Financial safety
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Ignore offers to pay with a check sent in advance when selling items online.
The check is likely invalid, and you will not find out until a week later.
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Use self-checkout to personally verify prices, coupons, and item counts before paying; call for assistance if errors appear.
You can watch how items are priced, see coupon entries, and confirm each price as you scan.
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- Watch the self-checkout screen closely to ensure all discounts and coupons are applied before paying.1
- Use self-checkout to verify that items are not scanned twice.1
- At self-checkout, hit 'pay now' after ringing up a complex item to verify coupon application, then cancel to continue shopping if needed.1
Avoid relying solely on Amex in rural areas or small towns.
Acceptance is low in these areas, and merchants may view it negatively due to higher processing fees and slower payment processing times.
- Amex works well in big cities.
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Ask for the caller's ID number and direct phone line, then hang up to verify their legitimacy by calling the official IRS taxpayer hotline.
Phone numbers can be faked.
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Take as many photos as possible (up to 24) for sale listings, including images of details like mileage and any damage.
Photos are key to selling items.
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Check if your bank allows setting travel notifications online via a form or app, which may be more convenient than calling.
Ignore emails from 'The Tax Refund Department' as the IRS does not use this entity name.
The IRS will never email you from 'The Tax Refund Department.'
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Recognize that the Australian Taxation Office does not issue arrest warrants for tax debt.
If you owe money, they sue for a judgment and seize assets instead.
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Do not rely on asking sellers why they are selling used products as a verification method.
The answers given cannot be backed up or verified.
- Some consider this advice useless and ineffective because lies are common.
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Make a copy of the DMV tear-off receipt before sending it in, and keep the receipt until you are sure the transfer is processed.
The DMV often does not acknowledge receipt, and you are trusting them to process it correctly.
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View salespeople using complicated words as a potential red flag for scams.
Complicated language may indicate an attempt to scam you.
- Sometimes it just means the salesperson knows the product well and doesn't realize the terms are complicated to laypeople.
- Sometimes people are educated but lack communication skills to simplify problems.
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Consider getting your own merchant account if you process over $1,000 per month in transactions.
Small quantity or non-commercial transactions are stuck at higher standard rates.
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If you are selling an item that is not difficult to sell, accept a lower cash offer rather than waiting for a check.
Cash provides immediate certainty and avoids the wait for clearance.
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Do not use PayPal's 'Friends & Family' option for purchases.
It offers no buyer protection, making it hard to get money back if product issues arise.
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Do not memorize your Tax File Number to prevent scammers from easily extracting it.
Memorizing the number makes it easier for scammers to get you to blurt it out without looking it up.
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Use a credit card feature that creates temporary card numbers limited to one merchant and a specific amount.
If the merchant is a scam, they cannot charge you more than the specified amount or use your card elsewhere.
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Verify unexpected IRS calls by noting the agent's details and calling the official office back to confirm if a contact was made.
One person called the office back and found a note in their file confirming the call was legitimate.
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Ask salespeople to elaborate on complicated terms to determine if they are bluffing.
You will know immediately if they are full of shit.
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Video record taxi rides, especially the end where you pay and exit.
To prevent drivers from adding unauthorized fees to your hotel bill.
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Avoid services that look too easy and convenient with little paperwork or assurance.
Fraud is prevalent.
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Avoid using Bitcoin for peer-to-peer transactions with untrusted parties.
It lacks reliable escrow solutions and buyer protection.
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If you suspect a scammer is on the line, keep them talking with bogus information to waste their time and potentially prevent them from scamming others.
You'll save someone's grandmother from the scam.
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Monitor your bank and payment accounts closely to detect unauthorized recurring charges.
Many people fail to reconcile their accounts and miss charges for over a year.
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Be skeptical of new payment processors claiming to offer much lower rates.
They cannot bypass underlying network fees.
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Ask around for recommendations to find a fair and honest jeweler when selling gold scrap or gemstones.
Stones are difficult for laymen to price accurately.
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Prefer local, family-owned businesses for honest quotes and quality work over big-name companies with professional presentations.
Local businesses may offer the same quality work for one-third the price compared to big-name companies that spend on marketing.
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Consult a trustworthy expert or forum before buying items with claimed minor repairs to verify the issue and negotiate price.
Background information can help in negotiating the price.
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Avoid buying used phones online due to the high risk of them being blacklisted.
Retail looting has increased, and devices stolen from stores can still be blacklisted by carriers or manufacturers, rendering them useless.
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Call your insurance company to report the vehicle sale and provide transfer information.
This creates a third-party documentation of the event.
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Expect state revenue departments to send a letter before making phone calls regarding registered businesses.
The Washington State Department of Revenue will always send a letter first.
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Find repair people through friends rather than door-to-door salespeople.
Legitimate businesses typically have home addresses and references, whereas door-to-door sellers are often not legitimate.
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Research destination laws and customs before traveling to ensure items or behaviors are legal.
Things considered normal in your home country may be illegal or offensive in the destination country.
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Avoid exploiting price matching or return policies in ways that inconvenience other customers or staff.
Inconveniencing people around you is considered being cheap.
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Do not rely solely on PayPal to cancel subscriptions if the provider continues to charge, as de-authorizing via PayPal may not stop the service and can complicate re-authorization.
De-authorizing through PayPal may result in overdue bills and difficulty re-authorizing payments.
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Verify CITES regulations before transporting wood, shells, animals, or plants across international borders.
It is not always legal to move these items between countries.
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Threaten to switch providers to negotiate lower rates or incentives with your current merchant service.
Current providers are often likely to offer incentives to stay, such as lowering rates or providing free equipment.
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Call customer service immediately to document the issue, then resolve the refund on a future visit.
You can refer to the specific call and representative if needed later.
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Check if your bank allows setting travel notifications online via a form or app, which may be more convenient than calling.
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Contact your cellular provider before traveling internationally to understand roaming charges and options.
To avoid incurring roaming charges.
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Be polite and patient with cashiers when correcting pricing errors.
Photograph shelf price tags for discounted items to present to staff if prices do not match at checkout.
- Some stores do not accept photos and require staff to check the shelf in person.
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Pay close attention to the pricing on the screen before clicking the final checkout button online.
To avoid being burned by sneaky pricing changes at the last step.
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Challenge staff who dismiss small overcharges by noting that they add up over time.
Small differences accumulate; ten instances of a one-dollar error equal the cost of an additional item.
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Compare app prices with shelf tags, as apps often show higher prices than what is displayed on shelves.
App prices are frequently different from and higher than shelf tags.
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Ignore 'you saved' messages at checkout as they rely on artificial price anchoring rather than real discounts.
The higher price was never the actual selling price; the item arrived at the store at the lower price.
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Double-check your receipt at Aldi to catch double-scanned items.
Items are sometimes double-scanned.
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Keep receipts to help with picking up forgotten items or getting refunds for pricing errors on your next visit.
Stores are more likely to allow pickups or refunds if you have a receipt.
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If you forget groceries at the store, call or return with your receipt to retrieve them from customer service.
Stores often write down left-behind items and set them aside for pickup.
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Check receipts for overcharges, such as regular prices on sale items or charges for unscanned goods.
Mistakes are common and can accumulate to significant amounts.
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- Review your grocery receipt while still in the store to identify scanning mistakes or omitted items.4
Report pricing errors to hold stores accountable, as small individual losses accumulate into significant revenue loss for the business.
It addresses ongoing problems and prevents cumulative financial loss for the store.
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Watch the scanner screen closely while items are ringing up to detect double scans or other errors immediately.
Cashiers sometimes double scan items.
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Inspect store scales for obstructions that may cause inaccurate weights.
Physical obstructions can interfere with scale readings.
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Be polite and patient with cashiers when correcting pricing errors.
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Use self-checkout lanes to maintain control over scanning and pricing.
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