Scams, rip offs & stupid mistakes - Share yours so we can all learn

[MorelCabin]

Here's one that just happened to me today...got a $100 parking fine in the mail...plates didn't match my car, and it was in a city 4 hours away from here, so I call them to find out what it's all about...
Looks like someone stole an old set of plates out of my shed and are using them in a different city...one with a very expensive toll highway at that! YIKES! DESTROY and CANCEL old plates! I have no idea what else I have coming in the mail in the next few weeks...

 

[Damummis]

Wow, guys. I really needed this.

It seems like I always have to go thru hell to get the good stuff.

 

[gettinaclue]

Not saving enough. DH and I worked for years to save, and put away what we could in investments to build for retirement.

DS was born very ill and spent some time in the NICU and then surgery when he was 5 weeks old. There was also the respitory therapist that came out to the house and renting all the medical equipment, the extra doctors visits, the prescription meds etc. Etc.

Even with medical coverage, they didn't cover everything and it wasn't like we had extra to pay with. We had to cash out everything to pay the medical bills. We spent 5 or 6 thousand and came a hair's (or is it hare's) breath from loosing the house.

He is 5 now and we are just getting back on our feet this last year. I was also going to breast feed but was unable - or so we thought. By the time we figured out I could, he was no longer interested, and had to stick with formula.

There were a couple of years there that we could have squirreled away more money, but we weren't thinking ahead then like we should have been.

I also regret not getting life insurance policies when we were younger. The older you get, the more expensive they are, and then there are always health problems when you are older which makes it even more expensive - or simply makes you ineligible to get one.

When DH was 29 he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes - this after he had served in the military and was deployed overseas. Luckily, he had a life policy with the company he was with at the time of diagnosis, so that is in place. If we ever wanted to purchase extra coverage it would be an additional several hundred dollars a month- even for a very modest amount.

Get it while you're young, it's more affordable. Just make sure you get it from a good company that is going to last.

 

[CrownofThorns]

Like several others here the thing I regret the most is spending all my earnings that I made as a working teen and young adult. I finally started saving my money the same time I met my very-soon-to-be husband. During the 3 months that I saved, I saved $2,000. I can't imagine how much I would have saved had I been saving all along! It definitely would have been a blessing to have that money, but the Lord certainly has seen us through without it. Now I'm a mega penny pincher!

 

[SKR8PN]

Things I have learned in my life:

NEVER work for, or do business with, a relative.

Never discuss religion with some one you wish to remain friends with.

Never be a "nice guy" in any business dealings. Nice guys DO finish last.

The more religious a person proclaims to be, the tighter you need to hang onto your wallet.

NEVER second guess your dogs first impression. If your dog doesn't like someone, there is a reason.

 

[Wifezilla]

The more religious a person proclaims to be, the tighter you need to hang onto your wallet.

NEVER second guess your dogs first impression. If your dog doesn't like someone, there is a reason.

I have to agree on BOTH of those.

Really religious people just ARE. It is part of who they are and what they do. They don't need to go around screaming about it. Some scumbags use their alleged faith as a way to get you to trust them so they can rob you blind. A lot of times this means a fish symbol on their business card....that they never paid the bill to the printer for.

As for the dog, an old boyfriend convinced me to sell my dog because I worked long hours and the dog hated him . Turns out I should have sold the boyfriend.

 

[Henrietta23]

Couldn't agree more on the dog point. The dog we had when I was a young adult growled at, and even bit one, every boyfriend I brought home. Until DH. She flopped on her back and exposed her belly to him. She loved him till the day she died and he and I have been married for 20 years. Smart dog!!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

and came a hair's (or is it hare's) breath from loosing the house.

It's actually a hair's breadth meaning the width of a hair....

DH hired a 'friend' to be our contractor, help make sure DH was doing things right, and generally help him build our house. Total Loser, didn't know what he was doing, so many things wrong in our house, our bathroom door upstairs clears the sloped ceiling by a hair's breadth.... because he didn't plan at all, it was just luck that the dang door even opens! Also, one of HIS buddies came to do the drywall and we agreed on a set price, including materials... well, he needed half up front, to get the stuff, and then we would give him one more quarter once it was hung and mudded, and then the last quarter after he painted it... when it was hung, we ended up giving him the first quarter... then he mudded, and really needed the last quarter, and DH caved... then the dude got arrested for beating his girlfriend, and went to jail for a few months, then never came back.... except once with his contractor buddy when they knew DH wasn't home to pick up their 'equipment'... which consisted of an old drill and a plastic stool.... i stood at the door with my shotgun and told them to come back when DH was home, and Hey, bring the money with you... Dh let them have their stupid stuff back, but we never got the money. so the lesson is, unless you'd trust your 'friend' with your kids overnight for a week, don't trust them to have any sense of right and wrong with your money.

 

[FarmerChick]

truly for me, no regrets.

All my big purchases like my home, land, etc. was well planned out and I got lucky that everything fell into place. My money situation has always been controlled, I was sure to save, watched my money close etc.

relationships were no problem. I made sure I associate with normal people LOL truly I avoid idiots like the plague or people I know would drag down my life.

family, jobs, life, etc have all been good for me.


regret --hmm....one is Tony and I almost bought a rental property and now I wish I did it. I know it went up in value, could have sold and made a decent $30K on it after we did a bit of costmetic work....but even NOT doing it didn't hurt us in a way.


no, I gotta say I have it good so far thru life. Now I have to find a big chunk of wood to knock and keep fingers crossed my life continues to be great.

(Oh I have done the "as seen on TV" products a few times and KNOW I got ripped off due to crappy products. Or a promise of a product to "work miracles for me" and got scammed out of a bit...but I knew what I was walking into each time eh, did it anyway

 

[THEFAN]

Always go with your gut!! I call them spidey powers.

Never work on credit. I'll help you if you help me. I always get burned and get a lot less than what I give. ARGH!!! I seem to always have to give first too. I drop what I'm doing and when I need it it's like pulllng teeth. Only very few people in this world I'll help anymore.

Never finance anything you can buy with cash. Took me awhile to learn this one but I'm out of my 20's now.

An education does not prove intellagance at all. I have dealt with them all and more the education one gets it seems the dumber they are. Major lack of common sence. Yesah Mistah!!