Get the safest used car for your family!
If you're shopping around for a "pre-owned" car, be sure to ask the seller to show you a report from carfax.com, which provides details about past accidents, car troubles, number of owners, mileage and more! Most dealers have a subscription for unlimited reports, and many individual sellers will gladly chalk up the $30 US one-time fee to provide one.
Bought a lemon?
"I bought a new car last year, but it's been PLAGUED BY PROBLEMS. And even though it's still under warranty, my dealer is BALKING AT MAKING FURTHER REPAIRS. What should I do?"
If you think you've bought a lemon and your dealer has soured on covering repair bills, don't despair. The best way to settle this stalemate is through the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP). Available in every province, CAMVAP is an arbitration program that allows consumers to resolve disputes about car defects or new vehicle warranties. Your case will come before an independent arbitrator who will review the facts and then make a ruling - either for you or for the car dealer/manufacturer. Your role is to use relevant documents (invoices, letters, service records, bills, work orders) to convince the arbitrator that you're in the right. And take heart - the majority of decisions end up in favour of the consumer. Usually, a ruling will force the dealer to either repair the vehicle or buy it back at a fair price. The whole process is fair, fast (usually within 70 days), free (no legal bills!) and all decisions are final. Visit camvap.ca for full details!
***** While the CAMVAP website is only available in English and French, a brief introduction is offered in several languages such as Spanish, Punjabi, Italian, Korean, Russian, Urdu, Tamil, Portuguese, Polish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and more.
FixYa - is a place for all your product needs, from helping you decide on the best products to buy, to getting personal tech support and how-to guides and manuals on over 1 million electronics, cars and consumer products, and a directory to connect you with local professional repair pros.
Technical Support, Manuals, Troubleshooting and Product Recommendations
Do you wish Mapquest and Google Maps could show multiple destinations on the same map?
This site saves you time and money by optimizing complex driving routes. Their logistics algorithms find the quickest route or the shortest route for you.
Optimized driving directions between multiple destinations in most countries. Just type in where you need to go, what stops you have to make along the way, if any, and for how long - and they'll calculate the rest!
Site Jabber - protecting consumers with Reviews of Websites. SiteJabber is a consumer protection service which helps people avoid fraudulent websites and find ones they will love.
What can SiteJabber do for me?
•Research online businesses or websites before you use them. Try searching reviews.
•Review your favorite or least favorite online businesses and websites. Try reviewing a website.
•Read tips for consumers on evaluating sites and reporting fraud.
GasBuddy.com - GasBuddy.com is a group of local website which offers an online method for website visitors to post and view recent retail gasoline prices.
Operated by GasBuddy Organization Inc., one of the few things that are as volatile and unpredictable as the weather is gasoline prices. With constantly rising fuel prices it has become important that consumers are able to identify the lowest priced fuel when filling up their vehicles.
GasBuddy Organization was founded by Dustin Coupal and Jason Toews as a collection of local websites designed to serve the public with everything needed for consumers to easily and freely share gas-pricing information. With the release of the first GasBuddy Organization Inc. website in June 2000 a monumental change began in the way that people shop for gasoline. Thousands of people have been regularly visiting GasBuddy Inc. websites where they post gas prices and identify the lowest priced fuel in their area - helping everyone to save money at the pumps.
Fuelly - Fuelly is a site that tracks your gas mileage over time, helping you save fuel and expenses as you drive.
Fuelly was built by Matt and Paul in a little over two weeks during July 2008. The idea started with building a MPG history calculator app, but making it web-based and multi-user so you could compare cars and drivers across the system.
SNAG SUPPLIES FOR SUPER-CHEAP. Save half off - or more! - on all the materials you need by simply shoping at a Habitat ReStore. Run by Habitat for Humanity, the shops sell used and surplus donated goods for a fraction of the price. The deals are so great, even contractors shop there! Find the one closest to you at Habitat.org.
LOAD UP ON GROCERY COUPONS!
Expert supermarket owners know you're short on time, so they've developed and easier than ever way for you to cash in on coupon savings: Download them directly to your grocery-store loyalty cards! When you go shopping, simply hand your card to the checkout clerk and the discounts will be applied automatically! To start saving: Find these electronic-coupons at the websites of your favorite supermarkets as well as shortcuts.com.
CUT CAR INSURANCE COSTS!
Find the best rate without any work!
consumersearch.com - Wanna know if a certain washing machine is worth the money? What about a digital camera? This site features more than 50 writers – some of them formerly of Consumer Reports – who review everything from electric toothbrushes to blow-dryers to computer software, so you can shop as an informed customer.
hometips.com - Got a leaky faucet? What about a broken washing machine? This site features tips that’ll help you fix many common around-the-house troubles. And if you don’t want to take a stab at being Mr. – or Ms. – Fix It, the site also features tips for hiring a contractor.
HomeTips provides on-line help to homeowners and produces home-improvement books, web content, and related material for businesses.
HomeTips.com was started in a tree house in 1996 by home-improvement author Don Vandervort. "In the early years, the Web site was little more than an electronic business card for my writing work," says Vandervort, who converted a kid's clubhouse into an office that he used for writing home-improvement books. Now, a decade later, HomeTips is thriving with more than 800,000 visitors each month--and it has moved to more conventional offices in Glendale, California. Today, HomeTips.com is rated one of the Web's top home-improvement sites.
whatsthatbug.com - Got something creepy and crawly in your home or yard? This site helps you figure out what it is! Simply head to the website, and click on the links to figure out what type is making you squirm, and whether or not it’s dangerous. Can’t find the bug on the website? You can e-mail a picture to the people who run the site, and they’ll try and figure it out for you.
howtocleananything.com - This website features tips on how to clean everything from the leather interior in your car to the grips on your golf clubs! You can also find reviews on new cleaning products, and advice on how to clean specific stains – like mold and rust, and water stains.
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HOME AND AUTO
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USEFUL LINKS - Home and Auto Page(s) was last updated: May 14, 2011
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TO FIND APPLIANCE REBATES...
Before shopping for an energy-efficient appliance, click on "Rebate Finder" to find out which Energy Star products come with a rebate and/or pay you to recycle your old appliance.ck here to add text.
TIP!
Find out what other drivers think of an insurer before you sign up! Go to NAIC.org to access your state's insurance department website to see any complaints that can help you avoid hassles!
Hate the hassle of calling around to get quotes for diferent auto insurers? Go through an independent agent who is licensed to sell insurance from multiple companies. Look for one who's certified by Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIABA.net) or Professional Insurance Agents (Pianet.com). The agents typically earn a commission from the insurer for signing you up - that means they're motivated to get you the deal you want!
