On Your Side
Ron Burley
Get the value you deserve
and never get ripped off
THE PRODUCT Slip-Care STOP it antislip
coating; $39.95 per kit
(which covers 18 square
feet); $32.95 if you’re
50 or older (888-401-
1110; slipcare.biz).
CostlyCoupons
THE CLAIM It improves
traction, prevents falls.
Q: I was astonished to
learn recently that a
company called Com-
pleteHome has charged
us a yearly fee since 2000,
when I cashed a check
for $2.86 that came with
a credit card bill. Appar-
ently, cashing the check
signed us up with them
for life! (We should
have caught the
charges earlier
but thought they
were the card’s
own annual fees.)
Needless to say, I
canceled the mem-
bership, though
CompleteHome didn’t
offer to refund any mon-
ey. At this point, I really
don’t expect to recover
anything but would like
to warn others.
THE TEST Tom Kraeutler, cohost of The Money
Pit radio show, tested it
on a concrete patio, his
bathtub, and tile and
finished wood floors.
Mixing the ingredients
was easy, and application went fast—a good
thing, since he reported
a “really strong” odor,
though the product is
nontoxic and solvent-free. Open a window
and run a fan while
applying it, he advises.
A: This is an ex-
ample of one of
the worst types of
marketing—sale by
fine print. There
are variations, yet
generally the catch
is that accepting
a free offer now obligates
you to pay later. Complete-
Home, owned by Trilegiant,
provides discounts and on-
line coupons. Most savings
are a decent 10 or 15 per-
cent. (Of course, you have
to realize you’re enrolled—
RECOVERED
BY ON YOUR
SIDE
$620
THE VERDIC T It works.
Kraeutler has ditched
his bathmat. “It’s a good
value,” he adds. One
more tip: Clean all surfaces before using it;
the transparent coating
seals in dirt and stains.
—Roxana Hadadi
—ELIZABETH STEEL
Villanova, Pennsylvania
and use the participating
retailers enough to make
it worthwhile.) I called
Trilegiant and snagged
spokesperson Todd Smith,
who defended automatic
renewals but allowed that
you might not have known
what you were getting. He
agreed to reimburse all your
costs. Keep an eye out for a
refund of $620. ;
Read Ron Burley’s journal, plus
exclusive new On Your Side
columns, at aarp.org/money.
OTHER FREEBIES THAT AREN’T
Free cell phone ring-tones These
may be Trojan horses for expensive
subscription services. Best Defenses:
Don’t enter your cell phone number
as part of any online purchase; don’t
respond to text-message offers.
Free software utilities Browser
add-ons you accept while surfing
the Net may hijack dial-up modems
to place pricey phone calls in the
wee hours. Best Defenses: Antivirus
software; turning off your computer.
Free credit reports Even the free
AnnualCreditReport.com may lead
you astray—to credit bureaus’ trial
offers. Best Defense: Fill out the site’s
form and only afterward choose a
bureau. Then, resist all come-ons.
