Customer Reviews

Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed, and How You Can Always Get a Fair Deal

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bob Sullivan is on a mission to educate Americans and change the way we view and spend our money. He genuinely writes to help people; in this case, help people realistically improve their financial situation simply by using the money they already have in smarter, more creative ways.

He writes as if he has an established relationship with his readers. (He does.) He made me come face to face with my own quirky habit of sloughing off responsibility for paying attention to the little numbers. As he explores throughout the entire book, it's those little numbers that add up, ultimately creating opportunity for the long term financial stability that many Americans crave these days.

But he does more than just point out the little numbers and why they are important. He actually takes it further and explains the system, and then how we as consumers can use that knowledge of how the system works to move our money smartly and avoid paying unnecessary fees. There is in-depth explanation of how recent changes in the banking system throw some of our conventional thinking about credit cards, checking accounts and ATM transactions upside down, and what we can do as account holders to maximize our benefits and eliminate financial penalties. As a consumer, I can refer back or skip ahead to different sections of the book as/when needed for specific tips on buying a car, shopping for a mortgage, paying for college, negotiating cable TV and cell phone service companies, whatever is most relevant to my daily life that will translate to long-term financial health.

My guess is that I will easily pocket the cost of this book time and again simply as a result of being educated by it and knowing I have the option to go back and refer to it as needed.

In Stop Getting Ripped Off, Sullivan provides an outstanding, step-by-step guide that average consumers can follow to take back control of their financial lives. The economic turbulence of recent years has shown that when it comes to finances, Americans need to vastly improve their decision-making. In Part I of the book, many of the root causes of poor financial decisions are identified. Included in this list are: the failure of Americans to understand basic math, the failure of our education system to teach financial literacy, and our collective failure to recognize and avoid the kinds of irrational economic decisions that have been well-documented by behavioral economists. This makes for fascinating reading, because I don't think consumers fully realize, just how much their lack of knowledge on many of these issues is costing them in the marketplace.

In Part II, Sullivan takes consumers step-by-step through the most important financial decisions that they make, such as buying a house, buying a car, choosing a credit card, or a student loan. This section is packed with money-saving tips and practical advice. Some of his adages are counterintuitive, but upon reflection highly accurate. For example, when buying a home, the mortgage is more important than the actual house. Accordingly, homebuyers should spend more time shopping for mortgages than they do homes. Other advice includes: students should not borrow more to go to college than they can expect to earn during their first year of employment; and responsible credit card users hurt their credit score by holding too few credit cards.

Part III is comprehensive plan for securing your financial future. As Sullivan explains, the surest way to avoid getting ripped off is to have the ability to say no to any offer. Consumers with precarious finances are the ones offered loans with the most unfavorable terms. A consumer with a solid financial footing is in a position to walk away from many of the unfair, and deceptive offers Sullivan exposes.

This book is a call to save our system of free-market capitalism that has been endangered by recent events. A choice-based economic system, like a choice-based political system, needs an informed, enlightened, and engaged citizenry to function. I highly recommend this book. I hope it will be widely read, and lead to positive and permanent changes in consumer behaviors.

So far, the areas that I needed help with have been EXTREMELY enlightening with excellent suggestions/ideas/considerations. This is an excellent resource book for the confused consumer!!

Understanding the Cell Phone dilema was especially helpful! Satellite vs Cable TV will be my next focus. Suggestions regarding how to deal with vehicle purchases didn't have any new insights (for us), but OTHER mysteries have been unraveled.

As various contracts (especially) come up for renewal, I plan to use this book as my guide to better understanding and the opportunity to negotiate a more positive relationship with service providers.

A TIMELY BOOK!

I was in the process of buying a car when a friend/co-worker pointed out this book to me which I immediately purchased from Amazon. Come to find out that this book paid for itself many times over when I did finally purchase a car which had the incorrect sales tax added in which I picked up on because of this book. Lots of good helpful hints which everyone can use!

Bob Sullivan (no relation) manages to take what one would expect to be a boring topic and makes it not only a good read, but a fascinating page turner.

I consider myself to be pretty financially savvy, but learned several new, practical tips in his chapters on managing retirement funds, credit cards, and purchasing a cell phone plan. Bob also includes additional chapters on topics such as purchasing a house, student loans, purchasing cable, and a few other things I'm forgetting at the moment.

However, even if you know everything about all of the above topics, the book is still a must-read for his opening discussion of how and why corporations are able to "rip people off" and the appalling financial illiteracy of the US population.

While I did check this book out from the library I would actually recommend purchasing it as it will come in handy as a reference book for many future purchases.

Excellent information and practical advice on how to get a fair deal, particularly when car shopping. Well written in simple language. Especially useful in the current economy.

If you're considering consumer advocate Bob Sullivan's book STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF: WHY CONSUMERS GET SCREWED, AND HOW YOU CAN ALWAYS GET A FAIR DEAL, you may have several Ralph Nader volumes, or perhaps you subscribe to CONSUMER REPORTS magazine. But you understand even Mr. Nader and Consumers Union can't do everything for us. STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF is one of those books you want at your fingertips, as opposed to one you borrow from the library or a friend and after returning it never view again. You'll pick it up from time to time even if you're a careful shopper, just like the best baseball hitters still take batting practice.

But if you've never been the type to compare by unit price, while STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF is a phrase that speaks to you the book's first passage softens the blow it delivers with the title, "Why Consumers Get Screwed," as if author Sullivan figured "Why You Get Screwed" might be too harsh for those at the math and reading levels he addresses. You may cringe if you're among the 71% of people who can't figure out how many miles per gallon your car gets. However, STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF's second passage, "One Deal At A Time," is your starting point to make up for lost opportunity with blow-by-blow approaches to getting more for your money on:

- checking accounts

- automobiles

- homes

- cell phones

- pay television

- student loans

- insurance

In its final passage, "How to Pitfall-Proof Your Finances," STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF walks you through getting a six-month rainy day fund in order and, after that, putting your dollars to work cents-ably.

Its nuts-and-bolts approach to consumer topics it covers makes STOP GETTING RIPPED worth owning. But also valuable is author Bob Sullivan's overall reminder to be less passive, more active consumer. For example, with Sullivan's message in mind, I was more careful to read the paperwork on a used car I bought, not signing the passage that said I would agree to arbitration should I have a dispute. Before this book, I might have signed and initialed without thinking about it.

Buy STOP GETTING RIPPED OFF.

Bob Sullivan takes a great approach to managing finances by informing where the not-so-obvious pitfalls lie in managing your finances. Good stuff!

Simply a good book. read it or get the audio and do what it says and you are on the road to a better financial future. I saved about $1,200 with 5 hours of work.

Although I haven't finished the book quite yet and I am already quite suspicious of the marketing used in this country I still find it to be enlightening and insightful!