Zip Up Your Files
Compress files and folders quickly
in Windows XP.
By Nicole Guilfoyle
Most of us
use a program like WinZip or Roger's favorite, iZArc, to compress files and
folders into .zip files. But if you own Windows XP, you don't need to download
third-party software. Today Leo shows you how to compress and password-protect
your files in Windows.
Here's how
you compress an existing file or folder.
1. Right-click
the file or folder you want to compress.
2. Click
Send To and Compressed (zipped) Folder. If you have a third-party app
installed, you'll see its name instead. How exciting! You didn't need to add it
to the Send To menu.
You can also
create a folder that compresses your files for you.
1. Right-click
the desktop, choose New, and select Compressed (zipped) Folder.
2. Open your new folder and drag in the files you want to compress.
Open says who?
If you want to password-protect your .zip
file, you need to open it and choose Add a Password from the File menu. Enter
your new password, confirm it, and click OK. Make sure you come up with a good
password (your name, address, anniversary, birthday, and pet's name aren't good
options), but don't forget it. Your compression software doesn't offer an email
reminder.
Rebate Roulette
Still waiting for that check in the mail? Here's the ugly
truth about rebates--and how to steer clear of the gotchas.
Janet Rae-Dupree and
From the March 2004
issue of PC World magazine
When Paul
Theisen, president of Unlocked Potential, a hiring consulting company in
Livonia, Michigan, bought Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2003 at his local
OfficeMax, he thought he was getting the software for free--it cost $70 with
$70 in rebates. So he filled out the forms, clipped the UPC labels, and mailed
his claims.
After three
weeks, a $30 check arrived for one of the two rebates. Two and a half months
later, he received a notice indicating he was ineligible for the second rebate
of $40 because he was missing some paperwork. "But the note didn't specify
exactly what was missing," says Theisen.
After making many
calls and faxing a copy of the UPC label and the receipt, he was denied again.
This time, the rebate fulfillment house for Symantec told him the promotion was
over. Theisen felt he was at a dead end. "Talking to the reps is like
talking to parrots," he fumes. "No matter what I said, they kept
repeating that I didn't send the correct documents." (After PC World
contacted Symantec, the company eventually sent him the $40 check.)
Theisen's
experience is only one example of what can go wrong. Another snag may involve a
lack of contact information for disputing a rejection. And some rebate coupons
are written in such tiny type that you might need a magnifying glass.
We investigated
what goes on behind the scenes, talking to shoppers who collected rebates and
to others who were left empty-handed. We grilled manufacturers, retailers, and
fulfillment houses (which administer rebates) about the pitfalls in the
process; companies sometimes point their fingers at each other, leaving buyers
in a runaround frenzy. We also asked government agencies what can be done to
improve the system.
In the end, we discovered that there is no magic formula. If you've decided to go the rebate route, and you need a bit of help, we recommend a few stores that make the filing process a little easier, and we also give some advice on how you can improve your chances the next time you play the rebate game.
Breakdown in the Process
Rebates are a
headache for consumers, a tricky situation for retailers, and a major expense
for manufacturers. So why are we seeing more rebate offers than ever before?
Because stores and product makers want to lure shoppers into buying their
products, and they know some people won't collect.
Market research
firm Aberdeen Group reports that about 60 percent of buyers who could redeem
computer-related rebates don't try. "That's money the store and/or the
manufacturer keep," says
Symantec and Pinnacle Systems, offer "net-zero"
rebates in which buyers, like Theisen, are promised all of their money back
(except, of course, the sales tax). But the burgeoning number of rebate deals
in newspaper ads, on store shelves, and on Web sites has resulted in a
crescendo of consumer complaints. PC World's On Your Side mailbox
and chat boards such as those on FatWallet.com (a site that offers shopping
information and tools for saving money) are overflowing with gripes about
denied rebate redemptions.
Part of the
problem is that three parties--the product manufacturer, the retailer, and the
rebate fulfillment house--are usually involved in the process. Each company
ends up relying on the others to ensure that things go smoothly.
Rather than process thousands of redemptions themselves, manufacturers and retailers frequently contract with a fulfillment house to open and sort mail, log in consumer data, and, if all requirements have been met, issue rebate checks. But those fulfillment houses can't cut any checks until the sponsoring manufacturer or retail store hands over the rebate money, which can take anywhere from 15 to 90 days after the fulfillment company's invoice date. If the sponsor pays the invoice with a paper check, the fulfillment house must wait several days for that check to clear before it can write any checks to consumers. Sometimes the manufacturer doesn't pay the invoice at all; a few fulfillment houses (which prefer to remain anonymous) told us that they have quietly gone to the Federal Trade Commission to report such a problem.
Onerous Requirements
Some rebate offers
are so aggressive that the products are virtually free. At Outpost.com, for
example, Pinnacle Studio 8 video editing software costs $79.99, but is -$0.01
after an $80 mail-in rebate. Such a deal, right? Not necessarily.
The $80 rebate is
actually two offers: a $50 one that requires proof of upgrading from a
competitor's program (a preloaded version on your PC doesn't count); and a $30
offer that must be sent to the same address--but to a different department.
Another requirement: You must send either the title page of the user manual for
a full version of the older software or the old installation CD.
How can you find
out about the rules before you sink your money into the product? Manufacturers
often tuck the details inside the product box, which, once opened, cannot be
returned. Retailers don't provide rebate rules until checkout, either, though
you can ask a cashier to print out the rules before you buy. The process is a
little easier online, where many merchants provide the rules.
Vendors, such as
McAfee Security, have tried to be more forthcoming about the details by listing
them on a little sticker on the box. Emphasize the word little. The
McAfee Personal Firewall Plus coupon we looked at was barely larger than a
butterfly, with letters about the size of starving fleas. The label has roughly
700 words of fine print on one side and a cramped form on the other. And if the
software is shrink-wrapped, you probably can't peel off the sticker to read the
details.
McAfee says its
stickers are standard in the software industry, especially now that some
programs come in a box about the size of a VHS video tape. "We want to
offer the terms and conditions up front, and that requires a small sticker [in
the new packaging]," says Michelle Jimenez, McAfee marketing manager.
If you can't read
or find the rebate requirements, ask the store or call the manufacturer about
the specifics.
Some manufacturers
say that they offer rebates partly because retailers want them to. "A
retailer might say, 'We're having this sale and we want to hit a certain price
with this product in our ad. See what you can do,'" says Lewis Lustman,
marketing director of Iogear, which makes input devices, networking hardware,
and other PC peripherals. "The onus then is on [manufacturers] to come up
with something."
The good news for
manufacturers and retailers is that rebates can make their bottom line look
good, at least temporarily. "With money in the bank, there is no hurry to
pay the rebates," says Todd Fernandez, a financial analyst at Glass Lewis
& Company. "Businesses can sit on consumer money [while it earns
interest] for a quarter, or sometimes two--a great way to facilitate working
capital."
However, some
retailers aren't happy about delaying tactics. As a general rule, "if
[shoppers] buy a product offering a rebate, [they] should get it, and get it on
a timely basis," says Dave Bennett, vice president of pricing at Office
Depot. The retail chain promises its store-sponsored rebates within eight to
ten weeks.
Like many
retailers, Office Depot has limited control over the company that handles
manufacturers' rebates. Bennett understands shoppers' frustrations: When they
find rebate rules that are unreasonable, their first reaction is to get
"mad at the store they bought [the product] from," he says.
But consumers also
get mad at the fulfillment house. For instance, TCA Fulfillment, which handles
rebates for Brother, CompUSA,
Some angry
consumers have even accused TCA and other vendors of deliberately losing
rebates owed.
"That is such
urban folklore," counters TCA founder and CEO Frank Giordano, explaining,
"We are a service organization. We get paid for every redemption request
we enter in the system. If we don't put it in the system, we don't get
paid."
The BBB reports
that TCA has exhibited a pattern of not responding to consumers' complaints.
"More than 90 percent of [these complaints] were from irate consumers
who'd been denied [a rebate], usually for good reason," says Giordano.
"We thought it was a waste of time to explain through a middle party, like
the BBB, why their rebate was rejected."
New York BBB spokesperson Ronna Brown says that "if TCA told us that all complaints are related to one manufacturer not paying its invoice in time, we'd take that into consideration. [But even if] the volume of their redemptions is incredibly high, they still need to respond to complaints." Brown acknowledges that the fulfillment company has resolved hundreds of complaints in the last year.
Watchdogs Step In
If the retailers
aren't trying to scam the consumer and the manufacturers aren't trying to pull
a fast one, and the rebate houses are cranking out checks as fast as they can,
who's at fault when rebate experiences go sour? The company sponsoring the
rebate is ultimately responsible. And when you can't get a rebate dispute
resolved, where do you turn? That's where the FTC and the state attorneys general
offices enter the picture.
Matthew Gold, a
staff attorney in the
when the rebate's sponsor is in financial trouble. Over the
past few years, several cases have been filed against manufacturers. One of
these, Prime Peripherals--also known as OKie Electronics--eventually filed for
bankruptcy.
"[The FTC]
hasn't seen a lot of outright fraud," Gold says. More often, he adds, it's
a case of a small company not anticipating the level of response to the offer,
or a big company too caught up in its own bureaucracy to deposit funds into the
fulfillment house's bank account. "Typically, once [the FTC] gets
involved, the companies are reasonably responsive, meaning they either admit
they're in financial trouble or they try to get the money out to
consumers." It's rare for the FTC or a state attorney general to file suit
against a company for failure to pay rebates.
"We don't
disclose the companies we are investigating, but if we receive a number of
complaints [about a specific vendor], we look into the situation," says
Brad Maione, press officer for
Government agencies continue to help consumers learn to, as the FTC puts it, "take the 'bait' out of rebates." Be sure to read the commission's assortment of helpful tips (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/rebatealrt.htm). And check out our advice in "Rebate Tips."
Stores Make Rebates Easier
Some leading
retailers, hoping to entice customers to make all of their rebate-eligible
purchases in one place, are trying to make redemptions easier.
The warehouse club
Costco, for example, was among the first to blaze a rebate trail by printing
out a separate rebate receipt and cash-register-generated claim form along with
the customer's copy of the receipt. Most rebates redeemed through Costco don't
even require clipping out the UPC, and the bulk of them can be redeemed online,
saving even the 37-cent postage stamp. But beware: Wait more than 30 days to
file, and you're out of luck.
Office-supply
retailer Staples extended its filing deadline from 30 days to 60 days on most
rebates. It also plans to offer online redemptions this year. But like other
stores, Staples doesn't combine all of its vendors' rebates into its own
program, which is processed by Parago. So be sure you understand whether the
rebate is through Staples or the manufacturer.
Best Buy,
Rebate Tips
Do the math: If a
product costs $50 without a rebate and a competitor is $60 with a $20 rebate,
consider the $50 item and skip the hassle of filing a claim.
Check the
expiration date: Some rebate offers expire faster than a carton of milk. Always
check a rebate's promotion period. A merchant may have failed to update its ads
or may carry leftover inventory from a promotion that has ended.
n File promptly: Send the rebate
claim right away. Some stores and manufacturers require that you submit a claim
within 14 days of purchase--which is often shorter than a shop's return policy.
n
Follow all
instructions: If the form says to use blue ink, do. Fill out
every
line.
n Keep copies for your records:
Copy everything before you send the claim.
n Use certified mail: It proves
that someone received your rebate request.
n Set reminders: Mark your calendar
for the check's estimated arrival. Or download the Rebate Rebate tracking
freeware (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,8341,00.asp).
n Check the status: For redemption
tracking, many rebate houses provide a URL, such as www.wheresmyrebate.com or
www.rebatestatus.com.
n Get in touch: No sign of a check
by the due date? Begin documenting your calls.
File a complaint: Report problems to the BBB (http://complaints.bbb.org/SelectComplaintLinkFrameSet.asp) and the FTC (https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01) (use the site, or call 877/382-4357). Write to your state attorney general's office, or to the office in the state where the rebate sponsor is located. Contact your local media (newspaper, TV, and radio); they may have a consumer advocacy department that can mediate on your behalf. J. R.-D.
G-Lock SpamCombat
Spam-filtering software
removes unwanted mail from your mail server without pulling the messages into
your inbox.
By Roger Chang
Outlook and Eudora usually make you
download spam before filtering it. On today's "Call for Help" I'll
show you a simple and effective way to deal with unwanted email before it hits
your inbox. Best of all, you won't have to add on to or replace your current
client.
G-Lock SpamCombat scans and marks spam on
your POP3 email server (sorry, the app doesn't work with Web-based email) so
you don't waste time or drive space downloading unwanted messages. Plus, G-Lock
SpamCombat uses Bayesian filtering. It actually learns what spam is by your
actions.
1. Install and
launch the file.
2. Click File.
3. Select
"Add new account."
4. Fill in your
email account information.
5. Click the Test
button to make sure everything works.
When you run G-Lock SpamCombat for the
first time, you'll see all new mail entries in the status pane to the right. As
you highlight a message you can check the mail as either clear or spam using
the mark buttons on the toolbar below the status pane. Look at the preview pane
below the toolbar to view the contents of an email and verify whether it
contains spam.
As you use G-Lock SpamCombat more and more,
the app will begin making automatic decisions based on your previous behavior.
If it's unsure about a message, it will say, "U:Baysian: 50," meaning
SpamCombat believes the email is 50 percent good or 50 percent spam. Select the
check box next to an email and click the Delete button to remove messages from
the POP3 server.
On the left of its interface G-Lock
SpamCombat has a checklist of actions it can take on incoming email. If at any
time you don't want a process to take place, uncheck the box next to the
process.
You can also customize black-and-white
email lists, blocking or allowing email based on title, subject heading, or IP
address. This lets SpamCombat expedite email checking by blanketing certain IPs
as bad or good. Plus, save some time by choosing to automate the entire process
so it runs at predetermined intervals.
When you're done, run your regular email
application and start downloading your spam-free email.
Download G-Lock
SpamCombat now: http://www.glocksoft.com/sc/index.htm
Unwanted email is moving from
your inbox to your cellphone. Is there any way to stop it?
By Edward Cherlin and Nicole Guilfoyle
Your cellphone beeps, vibrates, or maybe
plays that catchy tune everyone at the office hates. You have a text message!
It's not from someone you love or even from someone you know. It's a note from
a complete stranger advertising XXX-rated barely legal girls, or offering a
lower rate on your mortgage, or promising to tell you where to find Viagra
online.
As if your inbox wasn't enough, your once-sacred cellphone is now violated by spam -- and you're not alone. No one who has a cellphone that can receive SMS text messages or email is safe. The same companies that practice junk fax and email spam are considering or even trying cellphone spam. On today's "Call for Help" we're telling you how to fight the pornography, gambling, quack medicine ads, and commercial fraud coming soon to a cellphone near you.
Meet the spammers
Big telephone and Internet companies,
including
It's impossible to keep your phone number
secret. Here are the two most common ways your cellphone number is collected.
� Your new
cellphone number is a reused number previously on a message list.
� Cellphone numbers are assigned in blocks. When a spammer figures out the last four numbers of a cellphone number in a particular area code, it can modify the number and spam all the numbers in a block of up to 10,000 phones.
It'll cost youThe biggest rub is that if you don't have text messaging or email included in your monthly service plan, you have the privilege of paying to receive each message. Even the Direct Marketing Association, which opposes most email spam legislation, is against the practice because it imposes costs on the recipient.
Fight for your rights
Support laws against cellphone spam.
Learning your rights and how to enforce them is your only defense.
Unfortunately, you may not have many useful rights. For example, in California
the government doesn't have the money to take spammers to court on a large
scale, but state Senator Debra Bowen is working on a new bill to provide a
private right of action against cellphone spammers, letting individuals sue for
$500 per message.
Back Up Your Games
Archive your
favorite games.
By Kevin Rose
You fired up Nero
or Easy CD to back up your games. Only you find that the one-to-one backups of
your games don't work. That's because modern games use one of several different
types of game copy protection.
But hey, what kind
of Dark Tipper would I
be if I didn't show you a way around it? Watch today's show and I'll show you how to make backup copies of your games.
Identify the copy protection type
The first thing you have to do is determine what type of copy protection is on the disc. This can be done several different ways, but my favorite is to use an application that examines the disc to determine its copy protection type. Here's a list of applications that can determine the copy protection method (http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_utils_2.shtml#CD%20Inquery). I personally like ClonyXXL (http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_utils_2.shtml#ClonyXXL).
Use Alcohol 120%
Get a copy of
Alcohol 120%. Alcohol 120% makes perfect copies of almost any game title.
When you launch
the software, you simply select the copy protection type from a drop-down list
and begin the burn.
Hate putting the
game CD in your CD-ROM drive every time you want to play? Alcohol 120% lets you
create virtual disc backups to the hard drive. The software maps a drive letter
(like E: or whatever is available) to the virtual disc backup so that the game
title believes the disc is in the drive. Presto, no more disc swapping.
There's a free trial version (http://www.alcohol-software.com/) available.
Alternative applications
Here are a few
other great underground disc-burning apps. You can get even more information at
GameCopyWorld (http://www.gamecopyworld.com/).
�
BlindRead/BlindWrite
http://www.vso-software.fr/blindwrite5_english.htm
�
CloneCD
http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonecd.html
�
DiscJuggler
http://www.padus.com/products/discjuggler.php
