Insisting That You Only Take Your Car Back To The Dealer For Service/Repair: Unless you need an "immediate" repair, most mechanics are fully capable of fixing any make or model vehicle. Most will accept warranties, recalls and post-warranty repairs covered under the manufacturer's good-will program. Dealer service can be quite pricey, and is only really necessary if you aren't willing to wait for a mechanic to order and receive a hard-to-find part.
Insist On Generic Maintenance Not Recommended By The Manufacturer: Check your owner's manual for a listing of scheduled maintenance items your new vehicle needs, and watch out for any mechanic who insists on other add-ons to "keep your car in tip-top shape." The manufacturer who's actually made the car wants it to remain in great shape so you'll buy your next vehicle from them, so they'll be sure to list every service your car needs to stay in good repair, and a list of suggested maintenance times.
Getting It Wrong The First Time: Some mechanics called "parts replacers," are experts at replacing one thing, only to discover that it was really another - more expensive - problem later. Sure, sometimes a mechanic gets it wrong, but when he does, make him justify why he missed the target and why he's sure he's right this time around. A reputable shop should offer either a refund or discount on the misdiagnosed repair.
Insisting That Some Cars Go Through Parts More Quickly Than Others: If a newer part fails more quickly than it should, it may be the mechanics fault. He could have installed it incorrectly or used a damaged part. Sure, this can happen once in awhile, but if you notice a pattern, it may be time to find a new mechanic. Always insist on a refund and/or discount for the new work, when a part fails soon after being installed.
Insisting That They're Worth More: It is true that top-flight parts may cost a bit more, but a mechanic who regularly charges 20 to 30 percent more for his repairs, may be overpriced. Periodically check around town to see what other garages charge for basic repairs, and be leery of those who charge much more.
There are may legitimate contests but hidden among them are sponsors who only care about making a quick buck. They care little about writing or authors.
They exist solely for profit through so-called writing or poetry contests. Many times you'll find these "free" poetry contests advertised in your local newspaper. Before you consider entering any free on-line literary or writing contest, do yourself a favor. Inform yourself about these unscrupulous people and study how they operate so that you can avoid being one of their next victims.
Prospective victims are sent flattering letters, saying that they are great poets and that the panel of judges' or ?sectional committee' strongly believes their submission is worth publishing.
The scammers may even go so far as to state that you have been nominated for the 'Poet of the Year'.
They will attempt to appear legitimate by quoting credible sources and previous "winners" of their international contests.
Q. How do you know if a contest is actually a poetry scam?
A. A contest is a poetry scam if you must buy one or more copies of the book in which you will be published.
Here are some indicators that you may be onto a poetry scam.
Everybody Wins!
The scams have as many winners as they can get their hooks on. They make money by publishing books of poetry that are bought almost exclusively by the "lucky winners". In other words, they publish YOU because they expect you to buy copies of the book. These books contain many hundreds of poems in them. This way they can charge as many people as possible. Besides the book, they may offer to publish your poetry on a plaque, an audio CD or even a web site... for a fee of course.
Huge Prize Offers!
Big prizes are a warning sign that should make you suspicious. If you can win thousands of dollars or more, chances are that you'll shell out more money than you'll be getting.
Reading and Entry Fees
Many contests make money by charging you to enter or charging to read your poems. DANGER WILL ROBINSON! These are contests you should be very cautious about entering. Contests that charge an entry fee are either funding the prizes with the fee or funding the prizes and pocketing the difference. Either way, it's not a good deal for you. Legitimate poetry contests generally have small prizes and no fees. Honest contests usually bear no cost to the entrant since you would then be paying to compete with others.
Travel
While it's flattering to be asked to read your poetry in front of a gathering of fellow poets, be careful if a contest selects you as a "winner" and then tries to sell you a trip to a gathering of poets or writers. If it's going to cost you several hundred dollars out of pocket, and they're the ones getting the money, then you're probably being scammed.
Classes
One of the all time favorite scams is that you will be selected for special poetry writing classes. You're told that your poems a very good but you need some fine tuning to become a better writer before being published. Then they try to enroll you in "special" classes conducted by one of their teachers. There's nothing wrong with you taking poetry classes to improve your skills, but it is misleading to disguise advertisements for classes as a legitimate poetry contest.
For novices and those trying to make a living by writing, poetry scams are a disappointment to say the least. Don't let poetry scammers squash your dreams.
Both Matthew Hick & Steve Bralovich are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.