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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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