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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Scammed Author: Christopher Elliot Publisher: Wiley & Sons ASIN: 1118108000

About This Book

Once upon a time store prices were simple and fair, businesses stood behind their products with guarantees free of fine print and loopholes, and companies genuinely seemed to care about their valued customers—but those days are long gone. In his new exposé, consumer advocate Christopher Elliot details the broken relationship between American consumers and businesses and explains how companies came to believe that fooling their customers was a viable, and profitable, business plan. "Scammed" explores:

• how companies control information to mislead, distort the truth, and even outright lie to their consumers.
• exposes the various ways companies have led their war against information—from seductive ads, disingenuous fine print, and unconventional promotions that involve seeding discussion forums and blogs with company-friendly comments
• provides insider knowledge of the system, reasonable expectations, and a clear understanding of the games businesses play.

Elliott is the force behind On Your Side, a consumer advocacy wiki and blog, and the co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance, a Washington-based advocacy group for travelers. He is National Geographic Traveler’s reader advocate and a nationally syndicated columnist through Tribune Media Services, which distributes his columns to publications from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Chicago Tribune.