Juicy Words

Pay to Play: The Truth About Free Online Music Downloads

Recently a client of mine was very excited to try downloading music after getting high-speed internet. After several searches for unlimited music download services, she came across a site that was ranked #1 among several user review sites. For $14.99 a year, she could get unlimited free downloads to songs, movies, and more! Sound to good to be true?

More and more complaints have been issued against these types of music download service companies. My client was just another statistic in the practice of fraudulent music download services. When she signed in to her account for the first time, she was directed to several articles on how to burn CD’s and websites such as Yahoo and Google where she could “search” for her own “free” music. She was also charged an additional $17.00 for spyware software that she didn’t order.

We contacted the customer service department on behalf of the client. After being on hold a long while, we were forwarded to the manufacturer of the spyware program that she never agreed to ordering. Further investigation provided us with long lists of reports on this and similar websites offering unlimited “free” downloads. They were selling information that anyone could get for free, and the FTC was on to them.

While several cases are pending, there will never be a way to fully rid the cyber-world of these types of fraudulent service providers. What can you do to protect yourself? Here are some basic rules:

1. Do a little research. Check with online review forums that are reputable and well-known. Don’t respond to a pop-up ad or spam. (The user reviews that ranked this particular service provider as #1 were listed on a site owned by the spyware software company, and the reviews were never real.)

2. Remember that songwriters and performers want to get paid for their songs. If a service is offering unlimited downloads to your PC to burn CD’s, these artist are usually not getting paid. Bigger name services allow unlimited download to MP3 players to be used by one listener only. If you see that newest top 40 hit available for free download to your PC, beware. You may be participating in piracy, a crime punishable with jail time or hefty fines.

3. Read the fine print. All reputable service providers should offer a “try it and see” period to test the waters. If a company states that they don’t offer refunds under any circumstances or charge a fee to reimburse you for unused membership fees, get away fast!

Linsey Knerl is the senior partner of TL Donnelly & Associates, a consumer-friendly information service provider. You may visit their website at http://www.tldonnelly.com to learn more about consumer and small business services available to you. TL Donnelly is committed to “Finding It For You…”

Preparing for Hurricane Season

There are many things that you can do to prepare for a hurricane. Just because there isn’t one heading your way, doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do. Coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are at very high risk for being hit by a hurricane. There are two important reasons to make sure you have many of the preparations taken care of long before you might be hit by a hurricane. One, there may not be enough time to adequately prepare, and secondly there might not be enough supplies by the time a storm is on its way. Here are some simple preparations that can make a huge difference in case a storm hits you.
The first preparations are to get any protective items that you may need for your house. Plywood is a great window covering to protect you from flying debris, and it stores away easily. This is one of the first things to sell out of at home improvement stores when there is a hurricane warning. If you think you may want power in case of an outage, power generators are also something that is hard to find during a coming storm. They are an expensive luxury, but many people go for weeks with no power after a big storm.

Next, you can list all of the nonperishable items you will need to survive for roughly 4 days. This includes water, canned food, a first aid kit and some cash. This is not much to store, and they are items you will really need in case of emergency. Other items that are good to stock are batteries, flashlights and candles. These nonperishable items should be stowed in an elevated dry place. You should check the contents of your items about once a year to ensure that none of the items are spoiled. When there is a hurricane warning you can gather other items that you think you may need, and not have worry about the basics.

Find out everything that you should know about hurricanes at http://my-hurricane-guide.info

What Not To Do If You Are Attacked

Hopefully, you will never need the information in this report.
If you ever do find yourself in the situation of being assaulted,
there are some things that you definitely Do Not want to do!

You have the right to defend yourself with reasonable force. This
includes using items such as an umbrella, purse, briefcase, keys, etc.
However, don’t carry or use anything that the law would view as an
offensive weapon. Your main goal is to stun your attacker by hitting
them in the throat, eyes or groin. Your only thought should be to get
away as fast as you can.

If you manage to overcome your attacker don’t continue your attack on
them! Why? Because you could be putting yourself in more danger because:

(1) You are now in close contact with your attacker longer. This gives
your attacker more time to get control of the situation and attack you again.

(2) You could end up being charged with assault. There is a big difference
between self defense and assaulting someone. Remember this so that you don’t
get arrested and go to jail!

Like I always tell my family, only do those things you have to in order
to escape a bad situation. Don’t put your life in any more danger.

We hope that you and your family will always be safe!

Virginia Waters helps everyday people with their personal self defense needs. She works with PowerfulResponse.com, a supplier of self defense and security products. View more anti-crime articles by visiting http://www.PowerfulResponse.com.