Question: I recently used UPS to ship a package valued at $375. The employee at the UPS customer center filled out the shipping label for me, but never asked about the value of the package’s contents. The shipment was lost in transit, and UPS is telling me that they will only reimburse $100 (plus the shipping cost of $18.95) because I did not declare a value on the parcel. I feel they are at fault and should be responsible for the full amount. Do I have a leg to stand on? – Dave Bock, Hooversville, Pa.

Answer: Since only you and the UPS clerk were present when you shipped your package, this could have been one of those he-said-she-said situations that are never resolved. But the circumstances surrounding your dispute provided you with some extra leverage.

When I called UPS, spokeswoman Ronna Branch told me that employees at authorized UPS shipping outlets – like the one you used – are explicitly trained to let the customer fill in his or her own shipping information. In your case, the clerk filled out the information for you and never asked about the value of the package’s contents – a fault in communication that the corporate offices at UPS now acknowledges as a mistake. This didn’t guarantee reimbursement, but it gave your dispute a harder look.

Another important detail you had going for you was your own shipping history. During their dispute investigations, companies like UPS sometimes look for outliers from a customer’s usual shipping history and preferences. Your record of shipping high-value shipments with excess insurance coverage helped convince UPS to agree on reimbursing you the full $375 value of your lost package.

Tip: A few simple precautions can assure a problem-free reimbursement in the future. Just because this particular UPS clerk forgot to ask you about the package’s value – let alone have you fill out the label on your own – obviously does not mean that you shouldn’t bring it up yourself. Furthermore, creating a UPS account can help you sidestep this problem next time. Account holders can fill out label forms online (the question about insurance will come up automatically) and print the label right from home.

Reporting by: Alex Horowitz

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com

Question: Because I haven't used my oldest credit card for a year, HSBC says it's closing the account. I'm afraid this will hurt my credit score. Help! — Nevena Georgieva, Chicago

Answer: Credit-card companies lose money on dormant accounts, and as they feel the economic pinch, they're more apt to close them. Unfortunately, as you suspected, closing your oldest card can lower your credit score. The length of time your accounts have been open is the third most heavily weighed factor in your FICO score (after timeliness of payments and the amount you owe). Plus, eliminating a card reduces your available credit, which could also lower your score.

I contacted HSBC, and after checking your credit history, the bank agreed to reopen your card. Spokeswoman Cindy Savio says HSBC will consider reopening inactive accounts, especially if the account was recently closed and the customer had been with the bank for a long time.

Tip: If you have a lot of other cards and a credit score of 720 or higher, one closure won't have much effect on your score. But if you have a slim credit history and few cards, it's wise to make sure your oldest accounts stay active. So use your card at least once every three or four months. Then be sure to pay it off every month so you're not racking up big interest charges.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Question: My 20-year-old son applied for a Macy's charge card but was rejected. When he ordered his credit report, we discovered that my ex-husband, who has the same name as my son, opened a Comcast cable account using our son's Social Security number, then neglected to pay $453 in charges. How can we fix this?  – Name Withheld, Fla.

Answer: Identity theft is frustrating enough to deal with, but even worse when a family member or friend turns out to be the culprit. Sadly, it's not uncommon. Of ID theft victims who know how their personal information was taken (and fully half do), the most common factor cited is that someone they know – a relative, friend or co-worker – stole it, the Federal Trade Commission says.

In any ID theft case, as soon as you spot something amiss, go directly to the source – in this case Comcast. Alert the credit bureaus too, but always fix the problem with the source to keep it from cropping up again. Though most bureaus allow you to file disputes online or over the phone, when a situation is as complex as your son's, it's best to send a letter and documented proof of the mistake via certified mail. You should also file a police report, which many creditors require, and include that with your dispute letter. Then, if it happens again, it'll be easier to clear up.

When I contacted Comcast, spokeswoman Jenni Moyer apologized that you weren't able to get the situation resolved at your local Comcast office (she suggested contacting the corporate customer care hotline in the future). Comcast asked the collection agency that reported your son to the credit bureaus to remove the $453 charge and send a letter to the credit bureaus, clearing your son's record.

Since then, I'm happy to hear that your son not only was able to obtain a credit card but has a solid 700-plus credit score. Repairing damage to a credit score is tricky but doable. Rebuilding the trust between your son and his father may be tougher.

Tip: Spot identity theft early by monitoring your credit report for unauthorized activity. Go to annualcreditreport.com to request your credit report free once every 12 months from each of the three major credit bureaus.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $194,442.03.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Question: I invested $1,000 with a company called MTE in 2006. At a church meeting, MTE claimed to invest in securities and promised a monthly return of 25%. Before I got any payment, the state froze MTE’s funds, saying it was a fraud. Will I get my money back?  – Steven Collins, South Holland, Ill.

Answer: Oh, dear! You let yourself get snared in a classic pyramid scheme, where scam artists recruit investors with promises of humongous returns, pay the early investors using money from the later ones – and spend the rest on themselves. Usually, by the time you realize you’re involved with no-goodniks, they’ve skipped town.

But thanks to the Illinois attorney general, you may get something back. According to prosecutors, Roy Fluker Jr., the founder of MTE (short for More Than Enough Wealth Creation Institute), and his cohorts hosted recruitment meetings at African-American churches on the South Side of Chicago eight to 10 times a month. They offered attendees “opportunities” to invest up to $20,000 a year for an ultrahigh return – 25% a month for 12 consecutive months – and said the money was going into stocks, real estate and foreign currencies.

But prosecutors say MTE invested in nothing. Most of the money went to repay early investors and to reward MTE’s principals with cruises and other trips. Illinois froze MTE’s accounts, valued at more than $3.1 million, shortly after you invested. “They were offering returns that you know can’t be real,” says Tom James, the lead prosecutor. Fluker and friends have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

While Illinois has dissolved MTE and banned Fluker and co-defendants from selling securities, no money has been returned to investors. The AG’s office is sending claim letters to the 3,000-plus victims and has posted claim forms on its Web site at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. With limited funds remaining, you’ll probably get only a portion of what you invested. Still, you’d be lucky to get anything back in a deal like this one.

Tip: The stock market’s long-term return is about 10% a year. Any deal that “guarantees” lots more is suspicious. A promise of an outsize return on an investment should set off an alarm in your head.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $193,989.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

- Reporting by O.C. Ugwu

Question: I bought a cell phone from Alltel with a $100 mail-in rebate. I sent in all the paperwork but never got the money. When I called Alltel months later, the company told me it never got my form – and I could no longer submit it because the rebate had expired. Help! – Geert Audiens, Cary, N.C.

Answer: Businesses lure consumers with billions of dollars in rebate offers every year. Yet 40% of them go unredeemed, according to consulting firm Vericours, partly because it can be a pain to fill out all the paperwork and send it off in time (typically within 30 days of purchase). This is why it's so annoying that although you apparently followed the rules, you still got stiffed.

I called Alltel's corporate communications manager, Scott Morris. He said that the company doesn't have any proof you sent in the rebate, suggesting that it may have been lost in the mail or at the rebate center that Alltel uses to process the forms. Because the rebate center was unwilling to honor the now expired rebate, Alltel instead offered a $100 credit on your next cell-phone bill. Sounds like a good call to us.

There are some lessons here on how to reduce the chances of this happening to you again. Matthew Gold, a staff attorney with the Federal Trade Commission (which oversees rebate issues), says that while there are few instances of outright fraud when it comes to rebate redemption, there are a lot of cases in which even a minor mistake in a consumer's form derails his or her payment. So be meticulous. Make copies of everything, and use certified mail so you have proof the company received it. (If you had done so with Alltel, you'd have had a better case.)

Mark the rebate return date in your calendar. If you don't get your money in the time promised – usually within 12 weeks – call the company immediately. Businesses that do not send rebates by then are violating FTC regulations, Gold says. Still getting nowhere? File a complaint with the FTC at ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

Tip: Many businesses now allow you to submit and track your rebate online at their own sites and sites such as Rebatetrack.com and RebatesHQ.com. If that option is available to you, take it.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $193,989.03.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Qustion: Our rental car was sideswiped by a tour bus when my wife and I were on vacation. We rented the car from Dollar, but we declined insurance because we have an auto policy with Safeco and a rep said we'd be covered if we had an accident. Safeco paid most of the $4,000 claim but refused to cover charges for what Dollar said was the car's diminished value, loss of use and administrative fees. Those totaled $1,050. Help! – Jeffery Fear, Los Angeles

Answer: What a rotten way to end your vacation. You were smart to check your auto policy beforehand so you knew whether you needed the rental company's pricey insurance (called the collision/loss damage waiver, or LDW), which runs $15 to $30 a day.

Problem is, rental-car firms are increasingly tacking on new fees when a car is damaged, including diminished value (to reflect the reduced resale potential of a damaged car), loss of use (to cover lack of revenue while a car is repaired) and administrative fees (to process claims).

Not surprisingly, most insurers balk at paying for anything beyond repairs and what they deem is reasonable for loss of use. The same goes for credit-card issuers (see the Tip below).

When I contacted Safeco, spokesman Paul Hollie agreed to reimburse the $1,050 because you didn't get complete information when you called to verify coverage. He added that Safeco has since struck a deal with one rental-car company (Enterprise Rent-A-Car) that covers those fees. Safeco is also considering offering a rider that would cover them at all rental companies. In the meantime, unless you use Enterprise, the only way to make sure you won't pay out of your own pocket is to grit your teeth and buy the LDW.

But look at it this way. The average driver gets in only one accident per 285,000 miles driven, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. And if you've got a comprehensive auto policy, even if your rental car gets massively wrecked, you'll probably be on the hook for only a small portion of the damages. So long as you have a cash emergency fund (and you do, don't you?), bypassing the LDW may be a calculated risk worth taking.

Tip: Many credit cards boast of providing rental-car insurance, but most pay just for physical damage that your regular policy won't cover. Only Diners Club and a few versions of AmEx, MasterCard and Visa offer primary coverage.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $193,364.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Question: My wife was contacted by a firm called Keane Tracers that told her my mother-in-law, who passed away in 2001, has a mutual fund worth $14,000. For 25% of that amount, Keane will do the paperwork to get us the money; for 15% it will tell us where the money is so we can recover it ourselves. Then the company sent us a contract quoting 35% for full recovery and 25% to do it ourselves. Either way, the fees seem high. What should we do? – Robert Chaplow, Chester, Va.

Answer: It's true that more than $33 billion in unclaimed assets are floating around in forgotten bank accounts, old 401(k)s and dormant brokerage accounts. But scammers frequently make bogus inheritance claims, offering to "recover" nonexistent assets for an up-front fee. Once you pay, the con skedaddles. So never respond to an offer like this before checking it out with the Better Business Bureau and your state attorney general's office.

I did the legwork on Keane and found that it's legit. Financial services firms are required by law to make a good-faith effort to find the owners of their assets, so they hire firms like Keane to track owners down. If they can't, the assets must be turned over to the state after about three to five years, where owners or heirs can claim them.

Your cheapest move is to bypass Keane and wait to collect the money from the state (probably Ohio, because that's where your mother-in-law lived for most of her life). Periodically check MissingMoney.com, a site that links 40 states' unclaimed-property programs and connects to all states' unclaimed-assets divisions. You'll have to prove you are the rightful heirs and pay an administrative fee of no more than 5% in most states, says Stephen Larson, president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

But paying Keane might be worth it to you to save time and hassle – especially because there's no guarantee you'll be able to find the money on your own. If you use the company, though, at least you should get the lower rate. I called Keane vice president David McCrystal to say so. He apologized, blamed a computer glitch and agreed to honor the original offer.

Tip: Most asset recovery firms' rates are negotiable, with fees ranging from 10% to 35%, depending on the asset's worth (the more valuable, the lower the rate) and how complicated it is to recover. Never pay in advance.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $192,314.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Question: I signed a two-year contract with Sprint for my cell phone. A year and a half later, I moved to a new home a few miles away in the same city. I can't seem to get a signal inside my house, which is a problem since I don't have a landline. Sprint told me to upgrade the software on my phone, but that didn't help. So I switched to Verizon – and now get perfect service in my home. But am I stuck with Sprint's $150 cancellation fee? – Dan B. Lindeman III, Fort Thomas, Ky.

Answer: It's not impossible to get out of a cell-phone contract without paying an early-termination fee – it's just that historically, carriers have made it incredibly difficult. Ever since cell phones were invented, wireless providers have tried to lock in customers by wooing them into long-term contracts and levying fees as steep as $250 if they cancel before that contract is up.

Among the few viable excuses to get out of a contract penalty-free are death, active military duty and…relocation, if you can prove that your new area doesn't get adequate coverage. To make that case, call the carrier and have the rep look up the number of cell towers in your neighborhood; if the carrier determines it isn't enough, you may get a dispensation. You can also ask to have someone test the signal up to your driveway.

But carriers won't guarantee service inside your home. "There are too many factors out of our control," says Sprint spokesperson Roni Singleton. (For example, a construction material like granite can block a signal even with multiple towers nearby.) Singleton says Sprint has five towers in your area. Bummer – no free pass this way.

But these days even if you can't get out for free, you may at least be able to shave some money off that exit fee. In 2006, Verizon announced that it would prorate its penalty. AT&T followed, and late last year Sprint joined the pack. The company is still working out the details but plans to enact its policy later this year. (With AT&T, which clips $5 off $175 for every month served, your final charge would've been $75 since you stayed 15 of 24 months.)

We asked Sprint to make an early exception for you. Since the terms of the policy aren't defined yet, Singleton went one better and offered to waive the whole $150 instead. Good call.

Tip: Most carriers allow you to test-drive their service. Even if you sign a contract, you can cancel without penalty if you have a service problem within 30 days.

So far Money Helps has save readers $190,914.03.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Question: I saw an interesting health book advertised on TV and bought it over the phone. When I got my credit-card bill, I noticed a mystery charge of $5.95 for an e-newsletter from the same company, Natural Cures. When I called to cancel, the lines were always busy or I was put on hold and never helped. I've been charged for six months for a newsletter I never wanted! – Fred Mandato, Huntington, N.Y.

Answer: Businesses just love hooking us into memberships and subscriptions, which provide them with steady revenue that's cheap to maintain. Cheap, in part, because of our own inertia – once we've signed up for a product or service, we often stay signed up because we don't want to bother with the hassle of canceling. And as you discovered, "companies make it way harder to cancel than to enroll," says Alison Preszler of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Of course, your situation is particularly frustrating since you never intended to sign up for anything. As for how you got stung, there was probably fine print buried in the book ad saying you'd be billed for the newsletter unless you explicitly canceled.

You did the right thing by calling Natural Cures once you noticed the charge. But since some marketers count on customers getting fed up with their tortuous phone systems, I advise putting any cancellation request in writing to the customer service manager (copy the CEO). If the charge is mysterious, you should also immediately file a dispute with your credit-card issuer.

You're certainly not alone in your frustration with Natural Cures: I found dozens of similar complaints at ripoffreport.com. Plus, the founder, Kevin Trudeau, was convicted of fraud in the '90s and has been repeatedly sued by the Federal Trade Commission. He settled with the FTC in 2004 and agreed to a lifetime ban on selling infomercial products. But he can still sell publications, like the one you got.

I did reach its v.p. of customer service, who agreed to end your subscription and refund your $35. She also pointed out that the company has a customer hotline with a cancellation option (800-215-0063). Too bad the number isn't readily apparent on Natural Cures' Web site.

Tip: To find a phone number that will connect you to a live person at a company, check the database at gethuman.com.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $190,764.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

- Reporting By Alexis Jeffries.

Question: My husband and I bought a $300 hard drive from Best Buy, but when we opened the box, it was empty except for three bags of dried beans! We immediately called Best Buy, but the manager said the store wasn't responsible and I should call the manufacturer. When I did, the manufacturer pointed blame back at Best Buy. Finally, I called Best Buy's corporate office; the customer service manager said there was nothing he could do. Ugh! Can you help? – Maja Chiesi, New York City

Answer: A box of beans, huh? Sounds like a booby prize from Let's Make a Deal – only less funny, since you're out $300. You'll probably never know what happened here; perhaps an employee stole the hard drive or maybe someone else bought it, kept it, returned the box and got his money back. Best Buy likely took a hard line because it had no way of knowing if you were the responsible party. Not that that excuses the retailer's behavior: As an innocent victim and a good customer, you shouldn't have been left holding the beans, so to speak.

In a rare case like this or the more common scenario of realizing an item is defective or is missing parts, you want to deal with the store, not the manufacturer. (Legally, you entered into an implicit contract with Best Buy that it would sell you a functioning hard drive.) You were right to start with the manager, then move up to a customer service supervisor. In such interactions, it's crucial to be polite but firm: "I'm prepared to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and I may be forced to consider legal action."

Next step: Send a written complaint by certified mail to the customer service manager, with copies to the CEO, the BBB and the state attorney general. Meanwhile, dispute the charge with your credit-card issuer, which will investigate. Generally, cards side with consumers.

Understandably frustrated, you came to us after being batted back and forth. When we called Best Buy on your behalf, it wouldn't cop to responsibility or refund your money. But it did offer a $300 gift card to cover a new hard drive. (You can keep the beans.) Fingers crossed, this time you'll get what you paid for.

Tip: Many merchants require electronics to be returned in the original packaging. So don't chuck the box till you're sure the item works.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $190,729.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

- Reporting By Kathleen Knight

Question: I used my Capital One credit card to buy plane tickets for a trip to India through my neighbor, who is a travel agent. When I got the bill, I noticed I was also charged for the next customer's flights – which cost $2,400! My neighbor quickly realized that there had been a glitch in her computer, so together we contacted Capital One. The company asked us to fill out a dispute form. We did, but the charge hasn't been removed. Can you help? – Michael Ryan, Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

Answer: Since your travel agent copped to the error, this issue should have, under normal circumstances, been resolved relatively quickly. Ah, if only.

Turns out your forms got misrouted in Capital One's paper chain. The company's reps admitted to us that they dropped the ball. "We sincerely apologize," says spokeswoman Pam Girardo. The firm reopened the investigation, but the airline involved said it was too late for them to issue a refund. So Capital One covered the cost – crediting the $2,400 and refunding the $186 you'd shelled out in minimum payments on the charge. (You needn't have paid these, by the way, but more on that in a moment.)

Here's what you need to know to prevent such problems in the future: Rules set out by the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) protect you from getting stuck with charges that aren't yours. If you dispute a charge in writing within 60 days of getting a statement, the card issuer must respond in 30 days to let you know it's investigating. The firm then has two billing cycles to correct the charge or explain it. Until that point, you don't have to pay the charge and you can't be reported to the credit bureaus.

If an issuer doesn't respond, as was the case with Capital One, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-FTC-HELP), which may fine the issuer. You can also sue a non-responsive creditor for damages, attorney fees and finance charges. Fortunately, it doesn't often go that far, says Curtis Arnold of CardRatings.com; issuers are usually prompt to deal with such matters. And on the rare occasions when they aren't, threatening them with these actions – and invoking the FCBA – can get things rolling.

Tip: Read every credit bill carefully and dispute errant charges within 60 days of the statement date – in writing via certified mail.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $190,429.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

–Reporting By Ingrid Tharasook

Question: My husband and I had a six-month CD with Countrywide Bank at a great 5.55 percent. News of the company’s subprime troubles concerned us, so when the CD matured in September (value: $37,745), we decided to cash it in. We mailed the form during the 10-day grace period and waited. No check. Upon calling, we were told that the bank hadn’t gotten the form and that the funds had been rolled over into another CD. We faxed another request and got our money – minus a $396 penalty! We didn’t do anything wrong. Can you help? -Barb Foster, Fairfield, Calif.

Answer: Losing half the interest you made may seem extreme, but Countrywide isn’t alone in imposing harsh penalties for early withdrawals. Banks set terms on CDs because they use the deposits to fund loans and want to ensure that they’ll have money at their disposal. On average you’ll lose three to six months’ interest if you take the money out before the term is up, according to Bankrate.com.

And you can get hit even if you didn’t intend to withdraw early: When a CD matures, most institutions give a narrow30-day window – plus a short grace period – to cash it in or roll it over. Many depositors wait until the deadline to see what the new rate will be. If there’s any missed communication, you end up literally paying the price.

On our request, Countrywide gave you the benefit of the doubt and refunded the penalty plus forfeited interest, a total of $508. Next time you cash in a CD during the grace period, send the request by registered mail so you have proof of the date submitted.

An even better option: Spread out your money among CDs of maturities from three months to one year, and roll each one over as it matures. That way you’ll get an average rate close to the six-month rate and always have cash on hand should you need it.

One final note: You didn’t have to worry about losing your money because of the subprime mess. Countrywide Bank, a sister of the troubled Countrywide Mortgage, is FDIC insured, so funds up to $100,000 in an account ($250,000 in an IRA) are guaranteed if it goes belly up. Countrywide continues to offer high rates – 5.4 percent on a six-month CD of $10,000 – and it can do so because it doesn’t have tellers and therefore has less overhead than traditional banks.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $187,929.03

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Dear Money Helps: Two years ago, my mortgage company applied one of my monthly payments to someone else's account by mistake and reported to the credit bureaus that I'd been 30 days late. My credit score plunged 150 points as a result. Earlier this year I got EMC Mortgage to admit its error, and the firm promised to notify the credit bureaus. But my score hasn't budged. I need to refinance, and if it weren't for their mistake, I'd have excellent credit. Help! –Robert MacLean, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Answer: Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit bureaus are obliged to correct inaccurate information once they're made aware of it. Sounds fair enough, but unless you get an error fixed at the source, it can keep cropping up.

You did the right thing by going directly to your lender. Problem is, EMC Mortgage sold your loan earlier this year, and by the time EMC corrected the mistake, your customer data, including the error, had been passed to the new company. That firm, in turn, kept reporting the late payment to the credit bureaus.

The lesson: When you have a dispute, you need to address it with all the places your loan has been held. (The servicing agent, or the company that bills you, can tell you who has owned it previously.) On Money's request, the new firm, American Servicing Co., cleared the delinquencies in its system and notified the bureaus. It took six weeks, but your credit score has been restored, which should help you get a better refinancing rate.

A recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that 25 percent of credit reports have mistakes serious enough to cause a denial of credit. With today's tighter loan standards, it's critical to make sure your report is up to snuff. Get a free copy from each of the three bureaus once yearly at annualcreditreport.com. To dispute an error, send a letter to the creditor's customer relations manager and copy CEOs of the credit bureaus; you can usually find these names online. It's worth the effort otherwise you could end up paying, literally, for someone else's mistake.

Tip: Once a creditor agrees to fix an error, request a copy of the universal data form, which lenders send to credit bureaus to update your report. That way, if the change isn't made, you have proof to show the bureaus.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $187,420.68

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Reporting By Ingrid Tharasook

Dear Money Helps: My husband and I were married in March 2006 in California. It was perfect except for one thing: We still haven't received our wedding album! We hired a photographer a friend recommended and paid him $2,300 up front. The first three times we called, he promised to send our photos. Then he told my husband he couldn't afford to print our album. Now he won't return our calls or respond to e-mails. What can we do? –Stacia Johnson, Provo, Utah

Answer: You can count on something to go awry at your wedding no matter how carefully you plan. Now if the florist had delivered ragweed instead of sunflowers or the band had played "Hell's Bells" as your processional, you might have been able to laugh it off – eventually. Not receiving your photos, on the other hand, is a true wedding disaster.

I too had trouble getting in touch with your photographer, Jacob Boikian of Pasadena. After I left several messages, however, we finally connected. He admitted he'd run into financial problems but promised to make good on your contract. After a few more follow-ups, he did, delivering the album in September.

Had Money not intervened, you might have tried employing the power of word of mouth. Photographers, caterers, bands and other wedding vendors rely on referrals to get business. So a threat that you'd drop an e-mail to local event planners and post complaints on major discussion boards might well bring an errant contractor to heel, says Kathleen Murray of wedding site TheKnot.com.

And as a last resort, you could've taken Boikian to small-claims court, which generally has jurisdiction in cases involving less than $5,000 in property or damages. After paying a small fee, you'd have been able to ask a judge to force Boikian to release the album. Your contract would have helped you make the case. Since Boikian works in California, you'd have had to file there and absorb the travel costs, so it's lucky the situation got resolved before this point. Just consider it our belated wedding gift to you.

Tip: Use friends and family for referrals, but do some homework too. Google the vendor; check discussion boards at theknot.com, weddingchannel. com and the like; and visit your local Better Business Bureau site.

So far Money Helps has saved readers $182,920.68.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Dear Money Helps: I opened a brokerage account for my son at Success Trade Securities for a school project. He lost most of the money – and his interest in stocks. I tried, first online and then by letter, to sell the shares and close the account but heard nothing until January, when I was hit with a $50 inactivity fee. What gives? – Doug Munro, Warren, Mich.

Answer: No company likes to lose a customer, but some businesses make it harder than others to sever ties. According to Success Trade spokesman Patrick Dorton, you must sell the assets in your account before it can be closed. You should have been able to do that online, but around the time you wrote your letter, Success Trade was bought by Penson Financial Services. You couldn't log on because the old PIN, the last four digits of your son's Social Security number, no longer worked.

Even if it had, closing your account still would've been difficult. Customer service reps told you the necessary forms were on the Web site, but you couldn't find them. When we logged on recently, we couldn't find them either, although account withdrawal forms were on the Web sites of Success Trade's two subsidiary brokerages, Low Trades and Just2Trade.

Even though your letter wasn't enough to authorize a trade or closure of the account, customer service should have given you proper instructions on liquidating your assets and closing the account and told you that your PIN had changed. After we talked with Dorton, Success Trade agreed to waive the $50 inactivity fee and help you unload the shares.

The next time you run into a snafu with a brokerage, ask to speak to the firm's compliance department, which handles customer problems. And if that doesn't work, file a complaint with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly the NASD), which licenses securities dealers. FINRA not only will help you get a response to the problem but, if the case is serious enough, will fine or punish the broker involved. No problem is too minor for FINRA to look into. "If we see a trend in complaints, that gives us a red flag," says John Gannon of FINRA's office of investor education.

Having a financial nightmare? E-mail Donna Rosato at money_helps@moneymail.com.

Reporting By Brad Nelson

Dear Money Helps: Having traveled a lot for work, I’d accumulated 83,000 United Airlines miles by the time I retired in ’96. Recently I tried to use them but was told they had expired! United said they’d announced a few years back that old miles would be phased out if not used in three years, but I never got the word. Is there anything you can do to help me get my miles back? – Larry Pace, Caswell Beach, N.C.

Answer: Used to be you could hold on to unused miles for years without penalty. Not anymore. Over the past few years airlines have quietly been putting expiration dates on them. The first big change came in 1999 when a number of major airlines, United included, said you had to show account activity – either redeeming miles or accumulating more – every three years to keep miles in play. Earlier this year American (AMR), United (UAUA) and US Airways (LCC) shortened that window to 18 months; Delta (DAL) to 24 months.

Unfortunately, airlines can make changes to their programs whenever they want, says Tim Winship of FrequentFlier.com – and they don’t have to tell you. “If you haven’t had activity in more than six months, you probably won’t hear directly about upcoming changes,” he says.

United spokesman Jeffrey Kovick didn’t outright deny this, saying instead that the company issued a press release and printed the policy change on its website. “We make a considerable effort to notify members,” he says.

With its new policy firmly in place, United wouldn’t reinstate your miles – even with my asking on your behalf. However, the airline did offer you a $300 voucher (equivalent to about 25,000 miles) as a goodwill gesture. Like it or not, use ’em or lose ’em is the miles policy at most airlines these days, and carriers are only getting more restrictive, says Winship.

So if you have enough for a flight, don’t wait to redeem. Building toward an award? Accumulate miles with an airline partner. Or keep your
account active by using a handful of miles to buy, say, a magazine subscription. United’s Mileage Plus, for example, lets you earn points shopping online with retailers like Target or Gap.

Dear Money Helps: A year ago I flew to Florida to bury my mother and handle her estate. I went to a Staples store to ship 10 boxes of antiques and sentimental items to my home via UPS. I insured each box for $500. Four arrived damaged, and priceless heirlooms were broken. I filed claims for $400 with UPS but I've never been paid. No luck with Staples either. Can you help? - Nancy Mathias, Richardson, Texas

Answer: This was a sad errand for you and a sorry case of miscommunication by the vendors. The last thing you needed was to get a damage-claims runaround. What happened? Basically you got caught between two companies: UPS, which transported your goods, and Staples, which packed them and served as an outlet for UPS services. Since Staples sent the boxes, UPS considers it the customer, not you. (I know, the logic is kooky.) So when you complained, UPS sent your paperwork to Staples for further investigation.

But Staples returned a claim for only one of the four boxes, and UPS denied that one because the packing was improper. (UPS requires that a box must have two inches of packing material around the contents; apparently yours didn't.) UPS hot-potatoed the claim - and the blame - back to the office-supply retailer, which had packed the box.

I asked Staples spokeswoman Amy Shanler to find out why the company hadn't processed payment - or the other three claims. Seems the store neglected to collect all the information needed, and your paperwork collected dust on someone's desk. Abashed, she expedited your $400 reimbursement.

Shipping companies don't make it easy to collect insurance claims; once they have your money they aren't eager to part with it. But you have a better shot at getting money back by eliminating the middleman. Next time you send something fragile or irreplaceable, pack the box yourself - call ahead to find out the requirements - and go directly to the shipper. Jim Hood of ConsumerAffairs.com advises air shipping over ground, because your package will be handled less. The cost will be higher, but your memories are worth it.

Dear Money Helps: In August 2005, I signed up for a Bank of America credit card with a great fixed rate of 6.9%. Last year I got married and put a lot of wedding expenses on the card, figuring to pay it off in a year or so. I opened my bill last month, and my rate had shot up to 19.99%! I called the bank and was told that I'd been mailed a notification. But I never received it. Can the issuer really triple my rate even though I always pay on time? And is there anything I can do to get my 6.9% back? – Eric Jones, Denver

Answer: Unfortunately, even diligent customers like you can get slammed with out-of-nowhere rate hikes. That's because some credit-card issuers, including Bank of America, have a policy – buried in the fine print of your contract – which says your rate can change at "any time for any reason."

According to Bank of America spokeswoman Betty Riess, the most common reasons for a rate hike are a change in a customer's credit score and a change in account activity. There are no blemishes on your credit history, but your $13,000 balance was close to the card's limit. And that, the bank says, is why your rate was raised. You may argue with that logic, but because of the policy, it's perfectly legal.

Issuers are required to notify you about any APR change and give you a chance to pay off the balance at the lower rate (though any new charges would be at the higher one). Since you say you never received the mailing, Bank of America agreed to restore the 6.9% on your existing balance and refund the $150.81 in interest charges on the higher rate. They also offered to reduce your rate on new purchases to 9.99%.

Still, I'd suggest shopping around for a new card – maybe one with a 0% balance-transfer rate – so you don't risk that APR spiking again arbitrarily. Check out CardRatings.com for ideas. Just be sure to scan the fine print for the "any time for any reason" clause and the phrase "universal default," which means your rate can be hiked if you're late on another debt. Or go with a card from Capital One, Discover or Citibank – issuers that do not have these policies.

Dear Money Helps: I have sleep apnea and signed up for a study at the Stanford Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic. I paid a $15 fee, answered questions and was checked out by the staff. The whole process took 30 minutes.

I was told I couldn’t proceed to the next phase until my health insurance was verified. My insurer told me later that week I wasn’t covered. Much to my surprise, I got a bill for $420 for the consultation. I called the customer complaint number on the bill but was told that the charges were final. I paid the $420 but feel like I was ripped off. – Christopher Camba, Hayward, Ca.

Answer: You’re not the only person to lose sleep over a medical billing snafu. According to medical bill auditor AMBR, 85% of hospital bills contain errors.

Yours was one of them. When the manager of the clinic reviewed your record at our request, he found that you were charged a co-pay for the consultation, as they assumed your insurance would cover the rest. (Yes, that 30-minute appointment goes for $420; the study itself would’ve cost thousands.)

He admitted it was their failing – that they should’ve checked with your carrier before naming the price – and agreed to refund your $420.

You did the right thing trying to dispute the charge, but you didn’t go far enough. The clinic doesn’t have any written record of your inquiry. Consumers have to be vigilant when it comes to unraveling billing mistakes, says Nora Johnson, associate director of Medical Billing Advocates, a trade group that trains people who represent patients in disputes. Should you notice something amiss in an invoice, she says, don’t pay it.

Instead, initiate a dispute by phoning the billing office, making sure to write down the time, date, name of person you speak with. Follow up with a letter, sent via certified mail, to the highest person in the department. (Once they have a written complaint, most providers halt the collections process until the case is closed.)

If you still get the runaround on a sizable bill, consider hiring an advocate. You’ll be charged, hourly or by a percentage of what’s recovered, but at least you’ll rest easier knowing you have a professional red-tape cutter on your side. 

Next time, talk to your insurer before going for any procedure or service. If you know what’s covered, you’ll be less likely to end up in a billing nightmare.

TIP: If you want to dispute a charge, act fast. Medical providers  are
aggresssive about unpaid bills and many will send delinquent accounts to collections in less than 90 days.

Dear Money Helps: Last fall I left my job at DaimlerChrysler for another opportunity. I had an American Express card for business expenses and filed my last expense report a week after I left. It took months for DaimlerChrysler to process the report, and when it finally did, it didn’t cover $300 in late fees. Isn’t the company responsible? My wife and I are buying a house and are worried that this will hurt our credit. – Mark Moores, Albuquerque

Answer: You’re right to be worried about your credit score. When your company gives you a corporate card, it’ll cover approved business expenses, but it’s your name and FICO score that suffer if there are late payments or other problems.

DaimlerChrysler spokesman Kevin McCormick admits that it took an unusually long time to process your expenses. That’s partly because you were no longer an employee and couldn’t submit your report electronically. So the paperwork took its sweet time finding its way to the right department.

But the company isn’t willing to absorb all the blame: Your ex-employer has a policy that expenses must be submitted within 10 working days of the completion of a trip in which they occurred. And you, like many of us, procrastinated. Some of the charges were months old. It may seem like DaimlerChrysler is being unduly fussy over what is corporate pocket change, but the automaker isn’t alone in cracking down on expense report rules: 63% of companies scrutinize employees’ T&Es more than in the past, according to a 2006 survey by American Express.
McCormick says that DaimlerChrysler will pick up $233 of the $300 balance on your card to cover late fees for items that were within the 10-day window. But you’re still on the hook for the $67 in fees incurred from expenses that you should have submitted before you left the company.     
In better news, American Express had yet to report the delinquency to the credit bureaus, so your score didn’t suffer. (The issuer says it typically won’t rat on cardholders until they’re at least six months overdue, though that’s not a hard-and-fast rule.)

Lesson learned: When you have expenses to claim, the sooner you submit them, the better. Now if only somebody could find a way to make the task as enjoyable as racking up charges on the company dime…