Shopping & Services

Making doctors bid for your health care

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Monday, October 31st, 2011, 10:53am

Get ready. It's going to happen.

You're going to require a medical procedure that -- surprise -- your insurance doesn't cover.

Consumer advocate, CNN and radio show host Clark Howard suggested you should register at the free site PriceDoc.com and get doctors to bid for your business.

"Health-care professionals offer lower-than-normal prices through this site to bring in new clients," said Howard, as told to consumer resource Bottom Line Personal magazine.

Howard said PriceDoc.com is most helpful with dental and cosmetic procedures. He said it's not unreasonable to expect discounts of 25 percent to 30 percent or more.

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Getting out of your cell phone contract

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Monday, October 24th, 2011, 1:47pm

Before I share this information, let me say I'm big into honoring contracts.

I'm big into both the company and the consumer honoring a contract. Two-way street, my friend.

A smart phone upgrade, like the release of the iPhone 4S, is not a legitimate excuse for breaking a cell phone contract.

However, USell.com (www.usell.com), a site that enables consumers to sell their gadgets for cash or trade-in value, offered these suggestions for getting out of a cell phone contract:

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5 ways to shop smarter

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011, 12:01pm

Smart sites, smart phones and smart choices support Consumer Reports' ShopSmart ;) magazine's latest tricks to scoring the best values.

Led by Editor In Chief Lisa Lee Freeman, the magazine's editors suggested these five ways to "shop smarter" in its October issue:

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Fall children's clothing sale this weekend

Submitted by Tammy Phillips on Thursday, August 25th, 11:16 am

Parents will find big deals on gently used children's clothing and other items this weekend at the Highland Children's Clothing Sale. The sale offers boys and girls dress clothes, play clothes, pajamas, coats and jackets. The clothes are offered at 1/3 to 1/4 the item's original price. This year's sale will include items from Baby Gap, Gymboree and other name brand stores. You can even find smocked dresses for less than $15.

Parents will also be able to purchase nursery furniture, strollers, high chairs, baby swings and toys. Sale organizers only accept items in great condition, so the deals are there for the taking.

The sale takes place inside the Highland Church of Christ at 400 North Houston Levee Road. Doors opens to the public Friday, August 26th from 9am-6pm. Parking is free.

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Beware retail credit card offers during sales tax holiday

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Thursday, August 4th, 2011, 12:31pm

Go ahead! Save a bundle this weekend on clothes, school supplies and computers when Tennessee drops its sales tax on those items from August 5 through August 7.

But Thomas Nitzsche of ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions warned shoppers should shy away from that smiling retail employee who approaches you with a clipboard, offering the store's credit card with discounts for signing up.

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2011 Business Expo Scheduled for Saturday, August 6th

Submitted by Brent Green

Friday, July 29th, 2011, 8:17pm

2011 Business Expo Scheduled for Saturday, August 6th

The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2011 Lakeland Business Expo on Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. headquartered at the Bridge - Lakeland Outlet Mall Annex (3570 Canada Rd., Suite 106). Area businesses that are open on Saturday will be participating and businesses normally closed on Saturday plus home-based businesses will have booths set up at the Headquarters.

Those who attend will receive a free Shop Lakeland Card as well as an entry form for the Grand Prize Drawing from each business they visit. The Shop Lakeland Card entitles the bearer to incentives and discounts at participating area businesses. The Grand Prize is an iPad2 valued at $499. Entries must be turned in at the Bridge by 3:55 p.m. on August 6, 2011. The more participating businesses that attendees visit, the more chances they will have to win the Grand Prize.

The event is free and open to the public.

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To keep or kill, your landline phone

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011, 1:52pm

The landline phone just made the same list as the Trout Cod, the Maccoa Duck and the Altai Weasel.

The endangered species list.

In the age of unlimited long distance, texting and messaging cell plans, the landline's on life support.

Yet Josh Elledge, Chief Executive "Angel" of SavingsAngel.com, said there's an argument for keeping your landline. Actually, four:

* GREATER RELIABILITY. "Particularly if your cell phone doesn’t get great coverage at home," said Elledge. "The argument can be made for either side regarding reliability in a power outage. Personally, my home phones are cordless - so a power outage would leave me unable to use them unless plugged into to a generator - or battery backup. Still, many people believe that non-powered landline phones are the most reliable method of phone communication."

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