unlimited, but it is unclear how slow the speeds will be once the Best Speed cap is exceeded.
Cricket Test Market Plan (includes San Diego) [364]	Up to $25 activation fee, plus modem purchase	$40/month	Up to 600Kpbs (Best Speed)	Unlimited, but only 2.5GB at Best Speed	3G	Cricket Coverage [365]	"	Bandwidth throttled for remainder of 30 day period once Best Speed cap reached
Cricket Test Market Plan (includes San Diego) [364]	Up to $25 activation fee, plus modem purchase	$50/month	Up to 1.4Mbps (Best Speed)	Unlimited, but only 5GB at Best Speed	3G	Cricket Coverage [365]	"	"
[364]Cricket Test Market Plan (includes San Diego) [364]	Up to $25 activation fee, plus modem purchase	$60/month	Up to 1.4Mbps (Best Speed)	Unlimited, but only 10GB at Best Speed	3G	Cricket Coverage [365]	"	"
Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go [366]	Free activation, but need to purchase modem	$10/10 days $20/30 days $40/30 days $60/30 days	Between 600Kbps and 1.4Mbps	100MB 300MB 1GB 5GB	3G	Virgin Mobile Coverage [333]	'Windows XP, Windows Vista; Windows 7; Mac OS X, 10.3 and higher"	A bit more expensive compared to the unlimited plans, but great for infrequent users
Verizon Wireless Prepaid Mobile Broadband [367]	Modem Purchase	$15/day $30/week $50/month	Typical speeds of 600Kbps to 1.4Mbps.	75MB 250MB 500MB	3G	Verizon Coverage [368]	Depends on USB modem	Much more expensive than the other prepaid plans, but it uses Verizon's 3G network
AT&T DataConnect Pass [369]	Modem Purchase	$15/day $30/week $50/month	Typical speeds of 600Kbps to 1.4Mbps.	75MB 250MB 500MB	3G	AT&T Coverage [370]	Depends on USB modem	Similar price to Verizon's plan

Requirements for Universal Lifeline Telephone Service/California Lifeline

California Lifeline, formerly known as Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS), provides discounted basic residential (landline) telephone service to low-income households. You can now apply online at www.CaliforniaLifeline.com [371]. You are strongly encouraged to watch for postcards or other notices reminding you that the ULTS contractor has not received your application. Even if you completed and mailed the form, mistakes can happen. Please make copies of what you have sent and log the dates. If you get a reminder notice after you sent the form in the right envelope and believe it should have been received, you will have no way to prove it if you do not follow up on any reminder notices. It is also recommended that all calls you make are logged and dated in case you are forced to appeal a denial letter.

Available Discounts

Service	Description	Rate
Flat-Rate Local Telephone Service	Unlimited local calls and same free access to directory assistance calls as provided to non-ULTS flat-rate residential customers.	Monthly recurring: the lower of $5.47 to $6.84 or 1/2 of utility's residential flat-rate local telephone service.
Measured Local Telephone Service	60 local calls per month; additional calls may be billed at different rates depending on the carrier.	Monthly recurring--lesser of the range between $2.91 to $3.66: 1/2 of utility's residential measured local telephone service ranging from
Service Connecction and Service Conversion	For initiation of telephone service, or change of class/type/grade of service.	Non-recurring: the lower of $10 or 1/2 of utility's connection/ conversion charge for residential telephone service. There will be no charge to switch from CA LifeLine service to regular phone service.

For the rest of the discounts, go to http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/lifelinedetails.htm#discounts

Two Steps to Enroll

1) If you think you meet the above qualifications, contact your telephone company and tell them you want to enroll in California LifeLine. If the telephone company can verbally qualify you, they will enroll you immediately.

2) Within two to three weeks California LifeLine will mail an enrollment form in a PINK envelope to you . In order to maintain your telephone discounts, you must complete the enrollment form, sign it, and return it to the California LifeLine certification agent along with any required income documentation by the due date. If you do not return the completed and signed form to the California LifeLine certification agent by the due date, you will be disqualified and removed from the program. In addition, your telephone company will bill you for any discounts you may have received.

Qualification Types

1. Program-Based:

You can qualify for California LifeLine if you or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs:

Medicaid/Medi-Cal	Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)	Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8
Food Stamps	Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Healthy Families Category A	National School Lunch's FREE Lunch Program (NSL)
Tribal TANF	Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC)	Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only)

2. Income-Based

You can qualify for California LifeLine if your total household income is at or less than these incomes as of June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010 to meet inflation costs. Current annual income qualifications should apply until the end of 5/31/09: $22,900 for 1-2 members, $26,900 for 3 members, $32,400 for 4 m3mbers and $5,500 for each additional member.

NEW AS OF JUNE 1, 2009

Household Size	ULTS Annual Income Limits
1-2 members	$24,000
3 members	$28,200
4 members	$34,000
Each additional member	$5,800

California LifeLine Call Center if Company Cannot Answer Your Questions:

Contact the LifeLine Call Center for general information about the California LifeLine program.
The LifeLine Call Center can also help find telephone companies that offer California LifeLine and connect consumers to these California LifeLine approved telephone companies.
The LifeLine Call Center's hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday. It is closed on federal holidays and weekends.
If a consumer wants in-language help for a language not listed below, call the English toll-free number and ask for interpretation services.
Call the applicable telephone number:


English	1-866-272-0349
Spanish	1-866-272-0350
Laotian/Hmong	1-866-272-0351
Cambodian	1-866-272-0352
Tagalog	1-866-272-0353
Korean	1-866-272-0354
Vietnamese	1-866-272-0355
Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)	1-866-272-0356
Japanese	1-866-296-0860
TTY	1-866-272-0358

California LifeLine Administrator

Contact the Administrator for certification and verification related questions and concerns.
The Administrator's hours of operation are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday. It is closed on state holidays and weekends.
Call the applicable telephone number:


English/Spanish	1-877-858-7463
Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)	1-888-765-1566
Korean	1-888-765-1567
Japanese	1-888-765-1568
Vietnamese	1-888-765-1569
Tagalog	1-888-765-1577
TTY	1-888-858-7889

CPUC's Consumer Affairs Branch

For complaints or problems related to California LifeLine, contact the CPUC's Consumer Affairs Branch at 1-800-649-7570.

New LifeLine Procedures for General Order 153 Prevent Backbilling:

A new decision adopted a pre-qualification requirement for the program. Under this process, a new applicant for the program receives the discounted LifeLine rate for telephone service AFTER the Certifying Agent determines eligibility. The difference in this process and the old process is that new applicants will no longer be able to call the carrier and immediately be placed on LifeLine. The new process should prevent any backbilling by carriers if a new applicant is denied.

Required Documents

In order to qualify for California LifeLine based on household income, you will need to provide documents proving that your total household income is at or below the income maximum for your household size. Income documents include:

· Prior year's state, federal, or tribal tax return

· Income statements or paycheck stubs for three consecutive months within the calendar year

· Statement of benefits from Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement/pension, unemployment compensation, and/or workmen's compensation

· Divorce decree

· Child support document

· Other official documents

Yearly Re-Certification Process

The California LifeLine program requires all existing California LifeLine customers to verify their eligibility on an annual basis. Each year, on your LifeLine anniversary date, the California LifeLine program will mail to you, in a PINK envelope, a LifeLine verification form. In order to continue receiving your LifeLine discount, you must complete and sign the form and return it to California LifeLine by the due date.

Funding Source & Administration:

California LifeLine is funded by an all-end-user surcharge [372] billed and collected by telecommunications carriers which, in turn, remit the surcharge monies to a financial institution as directed by the Commission or its representatives. Procedures for the administration of ULTS are outlined in General Order (GO 153) at http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/published/GENERAL_ORDER/40482.htm [373]

Public Purpose Telecommunications Programs: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/ [374]

Forms, Apply Online, and Frequently Asked Questions

Samples of qualification forms, instructions for qualification forms, frequently asked questions, and online applications are available at: www.CaliforniaLifeline.com [371].

Other info: [377]

Stop Telemarketers Now - An Anti-Telemarketing Guide

Want to bring the hammer down on annoying telemarketers? The following guide will give you all the resources you need to get your number off telemarketing lists. But some telemarketers just won't take no NO for an answer. That's when you take them to court and hurt 'em where it counts...in the pocketbook.

Want to bring the hammer down on annoying telemarketers? Then you're at the right place. The following guide will give you all the resources you need to get your number off telemarketing lists. But some telemarketers just won't take "no" for an answer. That's when you take them to court and hurt 'em where it counts--in the pocketbook.

Anti-Telemarketing Action Kit

The Federal Do Not Call List [378] is the best way to avoid telemarketing calls. But it is not the only way. And even when you sign up for the list, it may be a few months until companies are required to remove your number. Finally, the Do Not Call List does not protect you from companies that have an "existing business relationship" with you. So, you still need to know all your rights. Here are four powerful tools to reduce the number of junk calls to your home and to force telemarketers to pay every time they call you.

1: Hurt them financially

Whenever you receive an unwelcome phone call, ALWAYS ask to be placed on the company's internal Do Not Call list and ask that the company send you a copy of their "Do Not Call" policy. By law [379], they are required to provide this "on demand" and your request forces them to spend time, money, and postage. It also sets them up for possible legal action (read on).

2: Make them spend time with you

We suggest printing out our 4-Question Anti-telemarketing script [380] and keeping it by the phone. Refusal to answer the questions on this list makes the company liable for up to $500 per question under the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act [381].

3: Document the violations

If the offending company does not send you a copy of their Do Not Call policy in writing within 30 days of your request, we want to know. Your complaints help us develop profiles of the worst companies. The information you provide allows us to take action against the worst violators, and is often used as evidence in legal proceedings.

If a company contacts you more than once in a 12-month period after you have asked to be placed on their Do Not Call list, you can take them to Small Claims Court for at least $500 in damages. For more information, use our do-it-yourself guide to taking telemarketers to Small Claims Court.

In addition, if you are harassed by pre-recorded phone messages on your answering machine, you can participate in our pre-recorded phone message project.

Telemarketers also have been falsely posing as non-profit organizations, which are exempt from most do-not call rules. If a company claims they are exempt, but you are suspicious, we want to know. The Federal Trade Commission has already taken action against at least one telemarketer that misrepresented itself as a non-profit.

4: Visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

UCAN's nationally recognized affiliate, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse [382], has just updated FACT SHEET #5 How to Have a Quiet Evening at Home [383] - a powerful tool for helping you protect yourself from obnoxious, unsolicited phone calls.

Anti-Telemarketing Script

STRIKE BACK ANTI-TELEMARKETING SCRIPT

Before you start answering questions from a telephone solicitor, you must "qualify" the company as a potential prospect for a law suit. If, during the introductory pitch, the telemarketer indicates that they are working for a non-profit firm, or a survey company, hang up immediately. They are not subject to the law and are a waste of time.

Time of call: __ AM __ PM DATE: __/__/__ (note: You can immediately sue for $500 if before 8AM or after 9PM)

	Qualifying Questions	NOTES
1	What is your name? (Refusal to answer is a $500 fine)
2	What is the name and address of the company you represent? (Refusal to answer is a $500 fine)
3	What is the company phone number? (Refusal to answer is a $500 fine)
4	Are you an employee of this company, or do you work for a telemarketing service? (If they work for a service, get the name, address, and phone number.)
5	Does your company have a pre-existing business relationship with me? (If "yes" skip the next question)
6	Do you conduct business or have other customers in my city? (your case is stronger if answer is "yes")
7	Does your company have a written call policy? ($500 fine if they say "No")
8	Will you send me a copy of your "Do Not Call" policy? ($500 fine if they say "No")
9	Does your company maintain a "Do Not Call" list? ($500 fine if they say "No")
10	Will you put my name on your "Do Not Call" list? ($500 fine if they refuse)
11	May I have your supervisor’s name and address? (This will help expedite your claim).

WHO YOU CAN NOT SUE: 1) Non-Profit corporations, 2) Companies calling you at a place of business, 3) Companies that are not doing business in your area. 4) Companies that are conducting surveys. Note: Some companies will disguise their sales pitch as a survey. In the event this happens you must elicit a frank admission that they are selling something. One way to do this is to get them to send you literature or an order form. Other companies will claim they are invulnerable because they are not "conducting business in your area." Obviously, if they call you at home, they are conducting business and are subject to the full force of the law.

Telemarketing Law Violations

By Law, a telemarketer can be sued in Small Claims Court for any of the following violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

LIST OF TCPA VIOLATIONS	FIRST VIOLATION	SECOND VIOLATION	LEGAL REFERENCE
Not maintaining a "Do Not Call" list.	$500	Up to $1500	47 CFR Sec. 64 . 1200 (e)(2)(i)
Not providing you with a written copy of the company’s "Do Not Call" policy.	$500	Up to $1500	47 CFR Sec. 64 . 1200 (e)(2)(vi)
Refusing to identify the caller’s name, company name, street address and phone number	$500	Up to $1500	47 CFR Sec. 64 . 1200 (e)(2)(i)
Calling you at any time in a twelve month period after you have asked to be put on the Do Not Call list.	$500	Up to $1500	47 CFR Sec. 64 . 1200 (c)(5)

* Legal Reference: Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) 47 USC Section 227(c) and 47 CFR 64.1200. Note: USC is an abbreviation of "U.S. Code." CFR is an abbreviation of "Code of Federal Regulations."

Federal Do Not Call List

National Do Not Call Registry [378]

The most effective and easiest way to prevent telemarketing calls is to register your home and cellular phone number(s) with the National Do Not Call Registry operated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You may put your residential telephone number(s) including cellular numbers on the opt-out list. According to the FTC, registration with the Do Not Call list will reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by 80%. You can sign up for the Do Not Call Registry two ways:

The FTC's toll-free phone number is (888) 382-1222 (TTY: (866) 290-4236).
Online registration is available at the FTC's web site, www.donotcall.gov [384].

If you live in a rural area, the FTC's toll-free number may not be able to verify the number from which you are calling to register. And if you live in a senior housing complex or a dormitory with a private branch exchange (PBX) system, your phone number may not be properly matched when you attempt to sign up using the FTC's toll free number. In these situations, you will have to register through the Do Not Call website instead. Telemarketers must remove the phone numbers of those who have signed up for the Registry. They have thirty days to scrub their calling lists of those numbers. If you register for the National Do Not Call Registry, you should notice a significant reduction in telemarketing calls. Telemarketers must update their lists with new registrants every month. So if you sign up today, you will notice a reduction in calls in about three months from now. Your phone number will stay on the Registry for five years - unless you ask for your number to be removed from the list, or until you change your phone number. If your number is disconnected and then reconnected, perhaps due to a payment lapse, you will need to re-register. If you are able to keep your same phone number when you move to a new location, we advise you to re-register to make sure your number is not de-listed. If your phone number is changed when you move, don't forget to register anew.

If you signed up for the Registry through the FTC, you can verify if your phone number is on the list by going to https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/Conf.aspx [385]. You will be able to renew your registration every five years.

The laws that were recently updated to create the Do Not Call Registry (see Federal Laws below) restrict telemarketing calls to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. States may have more restrictive time constraints for telemarketers who contact residents. For more information about the FTC's Registry and the law that governs it, visit www.ftc.gov/donotcall [386]. [387]

When it was originally established, the FTC's Registry only covered those industries under the jurisdiction of that agency, leaving out such industries as telecommunications companies, financial institutions, insurance companies, and "junk" faxers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has since joined the FTC's Registry to close the loophole. Intra-state telemarketers must also comply with the National Do Not Call Registry. To learn more about the FCC's ruling regarding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), see Federal Laws below. Web: www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall [388]

Local phone companies must notify customers once a year about the National Registry, including the toll-free number and website address.

Exemptions from the National Do Not Call Registry

Not all solicitation calls are covered by the Do Not Call Registry. It depends on the type of call being made. You can still be contacted by:

Charities
Survey researchers
Political campaigns
Companies with which you have a business relationship
Companies to which you have given written consent to remain on their calling list.

Companies with which you have an "existing business relationship" as well as their affiliates can call you within an 18-month window. And when you inquire about or apply for a service or product, that company can contact you within three months.

· Charities, surveys, religious groups, and politicians. Charities, religious groups, and politicians are not covered by the Do Not Call Registry and do not have to maintain an organization-specific Do Not Call list. In addition, because survey researchers and companies making customer service calls are not requesting a contribution or selling a product or service, they are not covered by federal telemarketing laws. We advise, however, that if you are contacted by an entity that is exempt from the National Registry and does not have to maintain a company-specific do not call list, that you ask them to put you on their do not call list anyway. Many maintain do not call lists as a courtesy.

If a nonprofit group uses a for-profit marketer to call you, they are still exempt from having to comply with the Do Not Call Registry. But they must maintain a company-specific Do Not Call list that you can request your phone number be added to.

· Written consent to be contacted. Are there some telemarketers you are willing to call you? If you have subscribed to the Do Not Call Registry, you can notify specific sellers in writing with your signature and your phone number that you would like to continue receiving sales calls. This will give the specific telemarketer permission to contact you until you tell them otherwise.

Consumer tip: Be aware that marketers may attempt to get written consent without your knowledge by sending solicitations or emails that release them from their obligations to not call you. Read all documents and emails before signing and sending them back to a marketer to make sure you are not inadvertently giving the company permission to telemarket you. If you receive a marketing call because you inadvertently gave written consent, ask to be placed on that company's Do Not Call list. Company-specific do not call lists are explained below.

· Existing business relationships. If you have purchased a product or service or have an account with a company, that company has an "existing business relationship" (EBR) with you. You can be solicited by phone for 18 months after completing a transaction with a company or after you cancel your account even if you have previously signed up for the Do Not Call Registry. The 18-month time frame does not affect your ongoing relationships with companies. For instance, your bank or utility company can telemarket you throughout your relationship with them until you have told them to put you on their internal do not call list. You will not trigger the 18-month provision until your transaction is complete, until you cancel your account, or until you ask to be placed on the company-specific do not call list (explained below).

· Affiliates. An existing business relationship also applies to certain affiliates of a company. According to the Telephone Sales Rules, the definition of an established business relationship encompasses those affiliates of a company "that the consumer would reasonably expect to be included given the nature and type of goods or services offered and the identity of the affiliate." This means that affiliates of companies with which you have an existing business relationship, such as your phone company or bank, may be able to claim the same relationship and call you with solicitations even if you have signed up for the Do Not Call Registry. (See Federal Laws below.)In general, if you have an ongoing account or an existing business relationship with a company, you may be telemarketed by its affiliates. You should only be contacted by an affiliate of a company if the name of the affiliate is similar and if it provides a similar service. (For more information about affiliate sharing of financial information, see Fact Sheet 24 [389] at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse). If you are contacted by an affiliate, they too must comply with your request to be placed on their company's do not call list.

· Inquiry or application for a product or service. According to the Telephone Sales Rules, inquiring about or applying for a service or product entitles a telemarketer to contact you for up to three months -- even if you are already listed on the Do Not Call Registry. If you call a toll-free number about a product or inquire or apply for a service on a website, your phone number is likely to be requested or captured. In such instances, you can be contacted by that company for up to three months. According to the FTC, signing up for a contest or sweepstakes is not considered an inquiry or an application and should not result in telemarketing calls from those companies unless the application indicates that by signing you have given express consent. If you receive a sales call from a company that has your phone number because you inquired or applied for a product or service, you can ask the company to put you on its internal do not call list.

Company-Specific Do Not Call Lists

In essence, there are two Do Not Call lists - the National Registry and a company's internal do not call list. Most telemarketers, even those that are exempt from the Do Not Call Registry, are still required to maintain their own company-specific do not call list. If a company that is exempted from the National Registry contacts you, you can request to be placed on the company's in-house do not call list. You can take advantage of this in-house strategy even if you do not subscribe to the National Registry.

If you ask a company with which you have an existing business relationship to put you on their company-specific do not call list, that company can no longer call, even if you continue doing business with them. If you request to be placed on the do not call list of a company with which you have an existing business relationship, your request will not apply to their affiliates. If an affiliate calls, you will have to request to be placed on that company's do not call list as well.

Federal and state laws allow you to take legal action against telemarketers who do not add your number to their internal do not call list and who call you back within twelve months of requesting to be placed on that list. (See Federal Laws below, 47 CFR 64.1200; 16 CFR 310)

If Your State Maintains Its Own Do Not Call List

Many states have Do Not Call laws that apply to residents of those states. According to the FCC, these laws will still apply when the state's rules are stricter than the national rules. The federal rules constitute a floor. They override all less-restrictive state Do Not Call rules. If your state maintains its own Do Not Call list, check with the appropriate state agency to learn if you should register for both the state list and the National Registry. Most states that have their own lists are merging with the FTC's National Registry. The FTC will not require states to discontinue their own Do Not Call lists once the National Registry goes into effect. If you have previously subscribed to your state's Do Not Call list, you may also need to sign up for the National Registry depending on the state law. To learn if you need to subscribe to both the state and federal Do Not Call lists, visit these web sites. If these sources are not clear, you will need to contact your state Attorney General's consumer enforcement office.

Federal Trade Commission,
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/donotcall/statelist.html [390]
Direct Marketing Association's list of states with Do Not Call services,
www.the-dma.org/government/donotcalllists.shtml [391]
AARP's list of state do not call registries,
www.aarp.org/bulletin/consumer/Articles/a2003-06-30-statenocall.html [392]

To learn additional information about your state's law, including whether your state has enacted stricter laws regarding telemarketing calls, contact the consumer protection office in your state, such as the Attorney General's consumer law division. A list of these agencies is found in The Consumer Action Handbook of the Federal Consumer Information Center, www.consumeraction.gov/state.shtml [393].

Many of the recent changes in telemarketing laws are not yet clear-cut. For example, what may seem like a violation of state or federal law may not be. And there may be conflicts between federal and state laws. California law offers a good example of how a state statute differs from the national law.

California Business and Professions Code 17511 requires that certain telemarketers, such as investment firms, insurance, and financial services companies, register with the state. To obtain information on whether a specific telemarketing company is registered in California, write or call:
- California Office of the Attorney General
  Consumer Law Section
  Telephonic Sellers Program
  110 W. A St., Suite 1100
  San Diego, CA 92101.
  Telephone: (619) 645-3035.
California defines an affiliate as an entity that shares the same "name brand." Existing California law allows California businesses with fewer than 6 employees to telemarket consumers within 50 miles of the business' physical location. This law may no longer be valid given the more stringent federal benchmark.
California law mandates that state residents who inquire or apply for a product or service sold by a California business can only be contacted for 30 days after the initial contact according to California Business and Professions Code 17592. This may take precedent over the federal 90-day guidelines since it is more restrictive.

Conflicts between state and federal laws will likely be ironed out in time. According to government regulators and enforcement agencies we have contacted, these matters will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis until clear precedents are established.

File a complaint about a telemarketer

If you have registered for the Do Not Call Registry by August 31, 2003, you should no longer receive calls from most telemarketers after October 17, 2003, unless they are exempt. Afterwards, it will take up to three months from the date of registration before telemarketers must stop calling you. After three months, if you receive a call from a telemarketer who is not exempt, you may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. The law gives telemarketers a "safe harbor" when they erroneously contact individuals listed in the National Registry. A telemarketer is not liable for violating the National Do Not Call rules if it can demonstrate the call was made in error. A call is considered erroneous if a telemarketer can show that it has taken the necessary steps to comply with laws regarding the National Registry and its company-specific do not call list. These include personnel training, written policies, and updating its calling list with new national registrants every three months.The following are instances where you should consider filing a complaint against a telemarketer. If you:

Are on the Do Not Call Registry and are contacted by a telemarketer who is not exempt. Receive a telemarketing call that you believe is a scam or is misleading.
Are solicited to pay a fee to join the National Do Not Call Registry.
Are not put on a company's company-specific do not call list after requesting to be.
Have received a junk fax without having an existing business relationship with the sender.

You will need to compile as much information about the company as possible to include with your complaint: the company's phone number as transmitted through Caller ID or your fax machine, or provided verbally by the telemarketer, the name of the company, and date of the call or fax. If the telemarketer says it is calling on behalf of another company, you can ask for the name of the telemarketing company in addition to the name of the company on whose behalf they are calling. Do not forget to provide your phone number on the complaint, especially if you are listed on the National Registry. If you are complaining about a junk fax, be sure to provide your fax number on the complaint.

Both the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission can fine telemarketers up to $11,000 per violation. This fine can be assessed for each phone call to a number that is subscribed to the registry. (16 CFR 1.98) Both the FCC and FTC will share complaints with each other and with states' attorneys general for possible action against telemarketers who violate state and federal laws. The following is a guideline for determining which agency to file a telemarketing or junk fax complaint with.

Complaints may be made to:

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Registry violations

Types of complaints: Telemarketers who violate the Do Not Call Registry.
Telephone: (888) 382-1222TDD: (866) 290-4236
Online complaint form: https://www.donotcall.gov/Complain/ComplainCheck.aspx [394]
For general information about the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry, implemented October 2003, visit its web site at www.ftc.gov/donotcall [386].

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - deceptive business practices

Types of complaints: Telemarketers who make misleading claims and who participate in possible scams.
Telephone: (877) FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)TTY: (866) 653-4261
Online complaint form: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01 [395]
To mail your compliant:
    Federal Trade Commission
    Consumer Response Center
    600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20580

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Types of complaints: Telemarketing calls involving financial institutions, insurance companies, telecommunications carriers, intra-state telemarketers, and junk faxes. Also takes complaints about telemarketers who do not comply with company-specific do not call requests.
Telephone: (888) CALL-FCC (888-225-5322)
TDD: (888) TELL-FCC (888-835-5322)
Online complaint form: www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html [396]
Email complaints: fccinfo@fcc.gov [397]
To mail your complaint:
    Federal Communications Commission
    Common Carrier Bureau, Consumer Information
    445 12^th St., S.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20554

California Office of the Attorney General (AG)

Types of complaints: Telemarketing calls to residents within the state that are possible
scams, that make fraudulent claims, or are misleading, including bogus Do Not Call Registry solicitations
Telephone: (800) 952-5225Calls from outside of California: (916) 322-3360
Online complaint form: www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/mailform.htm [398]
To mail your complaint, first obtain the form by calling the AG at (800) 952-5225, or
printing it from the AG's web site:
        California Attorney General
        Public Inquiry Unit
        P.O. Box 944255
        Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Other states' Attorneys General
The National Association of Attorneys General provides a 50-states directory at
www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php [399].
Public Utilities Commissions (PUC) and Public Service Commissions (PSC)
These state agencies regulate telephone calls and telecommunication services in many states.
For contact info. for your state's PUC or PSC, see:
www.consumeraction.gov/utility.shtml [400]
Small Claims Court
If you ask a company to put you on the company-specific do not call list and they call you back within 12 months, you can also file a claim against them in small claims court.

Laws regulating telemarketers

Federal laws

There are two major federal laws that regulate telemarketing. They somewhat overlap and are discussed below in more detail.

The Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud Abuse Prevention Act, also called the Telephone Sales Rules (TSR), is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). (15 USC 6101-6108; 16 CFR 310). For the latest version of the TSR, see
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/01/tsrfrn.pdf [401]

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) focuses on the uses of telephone lines, and is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (47 USC 227; 47 CFR 64.1200). For the latest version of the TCPA, see
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-153A1.doc [402].

Federal laws, also known as the U.S. Code, can be found online at www.law.cornell.edu/uscode [403]. Federal regulations, known as the Code of Federal Regulations, or CFR, are found online at www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html [404].

Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud Abuse Prevention Act -- Telephone Sales Rules

The Telephone Sales Rule's provisions on the National Do Not Call Registry are explained in previous sections. The following are additional aspects of the Rules not discussed above.

Do not call lists. You can sue telemarketers who violate the company-specific do not call law. However, it is more difficult to sue under this law than under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (see below). For instance, you can only sue in federal court and must show damages greater than $50,000. (15 USC 57(a))

Disclosures. Telemarketers must promptly make certain disclosures including that it is a sales call, what they are selling, and the identity of the seller. If the call is for a prize promotion, the caller must tell you that no purchase or payment is required to win a prize or participate in a prize promotion. (16 CFR 310.4 (d))

Before the customer pays, the telemarketer must disclose the total costs of the goods, any restriction on getting or using them, and whether all sales are final or non-refundable. If the call is for a prize promotion, they must tell you the odds for winning, that no purchase or payment is required to win, and all material costs or conditions to receive the prize. (16 CFR 310.3 (a)(1))

Telemarketers who offer credit card loss protection plans cannot mislead consumers to purchase their product if it provides benefits or protections already afforded under federal law (15 USC 1648) regarding the limit of cardholder's liability for fraudulent charges. (16 CFR 310.4(a)(2))

No misrepresentation. Telemarketers cannot misrepresent any information including the total cost and the quality of any goods or services. In addition, telemarketers may not make false or misleading statements to persuade you to purchase any goods or services. (16 CFR 310.3 (a)(2))

Checking accounts and unauthorized billing. Telemarketers cannot obtain or withdraw money from your checking, savings, or similar accounts without your express verifiable authorization. Before charging your credit card account, the telemarketer must get your informed consent and must specify the amount. If a telemarketer has your account information before the call and offers you goods or services on a free trial basis before automatically charging the account, the telemarketer must get your permission to use the account number, ask you to confirm the number by repeating the last four digits, and record the entire phone transaction. This is called a "free-to-pay conversion" offer, also known as a "negative option." (16 CFR 310.2(o) and (t))

Unencrypted billing information. Telemarketers are prohibited from disclosing, receiving, or transferring unencrypted account information. (16 CFR 310.4(a)(5))

Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA)

National Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Communications Commission recently updated this law so that industries under its jurisdiction must also comply with the FTC's Do Not Call Registry. (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(2)) For more information about the updates made to the TCPA, see http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-153A1.doc [402].

Do not call lists. The TCPA requires most telemarketers who are exempt from the National Registry to take you off their company-specific calling lists at your request. (47 CFR 64.1200(e)(2)) Telemarketers must add your phone number to this list within 30 days of the request. Your number should remain on this list for five years. (47 CFR 64.1200 (e)(2)(vi)) Further, telemarketers must have a written policy for maintaining their own do not call lists, available upon demand. (47 CFR 64.1200 (e)(2)(i)) If you have received more than one call by or on behalf of the same company in one year after you have told the company to place your name on the do not call list, you can:

a) Sue the telemarketer in state court (usually small claims is recommended) to stop such calls and/or to recover a penalty. (47 CFR 64.1200 (e)(2)(iii)) The penalty is actual monetary loss or up to $500, whichever is greater, for each call received after you requested to be placed on the do not call list. If the court finds that the marketer willfully or knowingly broke the law, the penalty is up to three times the actual monetary loss or up to $1,500, whichever is greater. If the telemarketer did not send a copy of its company-specific do not call policy, you can claim additional damages.The penalty for violations with respect to automatic dialing systems, prerecorded messages and facsimile machines, is $500 or actual damages, whichever is greater. The penalty for willful or knowing violations is $1,500 or three times the actual damages.

b) File a complaint with the FCC.

Consumer tip: If you want to take action against a company that continues to call, send a certified letter, return receipt requested, demanding to be placed on the company's do not call list. Keep a copy of the letter and the return receipt as proof. Also, keep a log of all calls and of your requests for the company's do not call policy.

Recorded messages and automatic dialing devices. Under the TCPA, a telemarketer cannot place a call to a residence using a prerecorded message unless the called party gives "express consent" or the call is for emergency purposes. (47 CFR 64.1200 (2))

This requirement does not apply to calls that are made:

For a commercial purpose such as from one business to another.

To those with whom the company has an established business relationship at the time the call is made.

From a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

The law prohibits autodialed and/or prerecorded messages to emergency numbers, hospitals, cellular telephones, pagers, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call. (47 CFR 64.1200 (a)(1)(i) to (iii)) However, they are allowed in emergencies or if the person called has given prior consent.

Prerecorded messages are required to disclose the identity of the business, individual, or other entity making the call at the beginning of the message. The telemarketer must provide its address or telephone number (other than a 900 number or the number of the autodialer or prerecorded message player) and not a numeric prompt. (47 CFR 64.1200 (2)(iv)) Any prerecorded call made using an autodialer must release your line within five seconds after you have hung up. (47 USC 227)

California Laws

California statutes can be found on the Internet at the web site www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html [405]. Some of the provisions described below may not be enforceable because they are weaker than federal FCC laws.

Do Not Call list. Under California Business and Professions Code sections 17590-17595, any telemarketer who contacts Californians must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers must purchase those California numbers that are included in the National Registry from the FTC with some exceptions. The exemptions are as follows:

Businesses with which you have an established business relationship. Nonprofit groups to which you have donated or participated in an event.Tax-exempt charitable organizations.
Calls to verify that a subscriber has terminated an established business relationship.

Civil action. In addition to the California Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney filing a civil action against a telemarketer, California consumers may bring a civil action in small claims court for an injunction. If the consumer receives further solicitations within 30 days after the injunction is ordered, a subsequent action can be filed in small claims to be awarded a civil penalty of up to $1,000. (California Business and Professions Code 17593)
Disclosures. The telemarketer must disclose specific information at the time of the sales pitch. The disclosures depend on the type of goods or services the telemarketer is selling. For example, a telemarketer selling office equipment or supplies below normal costs must disclose the address of the location caller and the name of the manufacturer of each item being sold. (See California Business and Profession Code 17511.5 for a list of disclosures.)
Recorded messages. Unsolicited prerecorded calls for the sale or lease of goods or services are banned unless a "live" operator first asks permission to play the tape. The operator must also tell the person who answers the phone the name of the caller and either the caller's address or telephone number. The operator must also ask if the person consents to hear the recorded message. Companies can use recorded messages when they contact established customers or if you have requested their call. (California Civil Code 1770(22)(A))

If you have suffered damages as a result of prerecorded calls, you may sue to recover damages, stop the calls, restore your property and/or obtain other relief that the court believes you deserve (California Civil Code 1780).

Automatic dialing-announcing devices. Marketers use automatic dialing-announcing devices to advertise using pre-recorded messages. These calls are prohibited unless a "live" operator first makes an announcement to the person called. The operator must state the nature of the call and the name, address and telephone number of the business. The caller must also inquire if the person consents to hear the prerecorded message. This requirement does not apply to law enforcement or other specified agencies that use the automatic dialing-announcing device to provide information relating to public safety, police, or fire emergencies. (California Public Utilities Code 2872-2874)

Automatic dialing-announcing devices may be used if the person being called has given prior consent, if there is a prior business relationship, if they have requested the call, or for other specified purposes including a school contacting a student's parent/guardian regarding attendance. (California Public Utilities Code 2872, 2873) These devices may only be used in California to place calls received in California from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (California Public Utilities Code 2872)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) imposes penalties for violations of the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices. The penalty is a fine up to $500 for each violation and/or disconnection of the telephone service to the automatic dialing-announcing device for a period of time as specified by the CPUC. (California Public Utilities Code 2876)

Other State Laws and Agencies

State Do Not Call lists

National Association of Attorneys General:
Contact information for state AGs, www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php [399]

50-state directory of state, county, and city consumer protection offices in The Consumer Action Handbook of the Federal Consumer Information Center,
www.consumeraction.gov/state.shtml [393]

Public Utilities Commissions (PUC) and Public Service Commissions (PSC) regulate telephone calls and services in many states. For contact information for your state's PUC or PSC,
see www.consumeraction.gov/utility.shtml [400]

Other Organizations

For a $20 annual fee, Private Citizen will list you in its Do Not Call Private Citizen Directory which is distributed twice a year to the major telemarketing firms. This service applies to telemarketers who are exempt from the National Registry and therefore must maintain a company-specific do not call list. Call (800) CUT-JUNK. Private Citizen also sells the booklet, "So You Want to Sue a Telemarketer." Web: www.private-citizen.com [407]

The Junkbusters web site provides free pre-written letters to send to telemarketers and opt-out services, www.junkbusters.com/telemarketing.html [408]. This service applies to telemarketers who are exempt from the Registry.

The web site of Californians Against Telephone Solicitation provides numerous tips including testimonials from those who have successfully taken telemarketers to court for company-specific do not call violations, www.stopjunkcalls.com [409].

Minimize telemarketing calls not covered by the Do Not Call Registry

Many telemarketers are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry.

If you want to minimize the number of telemarketing calls you receive from these excluded companies, be cautious when giving out your phone number. According to the FTC, simply filling out a sweepstakes or contest entry form is not considered giving consent unless the form indicates that by signing and providing your phone number, you have given express permission to be contacted by phone.

Here are some additional situations where you might unwittingly give your phone number to telemarketers:

Pre-printed checks. We recommend that you do not preprint your phone number on your checks. Hand-write it when merchants ask for it, and consider using your work number instead of your residence. Similarly, avoid providing your phone number and address when you register on web sites.
Privacy Tip: If you make a purchase and do not want to receive additional marketing calls from the company, mail a separate, signed notice asking the company to put you on its company-specific do not call list. Send the notice to the attention of the company's customer service department or privacy officer. Keep a copy of the letter for your records. Many companies provide contact information for their privacy officer in the privacy policy on their website.
Telephone books and reverse directories. If you are listed in the phone book, telemarketers who are exempt from the Registry can obtain your contact information from the phone company. To prevent the cross-referencing of your address with your phone number, you can choose to not have your information available in the phone book or through directory assistance. If your number is "unlisted," your name, address and phone number will not be printed in the phone book, but the information is available through both directory assistance and reverse directory assistance. If your number is "unpublished," your information will not be printed in the phone book and is not available through directory assistance or reverse directory assistance. Or you can list your name and phone number, but not your address. Telephone companies usually charge a monthly fee to be unlisted or unpublished.

Several companies compile national phone directories available in CD-ROM and on the Internet. These are gathered from local phone books all over the country. When you choose to be unlisted or unpublished, you will not be included in such online people-finding services. Examples are www.switchboard.com [410], www.anywho.com [411], and www.infospace.com [412]. There is likely to be a gap between the time you become unlisted and the time you are no longer listed in these online services.

The phone company and other businesses publish reverse directories that list individuals by street address or phone number rather than name. Telemarketers can use these street address directories when they want to cross-reference your residential address with your phone number. If you are listed in the phone book, you are almost certainly in reverse directories.

You can write or call the major companies that compile street address directories and request that your listing be removed:

Haines & Company, Inc., Criss-Cross Directory, Attn: Director of Data Processing, 8050 Freedom Ave. N.W., North Canton, OH 44720. Send a letter requesting that your listing be removed. Or fax your request to (330) 494-3862.

Equifax (formerly R.L. Polk), Attn: List Suppression File, 26955 Northwestern Hwy., South Field, MI 48034. (800) 873-7655. Give your name, address, City, State, ZIP code and phone number.

800, 888, 877, 866, and 900 numbers. When you use a toll-free number to call a business with which you have an account or to inquire about a product or service, your phone number may be captured by a system called Automatic Number Identification (ANI). This technology automatically identifies and stores the number from which you are dialing. By matching your phone number with other lists and street address directories, your name and address can often be discovered and added to the company's calling and mailing list. Not only will the company that captured your number be able to use it, they can sell or share it with their affiliates.

Federal law places restrictions on the use and sale of your phone number when you call a toll-free or 900 number. According to FCC regulations, the individual's consent is required before a company can reuse or sell ANI information. However, a company may reuse ANI information to market a product or service that is directly related to the product or service the caller previously purchased. (47 CFR 64.1602) California phone companies that offer ANI must notify their customers annually that the use of an 800, 888, 877, 866, or 900 number may result in the disclosure of the caller's telephone number to the called party. (California Public Utilities Code 2891.2)

If you are concerned about a company capturing your phone number when calling their toll-free number, find out if the company lists a separate toll number you can call (long distance charges may apply). If an alternate phone number is not provided, ask the customer service representative at the toll-free number to put you on the company's do not call list.

How to Sue Telemarketers

[413]How to Sue Telemarketers in Small Claims Court

This guide explains step-by-step how other people have made money by taking telemarketers who violate the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to small claims court.

To understand this program please read the pages below, or download the PDF [413]

Obligatory Disclaimer: This document was prepared by UCAN's staff and interns and was not written or edited by an attorney. This document does not constitute legal advice. It is simply a guide designed to advise you of your rights under the 1992 TCPA, which gives ordinary people the ability to take legal action in Small Claims Court against companies that violate the law. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney.

Attachment	Size
How to Sue Telemarketers in Small Claims Court.pdf [414]	217.04 KB

Sue Telemarketers Introduction

Utility Consumers' Action Network

3100 Fifth Avenue, Suite B

San Diego CA 92103

From The Desk of Michael Shames

Dear Fellow Telemarketing Victim:

You are awakened by a ringing phone, but when you answer, nobody is on the line. Then, just as you drift off to sleep, you get another call. This time there is a voice on the line, but while they seem to know you, you don’t recognize the voice. Soon you realize: it is a telemarketer. What you may not realize is that you have just been targeted by a sophisticated piece of computer technology called a "predictive" dialer.

These machines call your home in advance of a telephone salesperson to find out when you are home. Once you answer, the device hangs up. Then, a few minutes, or up to an hour later, you will get a call from a sales person. Your phone has been automatically dialed by a computer, and as soon as you answer, you will hear a pause as the computer routes you through to an available telemarketer.

Auto-dialers and phone scripts are the tools of the telemarketer. This handbook gives you the tools you need to fight back and regain your privacy. As a kicker, it shows you how you might get paid for your efforts.

As you’ll see inside, we not only show you how to cut junk calls in half, but we’ve armed you with our own anti-telemarketing "script, [380]" tear-out letters of complaint and legal notification, and legal references that you can use to argue your case. So the next time you are harassed by an unwelcome caller, do not get angry. Instead, take the law into your own hands and fight back.

Wishing you peaceful and quiet evenings,

Michael Shames, Executive Director, UCANto cut "junk" phone calls in haf

Sue Telemarketers Overview

Can I really make money suing telemarketers in small claims court?

Yes, in many cases! You can also forcefully recapture your telephone and your privacy.

Few consumers know that under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA)*, a company that calls you without your permission or without a prior business relationship must remove your name from their calling list immediately after you ask them. Armed with this little-known law, you can banish telemarketers from your life.

If the company calls you again, you may sue them for $500 for the first violation and for triple damages for each violation thereafter. You can also collect $500 plus triple damages if you can prove other violations.

And even if they never call you back, you can still take action against the company for damages. For example, the law requires that the company maintain a "Do Not Call List," and a written "Do not Call Policy" which they must provide to you on demand.

Since most companies do not have a written policy, they can be sued for not providing a copy of the policy.

The words "on demand" are critical to the interpretation of this law. It is the same wording used in the California Vehicle Code requiring you to provide your driver’s license to a police officer. Legally the company must comply with your request for the "Do Not Call Policy" under ordinary standards of reasonableness.

We think five working days is reasonable, although a strong case could be made for demanding the policy via fax or overnight courier.

Click here [379] to see the violations for which a telemarketing company can be sued.

What to do when you are solicited

You are called by a telemarketer.

You know the routine: You are expecting a call from a friend or a relative, but instead you get a stranger asking for the "decision maker" in the household. Or worse, they ask for you by name and you don’t recognize the voice at all. Your stomach tightens, your blood pressure rises. The telemarketer has struck.

Relax. Now is the time for you to strike back by gathering the information you need to sue the company that is calling you. All you need to do is collect a few easy pieces of information (see the "Strike Back Script [380],").

Once you’ve used the script, you simply sit back and wait for the company to violate the law.

All they need to do is call you again and you are off and running. In fact, you can also sue them for not doing anything, including not sending you a copy of their "Do Not Call Policy" in a timely manner.

Another opportunity: Most of the calls you receive will be made by professional telemarketing firms on behalf of a "client" company.

You can double your chances for a successful suit or out-of-court settlement by getting the names and phone numbers of both companies.

"Strike Back" Telemarketing Script

Click here [380] to get a printable list of questions to ask each telemarketer when they call you. But before you start asking questions, you must "qualify"the company so that you can assert your rights later: If, during the introductory "pitch," the telemarketer indicates that they are representing a non-profit firm, or a survey company, ask them to not call again and hang up immediately. They are not subject to the Federal law.

You cannot bring action against a company if:

They are a non-profit corporation.

They are calling a place of business.

They are conducting a survey.

They are not doing business in your area.

Note: Some companies will disguise their sales pitches as surveys.

In the event this happens to you, you must elicit a frank admission that they are selling something. One of the best ways to do this is to get the company to send you sales literature or an order form. Other companies, once sued, will claim that they are invulnerable to your claim because they are not conducting business in your area. Obviously, if they have called you at home, they are conducting business in your area and are subject to the full force of the law.

Controlling the Call

Controlling the call: a sample conversation

Note how "Mr. Jones" controls this call from start to finish. Even better, he uses our "Strike Back [380]" phone script to obtain all of the information he needs to use his legal protections and take back his phone!

TELEMARKETER: Hello Mr. Jones. This is John Spleenwacker for TGTBT Investments and I’m calling you to...

MR. JONES: (interrupting with gusto) John Spleenwacker! How the heck are you this evening?"

TM: (puzzled) ...um fine I guess. Anyway, TGTBT Investments has some remarkable...

JONES: (writes down the name of the caller) TGTBT huh! Sure. I know all about them. Fine company. Say what do those initials stand for anyway?

TM: Too Good to Be True. As I was saying, we have a new term life insurance policy that guarantees ...

JONES: Term life! I LOVE term life. Have had several policies in fact, can never buy enough of them. Term life!

TM: (excited) Good good. Glad to hear it. Then I think you’ll like this offering

JONES: I should warn you John — may I call you that Mr. Spleenwacker?

Anyway, John, I prefer to do business with companies that have local service centers. Where are you calling from?

TM: Uh, Chicago, actually, but TGTBT is located in Lodi. Uh, Chicago, actually, but TGTBT is located in Lodi.

JONES: Lodi. Love that town! Do you have a street address? Lodi. Love that town! Do you have a street address?

TM: Sure. 1515 Lafayette Avenue. Sure. 1515 Lafayette Avenue.

JONES: So how is the weather in Chicago, John? So how is the weather in Chicago, John?

TM: It’s rainy. Look Mr. Jones...

JONES: It’s 75 degrees and sunny out here in San Diego. It’s why I moved here. Do you have a local office or service center in San Diego?

TM: Yes we do. It’s at 2350 Washington in Escondido.

JONES: Great, just great. By the way, why are you calling from Chicago? Are you with an outside marketing firm? Great, just great

TM: Actually, yes. We have been retained by TGTBT to help educate the public about their fine products and ...

JONES: Fascinating John. Just fascinating, but unfortunately I have to stop you for a second. You see, I get a huge number of calls like this and I wish you the best of luck, but I would like to be placed on your "Do Not Call" list, okay? I also want you to send me a copy of your written "Do Not Call" policy.

TM: (confused - a bit taken aback) Okay. Uh, sure.

JONES: And I want to put the request in writing. May I have the address of your call center in Chicago?

How to get your way on the phone

Using "rejection psychology" to your advantage

Believe it or not, telemarketers are trained to "enjoy" the experience of being rejected by you. They are playing a numbers game. Here’s why: They know that on average, one out of 25 people will say "yes" to their offer. As a result, they actually count the "No" responses, with the understanding that for every 24 rejections they will get at least one sale.

However, this constant rejection by hundreds of people a day takes its toll. This is why most telemarketers only work four to six hour shifts. The strain of constant rejection is both emotionally and physically exhausting. As a result, when you actually seem glad to hear from them, they are inclined to spend more time with you, even if all you are doing is talking about the weather and gathering the information you need to sue their employers.

Kill them with kindness

We advise never being hostile to a telemarketer —they are trained to deal with hostility, but none of them know how to deal with cheerfulness and enthusiasm.

Telemarketers are trained to "take control" of the sales call. When they call you, they have only one intent: to make a sale. Your objective is to get enough information to use the law against them. This means that you have to turn the tables and take control of the conversation. The best way to take control is by being cheerful and asking frequent questions in a non-threatening manner.

On page 4 we showed you the information you need to gather in order to sue successfully. In telemarketing terms, this is called "qualifying the prospect." And the best way to control the call is to interrupt their script by using your script. Read on…

Putting the "Yes/No/Maybe" sales principle to work for you

Most telephone sales people are trained using a sales technique called "Yes/No/Maybe." The objective of "Yes/No/Maybe" is to get you to say "yes" or "no" as fast as possible. Once you say "Maybe" and start asking unusual questions you slow the marketer down.

Almost 99% of the time, the person calling you will be reading a script. The script is used because years of market research show that salespeople who read a script over the phone and stick to it with minimal deviation tend to make more money.

Phone scripts are especially designed to prevent you from asking questions that put you in the costly "maybe" category. All they want from you is a sale.

But what you want is the information required to optimize your chances of winning a lawsuit or getting an out-of-court settlement. Your job is to "reel them in."

Yes, it takes hard work and time, but remember, the cruelest thing that you can do to telemarketers is to keep them on the phone without buying anything. Every minute you spend, every question you ask, is costing them money. The kindest thing you can do is hang up the phone.

Some consumer advocates have claimed that if everyone in America kept a telemarketer on the phone for just one minute, instead of hanging up, the industry would be bankrupted in a matter of months.

After you have qualified a target company as an eligible lawbreaker (they are not a survey firm or a tax-deductible non-profit), you need to send them the following letter. This letter is especially designed to make the strongest possible legal case.

Send this letter [415] five working days from the time of first contact.

Now you simply wait for the company to violate the law.

You sent your letter and now you wait. Enjoy the increased silence of your phone in the meantime. Inevitably, one of the companies will break the law in one of five ways:

1) They call you again in the next 12 months.

2) They neglect to put you on the "Do Not Call List"

3) They are not maintaining a "Do Not Call List."

4) They do not have a written "Do Not Call" policy.

5) They were unable to provide a copy of the "Do Not Call" policy on demand.

Once any of the above are violated, you are poised to exercise the full rights of the law. We call this the "F.I.S.T." legal strategy. "FIST" stands for "File, Inform, Settle, or Trial."

Telemarketing Letter 1

YOUR NAME AND

ADDRESS HERE

DAY/DATE/YEAR

CONTACT NAME

TITLE

COMPANY NAME

STREET ADDRESS

CITY / STATE /ZIP

RE: Request for written "Do Not Call" policy

Dear NAME:

Pursuant to your firm's efforts to conduct business in (name of your town), I received a phone solicitation on DAY/DATE/YEAR from your sales representative Mr./Ms. NAME at __:00 AM / PM .

Your sales agent was promoting (NAME OF PRODUCT/SERVICE) for (Product / Service Company / Manufacturer) as an employee of your company (NAME OF OUTSIDE TELEMARKETING COMPANY IF APPLICABLE) .

During the conversation I requested that your sales agent provide me with a copy of your written "Do Not Call Policy," and to place my name and phone number on the "Do Not Call" lists of the companies listed above.

This letter is to inform you that

(CHECK ALL THAT APPLY AND DELETE THE REST)

__ the call was made before 8:00 AM, or after 9:00 PM.

__ I was called again by your company on (Day / Date / Time)

__ I have not received my copy of your "Do Not Call" policy.

__ I have not received a copy of the "Do Not Call" policy for (Company)

You are hereby notified that you are in "knowing violation" of Federal law CFR 64.1200(e)(2)(i), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Under the provisions of this law you are required to maintain a "Do Not Call List" and provide a written copy of your "Do Not Call Policy" on demand.

In accordance with this law, I am demanding that you provide a copy of your "Do Not Call Policy" by or before (date)

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)

CC: UCAN Fraud Squad

3100 5th Avenue, Suite B

San Diego CA 92103

F.I.S.T.

F.I.S.T. anti-telemarketing program

File your complaint in small claims.

Inform the defendants and ...

Settle out of court, or ... go to

Trial in small claims court.

STEP 1: FILE your complaint with your local small claims court. with your local small claims court. with your local small claims court.

Hopefully, you were able to identify the name of the "hired gun" telemarketing company that was retained by the company that called you. If this is the case, you can sue both of them by naming the companies as co-defendants, thereby doubling your odds for a lucrative settlement. Below is a checklist of the information and questions you will need to answer in order to complete a typical small claims form. How much can you sue them for? If you like you can skip ahead to Letter #2 [416] and calculate the fines.

The next step it to visit the nearest small claims court. A small claims court advisor will give you the specific complaint form you need (every court uses different forms). The advisor will assist you in filling out and filing the document(s) with the court clerk. The court clerk can be a tough person to get by.

If the company you are suing is headquartered out of your district or even out of state, you may have to argue for bringing the telemarketing company/defendant into a local small claims court.

You must convince the clerk that since the company is soliciting and marketing in your district and that because they are actively doing business in your community, they are obligated to defend a suit in your district (venue). You can also argue the following:

1 there is a direct relationship between the company’s contact with your district and your specific lawsuit.as the plaintiff,

2 you were damaged in your district,

3 the defendant offered a contract to be entered in your district,

4 it is more convenient for the defendant, a big company, to come to your district than for you to travel to them, and

5 it is in your district’s interest to protect its citizens in a local court.

These arguments should pass muster with any clerk or judge. If the court clerk does not let you file in your district then you will have to go to the telemarketing company’s venue or the district where their corporate headquarters are located.

The cost of filing a small claims suit

§ most courts have a $20 filing fee

§ $6 if you want the court to send complaint by certified mail

§ Questions? The San Diego Small Claims Advisor can be called at (619) 236-2700

Identifying the "Agent of Service"

You need to serve the complaint on a specified person or agent called an "agent of service of process." To identify the name and address for the agent of service of process you must write (not call):

Secretary of State

1500 11th St.

Sacramento, CA 95814

Attn: IRC Unit

Request registered agent for XYZ company.

§ Send a $4 check payable to: "Secy. of State" for $4 fee for the name and address of the agent (call (916) 653-7315 for more information). All out-of-state companies doing business in California MUST have a registered agent. If you are unable to identify a registered agent, contact UCAN and we will request an Attorney General investigation.

To serve the complaint on the agent you can:

1 Send it certified mail (or pay $6 for the court to do it), but the agent must sign that he/she received the complaint for it to be effective (this process can be difficult if the defendant wants to make it difficult); or

2 Pay a marshal $28 to serve the agent; or

3 Hire a private process server (fee varies).

SMALL CLAIMS CHECKLIST

Be prepared to answer the following questions:

Plaintiff name, address, and telephone (that’s you);

Defendant name address and telephone (did you find the registered agent of service?);

Money owed to you (calculate the total owed by filling in the blanks in this letter [416]);

Specific violations of the law (for example calling you twice in 12 months is a violation of 47 USC Sec. 227(c)(5)). See next page for legal citations.

Justification of venue. This is your explanation of why you should be allowed to sue in this particular small claims court. We advise the following wording: "Defendant is selling to and soliciting customers in district. My harm relates directly to this business activity. The company must therefore defend its violations of the law in the district where the unlawful activity occurred."

STEP 2: Inform the company, by sending this letter.

STEP 3: SETTLE out of court (if you want to).

Every defendant has different reasons for avoiding the risks involved in a court hearing. Some companies may want to settle with you. Remember, you don’t have to settle, but if you decide to, here are some tips:

If you have identified a telemarketing firm that has acted as a sales agent for another company, then inform that company that you have filed a lawsuit against their client.

DO NOT MAKE THREATS! Keep your wits and be cordial. You are just calmly informing them of what you are doing.

If you do not receive a reasonable settlement offer, then proceed to step four.

STEP 4: TRIAL.

Here is what you can expect in small claims court:

The judge will call your name and you will present your evidence. Bring all of the evidence you have - the more paperwork, dates, faxes, letters, names, and other documents that you present, the stronger your case. Also bring a copy of the Arkow v. Bank of America [417] case. (see next page)

Once the judge rules in your favor, the court will issue a judgement and order to the company to make payment to you. This can sometimes be a tricky process if the company does not want to abide by the judgement, but the court has various ways to collect including garnishing wages, reporting to collection agencies, attaching assets, etc. Most companies do not like to deal with these annoyances. In the event you are compelled to pursue collection activity, the court will force the defendant to reimburse you for all collection costs.

Keep in mind that if the company is out of state, the collection process can be difficult, making an out-of-court settlement more attractive.

Using answering machines and tape recorders to gather evidence

California law prevents you (or anyone else) from recording a conversation without the express knowledgeof the participants. If you plan to record phone calls from telemarketers for future use in court, you must inform them that the call is being recorded. One way to do this is to just say "You know I’ve got this darned machine hooked up to my phone and it’s recording this call. I hope you do not mind." The caller will likely assume that your answering machine is malfunctioning, and consent to be recorded. In the event a telemarketer calls your answering machine and leaves a message, the recording can be used in court because the caller knew at the time that his or her voice would be recorded.

Arkow v Bank of America

Date of Filing/Decision:

Aug 15 2004

Body:

MUNICIPAL COURT OF NEWHALL JUDICIAL DISTRICT FOR

THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

(SMALL CLAIMS DIVISION)

LARAINE K. ARKOW and ROBERT V. ARKOW - Plaintiff,

vs.

BANK OF AMERICA, N.T.S.A. - Defendants

CASE # s/c 95S00592

STATEMENT OF DECISION

This action is brought on behalf of plaintiffs who allege total damages of $2,000 excluding court costs as follows:

$500.00 for Breach of Contract; $500.00 Violation of Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA); $1,000.00 Punitive Damages

On April 13, 1995, a telephone call was made by Bank of America employee Jason Evans to plaintiffs. Plaintiffs telephone number and name was made available to Mr. Evans by the bank. The purpose of the contact was to advise the Arkows of other investments that would be available to them. The Arkows were not available to receive the call and a message was left by Mr. Evans stating substantially as follows:

"This is Jason calling from the Palmdale branch of Bank of America. I need to talk to you about your savings account. Please call me at (805) 378-7237."

The purpose of Mr. Evans call was to advise the Arkows of other investments that were being offered by defendant and as such, the telephone call was a telephone solicitation in that it was made for the purpose of encouraging a purchase or rental or investment in property, goods or services.

Telephone solicitation does not include a caller message to any person with whom the caller has an established business relationship. There is no dispute that a prior business relationship existed between plaintiffs and defendants by virtue of a deposit of account and a loan. An established business relationship may be terminated by indicating the consumer does not want to receive any more calls or solicitations from the business. A Disclosure and Loan Agreement dated February 5, 1994 includes a provision number 19, "Bank not to telemarket customer." The original loan agreement contains this paragraph. The loan was granted by the bank and no objection to the provision was made.

On April 13, 1995 plaintiff Robert Arkow faxed Bank of America in Lancaster a demand pursuant to 47 USC Section 227 for the banks "Do Not Call Policy". The do not call policy was not delivered until approximately five (5) weeks after the demand was made and after the claim of plaintiff was filed on May 1, 1995. At the time of making a live solicitation, the bank is required to provide the called party with the name of the individual caller, the person or entity on whose behalf the call is made and a telephone number or address at which the person or entity can be contacted. Bank of America employee, Jason Evans was not completely identified in that his name was not given, nor was his correct location given. Mr. Evans represented that he was from the Palmdale branch of Bank of America, however he was not. The telephone number given by Mr. Evans for a return call is not for the Palmdale branch, but is some place in Moorpark, California.

The Telephone Consumers Protection Act provides for a private right of action that may be brought in State Court to recover actual monetary loss from a violation of the act, or $500.00 in damages for each violation whichever is greater.

It is troubling in reviewing the Public Notice prepared by Federal Communication Commission on January 11, 1993 and the T.C.P.A that neither contemplates or gives right to a cause of action based upon one (1) Telephone Solicitation within a twelve month period. 47 USC Section 227 (c)(5) provides in part:

"a person who has received more than one telephone call within any twelve month period by or on behalf of the same entity in violation of the regulations prescribed under this subsection may...bring in an appropriate court of that state"(b) an action to recover for actual monetary loss from such a violation, or to receive up to $500.00 in damages for each such violation, whichever is greater..."

There being only one telephone call at issue, the court finds that that single phone call did not constitute a violation of 47 USC, Section 227.

Defendant, however has violated FCC rules with respect to failure to provide the Do Not Call Policy upon demand. Senior Vice President and District Manager, Ron Nemitz testified that the demand for a copy of the policy waited on his desk for him to review the policy prior to it’s release. I can find no authority for the delay of the bank in turning over the policy in response to a demand.

Furthermore, bank employee, Jason Evans failed to properly identify himself at the time the telephone solicitation was made. Damages in the sum of $500.00 for each violation is awarded to Plaintiff.

Plaintiff’s final cause of action for punitive damages is based upon, as plaintiff stated, a cause of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress. No testimony was offered to show that Bank of America intended to cause emotional distress to plaintiff, or that the defendant willfully or knowingly violated T.C.P.A. or FCC Regulations.

Judgment entered in favor of the Defendant on Plaintiffs claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Dated June 15, 1995

Signed, James P. Reape

Telemarketing Letter 2

NOTE: This letter was written specifically to get the attention of the "Hired Gun" telemarketing firms that are representing other companies as sales agents. If you were unable to identify the name and addresses of the "Hired Guns," that called you, simply modify the letter accordingly.

YOUR NAME
STREET
CITY / STATE / ZIP
(TODAY'S DATE HERE)

NAME
TITLE
COMPANY NAME
COMPANY STREET ADDRESS
CITY / STATE / ZIP

RE: __ I am suing your client because you have violated federal law.

__ I am suing your company because you have violated federal law

Dear NAME:

In a few days your company, AND OR your client NAME OF COMPANY will receive service of process for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

As you will see from the attached letter I requested that your company provide me with a copy of your written "Do Not Call Policy," and to place my name and phone number on the (USE ALL THAT APPLY) __ "Do Not Call" lists of your telemarketing company, __ as well as on the "Do Not Call List" of your client.

This letter is to inform you that I have filed a complaint in small claims court for the following violations of Federal law 47 USC Sec. 227, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

__ I have not received my copy of your "Do Not Call" policy on demand after making two requests.

I am suing you for $1,500 in accordance with 47 CFR Sec. 64.1200(e)(2)(i).

__ The call was made before 8:00 AM, or after 9 PM.

I am suing for $500 in accordance with 47 CFR Sec. 64.1200(e)(1).

__ I was called again by your company on [DAY DATE TIME] in violation of 64.1200(e)(2)(vi).

I am suing you for an additional $500.

__ I was again solicited by your company on (Day / Date / Time), and the law allows for
triple damages of $1,500 47 USC Sec. 227(c)(5).

__ It is apparent your company is not maintaining a "Do Not Call List" I am suing for triple
damages of $1,500 in accordance with 47 USC Sec. 227(c)(5).

Total damages : [ADD UP THE BOXES YOU CHECKED]

I am therefore suing

__ Your Company __ (IF APPLICABLE) And Your Client in separate claims.

I am sending you this letter as a courtesy. If you wish to discuss or resolve this matter informally, I encourage you to contact me at the address above prior to the scheduled hearing date.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

CC: UCAN Fraud Squad, 3100 5th Avenue, Suite B, San Diego CA, 92103
Enc: Original letter of request for "Do Not Call Policy." (ATTACH YOUR FIRST LETTER)

Switching Local Toll and Long Distance Carriers

Deciding which company will provide your local toll and long distance service can make a big difference on monthly telephone bills. The following set of guidelines assists consumers in deciding which provider to select for their local toll and/or long distance service to decrease their monthly bills for telephone service.

11 Tips for Making the Switch!

1) One minute versus six second billing increments
Most of the big long distance providers and local phone companies providing local long distance calls, will bill in one minute increments, which means that if a call lasts for one minute and one second, it will be charged as a two minute call. This will add up over time and cost more money than it needs to. This fact plus higher rates means paying more for long distance and local toll calls. There are plans available that will round up to the next six- second increment, which will save money in the long run.

Look for local toll and long distance providers that offer six-second billing increments.

2) Where are calls placed most often?
Knowing the difference between local toll, in-state and state-to-state calls can also save a bundle. Some long distance plans offer great state-to-state rates, but may charge higher rates for local toll calls or calls within California. Other providers will have lower rates for calls within the state of California, but their state-to-state rates may not be so great. Such providers may be a good choice for providing local toll service, but may not be a godd selection as a long distance provider. Knowing the destination of call is important for this reason and can be determined by having a consumer look at their most recent phone bill to determine where their calls are terminating most often.

Looking at the most common locations called such as in-state or state-to-state, can help determine the provider to select.

WARNING: The rates quoted by many providers do not include calls to Hawaii and Alaska. Make sure these rates are confirmed because they will be different than the state-to-state rate quoted.

3) Local-Long Distance calls
If a call is made to a number based at a switching station that is more than 13 miles away, it will be billed as a "local long distance" or IntraLata call. The local phone company will always bill for these calls unless the consumer expressly changes their provider for local toll calls. A long distance company with competitive in-state rates can often save quite a bit of money on these calls. Verify the rates and billing increment charged by the local phone carrier for these calls, and compare them to those of long distance carriers.

Oftentimes, a long distance carrier who meets the guidelines outlined in this section, can decrease a person’s monthly telephone bill substantially, by carrying the account’s local toll service rather than having the default local phone provider charging for local toll calls.

4) Switching fees
Local phone companies will charge a one-time switching fee when the long distance and/or local toll carrier are changed. However, most of the competitive long distance providers will credit the amount of your local phone company’s switching fee in long distance service as an incentive for switching. Ask the long distance company if they credit accounts for this charge for switching to their company and what the procedure is to have this happen.

Switching long distance or local toll service shouldn’t cost money. Ask the company that will be providing service, if they will issue a credit for switching fees to the new customer’s account.

5) Monthly fees
If a long distance carrier charges a recurring monthly fee to be a customer, they will oftentimes have higher rates than more competitive carriers who do not have monthly fees.

No monthly fees usually indicate lower per minute rates, too.

5) Cost per Minute Rule of Thumb
Consumers can get in-state and state-to-state calls at no more than 5¢ per minute, with six-second billing increments and no monthly fees. The online resources listed under Tab 10 can assist consumers in finding long distance providers who offer competitive rates, billing increments, and no monthly fees.

No need to pay more than 5¢ per minute.

6) How to check the designated long distance provider
"Slamming" used to be a popular occurrence and describes a situation where a customer’s long distance or local toll provider was changed without consent of the account holder. Now that the Federal Communications Commission [418] (FCC) and California Public Utilities Commission [419] (CPUC) have been investigating and issue fines to companies who propagate this crime, its prevalence has decreased markedly. However, if a customer wants to verify who their long distance carrier is, there is a simple, toll-free number they can dial to find out. By dialing 700-555-4141 from a telephone, a recording of the name of the company who is providing long distance service will be played. One thing to keep in mind: Some of the cheaper long distance providers may be reselling service through another carrier who actually owns the lines, much like Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECS) resell services to their competitors. Verify which company’s lines are used for service with the long distance carrier. If the name of an unknown carrier is announced, either the account is billed by a reseller for the carrier on the announcement, the account has been slammed, or the account has not been transferred to a newly-designated long distance provider and enough time has not transpired for the switch to take effect. If the latter is the case, the customer can continue to retry the 700 number test and once the name of the newly designated long distance is announced, they can contact their previous long distance provider and cancel service.

Use the 700 number test to verify if an account has been Slammed or if a switch to another provider has taken effect.

7) USF (Universal Service Fund) Fees
For a description of this fee, click here [420]. All long distance providers charge the USF fee as a percentage of the total monthly long distance charges. Therefore, a long distance account with a monthly fee, higher rates and one minute billing increments will incur a higher USF fee in general, which, in the current long distance market, is spanning from approximately 6.5% up to 12%. Usually, those companies with monthly fees, higher rates and one minute billing increments, will also charge a higher end USF fee. In general, selecting a company with a lower USF fee will not only save money on the monthly phone bill, it may indicate a long distance provider that has additional monetary benefits.

A lower percentage USF fee will reduce a monthly phone bill, especially when billed by a long distance carrier that does not have recurring monthly charges, higher rates and one minute billing increments.

8) Third Party Verification Process
When a consumer decides to switch their long distance or local toll service, they will be required to go through the Third Party Verification Process. This service is provided by an outside agency that will record the customer's actual consent to have their service switched. The customer will be asked their phone number, social security number for verification purposes, and their express consent to have their service switched to another provider. In this manner, the telephone company to which they are switching can provide evidence that the customer gave their permission to switch if there are allegations of slamming. In addition, the Third Party Verification Process impedes those who are not listed on the account from changing the providers.

9) Other ways of making long distance and local toll calls
For those who do not make many long distance calls or who have found a pre-paid calling card or prepaid service for long distance, there may not be a need to have a designated local toll and/or long distance provider. Instead, such consumers can inform their local phone company that they do not wish to have a designated provider for those calls. If a customer does this, firstly, they will be assessed a switching fee for changing their service from a provider to not having one. Secondly, their Network Access Charge (see Tab 3) may be increased. However, if an account is being billed a recurring monthly fee by a long distance provider, even though the customer is not making calls consistently, switching the account to not having a provider can save money over the long run.

Such customers instead can take advantage of pre-paid calling cards or a dial around carrier to place calls that would normally incur a toll charge whether local long distance or long distance. Dial around companies, or 10-10 numbers, allow a phone customer to dial telephone numbers that will be a toll charge without having a designated long distance carrier. They also allow the consumer to take advantage of lower rates that the dial around carrier may charge for in-state, state-to-state, or International calls compared to their designated long distance provider by "dialing around" that provider. In essence, using a 10-10 number code allows a customer to access that companies rates for the specific call only. The seven-digit number dialed before the call, indicates which carrier to designate for that specific call only and charges for the call will appear on the local phone bill. Because a dial around carrier is not a designated provider for the phone account, the company has no obligation to notice the customer if they change their rates or tariffs. There are online websites that compare rates of calling card companies and 10-10 dial around numbers.

Pre-paid calling cards [421] work in a similar manner in that the customer will dial an access code phone number or toll-free number to use the pre-paid card. These are purchased before the call is made and minutes are deducted from the total on the card at the rate the card advertises. Sometimes a pre-paid phone card can have additional charges per call or for using it from a payphone.

10) Establishing, Moving & Canceling Long Distance Service
If a consumer, when they set up their local phone account, tells the local phone company that they would like a specific long distance provider for local toll &/or long distance service, they may end up on the calling plan with the highest rates for those calls. This is because many long distance carriers have more than one plan and the local phone company does not have the rates for each of them. At this point, the customer would be placed on a Casual Dialing Plan. Therefore, the customer should also contact the long distance company that they would like for service to select a specific plan to be put on. Some local phone companies will not allocate a long distance &/or local toll provider unless the customer works through that provider directly.

When a customer moves to a new address, a similar situation can occur where they indicate to their same local phone company that they would like to have the same local toll and long distance provider, but instead of being on the same calling plan, they are placed on the Casual Dialing Plan. The consumer will not know this until they receive their first bill.

Because a long distance company can also provide local toll service, problems can occur when a consumer cancels their long distance service, but fails to mention that they would like their local toll service cancelled, as well. When a consumer cancels their long distance service with a provider, sometimes the company will take them off of the specific rate plan they had been on and places them on a Casual Dialing Plan with much higher rates for the local toll service that was not expressly cancelled.

In general, if a customer is establishing, moving or canceling local toll and long distance service with a provider, they should contact both the local phone company and the long distance carrier to make sure the transition goes smoothly, and they are placed on or removed from the appropriate calling plan. In addition, the consumer should be very clear about whether they are initiating or canceling local toll &/or long distance service.

11) Paying the Long Distance Bill
Some of the larger long distance companies are now charging a Statement Fee or Single Bill Fee [422] for placing their charges on the local phone bill. This is a charge to the customer for the benefit of a single bill for local and long distance service allowing the customer to pay for both services at one time. This is usually referred to as Consolidated Billing. Not all long distance carriers who place their charges on the customer’s local phone bill charge this Statement Fee—for instance, dial around carriers; therefore, it pays for those consumers who prefer to pay one bill instead of two, to shop around for a carrier that does not charge this fee. However, if long distance charges are included on the local phone bill, a customer’s account may be disconnected for not paying the long distance portion. This situation can occur when there is a dispute over long distance charges that are not properly communicated to the local phone company.

In other words, at times it can be beneficial to have Separate Billing, where the long distance charges are billed separately from the local phone charges. If a customer has a long distance carrier who charges a statement fee, one way to avoid this charge is to contact the long distance provider and ask for separate billing. However, if a consumers opts to be billed separately for long distance charges, they will not be able to pay their long distance bills at their local phone company’s payment offices.

In addition to using the postal service to receive and pay phone bills, many phone carriers offer online payment or automatic payment options. Online payment allows the consumer to go to the phone provider’s website to review their monthly statement and make a payment. Automatic payment allows the customer to receive their statement either in the mail, online, or by email for review before the total balance is deducted directly from his or her bank account. Lastly, local phone providers will have payment offices were customers can go directly to pay their telephone bill. This is not an option for long distance charges billed separately from the local phone bill.

Long Distance Rate Comparison
UCAN is currently working on putting together a long distance rate comparison. In the meantime, see ABTolls [423] for rate information.

Telephone Taxes, Fees, and Surcharges

Federal Taxes, Fees & Surcharges
At times, the local and long distance phone bill will contain surcharges or fees that are required by federal law, but are not a tax, which means the funds are not collected by the Federal government. On the other hand, the federal taxes applied to local and long distance telephone service are established by the U.S. Congress and are collected by the Internal Revenue Service as part of the general tax revenue for the U.S. Department of Treasury. Telephone companies do not keep the federal tax money that they collect, but forward the money to the Department of Treasury.

Number Portability Service Charge
Local Number Portability [424] is required by federal law and, allows phone customers to keep their same phone number if they switch from one local telephone company to another. This charge covers the consolidation of the printed telephone directory, rather than having a directory for each local phone carrier, and directory information. Carriers recover the costs of providing this service through a fixed, monthly charge. Local telephone companies may continue to place this charge on their customers' phone bills for five years from the date the companies first began itemizing this charge on their bills. This is not a tax or a charge by the government. For many providers, this fee costs 34¢ per month.

Charges for Network Access for Interstate Calling
Though this fee is regulated and capped by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it is not a tax or a fee charged by the government. It maintains the network for connecting customers to local switching via wires, poles and conduits. This money goes to the phone company, not to the government, and covers costs that are not already recovered by the local phone service monthly charge. The FCC caps the maximum price that a company may bill you for this. To ensure that all Americans can afford at least a minimal level of basic telephone service, the FCC will not allow phone companies to charge more than $6.50 for a single line.

Other names for this charge: "FCC Charge of Network Access," "FCC-Approved Customer Line Charge," "Interstate Access Charge," "Federal Access Charge," "Federal Line Cost Charge," "Customer Line Charge," "Interstate/Single Line Charge" or "Subscriber Line Charge."

Universal Service Fee
Our nation has had a policy to promote telephone service to all Americans at affordable and reasonably comparable rates since 1930. The Universal Service Fee helps to make basic telephone services available to all Americans, including those with low incomes or those living in rural areas where service is very costly to provide. Universal Service support also helps provide discounted telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections to schools and libraries and makes telecommunications rates for rural health care providers comparable to those in urban areas. All telecommunications companies providing service between states must contribute to the Universal Service Fund. Some of these telephone companies decide to pass their costs of contribution on to you in the form of a line item on your bill. Typical names for this charge: "Universal Connectivity Fee" or "Federal Universal Service Fee." This fee is found on the long distance bill and is based on a percentage of total long distance charges, which can vary from carrier to carrier.

Federal Excise Tax
Taxed under the Internal Revenue Code and applied as a percentage of local and toll telephone service and teletypewriter exchange services. This is a 3% tax mandated by Congress. It is imposed on all telecommunications services and appears on local and long distance bills.

State and Local Taxes
To obtain information about the state and local taxes listed on your telephone bill, you should contact your local and state tax offices. These offices may be listed in the government section of your telephone directory. Additionally, your local or state consumer offices should be able to provide the address and telephone numbers of these offices.

California High Cost Fund (CHCF) Surcharges A and B
Levied by the CPUC under Public Utilities Code Section 739.3, these surcharges subsidize the basic rates for local telephone companies servicing rural areas and compensates carriers for providing basic residential service in areas where the cost exceeds the CPUC determined statewide average.

CHCF-A and CHCF-B are levied on local phone charges. The CHCF-B surcharge is also applied on the long distance bill. They are charged as percentages of your total bill. These percentages are set by the CPUC, and they are set every 3 months - which means they can change frequently. Click here [425] for the latest figures set by the CPUC.

California Teleconnect Fund Surcharge (CTF)
Established by the CPUC, this surcharge provides discounts on telecommunications services to qualifying schools, libraries, community-based organizations, and county-owned hospital and health clinics. This surcharge is calculated as a percentage of local phone charges. This percentage is set by the CPUC, and can change. Click here [425] for the latest figure set by the CPUC.

Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) Surcharge
CPUC levied under the Public Utilities Code Section 872, this surcharge reimburses intrastate service providers for lost revenues and operating expenses associated with providing ULTS, the low-income local phone program described in Tab 1. The ULTS fee on the phone bill subsidizes these users for their reduced monthly phone rates and is charges at 1.450% of the local phone and long distance charges of all end-users.

Rate Surcharge
Customers receive a surcredit on their bill when Pacific Bell's revenue exceeds CPUC-imposed price caps. This amount can vary from month to month.

State Regulatory Fee
This nominal fee is charged to all local phone customer to fund the CPUC in regulating utility companies such as local phone carriers.

California Relay Service (CRS) and Communications Devices Fund
In compliance with Public Utilities Code 2881 and Section 270, the Commission implemented three telecommunications programs for California residents who are deaf, hearing impaired and/or disabled. These three programs are collectively known as the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), doing business as the California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) [293]. This fee is remitted to the Deaf & Disabled Program Trust Fund to reimburse intrastate service providers for lost revenues and operating expenses associated with providing relay services and communications devices (see Tab 1). This fee is charged as a percentage of local phone charges. This percentage is set by the CPUC, and can change. Click here [425] for the latest figure set by the CPUC.

State 911 Tax
Provides funds to public agencies operating emergency 911 services. This charge helps pay for emergency services such as fire and rescue.

Local Tax
City-imposed utility users tax on telecommunications services. There is no such tax currently imposed by the City of San Diego (as of August 2003). Click here [426] to see what taxes other cities may assess.

Emergency 911 Charge (E911)
Enhanced 911 - Wireless Services

This charge helps pay for emergency services such as fire and rescue. Local governments may impose this charge on the long distance bill.

The wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) rules seek to improve the effectiveness and reliability of wireless 911 service by providing 911 dispatchers with additional information on wireless 911 calls.

The wireless E911 program is divided into two parts - Phase I and Phase II. Phase I requires carriers, upon valid request by a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), to report the telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the location of the antenna that received the call. Phase II requires wireless carriers to provide far more precise location information, within 50 to 300 meters in most cases.

The deployment of E911 requires the development of new technologies and upgrades to local 911 PSAPs, as well as coordination among public safety agencies, wireless carriers, technology vendors, equipment manufacturers, and local wireline carriers.

(Source: http://www.fcc.gov/911/enhanced/ [427])

Unsolicited or SPAM Text Messages

Despite continuous improvements to the technology, wireless companies have not found a way to stop unsolicited or SPAM Text Messages. There are a few solutions out there that each of the companies allow. Here are the steps you can take with the 4 largest wireless companies to help stop unsolicited text messages.

2009-10-29

Verizon Wireless

At vtext.com if you go to the preference section you can set up Spam Blocking for no charge. It allows you the option to:

block all messages originating from the web

block up to 15 specific email addresses and/or web domains

only allow email messages sent to your Vtext.com nickname

block messages sent from all email addresses

See: http://support.vzw.com/information/blocks_comparison.html [428]

You can also call customer service. You should contact customer service if you need to have a charge for the unsolicited text removed.

AT&T Mobility

AT&T does not have a method for you to block incoming text from wireless numbers unless you sign up for Smart Limits at $4.99 per month.

AT&T suggests that you should reply with the word STOP to unsolicited text messages to prevent further messages particularly if the message is from a shortcode.

Otherwise you should contact AT&T Customer Service.

See: http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/KB/svc/documents/122091... [429]

T-Mobile USA

With T-Mobile you can only block all text messaging to prevent unsolicited texts

However, you can set up SPAM filters for you @tmobile.net address that some texts could be sent to.

See: http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm23533.xml [430]

Sprint Nextel

COMMAND SENT TO 9999:	DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND:
Help	General help
help block	Help with blocking senders
help allow	Help with allowing senders that have been blocked
block <shortcode or phone number>	Block a shortcode or phone number (4 to 10 digits)
block <user@domain>	Block an email address
block <@domain>	Block all messages from a specific domain
block email	Block all email addresses
allow <shortcode or phone number>	Allow a sender that has been blocked (4 to 10 digits)
allow <user@domain>	Allow an email address that has been blocked
allow <@domain>	Allow messages from a domain that has been blocked
allow email	Allow all email addresses
allow all	Allow messages from all senders (removes all blocks)
list	Lists blocked senders
spam <shortcode or phone number>	Report spam from a shortcode or phone number (4 to 10 digits)
spam <user@domain>	Report spam from an email address

With Sprint you can block or all senders, see a list of senders you have blocked, or report spam by sending a text message to 9999 (no charge) and using one of the following commands.

See: http://support.sprint.com/support/article/Block_or_allow_text_messages_o... [431]

You can also log into your Sprint account online and add or remove phone numbers, or web addresses to the Block Text Messages list under Communication Tool

If you want to block all billable text messages contact Sprint Customer Service

See: http://support.sprint.com/support/article/Block_or_allow_text_messages_o... [431]

Reporting Unsolicited Text Messages

Unsolicited text messages are likely violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and a complaint should be filed at:

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm [432]

Sample Letters

UCAN's Sample Consumer Demand Letters will help you sharpen your consumer complaint to get a quicker, more satisfying resolution!

UCAN's Sample Consumer Demand Letters are designed to help you articulate your complaint and help you get a quicker, more satisfying resolution!

They've got slick attorneys and loads of tricks, but you've got the power of UCAN!

General Consumer Complaint Letter

This is a generic letter that can be used for a wide array of consumer complaints.

Name:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:

Date:

Business' Name:
Contact Person:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:

RE: (Acct. Number or Model)__________

Dear (Contact Person):

On (Date), I purchased (or had repaired) a (product name with serial or model number or service performed) at your store. I made this purchase at (location, date, and other important details about the transaction).

Unfortunately, your product (or service) has not performed well (or the service was inadequate) because (state the problem you've been having).

Therefore, to resolve the problem, I would appreciate your cooperation in assisting me to (state the specific action you want). Enclosed are copies (NOT ORIGINALS) of my records (receipts, guarantees, warranties, cancelled checks, contracts, model and serial numbers, advertisements and any other appropriate documents).

I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem, and will wait (set a time limit--two weeks is good) before seeking third-party assistance to resolve my complaint. Please contact me at the above address or by phone.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Cc: UCAN's Fraud Squad
3100 Fifth Ave., Suite B
San Diego, CA 92103

Keep copies of your letter and all related documents. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested. DO NOT send original documents.

California Specific Letters

These letters apply only to California residents.

Balance Billing Dispute Sample Letter

Name: Address: City & State: Zip: Daytime Phone:

Date: Medical Provider's Name: Contact Person: Address: City & State: Zip: RE: Balance Billing Practice (Acct. Number)__________

To Whom It May Concern:

On (Date), I received a bill for (specified medical service e.g. doctors appointment, laboratory work, preventive health service, etc...). These services were provided to me on (date services provided)

This letter is to inform you that the above mentioned medical services are covered by my health care service plan. My health care service plan is provided by (name). It is my understanding that my plan covers these services. If (health care service plan provider) has denied that the above mentioned services are covered. Please provide me with a copy of all relevant documentation of denial.

If (health care service plan provider) has determined that your fee is unreasonable and has paid or offered to pay a lower fee your dispute is with them.

For the above mentioned reason I dispute that I owe this debt. Please contact my health care service plan provider to resolve your billing dispute with them. I suggest you contact the California Department of Managed Health Care if you are having difficulty resolving this dispute with my health care service plan provider.

I look forward to your reply informing me that you will no longer be attempting to bill me for the above mentioned medical services. If it is still your position that I owe the above mentioned debt please send me a copy all relevant billing information including all correspondence you have had with my health care service plan provider and your billing methodology.

Please respond in writing within thirty (30) days. I will wait thirty (30) days before seeking third-party assistance to resolve this billing dispute. Please contact me at the above address or by phone.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Cc: Department of Managed Health Care, Complaint Unit, 980 9th St., Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95814

Keep copies of your letter and all related documents. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested. DO NOT send original documents.

Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA)

SAMPLE LETTER - NOTICE OF VIOLATION OF
CONSUMER LEGAL REMEDIES ACT ("CLRA")

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
Return Receipt Requested

Name:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:

Date:

Business:
Business Agent:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:

Purchase of: ___________________
Date of Purchase: _______________

RE: Violation of: Consumer Legal Remedies Act

Dear Sir or Madam:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this letter constitutes notice under the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, ("CLRA") California Civil Code Section 1750, et seq., (the "ACT") -- pursuant specifically to Civil Code Section 1782 -- notifying __________________________of violations of the Act and of my (our) demand that you remedy such violation within 30 days from your receipt of this letter.

(LIST THE FACTS SURROUNDING YOUR COMPLAINT HERE)

On or about ___________________, I (we) purchased _________________from _____________ for a price of $ ___________. [Next provide additional details and a Chronology/Sequence of Events --including but not limited to representations made telephone calls, letters, repair attempts, etc.]

Please be advised that the alleged unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices in violation of the CLRA include, but are not necessarily limited to:

(AS APPLICABLE TO THE SITUATION/COMPLAINT):

(FOR EXAMPLE ONLY)

1. Representing that goods have characteristics, uses and benefits which they do not have;

2. Representing that goods are of a particular standard, quality, or grade, if they are of another; and

3. Representing that the subject of a transaction has been supplied in accordance with a previous representation when it has not.

4. Inserting an unconscionable provision in a contract

Despite repeated attempts for a resolution, none has been forthcoming. _________________ has failed to honor its consumer protection obligations and has failed to refund my (our) money as requested. Based upon the above, demand is hereby made that you refund the sum of $______________ to me/us in full.

Please be advised that your failure to comply with this request within thirty (30) days may subject you to the following remedies, which are available for a violation of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

(1) The actual damages suffered;
(2) An order enjoining you for such methods, acts or practices;
(3) For restitution of property (when applicable);
(4) Punitive damages;
(5) Any other relief which the court deems proper; and
(6) Court costs and attorneys' fees.

[IF APPLICABLE]

In addition, California Civil Code Section 1780 (b) provides in part that: "Any consumer who is a senior citizen or a disabled person, as defined in subdivisions (f) and (g) of Section 1761, as part of an action under subdivision (a), may seek and be awarded, in addition to the remedies specified therein, up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) . . . ." (emphasis added).

[IF APPLICABLE]

This letter will constitute FURTHER NOTICE that the actions as set forth above also constitute violations of California's Business and Professions Code Sections 17200 and 17500 (Unfair Business Practices and False Advertising) as unfair business acts and practices.

I look forward to receiving my refund. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

__________________

Cc: _____________
_____________
_____________

Cc: UCAN's Fraud Squad
3100 Fifth Ave., Ste. B
San Diego, CA 92103

Attachment	Size
form letter.doc [433]	30.5 KB

Song-Beverly Breach of Warranty

SAMPLE LETTER - BREACH OF WARRANTY - VIOLATION OF
SONG-BEVERLY CONSUMER WARRANTY ACT

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
Return Receipt Requested

Name:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:

Date:

Business:
Business Agent:
Address:
City & State:
Zip:

Purchase of: ___________________
Date of Purchase: _______________

Re: Violation of California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act

Dear Sir or Madam:

TAKE NOTICE that this letter constitutes notice that ______________________ is in violation of California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, [California Civil Code Section 1790-1795.8] ("Warranty Act") with regard to:

(AS APPLICABLE)

(1) Breach of Express Warranty (Note: This is normally in the Written Warranty that accompanied the sale of the product or service.)

(2) Breach of an Implied Warranty Of (for example: Fitness For A Particular Purpose.)

(LIST APPLICABLE FACTS OF YOUR COMPLAINT HERE)

On or about ___________________, I (we) purchased _________________from _____________ for a price of $ ___________. [Next provide additional details and a Chronology/Sequence of Events --including, but not limited to, telephone calls, letters, repair attempts, etc.]

(AGAIN AS APPLICABLE TO THE SITUATION/COMPLAINT):

A. (IF FOR BREACH OF EXPRESS WARRANTY)

Despite repeated attempts at repair by _________________ the (product/service) remains defective and therefore there has been a failure and refusal to conform the product to its express warranty under the law.

B. (IF FOR BREACH OF IMPLIED WARRANTY)

Prior to the purchase I (we) explained to ___________________ the special needs and circumstances for which I (we) was purchasing _____________ (name of product or service). I (we) asked _______________________ for a specific representation to meet these needs and circumstances. Based upon the specific representations and recommendations of ________________, I (we) purchased _____________________for a price of $___________________. As set forth in the facts above, there has been a failure and refusal to conform the product to the Implied Warranty Of Fitness For A Particular Purpose.

Based upon the above, demand is hereby made that you refund the sum of $______________ to me in full.

Please be advised that your failure to comply with this request within thirty (30) days may subject you to the following remedies, which are available for a violation of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act:

(1) The actual damages suffered;

(2) Civil Penalty (up to twice the amount of actual damages);

(3 Any other relief which the court deems proper; and

(4) Court costs and attorneys' fees.

I look forward to receiving my refund. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

________________________

Cc:
    UCAN's Fraud Squad
    3100 Fifth Ave., Ste. B
    San Diego, CA 92103
    _________________
    _________________
    _________________

Attachment	Size
Song-Beverly sample letter.doc [434]	25 KB

Credit, Debt Collection, and Mortgages

Collection Agency Debt Dispute

SAMPLE LETTER TO INFORM COLLECTION AGENCY OF DEBT ERROR
SEND VIA CERTIFIED MAIL—RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Name of Collection Agency:
Address:
City, State, Zip:

Date

Your Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Last four digits of SSN:

Re: File # (put collection agency's file number for the debt here, if applicable)

To (Collection Agency):

Your agency has repeatedly called me, leaving a message that I should contact you at the number you provided. [If applicable -- I have called and spoken to one of your associates and explained (and provided proof) as to why this debt is not owning and that reason is because ______________.

who verified that I was not the person from whom you are attempting to collect the debt. (S)he stated that the account associated with my number belongs to a person with the name of "_______". I advised the associate that I did not wish to be contacted about this other person’s debt, and (s)he said she would handle my request.

However, since that time, your company has failed to correct the problem and has also repeatedly called me leaving the same message.

Pursuant to my rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA") I, ________________________expressly direct you and your company, TO NEVER AGAIN CONTACT ME BY TELEPHONE neither at work or home. Furthermore, you and your company are expressly directed not to contact my neighbors, friends, acquaintances, employer or any relative of mine regarding me or the above-referenced account.

ALL FURTHER BUSINESS WITH ME MUST BE DIRECTED THROUGH WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE TO ME AT THE ABOVE-STATED ADDRESS.

If your company still believes that I am responsible for this debt, please send me all applicable documents to prove your claim. Otherwise, I consider this matter closed and am under the assumption that this erroneous account will not be posted to my credit report.

If you do not comply with the directions in this letter, I intend to file a complaint against you and your company with the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") and pursue my legal rights to the full extent under the FDCPA.

If you do not comply with my request, I will file a complaint against you and your company with the Federal Trade Commission and will prosecute to the full extent of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Sincerely,

________________

Credit Report Debt Dispute

SAMPLE LETTER -- TO CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES
DISPUTE DEBT AND REQUEST INVESTIGATION

Date: ________________

Credit Reporting Agency ______________________________
Address: ___________________________________
City: ______________ State: ___ Zip: _________

Your Name: _____________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________
City: ______________ State: ____ Zip: _________
Social Security Number: ______________________

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing for two (2) reasons:

1. To dispute certain information in my credit file; and

2. To have you investigate/re-investigate and remove inaccurate information from my Credit Report and prevent its re-insertion.

The item(s) I dispute are encircled on the attached copy of the credit report and further identified by (*identify the items by name of source, such as creditor or tax court, etc. and identify type of item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.)

This item is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be deleted (or whatever specific change you are requesting) to correct the information.

(If you are enclosing documents such as copies of cancelled checks, payment records, court documents, send copies only, you should always retain the originals -- and use the following sentence.) Enclosed are copies of the following documents supporting my position:

Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed items within the time frame required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and inform me in writing of the outcome.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

________________________

Cc: Federal Trade Commission [435]

RESPA "qualifed written request" Letter

Sample Letter to Mortgage Servicer/Lender

adapted from the FTC Facts for Consumers [436]

[436]

Date:

Lender

Lender's Address

Lender's City, State, Zipcode

Attention Customer Service:

Subject: Your loan number
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code

This is a "qualified written request" under Section 6 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

I am writing to request:

Describe the issue or the question you have and/or what action you believe the lender should take.

Attach copies of any related written materials.

Describe any conversations with customer service regarding the issue and to whom you spoke.

Describe any previous steps you have taken or attempts to resolve the issue.

List a day time telephone number in case a customer service representative wishes to contact you.

I understand that under Section 6 of RESPA you are required to acknowledge my request within 20 business days and must try to resolve the issue within 60 business days.

Sincerely,

________________

Your name

Sample Financial Hardship Letter for Mortgage Lenders

Sample Financial Hardship letter to Mortgage Lender

Sample Financial Hardship Letter to Mortgage Lender

If you are having trouble getting your lender to respond to your requests try sending a Respa "qualified written request" letter [437]

Date:

Lender

Lender's Address

Lender's City, State, Zipcode

Attention (Individual who requested information):

Subject: Your loan number
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code

I am writing to explain the current financial hardships I am (my family) is facing:

Describe current state of mortgage (number of months deliquent; known decrease in property value)

Detail the facts of what caused the default (increased interest rates; laid-off; medical emergencies)

Provide an overview of current financial situation

Include actions taken or being taken to reduce expenses and increase income

Describe any financial counseling you have received

Outline your modification proposal

Include
whether you are requesting an interest rate reduction, extended
amortization, principal reduction, capitalizing delinquency amount,
moving from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate, or any combination
thereof.
Detail reasons why you believe this proposal will be successful
State a commitment to this process and your mortgage

Include
a statement of perferred times and methods of contacting the homeowner
and any counselors or attorneys if they are involved.

Sincerely,

________________

Your name

Attach copies of other requested information

Send the letter certified mail, return receipt requested

Stop Debt Collector Harassment

STOP HARASSING PHONE CALLS FROM CREDIT COLLECTION AGENCIES

Name: _____________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________
City: ______________ State: ____ Zip: _________

Date: ________________

Credit Agency: ______________________________
Address: ___________________________________
City: ______________ State: ___ Zip: _________
Phone: ______________

Account Number: _______________________

As outlined in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, I am notifying you in writing that I do not wish to have you contact me at work or home nor to contact my neighbors, employer or relations regarding this account.

All further business with me will be directed through written correspondence.

Sincerely,

__________________

Send certified mail (return receipt requested) and keep a copy for your records.

Privacy

Charitable Giving

Include this letter when you make a donation and keep a copy for your records.

Your Name: _______________________________________
Address: _____________________________________
City & State:___________________ Zip: _______

Date: ________________

Organization: __________________________________
Address: ______________________________________
City & State:___________________ Zip: _______

To Whom It May Concern:

I believe in the services that your organization provides, which is why I donate to your cause. However, I would appreciate it if you do not sell, rent, trade or lease my name and other personal information to any other business, organization or association.

Thank you for your cooperation with this request and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

_______________________

Opt-Out: Financial Institutions

[Date]

[Your address]

[Name of company]

[Company's address as shown in the privacy notice]

RE: Opt-Out Instructions for Account #______________

Dear [name if given in the privacy notice]:

Following are my instructions with regard to your information sharing and sales policies:

1. You do not have my permission to share my personally identifiable information with nonaffiliated third party companies or individuals. I am asserting my rights under the Financial Services Modernization Act (the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) to opt-out of any sharing or sales of my information by your company.

2. You do not have my permission to share information about my creditworthiness with any affiliate of your company. I am asserting my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to opt-out of any sharing of this information by your company.

3. [Optional] I do not wish to receive marketing offers from your company or its affiliates. Please delete my name from all marketing lists and databases. [Optional] Your company's privacy notice states you may otherwise use my information as "permitted by law." I wish to limit other uses of my personal information by your company and its affiliates. In particular:

* You do not have my permission to disclose any information about me, including transaction and experience information, to your affiliates.

* You do not have my permission to disclose any information about me in connection with direct marketing agreements between your company and another company.

Thank you for respecting my privacy and honoring my choices regarding my customer information.

Please acknowledge your intention to comply with my request for privacy of my personal financial and other information

Sincerely,

[Your signature]

[Your name]

[Keep a copy of the letter for yourself.]

Reduce Junk Mail

The DMA Mail Preference Service

If you want to reduce the amount of unsolicited national advertising mail you receive at home, you may register with MPS, a free service, by printing out this form, filling it in, and mailing it to:

MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE
DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION
P. O. BOX 643
CARMEL, NY 10512

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) does not provide marketers with consumer mailing lists. The MPS file is available to companies for the sole purpose of removing your name and home address from their mailing lists. Your name/address remain on MPS for 5 years. This service does not apply to advertising mail sent to your business address.

After several months you will begin receiving less advertising mail from national marketers such as credit cards, sweepstakes and magazine subscription offers, and catalogs. Local businesses and organizations usually do not use this program. You will continue to receive mail from companies with which you already do business.

Not all companies use MPS to purge their mailing lists, therefore, you may continue to receive some companies’ promotions. In this instance, contact the company directly and ask to be placed on the company’s do-not-mail file.

PLEASE REGISTER MY NAME WITH THE MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE.

NAME: _____________________________________________________________

STREET: ______________________________________________ APT#: _____

CITY: ______________________________________________________________

STATE: _________ ZIP CODE: _________ - ______

SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________

Consumer Complaint Directory

cc: attribution 2.0 flickr.com/photos/megem519/464392259/

This is the consumer's guide to fighting back and winning! Inside you will find contact information enabling you to file a complaint against companies or individuals in nearly every category of consumer interaction. Remember, you can also file complaints with UCAN's Fraud Squad here [438].

cc: attribution 2.0 flickr.com/photos/drienne/490649599/

This is the consumer's guide to fighting the system and winning! Inside you will find contact information enabling you to file a complaint against companies or individuals in nearly every category of consumer interaction.

Remember, you can also file complaints with UCAN's Fraud Squad here [438].

General Government and Non-Profit Agencies

This section lists some of the largest and most frequently used agencies and organizations in the consumer dispute resolution process. Please see the other parts of the guide for more specific information.

Local Government

San Diego City Attorney
Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit
1200 Third Avenue, Suite 700
San Diego, CA 92101-4106
619/533-5600 helpline
http://genesis.sannet.gov/infospc/templates/attorney/complaint form_eng.pdf [439]
email: cepu@sandiego.gov [440]
Investigates and prosecutes crimes committed in the City of San Diego involving public health, consumer transactions such as misleading advertising, environmental pollution, and other unlawful business acts and practices.

City of San Diego
Government Information Center
202 C Street
San Diego, CA 92101
619/615-6111 or 858/549-1161 Just Call Hotline
619/236-5555
www.ci.san-diego.ca.us [441]
Provides information about city government agencies and representatives that would be useful to contact in making a complaint. Just call the City Information Center’s 24-hour automated telephone line, designed to answer frequently asked questions about city services such as street light malfunction, City Council Districts, curbside recycling pickup, and many more.

San Diego County District Attorney's Office
Economic Fraud and Environmental Protection Division
P.O. Box X-1011
San Diego, CA 92112-4192
619/531-4070
619/531-3507 24-hr. message
http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/safety/da/ [442]
Prosecutes investment, insurance, and real estate fraud, false advertising, and telephone scams within San Diego County but outside of the City of San Diego. Also takes consumer reports of illegal or hazardous pollution of air, land, and water and prosecutes complaints that are within the jurisdiction of the County’s DA office. Otherwise, the office will refer complaints to the appropriate agency.

Federal and State Government

Many government agencies provide consumer complaint services. Look in the Business White Pages of the telephone book under "Consumer Complaint and Protection Coordinators." The phone numbers of many state, local, and federal agencies are also listed in the Government section of the White Pages.

California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
400 R Street, Suite 1040
Sacramento, CA 95814
800/952-5210 consumer information
800/344-9940 TDD
916/323-7239 publications ordering
www.dca.ca.gov [443]
Index of state and federal laws by product [444]
Consumer complaint form [445]
State's largest consumer protection agency licenses and regulates several million employees in more than 200 occupations. Many of the agencies in the Got A Gripe? guide are part of the DCA. A complaint form is preferred but not required, and can be ordered by calling the 800 number or sending a self-addressed envelope to: Complaint Form, P.O. Box 310, Sacramento, CA 95802. Call the DCA's consumer infoline to identify which agency to send it to.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
445 12th Street
Washington, DC 20554
888/225-5322 National Call Center
888/835-5322 TTY
www.fcc.gov [418]
Filing a complaint [446]
Online consumer complaint form for telephone-related issues [396]
email: fccinfo@fcc.gov [397]
The FCC implements policy concerning interstate communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
877/382-4357 toll free- to file a complaint
310/824-4343 Western Region
202/326-2100 Washington, DC
www.ftc.gov [238]
Online consumer complaint form [447]
email for consumer response center: crc@ftc.gov [448]
email with "spam" complaints: uce@ftc.gov [449]
Regulates a multitude of business practices and administers consumer protection laws. Areas of jurisdiction include: false advertising (including the internet), deceptive labeling, debt collectors, warranties of nationally distributed products, state-chartered banks and credit unions, credit card companies, credit reporting agencies, and mail order companies. The FTC does not handle individual complaints, but if it gets enough accusations about a particular company or practice, it will investigate. Write, call, or use the FTC's website to receive a complaint form.

U.S. General Services Administration
Consumer Information Center
Pueblo, CO 81009
www.pueblo.gsa.gov [450]
email: catalog.pueblo@gsa.gov [451]
Offers information and publications on consumer topics from cars, children, and employment, to housing and health issues. Also includes contact information for government agencies and corporate entities.

Non-Profits

Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN)
3100 Fifth Ave., Ste. B
San Diego, CA 92103
619/881-UCAN consumer hotline
www.ucan.org [452]
Form letters for consumer complaints [453] (copy and use freely)
Online complaint form [454] (tell us about your consumer issue)
Nonprofit group offers a hotline that consumers can call to get information on utility and privacy issues and to find out what agencies and businesses to contact with general consumer complaints. If you need more copies of the Got a Gripe? guide, please call the hotline number.

Better Business Bureau
5050 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92123
858/496-2131 24-hr. helpline
www.sandiego.bbb.org
[455]The BBB records consumer complaints about specific businesses and charities in your community and provides records of these complaints. The local BBB will help consumers with disputes.

CALPIRG
926 J Street, Suite 523
Sacramento, CA 95814-2707
916/448-4516
www.pirg.org/calpirg [456]
email: calpirg@pirg.org [457]
Nonprofit consumer protection group that registers complaints about privacy rights violations, environmental issues, unsafe toys, excessive bank charges, and "lemon" car dealers.

Consumer Action
717 Market Street, Suite 310
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/777-9635 complaint hotline
213/642-8327 complaint hotline
www.consumer-action.org [458]
email: hotline@consumer-action.org [459]
Nonprofit consumer education and advocacy organization that registers consumer complaints, offers non-legal advice, and publishes multilingual fact sheets (Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese) on consumer issues such as: telephone, banking and credit services, childhood lead poisoning, and workplace safety.

Referrals

INFOLINE of the United Way of San Diego
619/230-0997 San Diego metropolitan area
760/943-0997 North County coastal area
760/740-0997 North County inland area
800/227-0997 Outlying areas of San Diego County
www.unitedway-sd.org [460]
Maintains a directory and referral service on over 1,000 health and human resources in San Diego County covering topics such as tenant/landlord disputes, legal and health referrals, and utility issues.

San Diego Area Libraries
619/236-5800 or 236-5801 San Diego Central Library
619/588-3718 El Cajon County Library
619/469-2151 La Mesa County Library
760/940-4360 Vista County Library
San Diego City Library website: www.sannet.gov/public-library [461]
San Diego County Library website: www.sdcl.org [462]
The reference section of the public library is a valuable resource for finding the right agency or organization to assist with consumer problems. Libraries maintain many directories on local, state, and nationwide organizations. In addition, many branch libraries provide free internet access.

San Diego County Law Libraries
619/531-3900 Main County Law Library
619/441-4451 East County Law Library
760/940-4386 North County Law Library
619/691-4929 South Bay County Law Library
www.sdcll.org [463]
The county law libraries are an invaluable resource for conducting research on consumer laws and business practices.

Autos, Travel, and Vehicles

This section will point you in the right direction for all transportation related disputes.

Airlines

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20591
800/322-7873 consumer hotline (noise and some service complaints)
800/255-1111 safety hotline (for reporting violations)
http://www.faa.gov/ [464]
Other airline complaints should be reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division (see below).

Lindbergh Field Noise Information Department
619/686-8120
Takes complaints about aircraft noise from San Diego’s international airport.

Montgomery Field and Brown Field Noise Abatement Program
858/573-1436
Takes complaints about aircraft noise pollution emanating from the Montgomery & Brown airfields.

U.S. Department of Transportation
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
400 7th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
202/366-2220
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/airconsumer/index.htm [465]
email: airconsumer@ost.dot.gov [466]
Handles complaints about airlines on issues such as lost luggage, refunds, on-time performance, ticketing problems, and reservations. When appropriate, consumer complaints will be forwarded to the proper airline.

Auto Lemon Law

If a consumer purchases or leases an automobile with irreparable defects, under certain circumstances, the dealer must offer restitution or replacement. This law also applies to used vehicles when they are still covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty. Buyers can contact the manufacturer directly, the Bureau of Automotive Repair (see below), or the Better Business Bureau’s Autoline program at (800) 334-2406.

Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR)
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1310 Union Plaza Court, Suite 100
Oceanside, CA 92054
760/439-0942
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/334-9940 TDD
916/445-7964 policy issues
www.smogcheck.ca.gov [467]
Online consumer complaint form [468]
Reviews complaints about mechanics, repair estimates, unnecessary repairs, and smog check programs. Call, send a written complaint, or access a complaint form via the internet.

Auto Parking and Towing

City of San Diego Disability Services
Neighborhood Code Compliance Department
1200 3rd Avenue, Mail Station 51-N
San Diego, CA 92101
619/236-5500 complaints for non-City owned facilities
www.sannet.gov/disability-services [469]
Complaint form [470] for City-owned facilities
Call the phone line to register a complaint about non-City owned facilities within the City of San Diego that lack parking for disabled persons. Use the online form to register a complaint about City-owned facilities.

San Diego Police Department
Licensing Division
1401 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
619/531-2250
Local city department takes complaints about towing overcharges, inadequate posting of signs, who authorized the tow, etc. Call to register complaint; no complaint forms available.

Auto Repair

Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR)
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1310 Union Plaza Court, Suite 100
Oceanside, CA 92054
760/439-0942
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/334-9940 TDD
916/445-7964 policy issues
www.smogcheck.ca.gov [467]
Online consumer complaint form
[471]Reviews complaints about mechanics, repair estimates, unnecessary repairs, and smog check programs. Call, send a written complaint, or access a complaint form via the internet.

Auto Safety

California Highway Patrol (CHP)
9330 Farnham Street
San Diego, CA 92123
858/637-7158
www.chp.ca.gov. [472]
Takes complaints about vehicle safety, noise, or smog problems.

Center for Auto Safety
2001 S Street, N.W, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20009
202/328-7700
www.autosafety.org [473]
Online consumer complaint form [474]
Nonprofit group that registers complaints about vehicle safety issues and maintains a referral service of lawyers who litigate auto warranty and lemon law problems.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
888/327-4236 DOT auto-safety hotline
202/366-5975 public affairs department.
www.nhtsa.dot.gov [475]
Online consumer complaint form [476]
Accepts complaints or questions about manufacturer recall or repair notices.

Automobiles-General

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
4375 Derrick Drive
San Diego, CA 92117-4990
858/565-6691 documentation
858/627-3952 dealer complaints
www.dmv.ca.gov [477]
Handles title and documentation problems, refusals to honor dealer or manufacturer warranties, and unfair sales and leasing practices by new and used vehicle dealers. Call, send a written complaint, access complaint forms on the DMV website, or visit the office nearest you.

New Motor Vehicle Board
California Department of Motor Vehicles
1507 21st Street, Suite 330
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/445-1888
http://www.nmvb.ca.gov/ [478]
Consumer complaint form [479]
email: nmvb@pacbell.net [480]
Gives advice on the lemon law and registers complaints about new or used vehicles purchased from car dealerships.

Boating

Boat Owners Association of the United States
Consumer Protection Board
880 South Pickett Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
703/823-9550
http://www.boatus.com/ [481]
Serves as a mediator in disputes between boat owners and the marine industry, including safety defects, warranty service, poor work by dealers, and boat yards. You must be a member to take advantage of the Dispute Mediation Program and the Consumer Complaint Database.

Travel and Tour Agents

American Society of Travel Agents
1101 King Street Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
703/739-2782
www.astanet.com [482]
email: consumeraffairs@astahq.com [483]
Acts as a mediator in travel-related disputes involving consumers and member travel agents. Mail two detailed copies of your complaint and include any documentation that may support your claim.

U.S. Tour Operators Association
275 Madison Avenue Suite 2014
New York, NY 10016
212/599-6599
http://www.ustoa.com/ [484]
email: information@ustoa.com [485]
Accepts complaints about wholesale tour operators that are members of the association.

Financial

Inside you will find the appropriate contact information to file a complaint against companies involved in various types of financial interactions.

Accountants and Tax Grief

Board of Accountancy
California Department of Consumer Affairs
2000 Evergreen Street, Suite 250
Sacramento, CA 95815-3832
800/952-5210 information
800/344-9444 TDD
916/263-3680 complaints
www.dca.ca.gov/cba [486]
Online consumer complaint form [487]
email: enforcementinfo@cba.ca.gov [488]
Takes complaints against certified public accountants (CPAs) regarding problems such as retention of records, preparation of tax returns, errors, and commissions.

California Board of Equalization
1350 Front Street, Room 5047
San Diego, CA 92101-3612
619/525-4526
800/735-2929 TDD
www.boe.ca.gov [489]
Regulates compliance with California state, local sales, and use tax laws.

Internal Revenue Service
Treasury Inspector General
300 North Los Angeles Street, Room 5061
Los Angeles, CA 90012
800/366-4484 employee misconduct
800/829-0433 tax evasion
www.irs.ustreas.gov [490]
Contact with complaints about IRS employees or federal income tax evasion and fraud. Reports of tax fraud can remain anonymous.

Banking

California Department of Financial Institutions
9609 Waples Street, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121
619/642-4242
800/622-0620
www.dfi.ca.gov [491]
Handles complaints concerning state-licensed banks, savings and loan institutions, trust companies, offices of foreign banks, issuers of travelers checks and money orders, transmitters of money abroad, credit unions, and industrial loan companies. Complaint forms, available on the website under "Consumer Services", must be printed and mailed to the Sacramento office.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)
25 Ecker Street, Suite 2300
San Francisco, CA 94105
877/275-3342
415/546-0160 Regional Office
800/925-4618 TDD
www.fdic.gov [492]
Online consumer assistance form [493]
The FDIC takes complaints about state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve system.

Federal Reserve Bank
Consumer Complaints
Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation
101 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Mailstop 620
415/974-2000 general information
415/393-1900 TDD
415/974-2967 consumer affairs
www.frbsf.org [494]
email: dave.robbins@sf.frb.org [495]
Registers complaints about state-chartered banks within the Federal Reserve banking system.

Mortgage Bankers Association of America
1125 15th Street, N.W., 7th floor
Washington, DC 20005
202/861-6565
http://www.mbaa.org/ [496]
Accepts complaints against member mortgage banking firms, commercial banks, life insurance companies, title companies, and savings and loan associations. Notifies member of complaint, but does not have the authority to force a settlement.

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1350
Concord, CA 94520
925/363-6200
800/827-9650 National Fraud Hotline
www.ncua.gov [497]
email: region6@ncua.gov [498]
Regulates federally-chartered credit unions and handles complaints about violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Electronic Funds Transfer Act, Federal Credit Union Bylaws, and the National Credit Union Rules and Regulations.

U.S. Comptroller of the Currency
50 Fremont Street, Suite 3900
San Francisco, CA 94105
800/613-6743 complaint line
415/545-5954
www.occ.treas.gov [499]
email: Customer Assistance@occ.treas.gov [500]
Handles complaints concerning federally chartered national banks, their subsidiaries, and credit card companies. The Comptroller does not regulate savings and loans or credit unions. Telephone or email the Comptroller to begin the complaint process.

U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision
Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 7165
San Francisco, CA 94120
650/746-7000
800/842-6929
www.ots.treas.gov [501]
email: consumer.complaint@ots.treas.gov [502]
Handles complaints regarding federally chartered savings and loans and savings. Complaints can be made by telephone or by email.

Collection Agencies

If you are being harassed by a collection agency, write them a letter or use our form letter [503] (send it certified mail) that says you do not give them permission to call your home, employer, relatives, or neighbors concerning your account. By law, the agency must comply, though they are within their legal rights to hassle you by mail.

American Collectors Association
4040 West 70th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55439-0106
925/926-6547
http://www.collector.com/ [504]
Accepts complaints against member collection services that handle overdue accounts for retail, professional, and commercial businesses, but does not include in-house collection agencies.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
877/382-4357 toll free- to file a complaint
310/824-4343 Western Region
202/326-2100 Washington, DC
www.ftc.gov [238]
Online consumer complaint form [447]
email for consumer response center: crc@ftc.gov [448]
email with "spam" complaints: uce@ftc.gov [449]
The FTC regulates debt collectors and oversees the federal Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA). This act provides the guidelines that collectors must follow when attempting to collect a debt. This agency also oversees the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which works hand in hand with the FDCA.

Credit Reporting Agencies

Credit reporting agencies collect and report information about your credit history, including purchases, payment history, and bills. Credit reporting agencies do not verify the information they receive from the companies you do business with. You are entitled to a FREE copy of your credit report from all three of the following agencies once a year to verify that their information is accurate. If you are unemployed, on welfare, a victim of fraud, or have been denied credit because of your report within the past 60 days, your credit report can be received at no charge.

Equifax Co.
P.O. Box 740250
Atlanta, GA 30374-0250
888/766-0008 report fraud
800/685-1111 order credit report
www.equifax.com [505]

Experian (formerly TRW)
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
888/397-3742 report fraud & order credit report
www.experian.com [506]

Trans Union
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634
800/680-7289 report fraud
800/888-4213 order credit report
www.tuc.com [507]

Insurance

California Department of Corporations
1350 Front Street, Room 2034
San Diego, CA 92101
619/525-4233
800/347-6995 complaint line
www.corp.ca.gov [508]
Complaint form: Securities Regulation [509]
Complaint form: Enforcement and Legal Services [510]
Complaint form: Financial Services [511]
Regulates investment activities and finance companies, including problems with escrow, check cashing, small loan, trading stamp, securities companies, health insurance companies, and HMOs.

California Department of Insurance
1495 Pacific Highway, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92101
619/645-2550
800/927-4357 hotline
800/482-4833 TDD
www.insurance.ca.gov [512]
email: 927HELP@insurance.ca.gov [513]
Handles complaints and provides information on all types of insurance matters including health insurance, workers compensation, and homeowners' and automobile insurance fraud.

National Insurance Consumer Helpline
800/942-4242
Answers a wide range of questions about auto, health, home, and life insurance and refers insurance complaints to appropriate agencies.

Investments

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100
Denver, Colorado 80290-2101
303/830-7500
www.cfp-board.org/cons_cmplt.html [514]
email mail@CFP-Board.org [515]
[514]The CFP Board is a nonprofit professional regulatory organization. Individuals who meet rigorous certification requirements are licensed by the CFP Board to use its federally registered trademarks 'CFP' and 'Certified Financial Planner'. Individuals who wish to file a complaint against a CFP designee must first contact the CFP Board and request a Complaint Package. You can also check the status of a CFP licensee by contacting the Board or using their website.

National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)
300 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1600
Los Angeles, CA 90071
213/627-2122
www.nasdr.com [516]
Online complaint form [517]
Operates a third-party dispute resolution program for complaints against firms that sell over-the-counter stocks and corporate bonds. Complaints may be submitted online or by mail. Check their online complaint database before you decide to invest with a broker.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
5670 Wilshire Blvd., 11th floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036
800/732-0330 consumer information
213/965-3998
202/942-7065 TTY
www.sec.gov [518]
email: help@sec.gov [519]
Complaint form [520]
The SEC registers complaints about trading of securities, mutual funds and brokers, lost stock certificates, and deceptive or fraudulent securities sales practices. Complaint forms may be submitted online, or printed and mailed to SEC Complaint Center, 450 Fifth St. NW, Washington DC, 20549-0213.

Real Estate

California Department of Real Estate
1350 Front Street, Room 3064
San Diego, CA 92101-3687
619/525-4192
www.dre.ca.gov [521]
Consumer complaint form [522]
Takes complaints about timeshare contracts, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and property managers. Call or check the department's website for a complaint form.

Mortgage Bankers Association of America
1125 15th Street, N.W., 7th floor
Washington, DC 20005
202/861-6565
http://www.mbaa.org/ [496]
Accepts complaints against member mortgage banking firms, commercial banks, life insurance companies, title companies, and saving and loan associations. Notifies member of complaint, but does not have the authority to force a settlement.

Health and Medical

If you've been wronged in a transaction in the health or medical services field, see the resources below.

Acupuncturists

California Acupuncture Board
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1424 Howe Avenue, Suite 37
Sacramento, CA 95825
800/952-5210
916/263-2680
800/739-2929 TT/TDD relay service
www.dca.ca.gov/acup [523]
Consumer complaint form [524]
Takes complaints regarding illegal or unethical activities by a certified acupuncturist. Complaints must be written in detail, or consumers may complete the complaint form and mail it to the above address. Complaint forms can be requested by calling the Board.

Chiropractors

California Board of Chiropractic Examiners
2525 Natomas Park Drive, Suite 260
Sacramento, CA 95833-2931
916/263-5355
866/546-1311 Consumer Complaint Line
800/739-2929 TT/TDD relay service
www.chiro.ca.gov [525]
Consumer complaint form [526]
Files complaints and deals with concerns regarding chiropractors and their practices.

Counselors and Social Workers

Board of Behavioral Science Examiners
California Department of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street, Suite 3150
Sacramento, CA 95814-6240
800/952-5210 information
916/344-9940 TDD
916/445-4933 complaints
www.bbs.ca.gov [527]
Consumer complaint form [528]
email: bbswebmaster@bbs.ca.gov [529]
Disciplines Marriage and Family Therpists (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEP), MFT Interns and Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASW) in California. Complaint forms are available online or by calling the board's offices. For complaints against psychologists, contact the Board of Psychology, which is administered by the Medical Board of California.

Dentists

Board of Dental Examiners
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1432 Howe Avenue, Suite 85-B
Sacramento, CA 95825
800/952-5210 information
800/344-9940 TDD
916/263-2300
916/263-2335 complaints
www.dca.ca.gov/r_r/dentalbd.htm [530]
Consumer complaint form [531]
Takes complaints about quality of care, fraudulent billing or misconduct by dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. Does not handle disputes over costs or fees.

Dental Society of San Diego County
1275 W. Morena Blvd., Suite B
San Diego, CA 92110
619/275-0244
800/201-2811
http://www.sdcds.org/ [532]
Registers complaints from quality of care to ethical behavior for San Diego and Imperial County dentists. Complaints can be taken by phone and are followed up by a peer review board. Society only handles complaints against its members. Approximately 80 percent of San Diego dentists are members.

Doctors

Medical Board of California
Central Complaint Unit
1426 Howe Avenue, Suite 54
Sacramento, CA 95825
800/633-2322 complaints
800/344-9940 TDD
916/263-2466 information
www.medbd.ca.gov [533]
Consumer complaint form [534]
Takes complaints dealing with physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, psychologists, and registered dispensing opticians. Complaints must be in writing. Call or access the Medical Board's website for a complaint form.

San Diego County Medical Society
P.O. Box 23581
San Diego, CA 92193-3581
858/565-8888
www.sdcms.org [535]
email: sdcms@sdcms.org [536]
Handles complaints such as fee disagreements, rudeness, or release of records. Unlike the Medical Board, the Medical Society cannot perform investigations.

Nurses

California Board of Registered Nursing
400 R Street, Suite 4030
P.O. Box 944210
Sacramento, CA 94244-2100
916/322-3350 complaints
916/322-1700 TDY
www.rn.ca.gov [537]
Consumer complaint form [538]
Investigates complaints against registered nurses. Prefers complaints in writing but will take telephone calls.

Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians
California Department of Consumer Affairs
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
800/952-5210 information
800/344-9940 TDD
916/263-7822 complaints
www.bvnpt.ca.gov/ [539]
Consumer complaint form [540]
Investigates complaints about licensed vocational nurses and psychiatric technicians. Call for a complaint form, print the form online or send a detailed letter describing your situation.

Nursing Home Care

San Diego County Aging & Independence Services
Longterm Care Ombudsman Program
9335 Hazard Way, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123
858/560-2507
760/747-8566 North County
800/640-4661
www.sdcounty.ca.gov/ais/ltcprog.html [541]
Volunteer organization working on behalf of nursing home residents to take complaints about patient care, poor living environment, and alleged abuse. Complaints can be registered by phone or mail, or during on-site visits.

Nursing Home Administrator Program
California Department of Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 942732
1800 Third Street, Ste. 162
Sacramento, CA 94234-7320
916/323-6838
800/236-9747
www.dca.ca.gov/r_r/nurseho1.htm [542]
Accepts complaints about nursing home administrators. Contact the program to receive a free brochure on how to file a complaint. Complaints about facilities should be directed to the Department of Health Services (see above).

California Department of Health Services
Licensing and Certification
7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92108-4402
619/688-6190
866/706-0759
www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/lnc/rights/index1.htm [543]
Takes complaints on patient care, alleged abuse, poor food and physical conditions at nursing home facilities. Will not handle insurance or physician complaints. Complaints can be taken over the phone or in writing and can be handled anonymously.

Optometrists

California Board of Optometry
400 R Street, Suite 4090
Sacramento, CA 95814-6200
800/547-4576
916/323-8720
www.optometry.ca.gov [544]
Consumer complaint form [545]
email: boardemail@optometry.ca.gov [546]
Complaints about optometrists are accepted in writing. A complaint form can be accessed online, or by contacting the board. For complaints against an optical business or an ophthalmologist, contact the Medical Board of California, listed above.

Pharmacies

California Board of Pharmacy
400 R Street, Suite 4070
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/445-5014
www.pharmacy.ca.gov [547]
Consumer complaint form [548]
Handles complaints about out-of-state medical distributors, pharmacies (including prescription errors), and pharmacists. Complaints must be in writing. A complaint form can be accessed online, or by contacting the board.

Psychology

Board of Psychology
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1422 Howe Avenue, Suite 22
Sacramento, CA 95825
800/952-5210 information
800/633-2322 complaints
www.psychboard.ca.gov [549]
Consumer complaint form [550]
email: bopmail@dca.ca.gov [551]
Takes complaints about registered psychologists and psychological assistants.

Legal Assistance

This section provides information to help you find legal assistance on a wide variety of issues.

Attorneys

California Bar Association Attorney Discipline System
1149 South Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
800/843-9053 consumer hotline
www.calbar.ca.gov [552]
Consumer complaint form [553]
Accepts mailed complaints only (use the form above). You should only submit a complaint if you believe that your attorney has acted unethically. For fee arbitration and other attorney-client disputes, contact the San Diego County Bar Association (see below).

San Diego County Bar Association
1333 7th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619/231-0781
www.sdcba.org [554]
email: bar@sdcba.org [555]
Local bar association handles complaints against local lawyers and acts as a mediator when needed.

Discrimination Issues

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
P.O. Box 87131
San Diego, CA 92138-7131
619/232-2121
www.aclu.org [556]
The ACLU handles civil liberties issues and infringements of constitutional rights on an individual or class action basis.

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
350 West Ash Street, 9th floor
San Diego, CA 92101
619/645-2681
800/884-1684 complaints & information
800/700-2320 TDD
http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ [557]
Handles complaints regarding employment and housing discrimination due to race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, or gender. Call their office to set up an appointment.

City of San Diego Human Relations Commission
1200 Third Ave., Suite 916
San Diego, CA 92101
619/236-6420
www.sannet.gov/human-relations/
[558]Complaint form [559]
Authorization to Release Information [560]
email: bww@citymgr.sannet.gov [561]
Investigates and mediates complaints about education, employment, and housing discrimination within the City of San Diego. Both the complaint form and Authorization to Release Information form must be completed and mailed to the address above.

Disabled Persons’ Accessibility Violations
Neighborhood Code Compliance
1200 3rd Avenue, Mail Station 51-N
San Diego, CA 92101
619/236-5500 (handles complaints about non-city owned facilities)
http://www.sannet.gov/disability-services/other.shtml#Access [562]
Online complaint form [470] (handles complaints about City-owned facilities)
Accepts complaints about parking areas and buildings that are not accessible to disabled persons.

Lesbian and Gay Men's Center for Social Services
3909 Centre Street
San Diego, CA 92103
619/692-2077
760/744-0220 North County
619/718-6469 TTY
www.thecentersd.org/services.htm [563]
email: comments@thecentersd.org [564]
Handles legal issues such as lesbian/gay rights, AIDS, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. There are no on-site lawyers, but The Center does make referrals to attorneys as needed.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
624 9th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20425
800/552-6843 complaints
202/376-8177
202/376-8116 TDD
www.usccr.gov [565]
email: ocre01@attglobal.net [566] for complaint referral
Handles complaints about civil rights infringements. The referral service is designed to help place users in contact with the appropriate office for obtaining information about the complaint process.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
401 B Street, Suite 1550
San Diego, CA 92101
619/557-7235
619/557-7232 TDD
www.eeoc.gov [567]
Handles complaints about employment discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, disabilities, pregnancy, age, and employer retaliation against employees who have filed complaints. Charges may be filed in person, by mail or by telephone.

San Diego Employee Rights Center
4265 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92105
619/521-1372
A non-profit organization associated with the Labor Council. The center provides employee rights education and advocacy to low-income workers and the community organizations who serve them. Law students volunteer to provide these services.

Housing Discrimination

Fair Housing Council of San Diego
625 Broadway, Suite 1114
San Diego, CA 92101-5418
619/699-5888
800/430-0303
www.fhcsd.com [568]
email: mail@fhcsd.com [569]
Provides fair housing outreach, educational services, and preliminary investigations into complaints of housing discrimination and tenant/landlord disputes. Serves as a referral service for those complaints that fall under other areas of housing law. Serves Encinitas, Chula Vista, National City, San Diego and San Diego County. Those living within Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove and La Mesa can contact Heartland Human Relations (see below).

Heartland Human Relations Association
1068 Broadway
El Cajon, CA 92021
619/444-5700
Nonprofit organization investigates housing discrimination complaints and offers tenant/landlord counseling and mediation services in East County, National City, Escondido, and Carlsbad. Attorney referrals will be made in cases of discrimination that cannot be mediated.

Immigration Assistance

California Rural Legal Assistance
215 South Coast Highway, Suite 200
Oceanside, CA 92054
760/966-0511
800/622-2652
www.crlaf.org/border [570]
Provides free legal services to immigrants in California's rural areas.

National Immigration Law Center
3435 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 2850
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213/639-3900
www.nilc.org. [571]
Offers information on legal services and immigration advocacy.

Legal Referrals

Attorney Referral Service
877/277-2778
www.lawyerreferral.com [572]
email: info@lawyerreferral.com [573]
State Bar Certified corporation offers free referrals for a multitude of legal areas. If legal services are necessary, costs and fees can be discussed with the referred attorney.

San Diego County Bar Association Lawyer Referral
1333 7th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619/231-8585
800/464-1529
www.sdlawyerreferral.com [574]
email: lris@sdcba.org [575]
Free referral service pairs consumers with a certified San Diego Bar member attorney based on where the consumer lives and the type of legal problem he or she has. Ask for a lawyer that specializes in the area you need. The initial consultation with the attorney is free and includes discussion of your legal situation, general information, and costs. Actual legal services are not provided at the initial consultation. Referrals can also be accessed on the Association's website.

Low-Income Assistance

Legal Aid Society
110 South Euclid Avenue
San Diego, CA 92114
619/262-0896
760/722-1935 Oceanside
Provides legal services for those who qualify under the federal low-income. Typical cases involve bankruptcy, auto disputes, student loans, Social Security problems, welfare disputes, subsidized housing complaints, and evictions. No fees are charged.

North County Lifeline Inc.
200 Michigan Avenue
Vista, CA 92084
760/726-4900 x242
www.nclifeline.com [576]
email: dbartell@nclifeline.org [577]
Serves North County residents only. Holds legal clinics every Tuesday morning and Tuesday and Thursday evenings. An appointment is required to reserve a 20-minute session with an attorney who handles legal questions on any topic. If further help is needed, a referral to an attorney or another agency is made. Fees for the clinic are on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.

Mediation Services

American Arbitration Association
600 B Street, Suite 1450
San Diego, CA 92101
619/239-3051
www.adr.org [578]
Nonprofit organization offers dispute resolution services to business executives, individual employees, management, and consumers. There is a fee for their arbitration services which may be split between the parties or negotiated.

San Diego Mediation Center
625 Broadway Blvd., Suite 1221
San Diego, CA 92101
619/238-2400
www.mediate.com/sdmc [579]
email: info@sdmediate.com [580]
Offers mediation services on a wide range of consumer issues. Fees vary.

Senior Citizens Legal Services

Elder Law & Advocacy
3675 Ruffin Road, Suite 315
San Diego, CA 92123
858/565-1392 San Diego
619/447-7921 El Cajon
619/425-2461 Chula Vista
760/439-2535 North County
www.seniorlaw-sd.org [581]
email: elderlaw@seniorlaw-sd.org [582]
Nonprofit organization that provides legal services, including a "Lawmobile", at no charge to seniors 60 years of age and older. Seniors can make an appointment to meet with a lawyer at any of the Senior Legal Services' branch offices throughout the county. Lawyers meet with seniors needing legal assistance on health insurance problems (Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Medicare supplement insurance).

Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court provides a quick and inexpensive means of resolving minor legal problems and handles a wide range of legal actions up to a $7,500 limit. Cases include issues such as property damage, contract disputes, landlord/tenant disagreements (i.e. security deposits), and business contracts. Your complaint must be filed at the court nearest to where the person you want to sue (defendant) actually lives. The cost to file a complaint in Small Claims Court is $20, with an additional charge of $7 to $26 to officially notify the defendant. A Small Claims Advisor can help you through the process, but only the people directly involved in the dispute are allowed at the hearing. If you file a Small Claims case, you cannot appeal the decision; only the defendant can appeal the judge's decision to Superior Court. You can download a free handbook called The Small Claims Court A Guide to its Practical Use from the California Department of Consumer Affairs here [583].

San Diego County Small Claims Advisory Office
858/236-2700 how to file a complaint
858/236-2471 Small Claims Advisor
http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1424399&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL [584]
Small Claims Courts are located at:
Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101-3827
Madge Bradley Bldg., 1409 4th Ave., San Diego, CA 92101-3105
Kearny Mesa Branch, 8950 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123-1187
North County Division, 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92083-6698
East County Division, 250 E. Main St., El Cajon, CA 92020-3941
Ramona Branch, 1428 Montecito Rd., Ramona, CA 92065-5200
South County Division, 500 3rd Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91910-5649

Tenant/Landlord

Community Resource Center
656 Second Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
760/753-1156
http://www.communityresourcecenter.org/ [585]
Nonprofit organization offers information and referral on a variety of issues including tenant/landlord problems. Provides a legal clinic on Tuesday mornings (by appointment only) that can help with legal disputes. Service area is Del Mar to Carlsbad and east to Rancho Santa Fe. No fees charged, but donations are requested.

Neighborhood House Association
5660 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
619/715-2642
900/505-5663 legal counselors
www.neighborhoodhouse.org [586]
email: info@neighborhoodhouse.org [587]
Nonprofit group educates consumers about tenant/landlord laws and offers information and referrals to tenants who need to take legal action against landlords. The legal counsel 900 number charges $2.50 for the first minute, and $.54 for each additional minute.

State of California Dept. of Consumer Affairs
A Guide to Tenants and Landlord [588] Responsibilities

Tenants Legal Center of San Diego
5252 Balboa Avenue, Suite 408
San Diego, CA 92117
858/571-7100
858/571-1166 24 hr. pre-recorded renters law line
www.tenantslegalcenter.com [589]
Offers free information about tenant rights and provides low-cost legal counsel if needed.

University of San Diego School of Law - Legal Clinic
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
619/260-7470
Provides free legal services by appointment only to persons who meet federal low-income guidelines. Legal services include tenant/landlord issues, Social Security benefits, unemployment, and welfare disputes.

Privacy and Security

This is the section for consumer privacy and security. If you fear your personal information has been mishandled by a company, or that you are the victim of a scam, this is the section for you.

Advertising and Misleading Business Practices

Attorney General’s Office
California Department of Justice
District of San Diego
110 West A Street, Suite 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
619/645-2001
800/952-5225 public inquiry line
800/952-5548 TDD
www.caag.state.ca.us [590]
Online consumer complaint form [591]
email: piu@hdcdojnet.state.ca.us [592]
Enforces consumer laws and has the jurisdiction to stop unlawful business practices and seek penalties against violators. The Attorney General does not resolve disputes on an individual basis, but does take action on behalf of the citizens of the State of California. Write the office or access the Attorney General's website to obtain a complaint form.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
877/382-4357 toll-free to file a complaint
310/824-4343 Western Region
202/326-2100 Washington, DC
www.ftc.gov [238]
Online consumer complaint form [447]
email for consumer response center: crc@ftc.gov [448]
email with "spam" complaints: uce@ftc.gov [449]
Regulates a multitude of business practices and administers consumer protection laws. Areas of jurisdiction include: false advertising (including the internet), deceptive labeling, debt collectors, warranties of nationally distributed products, state-chartered banks and credit unions, credit card companies, credit reporting agencies, and mail order companies. The FTC does not handle individual complaints, but if it gets enough accusations about a particular company or practice, it will investigate. Write, call, or use the FTC's website to receive a complaint form.

Fictitious Business Names Records
Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk's Office
County Administration Building
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 260
San Diego, CA 92101
619/237-0502
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/general/assessor [593]
Online Fictitious Business Names Search Menu [594]
Provides information about fictitious business names. North County residents may search the names index at the North County Regional Center, 334 Via Vera Cruz, San Marcos, CA 92069

San Diego City Attorney
Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit
1200 Third Avenue, Suite 700
San Diego, CA 92101-4106
619/533-5600 helpline
http://genesis.sannet.gov/infospc/templates/attorney/complaint_form_eng.pdf [439]
email: cepu@sandiego.gov [440]
Investigates and prosecutes crimes committed in the City of San Diego involving public heath, consumer transactions such as misleading advertising, environmental pollution, and other unlawful business acts and practices.

San Diego County Department of Agriculture
Weights and Measures
5555 Overland Avenue, Bldg. 3
San Diego, CA 92123
858/694-2778
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/agri [595]
Verifies packaging labels on food and household items, as well as the accuracy of gas station pumps, supermarket scales, UPC code scanners at department and grocery stores, recycler weight scales, taxicab meters, and gas, parking, and electric meters.

San Diego County District Attorney's Office
Economic Fraud and Environmental Protection Division
P.O. Box X-1011
San Diego, CA 92112-4192
619/531-4070
619/531-3507 24-hr. message
http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/safety/da/ [442]
Prosecutes investment, insurance, and real estate fraud, false advertising, and telephone scams within San Diego County but outside of the City of San Diego. Also takes consumer reports of illegal or hazardous pollution of air, land, and water and prosecutes complaints that are within the jurisdiction of the County District Attorney's office. Otherwise, the office will refer complaints to the appropriate agency.

Charitable Giving

If you regularly give to charities, you should insert a letter (or use our form letter [596]) with your donation stating that you do not want the charity to rent, sell, or lease your name to any other organization. This will keep your name off of mailing lists of other nonprofit groups with which your charity may exchange donor lists.

Attorney General’s Office
California Department of Justice
Registry of Charitable Trusts
P.O. Box 903447
Sacramento, CA 94203-4470
916/445-2021
www.caag.state.ca.us/charities/index.htm [597]
Consumer complaint form [598]
Registers fraud complaints about charitable organizations and foundations, but does not include churches, schools, hospitals, or government agencies. The complaint form must be mailed.

Internet Fraud

Internet Fraud Complaint Center
Federal Bureau of Investigations
www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp [599]
This website receives and investigates online transaction and internet complaints. Complaints may be submitted online.

National Fraud Information Center
Internet Fraud Watch
P.O. Box 65868
Washington, DC 20035
800/876-7060 hotline
www.fraud.org [600]
Online complaint form [601]
Handles consumer complaints about fraudulent promotions in cyberspace and telemarketing fraud. Will report instances of fraud to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

UCAN's Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC)
3100 Fifth Ave., Ste. B
San Diego, CA 92103
619/298-3396
www.privacyrights.org [602]
email: prc@privacyrights.org [603]
Nonprofit organization offers information about protecting your privacy in cyberspace and securing information when conducting e-commerce transactions. Check PRC’s website before calling or emailing for information.

San Diego Internet Task Force
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
9797 Aero Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
858/565-1255
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp [599]
Handles complaints about internet fraud in San Diego, but cannot resolve individual disputes.

Internet Scams

The Federal Trade Commission warns that junk e-mail isn't just a nuisance. Spam often includes scams. Here are the FTC's "dirty dozen" e-mail scams.

1. "Business opportunities" to make money with little effort or cash outlay are usually illegal pyramid schemes.

2. Offers to sell lists of e-mail addresses or software to generate junk mail may result in violating the terms of service of most Internet service providers and in some cases you may unwittingly violate state laws.

3. Chain letters involving money are illegal. The letter may even claim that the scheme has been approved by the government. Don't believe it.

4. Work-at-home schemes usually cost more than anyone ever makes.

5. Health and diet scams use phrases such as "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret formula" and "ancient ingredient" to prey on the gullible and desperate.

6. Trendy get-rich-quick schemes like foreign currency exchange obscure the fact that if they really were so easy, everyone would be rich.

7. Free goods offered to fee-paying members of "clubs" are really another variation on the pyramid scheme.

8. Fraudulent investments, promising high rates of return with no risk, sometimes known as a Ponzi scheme. They're good for the promoter, but not for the investor.

9. Kits to descramble cable TV probably won't work and if they did, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.

10. Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms, are generally useless lists of lenders or pyramid schemes that collapse.

11. Credit repair scams offer to erase negative information from your credit file but can't deliver.

12. Vacation prize promotions are usually of poor quality, require hidden fees or have restrictions that are difficult to meet

Internet Spam

Report the spam to agencies that maintain statistics:
SpamCop
www.spamcop.net [604]
Spamcop has programs that sift through the spam to track down the real sender. Spamcop then sends an alert to the system administrator in charge of that spammer's e- mail address.

Also, let the Federal Trade Commission know:
Federal Trade Commission
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/inbox.htm [605]
email: uce@ftc.gov [449]
The agency has cracked down on spam in the past, and asks people to forward spam messages to its e-mail address.

**Alert your Internet service provider. Most ISPs, such as America Online, ask users to send them a copy of spam that makes it through the system in hopes that they can better police spam in the future.

Mail Order and Junk Mail

The national credit bureaus offer a toll-free number that enables consumers to opt-out of all pre-approved credit offers with just one phone call. Call 888/5-OPTOUT (888/567-8688) for more information.

Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Click here for a DMA form letter [606]
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
www.the-dma.org [607]
email: consumer@the-dma.org [608]
To remove your name from a nationally-based advertising list, contact the DMA with your name and address. It costs $5 to do this online, or you can fill in the form, print it and mail it in at no cost.

Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
ConsumerLine
1111 19th Street, NW - Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
www.the-dma.org [607]
email: consumer@the-dma.org [608]
Resolves complaints between consumers and mail order companies. Send a written complaint with all details.

U.S. Postal Service
Postal Inspection Service
P.O. Box 122110
San Diego, CA 92112-210
619/531-8250 hotline
www.usps.com/postalinspectors/ [609]
Online mail fraud complaint form [610]
Handles problems about mail fraud, mail theft, mail solicitations, and chain letters. The USPD prefers calls about these matters, but complaints can be sent by mail.

Security and Protection Services

Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
California Department of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street, Suite 3040
Sacramento, CA 95814-6234
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/344-9940 TDD
www.dca.ca.gov/bsis [611]
Consumer complaint form [612]
email: bsis@dca.ca.gov [613]
Takes complaints about burglar alarm companies and their agents, locksmiths, patrol dog operators, private investigators, repossessor agencies and their employees, security and patrol guards, and security training facilities and their instructors. Call to get a complaint form, download a form online, or send a detailed letter with copies of important documents to the above address.

Telephone Scams and Telemarketers

As a consumer, you have the right to be put on any telemarketer's "Do Not Call" list. When you are contacted by a telemarketer, ask that your name be added to this list. You can also sign on to the Federal Do Not Call list [614] in less than a minute.

Attorney General’s Office
California Department of Justice
Public Inquiry Unit
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
800/952-5225
619/645-3035 Telemarketer Registration Information
www.caag.state.ca.us [615]
Online consumer complaint form [591]
Call to find out if a specific telemarketer is registered in California. Mail your complaint to the Public Inquiry Unit, or submit your complaint online.

American Telephone Fundraiser Association
Charitable-Telephone Preference Service
USPS Kilbuck Branch
1001 California Ave.
PO Box 99356
Pittsburgh, PA 15233-9998
Consumers can register at this address to reduce the number of fund-raising calls from nonprofit organizations. Mail a letter requesting to have your name removed from all mail and telephone solicitation lists.

Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Click here for a DMA form letter [606]
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
www.the-dma.org [607]
email: consumer@the-dma.org [608]
To remove your name from a nationally-based advertising list, contact the DMA with your name and address. It costs $5 to do this online, or you can fill in the form, print it and mail it in at no cost.

San Diego Boiler Room Task Force
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
9797 Aero Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
619/285-4200
The Task Force takes complaints regarding telephone "boiler room" (telemarketer) investment and sales scams. Call the office for assistance.

Product Safety and Repair

This section contains information on food and non-food product safety and places where you can file common repair complaints.

Appliance and Electronic Repairs

Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair (BEAR)
California Department of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street, Suite 3040
Sacramento, CA 95814
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/344-9940 TDD
916/445-3730 service contract licensing
www.bear.ca.gov [616]
Online consumer complaint form [617]
Researches complaints about incompetent repair services or charges that exceed written estimates.

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
1655 Scott Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
408/985-2400
http://www.ul.com/ [618]
Online consumer complaint form [619]
Takes complaints about products with the U/L safety approval seal such as wiring and electrical appliances.

Food and Drug Product Safety

Many companies maintain toll-free "800" numbers for their customers. If you have a complaint or a question about a specific product, first call the 800 number directory assistance operator to see if there is a toll-free number for that company. Telephone Directory Assistance for 800 numbers is (800) 555-1212.

California Department of Education
Nutritional Services Division
P.O. Box 94427
Sacramento, CA 94244-2720
800/952-5609
916/445-0850
www.cde.ca.gov/nsd/ [620]
Handles complaints involving school food programs. Some common concerns include nutritional value and cleanliness.

San Diego County Department of Environmental Health
Food & Housing Division
P.O. Box 129261
San Diego, CA 92112-9261
619/338-2379
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/env_health/fhd/index.html [621]
email: fhdutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov [622]
Takes complaints about suspected foodborne illnesses and potential health code violations and unsanitary food handling practices by restaurants, food manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. All information, including your name, will remain confidential.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 225
San Diego, CA 92121-3023
858/550-3850
301/443-1240 24-hr. urgent line (NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR 911)
949/798-7701 Regional Consumer Complaint Coordinator
800/877-8339 TTY relay service
www.fda.gov/opacom/bakgrounders/problem.html [623]
Deals with complaints about food and drug safety and correct labeling. Also oversees medicines, medical devices, blood products, vaccines, cosmetics, veterinary drugs, animal feed, and electronic products that emit radiation (such as microwave ovens and video monitors).

Non-Food Product Safety

San Diego County Department of Environmental Health
Food & Housing Division
P.O. Box 129261
San Diego, CA 92112-9261
619/338-2379
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/env_health/fhd/index.html [621]
email: fhdutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov [622]
Takes complaints about suspected foodborne illnesses, potential health code violations and unsanitary food handling practices by restaurants, food manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers. All information, including your name, will remain confidential.

Toy Industry Association
1115 Broadway, Suite 400
New York, NY 10010
212/675-1141
www.toy-tia.org [624]
email: info@toy-tia.org [625]
Maintains updated contact information for member manufacturers. Accepts defective toy complaints against member manufacturers. Complaints about toy safety should be referred to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission
Western Region
1301 Clay Street, Suite 610-N
Oakland, CA 94612-5217
510/637-4050
800/638-2772
800/638-8270 TTY
www.cpsc.gov [626]
email: info@cpsc.gov [627]
Outlet for defective consumer product information. Takes reports about product defects.

Utilities

This section provides the contact information to file a complaint against any utility provider.

General Info

Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN)
3100 Fifth Avenue Suite B
San Diego, CA 92103
619/881-UCAN consumer hotline
619/881-8228 TTY
www.ucan.org [452]
Online Complaint Form [454] [628]
Nonprofit utility watchdog organization formed to protect members from utility company abuses and to give free advice about telecommunication issues, gas and electricity providers, gasoline prices, internet service providers, and cable TV companies. UCAN will provide legal intervention, if needed, for its members.

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Consumer Affairs Branch
320 West 4th Street, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90013
800/649-7570
213/897-2975
213/897-0426 TDD
www.cpuc.ca.gov [419]
CPUC complaint form letter [629]
email: consumer-affairs@cpuc.ca.gov [630]
The CPUC has an extensive system for resolving complaints with telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, and sewer utilities operating within the State of California. The initial step is to write the CPUC, including copies of any documentation you may have. The CPUC will send you a letter listing the options for resolving your complaint, and will then contact the utility for its side of the issue. The CPUC will then render an informal decision.

Cable Television

If you have a complaint about cable TV service, first contact your cable provider's customer service department. If you are not satisfied with the cable company's resolution, contact:

Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN)
3405 Kenyon St. Suite 401 San Diego, CA 92110
619/881-UCAN consumer hotline
www.ucan.org [452]
Form letters for consumer complaints [453] (copy and use freely)
Online complaint form [454] (tell us about your consumer issue)
Nonprofit group offers a hotline that consumers can call to get information on utility and privacy issues and to find out what agencies and businesses to contact with general consumer complaints.

City of San Diego
Dept. of Information Technology & Communications
Cable Television Office
1200 3rd Avenue, Suite 250
San Diego, CA 92101
619/533-4725
www.ci.san-diego.ca.us/cabletv [631]
email: CableTV@sdcity.sannet.gov [632]
Acts as an arbitrator between you and your cable company if you live within the City of San Diego. Staff can help you resolve complaints about poor service, reception, service procedures, equipment rental, bills, and inability to obtain service. If you live in another city in the San Diego area, contact your City Manager’s Office [633] or your City Council representative.

San Diego County
Cable Television Review Commission
Cable Franchise Administrator
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 208
San Diego, CA 92101
619/595-4650
www.ctn.org/ctrv [634]
Helps with cable service problems for those living in unincorporated areas of the county. Oversees cable companies and handles complaints about poor service, reception, equipment, bills, and inability to get cable service.

Gas and Electric

First contact the customer service number printed on your bill, and ask to speak to a supervisor. If you cannot resolve the problem, contact:

Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN)
3100 Fifth Ave., Ste. B
San Diego, CA 92103
619/881-UCAN consumer hotline
619/881-8228 TTY
www.ucan.org [452]
Online Complaint Form [454] [628]
Nonprofit utility watchdog organization formed to protect members from utility company abuses and to give free advice about telecommunications issues, gas and electricity providers, gasoline prices, internet service providers, and cable TV companies. UCAN will provide legal intervention, if needed, for its members.

Local Phone

For local telephone service, first contact the local business office of the telephone company and ask to speak to a manager.

Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN)
3405 Kenyon Street, Suite 401
San Diego, CA 92110
619/881-UCAN consumer hotline
619/881-8228 TTY
www.ucan.org [452]
Online Complaint Form [454]
Nonprofit utility watchdog organization formed to protect members from utility company abuses and to give free advice about telecommunications issues, gas and electricity providers, gasoline prices, internet service providers, and cable TV companies. UCAN will provide legal intervention, if needed, for its members.

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Consumer Affairs Branch
320 West 4th Street, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90013
800/649-7570
213/897-2975
213/897-0426 TDD
www.cpuc.ca.gov [419]
CPUC complaint form letter [629]
email: consumer-affairs@cpuc.ca.gov [630]
The CPUC has an extensive system for resolving complaints with telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, and sewer utilities operating within the State of California. The initial step is to write the CPUC, including copies of any documentation you may have. The CPUC will send you a letter listing the options for resolving your complaint, and will then contact the utility for its side of the issue. The CPUC will then render an informal decision.

Water and Sewer

First call your water or sewer provider at the number on your bill. Ask to speak to a supervisor. If you get your water from a municipal water district and cannot resolve your complaint, call your City Council representative. If you get your water from a private company, you can file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission

Wireless, Mobile, and Pager

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Enforcement Division
(See listing under General Consumer Information, Government Agencies [635])
www.fcc.gov/wtb [636]
717/338-2533 wireless information
202/418-2644 wireless complaint fax line
Send wireless, mobile, and paging company complaints to the listed address or via telephone or fax.

Other

Here you will find complaint information for areas not covered in the other sections of this guide.

Cemeteries and Funeral Parlors

Cemetery and Funeral Programs
California Department of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street, Suite2060
Sacramento,CA 95814-6200
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/326-2297 TDD
916/322-7737 policy issues
www.dca.ca.gov/cemetery [637]
Online consumer complaint form [638]
Takes complaints about cemeteries, cemetery brokers and sales agents, as well as embalmers, crematories, mortuaries, and funeral directors. Send a letter or access a complaint form online.

Cleaners

Complaints about "bait and switch" advertising or theft of home furnishings should be referred to the City Attorney or County District Attorney (see our local government [639] page). Other complaints can be taken up with the individual service provider directly, through mediation, or Small Claims Court as necessary.

Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation
California Department of Consumer Affairs
3485 Orange Grove Avenue
North Highlands, CA 95660
800/952-5210 complaints & information
800/326-2297 TDD
916/574-2041 policy issues
www.dca.ca.gov/r_r/homefurn.htm [640]
Enforces California statutes and regulations governing upholstered furniture, bedding, and thermal insulation industries. Doesn't handle complaints about furniture that does not contain filling materials, carpet or drapes, dry cleaners or products purchased outside of California.

California Cleaners Association
1730 I Street, Suite 240
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/443-0986
www.calcleaners.com [641]
email for a complaint form: cca@camgmt.com [642]
Registers complaints about member dry cleaners and mediates complaints for customers.

Carpet and Fabricare Institute
74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 230
San Francisco, CA 94105
800/227-7389
www.carpet9.org [643]
email: cfi@carpet9.org [644]
Logs complaints about member carpet, rug, and upholstery cleaners, but does not have any enforcement or mediation power.

Contractors

Contact the Contractors State License Board before you have a job done to verify that your contractor is licensed and in good standing.

Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
California Department of Consumer Affairs
5280 Carroll Canyon Road, Suite 250
San Diego, CA 92121
800/321-2752
www.cslb.ca.gov
[39]Online consumer complaint form [645]
Oversees complaints about quality of service or disciplinary action taken against a private contractor. The CSLB's mandatory arbitration program can arbitrate quick, out-of-court settlements.

Structural Pest Control Board
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1422 Howe Avenue, Suite 3
Sacramento, CA 95825-3280
800/737-8188 complaints
800/344-9946 TDD
916/263-2540 policy issues
http://www.pestboard.ca.gov/ [646]
Online consumer complaint form [647]
Takes complaints on proper termite/pest inspections and failure to complete extermination contracts.

Environment

California Air Resources Board (CARB)
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA 95812
916/322-7664
800/952-5588 stationary source complaints
800/287-6653 San Diego car emission complaints
#SMOG from cellular phone
www.arb.ca.gov [648]
Handles complaints about sources of air pollution emission.

California Department of Air Pollution Control
9150 Chesapeake Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
858/650-4700
858/650-4550 other complaints
800/287-6653 San Diego car emission complaints
#SMOG from cellular phone
www.sdapcd.co.san-diego.ca.us [649]
Online complaint form [650]
Handles complaints about industrial and automotive sources of air pollution.

Environmental Health Coalition (EHC)
1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92101-2532
619/235-0281
www.environmentalhealth.org/index1.html [651]
email: ehc@environmentalhealth.org [652]
Nonprofit group provides assistance with complaints about illegal and harmful toxic pollution and offers information about alternatives to pesticides and other toxic chemicals.

San Diego County Department of Agriculture
Environmental Protection Unit
5555 Overland Avenue, Bldg. 3
San Diego, CA 92123
858/694-2739
858/694-2748 Pesticides Program
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/agri [595]
Fields complaints and concerns about pesticide use, buying and transporting pesticides, selling poison and bait, and subsequent effects of the abuse of pesticides on watershed management.

San Diego County Department of Environmental Health
P.O. Box 129261
San Diego, CA 92112-9261
619/338-2222
800/246-1233 household toxins & water quality hotline
888/846-0800 complaint hotline
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/env_health/ [653]
Online complaint form [654]
Takes complaints about county trash collection and individuals who transport waste illegally, dump waste into the environment, or mismanage toxic waste. All information received will remain confidential.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
866/372-9378
415/744-1500
www.epa.gov/region09/index.html [655]
email: r9.info@epamail.epa.gov [656]
Online comment/question form [657]
Handles complaints about violations of environmental regulations and directs environmental concerns to the correct agencies.

Health Clubs

At present, no governmental agency oversees these facilities. However, contracts for health studios require at least a three-day cancellation option, a limitation on financing (maximum 3-year term), and a maximum $1,000 contract price (excluding interest or finance charges). If you move more than 25 miles from your health club, and the club is unable to transfer your contract to a comparable facility, you do not have to make payments for any services you haven't received, although you may be liable for a cancellation fee of up to $100. Misleading advertisements should be referred to the City or County Attorney Consumer Protection or Fraud Unit. The Department of Consumer Affairs [443] does take complaints about health clubs, spas, and studios.

California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
400 R Street, Suite 1040
Sacramento, CA 95814
800/952-5210 consumer information
800/344-9940 TDD
916/323-7239 publications ordering
www.dca.ca.gov [443]
Index of state and federal laws by product [658]
Consumer complaint form [445]
State's largest consumer protection agency licenses and regulates several million employees in more than 200 occupations. Many of the agencies in the Got A Gripe? guide are part of the DCA. A complaint form is preferred but not required, and can be ordered by calling the 800 number or sending a self-addressed envelope to: Complaint Form, P.O. Box 310, Sacramento, CA 95802. Call the DCA's consumer infoline to identify which agency to send it to.

Noise Pollution

Lindbergh Field Noise Information Department
619/686-8120
Takes complaints about aircraft noise from San Diego’s international airport.

Montgomery Field and Brown Field Noise Abatement Program
858/573-1436
Takes complaints about aircraft noise pollution emanating from the Montgomery & Brown airfields.

San Diego City Neighborhood Code Enforcement Department
1200 3rd Avenue, Mail Station 51-N
San Diego, CA 92101
619/236-5500
619/238-2400 San Diego Mediation Center
http://www.sannet.gov/nccd/ [659]
Complaint form [660]
Handles complaints about city ordinances, such as housing, health and safety code violations, land development ordinances, graffiti, and noise pollution from dogs, construction, and music. Complaints are accepted by telephone or by completing and mailing the form. The San Diego Mediation Center can help neighbors resolve issues together.

San Diego County Code Enforcement Department
5201 Ruffin Road, Suite B
San Diego, CA 92123
610/441-4264 East County
760/940-2893 North County
858/694-3741 Noise Control
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/planning/ce5/ [661]
Takes complaints about trash, abandoned vehicles, building code violations, and noise pollution within San Diego County but outside of the City of San Diego.

Talent and Modeling Agencies

At present, no governmental agency oversees these agencies. However, talent agents must be licensed and bonded. To check on company's license status or to complain about unpaid wages, call the State Labor Commission at 619/467-3002. Complaints about false or misleading advertising may be referred to the local prosecutor's consumer protection or fraud unit.

Veterinarians

Veterinary Medical Board and Veterinary Technician Examining Committee
California Department of Consumer Affairs
1420 Howe Avenue, Suite 6
Sacramento, CA 95825
800/952-5210 information
916/263-2610 policy issues
www.vmb.ca.gov [662]
Consumer complaint form [663]
email: vmb@dca.ca.gov [664]
Takes complaints about veterinarians, vet technicians, and veterinary services including overcharges and inadequate medical attention. Complaint forms are available by calling the board or downloading the form from the internet.

Vocational, Trade, and Technical Schools

Adult Education Services
California Department of Education
P.O. Box 944272
Sacramento, CA 94244-2720
916/322-2175 or 322-6646
http://goldmine.cde.ca.gov [665]
Office handles all complaints regarding educational programs for adults.

Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education
California Department of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street, Suite 5000
Sacramento, CA 95814-6200
916/445-3427
www.dca.ca.gov/bppve [666]
Consumer complaint form [667]
Handles complaints about private post-secondary vocational schools, colleges, and universities. Some of the more common complaints include quality of education, cost, cancellations, misrepresentation and refunds.

San Diego County Office of Education
Regional Occupation Program Coordinator
6401 Linda Vista Road, Room 408
San Diego, CA 92111
858/292-3754
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/rop/index.html [668]
Takes complaints about vocational training programs administered in San Diego County.

Workplace and Neighborhood

California Industrial Relations Department
Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 207
San Diego, CA 92108
619/767-2060 for information and consultation
619/767-2280 to report a serious accident or illness
800/963-9424
www.dir.ca.gov/occupational_safety.html [669]
Complaint form [670]
Offers assistance to those with potentially dangerous or hazardous conditions in the workplace. Complaint forms, for non-emergency complaints, may be mailed or faxed to 619/767-2299 (fax).

San Diego City Environmental Services Department
9601 Ridgehaven Court
Suite 120 (for Refuse Collection)
Suite 320 (for Solid Waste Code Enforcement)
San Diego, CA 92123
858/694-7000
858/492-5055 Solid Waste Code Enforcement complaint line
http://www.sannet.gov/environmental-services/ [671]
Refuse Collection service request online form [672]
email: trash@sdcity.sannet.gov [673]
Refuse Collection takes complaints and questions about trash pickup, overflowing dumpsters and recycling programs, and Solid Waste Code Enforcement handles complaints for litter violations and reports of illegal dumping within the City of San Diego.

San Diego City Transportation Department
Streets Division
2781 Caminito Chollas
San Diego, CA 92105
619/527-7500
http://www.sannet.gov/street-div/ [674]
email: Street_Service@sandiego.gov [675]
Online complaint form [676]
Handles complaints about plant and tree growth over sidewalks, streets, and street signs, as well as cracked sidewalks and potholes throughout the City.

San Diego County Department of Environmental Health
P.O. Box 129621
San Diego, CA 92112-9261
619/338-2222
858/694-2888 Vector Surveillance and Control
www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/landuse/env_health/ [653]
Takes complaints about county trash collection. Vector Surveillance and Control handles complaints about rodents, vermin, flies and other pests.

San Diego Fire Department
Fire Prevention Bureau
1010 2nd Avenue, 3rd floor
San Diego, CA 92101
619/533-4411
www.firesafe.com/sdfd.html [677]
Handles complaints about the accumulation of combustibles and unsafe conditions that could cause a fire, such as welding and spray painting in garages, and excessive weeds on private property.

San Diego Police Department
Abandoned Vehicle Department
619/531-2000
858/484-3154
www.sannet.gov/police [678]
Takes complaints about vehicles parked on city streets for more than 72-hours or inoperable vehicles. If owner does not move vehicle, department will have it towed.

Other - Money Saving Tips, Affordable Housing, Etc.

See all of our other consumer resources below:

Affordable Housing Guide

[679]See our Affordable Housing Guide [680] to find out if you qualify for affordable rental or for-sale housing assistance programs!

UCAN's Affordable Housing Resource Guide

This month, the San Diego City Council voted to “Declare a Continued State of Emergency Due to the Severe Shortage of Affordable Housing in the City.” In fact, the Council has been doing this every month since 2002! One might think that in those four years the Council and other local government agencies would have acted to actually create significantly more affordable housing in the County. Unfortunately, the results from the various actions taken have been mixed at best. Many of the programs are well designed but are under-funded and come with long waiting lists. Other programs sound good but turn out to be ineffective. In addition, a lack of political will, influence from the building industry, government budget deficits, and other factors have prevented some jurisdictions from doing anything at all.

The good news is that there are some good resources out there and that a substantial amount of affordable housing information is easily accessible on the internet. UCAN recently surveyed local agencies for information about programs in the County of San Diego. The resources listed below constitute a comprehensive resource guide for anyone who thinks their income qualifies them for affordable rental or for-sale housing assistance programs. Also, be sure to visit our Affordable Housing Forum [679] for listings of the cheapest housing available in San Diego. Follow the links and good luck!

Affordable Housing Links

City of San Diego’s Housing Commission [681]

The San Diego Housing Commission has probably the most comprehensive network of programs and resources for affordable housing issues. Their website is well organized and comprehensive, and has separate sections specifically tailored to, for instance, seniors and people with disabilities. Many of the other links provided below go back to sections found on the Commission’s website.

City and County Resource Guide [682]

This is a 2006 Affordable Housing Resources Guide developed jointly by the City’s Housing Commission and the County’s Department of Housing. It is a good place to start for basic information about the general types of programs offered throughout the County, eligibility requirements, and other information.

County of San Diego’s Resource Guide [683]

The County’s Housing and Community Development Department has a number of programs that are organized on this website. In addition, if you are interested in searching for programs in a specific city (for example, La Mesa or Escondido), a link to the website for each of the 18 cities in the County is provided. From there, you can check to see if that city has affordable housing programs. Some do (Oceanside and National City to name a few), but many do not.
[684]City of San Diego’s Resource Guide [684]

This is essentially the City’s Resource Guide, and it is not bad. It includes pretty much everything going on in the City of San Diego as it relates to affordable housing programs. Most of the links go directly to the City’s Housing Commission website, but there are also links for programs offered by CCDC (the downtown redevelopment agency), SEDC (the City’s southeastern redevelopment agency), and other redevelopment agencies within the City of San Diego.
Area Median Income Chart [685]

Affordable housing programs usually base their income restrictions on a percentage of the “Average Median Income,” or AMI. This chart details the Housing and Urban Development Department’s qualifying income levels based on San Diego’s AMI for 2006.

New Affordable Housing Projects in the City of San Diego [686]

Lists all privately developed projects that are planned, under construction, or newly completed with restricted rental or for-sale affordable units.
Countywide List of Rental Housing Complexes [687]

This is a great, comprehensive list with direct phone numbers and other information for every restricted affordable rental housing complex in the County. If you are looking for rental housing in a specific city or area, this is a good place to start to check for income requirements and vacancies for each complex. Most of the complexes have waiting lists, however.
New Rental Housing Projects [688]

Lists new, affordable rental housing projects with contact and application details and photos of buildings.
First Time Homebuyer Information [689]

Overview of all the different programs for first-time homebuyers with AMI, maximum purchase price, loan/grant amount, terms, asset limitation and fee schedule.
Section 8 Housing Information [690]

Section 8 housing (households are given vouchers to help pay their rent to private landlords) information with links is provided here. The bad news is the waiting list to join the program is 2 to 5 years (or longer) due to funding shortfalls.

San Diego Housing Federation [691]

The San Diego Housing Federation is a coalition of nonprofit and other organizations and individuals working together to produce quality affordable housing and community development for lower income households.

California Housing Law Project [692]

An advocacy organization that lobbies in the California State Legislature for affordable housing and tenants rights for low income people, the disabled, elderly, homeless and farm workers. The Law Project also provides housing information services to local government housing agencies, housing advocacy organizations and individuals.

Community Housing Works [693]

Community Housing Works is a San Diego non-profit that helps people and neighborhoods improve their situation by providing a full range of housing options combined with training and support.

MAAC Project [694]

The Mission of the MAAC Project is to promote self-sufficiency for low and moderate-income families and communities of Southern California through advocacy for, and delivery of, social, educational, housing and employment services.

Find Affordable Housing

Please see our Affordable Housing Forum [695] for the cheapest housing listed in the San Diego region. If you can't find what you need, try the links listed below.

Craigslist.org [696]

Housingrebate.com [697]

Community Housing Works [698]

San Diego Housing Commission's Affordable Housing Locator [699]

San Diego State Off-Campus Housing [700]

Money

Find other money saving tips below:

Don't forget to claim your federal excise telephone tax deduction with the IRS

You can claim this $30 to $60 credit even if you didn't pay taxes to the IRS this year, and even if you, or your paid tax preparer, forgot to apply for it.

Get $30-$60 (or more) in FREE MONEY from the IRS, even if you have already filed, and even if you don't have a phone.

The infamous tax [701] of a penny per phone call made on a landline telephones to fund the Spanish-American War was repealed last year.

The courts have ordered the government to refund the taxes you paid between March, 2003, and July, 2006.

If you didn't save your phone bills, the IRS allows a standard audit-free deduction ranging from $30 to $60 dollars. If, however, you have your old bills, you may be in line for a much larger refund. See the example below.

From the IRS [702]:

Simplified Example B: If a single taxpayer, who is a sole proprietor with less than $25,000 in gross receipts, had $20 in local service, $50 per month personal long distance plan and $150 in bundled service cellular phone charges for each month over the 41 month period, the telephone tax refund based on actual tax paid would be $200/month (50 +150) X 0.03 X 41 months = $246.00 plus interest, in comparison to the standard refund amount of $30 (which would cover both personal and business expenses).

Remember, your bundled service cell phone charges are part of the deduction, which could lead to refunds much higher than $60 dollars if the actual charges are calculated.

Surprisingly, very few consumers are claiming the tax as a deduction. In fact, according to the IRS [703], more than half of the returns filed by tax professionals missed the deduction.

If you or your preparer missed this deduction you can still file an amended return by following these instructions [704]. Or, if you paid someone to prepare your taxes, they should file your amended return (it's only fair).

Download the forms:

You can receive the standard refund amount of $30-$60 even if you do not file a return by filling out Form 1040EZ-T [705].

Use Form 8913 [706] if you would like to file for the actual amount (you will have to go back through your old phone bills).

Try using a free e-filing [707] service.

MONEY SAVER: Home Improvement Contractor Questionnaire

Asking the right questions before hiring a contractor can save you money. Make sure you know the answers to the following questions before spending any money on home improvements.

Asking the right questions before hiring a contractor can save you money. Make sure you know the answers to the questions below before spending any money on home improvements

Do you know the full name & working phone number of the salesperson?

Do you know the name and local address of the company?

Have you done a Better Business Bureau (BBB) and other investigative checks to determine whether the company is of good reputation, dependable, responsible?

Have you asked the salesperson and company for references?

Did the salesperson try to "high pressure" you into signing the contract?

Has the salesperson or company offered you a "special price" after representing that your home would be used for advertising, as a model job, show-house or by display of their sign?

Were any and all guarantees in writing on the contract and were they clear and specific as to what they mean and as to what would be done in the event of a problem?

Have you received more than one bid on the same job with exactly the same specifications?

In reference to long-time guarantees, what's the basis in your belief that the company will be in existence or financially able to fulfill the guarantee during a period of 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years later?

Are the salesperson and company authorized to represent the manufacturer they claim to represent?

Do you know what brand, grade or quality of siding, roofing or windows the company will use?

Does the company provide liability and compensation insurance to protect you if there's an accident?

Before signing a contract, have you consulted your own bank or financing agency instead of signing a note for the company's financing group?

Have you obtained estimates or job quotes in order to consult with the bank before singing a contract?

Has F.H.A been represented as anything to do with performance of the company or guarantee of the job, other than just insuring your bank loan?

If work is to be done by sub-contractors, will the company with which you signed the contract protect you against liens on your home?

With respect to any repairs for which you expect to collect insurance, have you checked with the insurance company first before singing a contract?

Does the contract contain the name and street address of the company with a working phone number; specifications such as type and extent of work; completion dates for each stage; extras; description of materials such as quality, grade or name, weight, color or style; total cost, finance charges, annual % rate of interest?

Are the things you want done specified in the contract?

Is there a provision for payment of damages by you if you cancel the contract?

Do you understand the entire contract and did the salesperson and/or company sign you given a complete, readable copy?

Does the contract promise labor only, where you pay in advance for all materials?

Has anyone asked to be paid in cash in exchange for a discount, asked to be paid in advance instead of requesting a check or money order made out to the company?

If the contract is going to be signed in your home, does it contain a 3-day decision or "cooling off" clause permitting you to cancel without penalty?

Are you asked to sign a completion certificate for the job under threat or via added promises not on the contract before the job is properly completed?

Secrets for Negotiating a Better Contract

Regardless of what you are buying, there are simple "do's" and "don'ts" that apply to all types of contracts. UCAN's consumer advocates have compiled a list of insider secrets that will help you get a better deal. Read more [708]

Tips:

Contracts with tricky terms are used to trick you. Be sure that any writing in the contract is clearly understood and legible before signing.

When contracts allow you to cancel in writing within a prescribed time, send the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested or by telegram.

Many contracts carry provisions, often in real small type, which state that no representations other than those contained in the contract itself are recognized.

The term "guaranteed" when used alone, means little and is ambiguous. Guarantees, unless specific are usually worthless.

In connection with home improvement and remodeling contracts, don't sign completion slips before the work is finished satisfactorily.

Installment sales contracts should contain an itemized listing of all charges and you should get a copy at the time of signing.

Watch out for:

Be sure the contract covers everything you want and is priced as agreed.

Be sure the contract covers all extra work and is properly priced, specific and is all that the salesperson promised.

Be sure you are not agreeing to pay for anything you do not want.

Read every line before you sign. Be sure to read the fine print and be sure it doesn't take away rights you were told or thought were yours.

Check out companies and comparison shop before signing anything.

Your signature binds you to a contract. After signing a contract, if you don't keep your agreement, the other party may take action against you. You have the right to cancel IF you can prove the contract is illegal or was induced by misrepresentation or fraud. Generally, if you break a contract after the allotted time on the contract, you probably forfeit your right to your deposit, too.

Nothing is "free" when you agree to pay for it in your contract.

Don't sign unless you can and intend to do what you agree to do.

Don't sign because of any verbal promise that the contract can be canceled later or because you were verbally promised something you didn't receive.

Any complaint against the seller doesn't relieve you of your obligation to pay the finance company or bank----unless there is a specific law addressing your issue.

Examine your contract for any provisions regarding cancellation. This action is particularly important when the contract was signed in your home or at some place other than the normal place of business for the seller.

Read every sales agreement before you sign it to save yourself from paying for things you do not receive by reading every sales, service or work agreement before you sign. Every such paper you sign is probably a contract. It usually binds both you and the seller to do certain things. Contracts can be long or short, but don't have to look legal to be binding. Because most contracts are written to protect the seller, watch to see that the contract also protects you!

You and the seller aren't bound by anything that is not in the contract. Be sure that the contract tells what the seller will do for you, as well as what you are to do.

If something in the contract doesn't apply to you, cross it out. If the seller will not accept it that way, you don't have to sign. Sometimes salespeople will tell you "that's only there for special conditions", or "pay no attention to that because we never enforce it" or "this clause doesn't apply to you". Don't accept it. The paper you sign is what counts!

Never sign a blank document where the work to be done or the merchandise to be purchased or the price and terms of the product or service are blank and will be filled in later. It's like signing a blank check. Always make sure you get an exact copy of any contract or agreement you sign.

The Ultimate Consumer Resource Guide

Energy

Electricity

Understanding Your Electric Bill

Getting Assistance With Your Electricity Bill

California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE)

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

HEAP Contact Info

Medical Baseline Allowance

Energy Efficiency & Alternatives

Energy Conservation Guide

19 Quick Energy Saving Tips

Available Rebates

Appliances

Dishwasher - Energy Factor of 0.62 - 0.67 Tier I - $30 [21] *

Dishwasher - Energy Factor of 0.68 or greater Tier II - $50 [21] *

Refrigerator - ENERGY STAR-qualified - $50 [22]

Room Air Conditioner - ENERGY STAR-qualified - $50 [23] * not all ENERGY STAR-labeled dishwasher units will qualify for a rebate

Home Improvements

Attic and Wall Insulation - $0.15 sq/ft [24]

Gas Water Heaters - 30-gallon minimum, minimum Energy Factor of 0.62 - $30 [25]

Electric Water Heater - 30-gallon minimum, minimum Energy Factor of 0.93- $30 [25]

Pools

Single Speed Pool Pumps and Motors - $30 [26]

Two Speed Pool Pumps and Motors with Automatic Controller - $100 [27] **

Pool Time Clock Reset - $25 per pool [28]

** Automatic Controller [29] required for two-speed units

Energy Audits

Energy Efficient Mortgages and Financiers

Mortgages and Financiers

Heating and Cooling

Large Appliances

Lighting

Renewables

Solar-Powered Products

Solar Water Heating

Solar Water Heater Manufacturers Certified by SRCC

Consumer Guide to Solar Water Heating

Photovoltaics

Local Solar Installers

Wind Generators

Local San Diego/Southern California Wind Generator Installers

Net Metering

Renewable Rebates - California's Emerging Renewables Energy Program Rebates

California Solar Rights Act and Solar Shade Control Act

Other Resources

San Diego Cool Zones

Small Appliances

Kilowatt Calculator

Water Heating

Weatherization

Windows

Energy Saving Vinyl Windows

Telecommunications

Emergency wireless safety tip: keep an 'in case of emergency' (I.C.E) contact in your cell phone

Form Demand Letters

Free 411 Directory Assistance

Free Products and Services for the Impaired

How To Check Your Cell Phone Minutes and Account Balance

How to Cancel Your Cell Phone Contract

"Material Adverse" Clauses in Cell Phone Contracts

Sample Script to Cancel Your Cell Phone Contract

Cell Phone Activation Fees

AUDIO: How to cancel your cell phone contract interview with Art Neill on KNX 1070

Cell Phone Termination Fees

Mobile Phone Plan Checker - Buying a Cell Phone

Mobile Phone Plan Checker Request Form

Portability of cell phone and landline numbers

Pre-Paid Wireless Phone Service

Prepaid Mobile Phone Comparison Chart

Prepaid Calling Cards

Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison Chart

Requirements for Universal Lifeline Telephone Service/California Lifeline

For the rest of the discounts, go to http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/lifelinedetails.htm#discounts

California LifeLine Call Center if Company Cannot Answer Your Questions:

California LifeLine Administrator

CPUC's Consumer Affairs Branch

Funding Source & Administration:

Other links:

Forms, Apply Online, and Frequently Asked Questions

Room Air Conditioner - ENERGY STAR-qualified - $50 [23]
* not all ENERGY STAR-labeled dishwasher units will qualify for a rebate