"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
06/19/2015 at 09:15 • Filed to: None
7
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"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
06/19/2015 at 09:15 • Filed to: None | 7
| 31 |
The multimedia experiment continues as I put Lehto’s Law out there in two forms: Audio and Video. This week I explain why it is important to get things in writing.
I have written many times about how it can make life much simpler if you ask for certain things in writing. And as I was thinking about it, it dawned on me that I should expand on it a little more in my podcast.
This is also my second show with a video component. I am still working on the technical aspects of that so bear with me as I bump the table while I rant, and try to figure out if anyone will notice the oddball stuff on the bookshelf behind me.
So, here is the podcast:
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And here is the video:
And if anyone has a 3-D printer, maybe I can do the show in that medium as well. Lifesize, I assume.
Oh, and the mostrosity at the top is the 1980 Comuta-Car. Saw it at the Henry Ford museum. I snapped the picture and ran, fearing that being in its presence too long might bring harm to me or my loved ones.
Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.
AaronT
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 09:35 |
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You know what would be really great? Since the car buying experience is still in the stone age, a flat-fee service you could use when you go to complete your sale. Someone to help review the documents from purchase agreement to final loan/warrantee. I read about this stuff all the time, but during my recent purchase I was still pretty overwhelmed. The sales staff is really no help and I would be willing to pay a 150-200 bucks for some professional help when I am ready to seal the deal.
Monsterajr
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 09:36 |
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I remember seeing those things at the NY Auto show way back when it was held at the now gone NY Coliseum. They stood out then and really haven’t lost that wtf factor.
RazoE
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 09:43 |
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This was the “Kiwi” offered to Al Bundy before he settled on the “Testica 2000”
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SteveLehto
> AaronT
06/19/2015 at 09:50 |
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Which is exatly why they make it that way. They know no one can read all those documents in that amount of time.
I wonder how many people would pay for such a service? And what the dealers would think of it?
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SteveLehto
> Monsterajr
06/19/2015 at 09:51 |
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Seriously; I was frightened by it.
Mark Longoria
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:02 |
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Could you publish some examples from cases you have handled where on the contract it says “salesmans statements are meaningless/unenforceable” and other crazy boilerplate language you have come accross?
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AaronT
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:08 |
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Definitely would like to know how many would pay for it. That 100-200 dollar range is like 10% or less of the cost of extended warrantees, etc. And I would think the dealers would hate it, but who cares? They are main force perpetuating this absolutely bizzare buying experience. In theory I can walk into a store and purchase a $30,000 watch and get none of the hassle I would get a dealership trying to buy a car. Makes me miss Saturn!
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SteveLehto
> Mark Longoria
06/19/2015 at 10:11 |
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You mean you want to see examples of the contracts themselves? I have included those in other pieces I have written. See this ->
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-one-thing-…
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SteveLehto
> AaronT
06/19/2015 at 10:12 |
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And if the watch is a Breitling I say, “Money well spent.”
burro president
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:15 |
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Good job. Some small pro tips: If you can angle the camera down slightly so it will be shooting from about your brow line or a lil’ big higher than that it will be more flattering especially with a wide angle lens like your webcam has. Also maybe throw an acoustic panel up on the wall to your right, centered at your mouth height and / or on the desk in front of you. But try to use a white one so it will provide reflected light (but not reflected sound) from below and even out the shadows if you put an acoustic panel on the desk. These are cheap fixes that will help you look and sound better.
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SteveLehto
> burro president
06/19/2015 at 10:18 |
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Thanks. I am dialing it in, bit by bit. The camera is off by about an inch (and you are right: the wide-angle lens exaggerates that so that fractions of an inch in placement count).
The sound on this one is not as good as it should be. The desk mic was recording into a program that failed to save so I was forced to use the lavalier (luckily I was using one) mic for the sound. In last week’s video, I used the desk mic for the sound - and it is much better.
Tom McParland
> AaronT
06/19/2015 at 10:20 |
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That is something I provide...sometimes I have customers who don’t really need my negotiation service but want me to look over the paperwork to make sure they aren’t getting screwed. I usually charge a $100 flat fee for that.
Whitesmoke
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:21 |
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Thanks Steve - can always count on you to deliver the goods. Of particular interest was that all your clients seem to have the same last name. Since my wife is originally from Hamtramck, I asked her if “Consumer” is a common surname in Michigan. Since she is Russian, that actually went better than I hoped.
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AaronT
> Tom McParland
06/19/2015 at 10:24 |
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Wish I had known that on Saturday!
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burro president
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:25 |
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Sorry, I did not see / hear last weeks and I hope I didn’t sound like a know-it-all cock, just wanted to share some insight.
davedave1111
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 10:35 |
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Oh. Disappointed. I thought this was going to be a transcript of the podcast, for those of us who prefer to read than listen.
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SteveLehto
> Whitesmoke
06/19/2015 at 10:42 |
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Middle initial often “Q.”
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SteveLehto
> burro president
06/19/2015 at 10:43 |
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Not at all. I worked in radio for years so I can usually get good sound but the video arena is completely foreign to me. Combine the two and all bets are off.
I’m always open to constructive criticism!
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SteveLehto
> davedave1111
06/19/2015 at 10:44 |
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Sorry, I don’t use a script. This does parallel I piece I wrote but the piece hasn’t been posted yet.
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Whitesmoke
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 11:01 |
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Sometimes for “Quincy”, occasionally for “Quarbarbelfratz”, naturally
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davedave1111
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 11:06 |
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That’s OK, I know you don’t normally have a transcript. I just mis-parsed the headline.
You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 11:24 |
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That is clearly too small to cause any great harm. And if you were able to look directly at it without turning to stone from its ugliness then you should be safe.
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SteveLehto
> You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
06/19/2015 at 11:32 |
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I limited my exposure to it. Its sheer ugliness borders on evil. Do not be fooled by its apparently small size. It could do much harm, I am sure of it.
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You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 11:50 |
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Take this, it will protect you. It’s only $34.99 at your local Ace Hardware.
I'm Abe Froman
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 12:26 |
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Question answered.
drdude
> burro president
06/19/2015 at 14:05 |
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I was going to make the same camera height suggestion.
Its also why teenage girls hold the camera up in the air for their duckface photos.
Berang
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 14:08 |
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Dear Steve,
I think it would be very interesting if you did an article about the Velosolex in America, because I hear it is a fascinating story about mopeds, setting precedents, and corporate take overs to gain the American market. Is the legend true? It seems almost too interesting to be a real thing. Also I wonder, if it is true, why have so many states changed their moped laws in the past ten or so years.
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IDM3
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 15:22 |
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You probably would have loved the Citicar. It’s the same thing, just without the ugly bumpers. Plus, it was the most successful electric car sold way before the Model S and Leaf were born.
If I could find one of these right now I would buy it.
Here's a Think City EV. better?
Michael
> SteveLehto
06/19/2015 at 15:31 |
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Steve, I know this may be a pain in the butt, but any chance you could at least do a brief write up to summarize your podcasts? Maybe I need to get with the times, but I really prefer reading articles over listening to them/watching videos and I love your columns. No worries if you can’t.
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SteveLehto
> IDM3
06/19/2015 at 15:50 |
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That, I have no problem with. The one in my pic is so ugly it looks like they did it on purpose.
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SteveLehto
> Michael
06/19/2015 at 15:51 |
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I’ll give you a compromise: Email me your address and I’ll mail you a copy of my book The Lemon Law Bible for free. Pretty much everything I talk about is in there.
Lehto@kennon.com