If you are going to travel for long time then you are going to get ripped off, no ifs, ands or buts about it. It is just a question of time. Typically it will happen the moment you land when you get into your first taxi. It might not be for weeks or months, you might even think that you’ve enough experience and are wise enough to see through any scam, but your guard can’t be up all the time. Your time will come too. It probably won’t be for a lot of money, but the anger you will feel at being taken for a sucker will stay with you forever – or so it seems.

When we talk about getting ripped off we are not talking about being over charged for a product or service. Being charged 20% or even 50% more than the locals is something to be expected when you don’t know what the market price is. What we are talking about is being played like a fool – it is not the amount of money that matters (at least most of the time). Being charged for something that doesn’t materialise, paying ten times the real price, giving to a fake charity – that’s being ripped off.

Rule number one – never be rushed. If there is one thing that con and rip off artists know, it is that if their prey is given enough time they will see through their scam. That’s why it is normally just minutes after you have been ripped off that you cop onto it. Always take your time with your decisions, there is rarely a need hand over money that instant, regardless of how frantic the person you are talking to is. In the developing world nothing ever happens in a hurry anyway, relax, take your time, hours or even days if needs be.

Rule number two – do what the local people do. This is a good general rule when it comes to just about anything. From food to clothes, you are just about always better off and safer doing what the locals do rather than going to somewhere that caters for travellers. When it comes to rip-offs, if a bus conductor is asking you for money but not asking any of the locals, then it is a rip off. Bear in mind though that some places, like India, have a rip off culture and the locals get ripped as well.

Rule number three – this one may seem a little harsh, but don’t believe anyone until the evidence strongly weighs in on their side. If a taxi driver tells you that your hotel has burnt down in a fire, don’t believe him. Insist on going to see the smoking wreckage for yourself.

Rule number four – be informed. It is very difficult to rip someone off who knows what the real price of something should be. Before arriving somewhere ask other travellers what they paid for various services. Ask your hotel for the correct taxi fares to places etc. Don’t be surprised or put out if you can’t negotiate the price down to what the locals pay. As long as you’re in roughly the same ballpark you’re doing ok.

What follows are accounts of the four times to date (18/8/02) that we have been ripped off.

Rip Off 1
Amount – $12
Where – Delhi International Airport, India
When – The first day of our trip
Artist – Prepaid taxi company
Description – Delhi international airport is infamous for its taxi scams. Flights from Europe and the US invariably arrive at 2am and everyone is tired and in a strange country. Easy prey for con artists. We were forewarned and had arranged with our hotel to send a car to pick us up. The car never turned up. So we went to a pre-paid taxi stand reckoning that we stood a better chance with them then we did with a taxi driver off the rank. The fare that we ended up paying was three times what it should have been.

What we did wrong – We were not informed, we should have known what the correct fare was (300R). Also we were not alert enough having just finished 14 hours of travel.

Rip off Two
Amount – $2
Where – In a good neighbourhood in Delhi
When – Two months later, we had just returned to India from Nepal
Artists – A group of students
Description – Given the amount of money involved a lot of you will probably think this shouldn’t get a mention. However, it is this rip-off that bugs me the most and rarely does a week go past without me reliving it. We were walking to a restaurant, when suddenly 4 or 5 well-dressed, clean-cut students approached us. From this instant the whole thing smelt of rip-off. They immediately split us up, showed us fake charity IDs and before 30 seconds had passed had $2 off us. 1 second later we copped onto the scam but it was too late.

What we did wrong – We were rushed. Also there were plenty of Indian people on the street, in a rich part of town. Why weren’t they being targeted for a local charity?

Rip off Three
Amount – $0
Where – Ferry from Malaysia to Dumai, Indonesia
When – 5 months into our trip
Artist - Money exchange cashier
Description – We had exchanged the majority of our Malaysian money already, but we still had a few small notes and coins. We didn’t think that we would be able to change them anywhere else so we decided to change them on the ferry, even though we knew the rate wasn’t going to be the best. I handed over about $10 worth of notes and coins and was given a bunch of notes in return. There is about 8,700 Rupiah to the dollar and I stupidly hadn’t done the math, but it didn’t look right. When I motioned that I was expecting more, he smiled disarmingly and nodded that it was correct. I sat down and he disappeared. I did the sums and realised I’d been given about half of what I should have been. Since he was in ship’s uniform I wasn’t going to let this pass. After we docked and the bulk of the passengers disembarked I went to the captain to complain and got enough of my money back to save face.

What I did wrong – I didn’t do the maths. I knew the rate and should have calculated how much money to expect.

Rip off Four
Amount – $5
Where – Probolinggo, Indonesia
When – 6 months into our trip
Artist – Bus ticketing agent
Description – At this stage into our trip you would think that we had enough experience to spot any scams but we were tired and our defences were down – that morning we had been awoken at 3 am to see the sunrise at Mt Bromo. We got on the bus to Bondowoso in Probolinggo, ignoring all the touts and agents trying to sell us inflated tickets. When we got on the bus, the bus conductor came to us for the fare. He was asking for 25,000 Rupiah, when we though that the fare should be about 5,000. It smelt of rip off, we reckoned it was a rip off, but he was on the bus and had proper tickets and we duly paid him. Only when the bus departed did the actual conductor board.

What we did wrong – We were rushed. Also the conductor only asked us for the fare, none of the locals. We should have waited for someone else to pay and followed suit.

As your life changes, your transportation needs change. When you were single that two door sport coupe was perfect for you and your girlfriend. But now you are married and your baby just turned 4, so it is time for a new vehicle. Or, perhaps the vehicle you had is just on its last leg and is headed for the garbage heap. It happens to everyone, so we all must eventually become acquainted with the techniques of shopping for a car. It can be a daunting task.

We know that retailers get their vehicles at wholesale so that they can sell for a profit. We know that they often try to slip in extras that we may not need in order to boost up the price, and they are also offering their salespeople special incentives to make money. The trick to car buying is to somehow come out, as a consumer, with a little bit better deal than if we just walked in and paid whatever the salesperson wants us to pay. There is a little room for bargaining, and we all need to learn how to use that room.

Smart consumers take the time to learn the tricks of vehicle buying and selling, so that they are prepared for the onslaught of the talented car dealer. They speak their own language, so you need to tap into that lingo, learn it for yourself, and use it to talk the salesperson into a better deal for you and your family. Where can you go to learn that language? Is it better just to try and find a good friend to go with you, someone who knows a lot about cars?

While it often helps sometimes simply to bring a strong willed friend with you to the car dealership, here is a guide that you can read beforehand and bring along with you as well, it’s kind of like the armor you put on before heading into the arena.

Our guide will help you to learn how to spot scams from salespersons, what the best time of the year is to purchase a vehicle, how to get a good buying price, how to finance your automobile, and how to negotiate the opening price. Reading through this guide will give you the tools necessary to talk confidently about your purchase with the salespeople at the car dealership, and give you a better chance of getting a car that will meet your needs without crashing your budget.

So many people are turned off by talking to car dealers, but it is important to remember that they are simply trying to make a living just like you are. Buying a car does not have to be intimidating or unpleasant. This guide will show you how to avoid unpleasant problems, and show you how to have a little fun while you shop.

Buying used car always seems a practical activity for buyers. That is because basically, used cars costs less. The discounts you may generate from preferring to buy second hand vehicles may be too significant or may be half, or more, than the actual tag prices of new auto purchases. One important factor you should always look out for when buying vehicles is car warranty.

There are numerous used car warranty programs that are offered to the market. In the end, you, as the buyer, should bear the sole responsibility of choosing and living it out with the used car warranty program of your choice.

Here are several practical and truly helpful guidelines that would definitely help you carry out your intention to avoid scams and other inconveniences when finding and buying any used car warranty programs.

• You do not have to necessarily buy a used car warranty from your used car dealer. Of course, your dealer definitely is selling and offering such warranty programs. Be always reminded that in laws, nothing binds you to buy used car warranty from the same used car dealer. You would always have the privilege and right to decide for yourself whether you would buy the warranty from the dealer.

• Look at the used car warranty programs offered by other warranty sources. As mentioned, you do not need to get the used car warranty offering from the car dealer, as such programs usually are less attractive when compared to those offered by third parties.

• When finding for good used car warranty programs, try to make a thorough search across several media and venues. You can ask for recommendations and advice from friends and experts or you can ask the dealer for any recommendations and referrals.

• A normal and extended used car warranty program usually covers all the necessary and working parts of your vehicle but only through a fixed-time duration. Some warranties may offer a 30-day coverage, while others may offer mileage terms, say about 1,000 miles.

• Some used car warranty offerings may basically cover several specific components, but not all. Some warranty plans are basically more comprehensive in nature, which are more expensive, while others are very basic but may be more affordable.

• Choose used car warranty programs that may offer and include Roadside Assistance. This service would enable you to seek immediate help and assistance whenever your newly purchased used vehicle gets into trouble any time, anywhere. However, remember that the more extensive the coverage of your used car warranty gets, the more expensive it becomes.

• Comparison shop. Just like in practical shopping, it is wise to do a little research first before taking actual transactions. Try to secure quotes from numerous used car warranty providers before deciding which product and from which company to buy. This is the most practical and helpful advice experts usually offer used car buyers who are looking for the most appropriate used car warranty programs.

Overall, nothing still can beat the power and helpfulness of doing your homework prior to taking or buying any used car warranty programs. Some used car dealers may already include the warranty in the used car package, while others may not.

Before finally signing in and buying any used car warranty scheme, it is most practical and advisable if you would first read and understand the terms and conditions stipulated in the business contract.

Most car sales professionals are honest, hard-working people with a job to do. Unfortunately there are a few who fit the bill of the “stereotypical” car salesman and will do everything they can to sell you a car. If you apply for finance through the dealer, this just gives the car salesman another tool to use against you as leverage. Instead, walk onto the lot with online auto loan quotes in your hand and you may be surprised at the difference in how you are treated.

Credit Report Shenanigans

Of course you would never shop for cars without pulling your own credit report, right? Well some people do and that gives the dealer a chance to tell stories.

They’ll tell you how you have a terrible credit score and then act like they are doing you a favor by giving you a loan at all. Of course they will have to charge you a higher APR and possibly additional fees for the terrible risk they are taking.

Understand that they will tell you this even if your credit score is perfectly fine.

Your Loan was Rejected

You sign papers and drive off, thinking you own a new car. Then a couple of weeks later, the dealer says the financing fell through and you have to come back in. They’ll hit you with higher payments, refinancing fees, and all kinds of other nonsense.

Unless you lied on your application, the dealer knows whether you qualify for the loan or not before he lets you off the lot. Do you really think he’s going to let you drive off in a $25,000 piece of merchandise otherwise?

Applying for a Loan by Accident

Even shoppers armed with online auto quotes aren’t immune to loan scams. The car salesman may tell you that he needs to pull a credit report because of Patriot Act reporting requirements. You might even notice the form you are filling out is titled “Application for Credit.”

The Patriot Act does not require a credit report or your Social Security number so don’t be fooled into applying for dealer financing. Your name and driver’s license number should be all they need.

Lies About Online Car Loans

Some car dealers are so threatened by online auto loan quotes that they will tell you anything to get you to abandon them in favor of dealer financing.

One of the common lies is how all online car loans are scams and their checks will bounce. Yes, there are a few bad apples among online lenders, but they are generally easy to spot. Most companies that offer online auto loans have been in business for years and are just as reputable as your bank or credit union.

The best way to protect yourself against these and other loan-related scams is to get your online auto loan quotes before going to the lot. That way you know what you have qualified for and don’t have to worry about the dealer using your loan against you.

How to avoid Water to Gas Scam

It cant be possible to convert water to gas? Can it? That is why so many people are calling water to gas scam’s.It must be some kind of miracle that you can modify your car to save gas using water no way! Well it is real and it is being done many people are saving 100’s every month using water to gas.It also is a lot better on the environment then everyday gas hogs.

The 2 facts below can help you see the credibility of water to gas technology:

*First and foremost only people that have never tried or never seen it call it a water to gas scam.

*On the other hand the people that are already doing it are saving 100’s every month and have cut there gas bills by much as 70%.

The 2 things above mean that only the ones that have not tried the technology are challenging its verity. The people that used it are not only confident about it but also very happy for using it and found away to put more in there pocket every week.

Technology uses water to release hydrogen gas at a pace that is  controlled and is very safe.The gas is then used in place of gas to generate energy and power the car.The method of using water to improve gas mileage has enhanced effiency and reduced the cost of operating your car by 2 ,in some cases by 3 .

Can you imagine how helpful this water to gas technology can be in saving the planet from an energy crisis? It will prove to be a blessing for this energy-thirsty world. This alternative of making use of water to improve gas mileage will be friendly not only to the earth but also to your pocket. The technology is well-tested and found to be safe and reliable for use with all automobiles. Times have changed and so has technology. The water to gas technology is a revolution in the world of automobiles!

Click Here! to Visit our website for more information on how to modify your car to save gas using water.