Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

Non-car aficionados: Do you know what an engine splash shield is? We found out 20 miles from home last Monday from visiting our grandchildren in Lancaster Pennsylvania – six hours away – when we suddenly heard a large object under our car scraping along the highway.

Pull over, I shouted. My wife quickly stopped the car a few feet past exit 31 in Southington. We got out as traffic whizzed by and looked under the front of the car and saw what turned out to be the splash shield hanging down. We backed up and got on the exit but stopped at Aszklar’s Automotive shop halfway down the turn-off. Luckily for us, a friendly man came out, looked under the car, and, at no charge, extricated the splash shield, and all the screws, nuts, and bolts holding it in place. We put it in the trunk and drove home.

The next day my wife brought the car to the area body shop we’ve always used, since our usual garage, Lyons Auto Service in West Hartford, doesn’t do body work. Its estimate for reattaching the item: $200.

“I suspected the $200 quote was b___s___,” my wife said, and decided to go to Lyons after all to see what those folks thought. Louis and Chris said they’d do the work immediately. “We do this all the time,” they told her and quickly reattached the splash shield. They wouldn’t charge her and wouldn’t accept a tip. Now that’s good customer service.

Lesson: With car trouble, get more than one estimate!.

H&R Block

Tax season is coming up fast, and you may have seen H&R Block’s ads touting its “free” online tax product.

Warning: However, the Federal Trade Commission said in a Feb. 23 release, it often isn’t free.

It’s free only if you meet H&R Block’s definition of a “simple return,” but that’s not defined, the FTC said. “H&R Block can and does change what tax situations qualify for free at any time.”

Once you’re told that you don’t qualify after entering in all your information, you’re prompted to choose one of H&R Block’s paid tax-filing products. And if you choose the wrong version and want to switch, you’ll face major hurdles.

The FTC says that H&R Block makes it easy to upgrade to a more expensive version but adds barriers making it difficult and burdensome to downgrade to cheaper products. If you realize you could use a cheaper version and ask to switch, H&R Block will wipe out all the information you had entered. And you’ll also have to contact customer service “if you can even get through to an agent.”

The FTC said many end up paying for the more expensive product that they didn’t need to avoid re-entering all their tax information. “Others abandoned their returns, having wasted hours of their time,” the FTC said.

IRS free tax preparing

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals:

• People who generally make $64,000 or less
• Persons with disabilities
• Limited English-speaking taxpayers

The TCE program offers free tax help for those 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

All VITA/TCE volunteers must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. The IRS also requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA/TCE site prior to filing.

Find VITA and TCE sites at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations using the VITA Locator Tool or call 800-906-9887.

At select tax sites, taxpayers also have an option to prepare their own basic federal and state tax return for free using web-based tax preparation software with an IRS-certified volunteer to guide you, an option is only available at locations that list “Self-Prep” in the site listing.

Next week: New tax law changes.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected], and I’ll try to help.

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