Warranty

YOUR UNCLE came through with the name of a guy who built his garage, and somebody at work raved about the contractor who did their kitchen. Your neighbor liked the crew who remodeled his bath and you got a couple of names from the local homebuilders' association. Somewhere among these names is the person who will do your remodeling job. How do you single that person out?By interviewing them all and asking enough questions. Here are some things to ask:* References -- You will always find the most reliable information about your prospective contractor from previous clientele.

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AS ANYONE who has spent hours on hold for bad advice can tell you, customer service is not exactly one of the computer industry's strengths. For the Iomega Corp., it was such a sore point that the company singled it out as a problem in its 1996 annual report. After that came lawsuits and the "click of death."In 1996, Iomega stopped providing free technical support and started the highly unpopular practice of charging $14.99 per phone call regarding Zip and Ditto storage drives and $19.99 for Jaz drives, not counting the value of time wasted hanging on the telephone for what could be a very long time.

The developers and warranty company of a troubled northwestern Baltimore County condominium project have agreed to a $4.2 million settlement on the eve of a jury trial on allegations of consumer law violations and shoddy work. Condo owners say the money is enough to pay legal fees and make structural repairs.The owners of the Club at McDonogh Township condominiums voted Sunday to accept the settlement offer on the suit, which alleged negligent construction, fraud, breach of warranties and violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.The development, built 10 years ago, has problems that include water and air leaks, ill-fitting windows and doors, hazardous fireplaces, water-damaged siding and leaking heat pumps.

Prompted by consumer complaints against homebuilders, members of the House Economic Matters Committee hope to strengthen home warranty protections during next year's legislative session, the head of a subcommittee on home construction said last week.The subcommittee led by Del. A. Wade Kach, a Cockeysville Republican, also is reviewing whether builders, like home improvement contractors, should be licensed in Maryland. Currently, no state agency regulates homebuilders, who are not licensed or bonded.

In June 1994, the new, four-bedroom house on a quiet cul-de-sac in Odenton seemed a perfect fit for Tolano and Cathy Anderson. It had a deck, finished basement, bay windows, upgraded carpet, jumbo soaking tub and a garage.It even came with a warranty against defects -- or so the buyers from Texas thought.This spring, the Fort Meade Army aviator and his wife, a state data security manager, discovered something in common with neighbors who had bought homes in the Seven Oaks development from C. C. Building Corp.

Sykesville and the Ford Motor Co. may come to a parting of the ways.Twice this year, the town has had to replace engines in its Crown Victorias -- "police package units" -- used by its six-member Police Department.If the automaker does not compensate Sykesville for the cost of repairs and loss of service, officials have said, the town has bought its last Ford.All five police vehicles, including the newest K-9 unit, are Fords.Chief Wallace P. Mitchell has written twice to the Ford Customer Service Division in Dearborn, Mich.

A holiday gift is always a joy, and these days exciting new electronic gadgets or appliances often appear under the tree.But because things can and sometimes do go wrong with products, both the shopper and the recipient should understand warranty protection. There are coverage differences, and whatever you wind up with, you should know how problems will be resolved.Every American has had some dealings with warranties.When I bought a projection television set several years ago, the salesman put a hard sell on buying an extended warranty to be serviced by that retailer.

Q: We have just placed our house, which is nearly 30 years old, on the market. We are concerned whether we will be responsible for any defects in the property or whether we will be liable for any damages which the buyer might find after settlement. Are we required to give the purchaser any guarantee or warranty? Under what circumstances might we be liable for any damages in the property?A: In Maryland, it is generally accepted that there are no implied warranties in the resale of a home. In other words, if the contract does not state that the seller specifically guarantees the condition of the property, then no warranty will be implied.

The HOW Insurance Co., which insures tens of thousands of new homes in Maryland against defects, will likely resume paying on claims in a couple of weeks but probably less than 100 cents on the dollar.The Virginia Bureau of Insurance took over HOW on Oct. 7 after concluding that the company had insufficient money set aside to pay off claims. Payments for all claims have been halted, and no new policies are being issued.Patrick Cantilo, the special deputy receiver who is running the company, said he expects HOW to resume paying claims in a couple of weeks but added: "It is highly unlikely that we will pay the entire claims."

I am thinking about purchasing a house built in 1909, and I would like some advice. The house is structurally sound and has very sturdy oak floors and solid walls. The roof is only about seven years old and still in good condition. There is a bit of old water damage on the ceilings, but it is more cosmetically ugly than anything else. The wiring is up to date, but the plumbing is in bad condition. The house has six bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms (both with fireplaces), a sunroom, kitchen and dining room, a partial basement and a full attic with a tall ceiling.

I nearly broke my neck one evening a couple of Fridays ago, running down the stairs to grab the ringing cell phone I left in my living room. Thinking it was an important call, I unleashed a slew of obscenities when a threatening robo-voice told me that my car warranty is about to expire and if I don't act "immediately" on this final warning then I would live to regret it. I'm exaggerating ever so slightly, but the nuisance call is not the first I've...

You could spend a lot of money for a marine flashlight only to misplace it or lend it out and never see it again. I have. GreatLite sells a water- and weather-resistant marine lamp ($10) that's perfect for stowing on the boat or in the truck or cabin. Or losing and not caring too much. The 12-inch-long plastic body floats and has a rubber-loop lanyard. The four "C" batteries make it a little on the heavy side, and it's not indestructible, so you wouldn't issue it to divers or Navy SEALS.

Think twice before you dial the number on those official-looking postcards or letters warning that your car's warranty is about to expire and urges you to call a toll-free number to ensure you're covered. Those mailers are advertisements aimed at pressuring you into buying an expensive service contract, the Washington state attorney general's office says. State agencies throughout the country have noticed an increase in consumer complaints about out-of-state companies offering extended warranties through the postcards.

Marquette Brand's tenacity came in handy when she tried to get computer maker Gateway Inc. to fix her broken laptop under warranty. Almost every other response she got was "No." Where most people would have given up or coughed up any amount of money just to be rid of the problem, Brand demanded fairness. "I just didn't like the way I was treated as a customer," Brand said. "I know I didn't buy a million dollars' worth of computers from them, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to be treated with respect."

You mess with your iPhone, you void your warranty. That's the blunt message Apple sent to the iPhone hacking community in a statement. Many had wondered when or if Apple would retaliate against the widespread unlocking schemes and other iPhone hacks that have emerged over the past two months on the Internet. Here's what Apple had to say: "Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed.

The developer for the Russett planned community has agreed to pay about $70,400 to its residents association, a settlement struck after more than two years of investigation uncovered faulty construction that was supposed to be under warranty. The seven-member board for the Russett Community Association approved the settlement last month with the developer, Russett Community Limited Partnership, the association said in a news release last week. The money will reimburse Russett for common area and neighborhood reserve funds that have been spent.

Ihope you can help me get satisfaction from the builder of my new home I purchased in June for $700,000. Some of the unresolved issues are: 1. In correcting a building error, the builder damaged some of the copper flashing around the bay windows. The builder replaced only small sections and, as a result, the copper is different in color and looks ridiculous. The builder says the new copper will weather, but there is still a variation in color. 2. Condensation in the gas hot water heater vent results in loud, constant dripping.

But even then, it has its limits. Its motor can burn hot with too stiff a dough. Or its bowl might be too small. Until recently, home bakers didn't have much choice but to work around such shortcomings. But the latest generation of stand mixers is changing that. Imagine a home machine that can knead 7 pounds of flour for 10 loaves of bread, whip up 20 egg whites or make 13 dozen cookies. We selected six high-capacity mixers to test, considering power, functionality, design and price. They ranged from $350 for the KitchenAid Professional 6 to $770 for the Matfer Bourgeat Alphamix.

New-car buyers waste the most money - and dealers make the most money - after the price has been negotiated. That's when buyers are ushered into the F&I, or finance and insurance, room. There, the dealer will push a host of options that consumers might not be prepared to reject. "A lot of those things are high-profit and really a waste of money," said Philip Reed, Edmunds.com's consumer advice editor and co-author of the book Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. "This is the prime place where the dealer is going to try to make a profit on you," he said.