In this special combined episode of "Inside The Debt Black Hole" and the "Financial Conflict Coach Show" I talk about my anger and confusion about the Aurora, Colorado Cinema shootings, the possible impact this will have on Cosplay at Conventions and other Geek events in the future as well as my own experience going to see The Dark Knight Rises on Saturday with my family.

My thoughts are with the family and friends of all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. I wish there was more I could do for them.

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

My question for today is- how do you think this senseless act of violence will change Cosplay or going to the movies? Leave your comments down below.

If you have topic ideas or guest suggestions for future episodes- email me at escape AT debtblackhole DOT com or contact me through Twitter. To find out more about my Dispute Resolution work- visit my website for the Financial Conflict Coach. Thanks for watching!

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Just about everywhere you turn there are stories about companies who rip off consumers, have horrible customer service or just don't care. I was afraid I was going to have a similar story to tell when the air conditioning in my Tahoe stopped working last week.

On the way to work Tuesday morning, I noticed the air was not as cold as normal. It was only in the 70's outside, so it wasn't too bad. But driving home from work that afternoon was miserable! Since I replaced the a/c compressor in my truck last summer, I knew this was not a good sign. I was pretty sure I remembered the guy from AAMCO saying the new compressor they installed for me had a one year warranty on it.

So, when I got home, I logged into my bank account to see when I had the work done last summer. My heart sank when I saw the date - 7/9/11. The receipt I later found confirmed it.

“Well, FRAK ME”, I said out loud. My one year warranty expired on Monday! I noticed the problem on Tuesday and wouldn't be able to get my truck into them until Wednesday. That means I'd miss the warranty deadline by 2 days. Really?!

The a/c repair was just one of the things I had AAMCO do last summer. I spent well over $1200 to keep my Tahoe going (still trying to reach my 300k mileage goal). I started to go over all the possible scenarios in my head, like I always do.

First, the best possible outcome. Or the “unicorns and rainbows” option as I like to call it. In this scenario, the guys at AAMCO would happily fix the problem- free of charge- and even fix some of the other issues with the truck because they love listening to me on the radio every morning. Great possibility, right? SPOILER ALERT: that didn't happen (and it never does, unfortunately).

Second, the worst possible outcome. Or the “doomsday” option as I call it. In this scenario, AAMCO would hold me to the exact day, time and second of the one year warranty. They would refuse to fix my truck unless I paid them double because they hate listening to my show and their radio is broken and they can't change the station. I'd then have to try some Jedi mind tricks on them. If that didn't work, I'd complain to the manager, the franchise owner, the corporate office and, at some point, would be forced to sue them. Oh yeah, my overactive imagination also added in that they'd kick me in the nuts and laugh as I wriggled on the ground in pain. SPOILER ALERT: that didn't happen, either (good thing- I don't like getting kicked in the nuts or being forced to sue people).

What actually happened was, like it almost always does, somewhere in the middle.

I called them, explained the situation and made my appointment for the next afternoon. When I got there, they were very cordial and had me take a seat in the waiting area. They hooked the truck up to a machine and figured out it was, thankfully, not the compressor. It was some kind of broken pressure switch that caused all the freon to leak out and the compressor to stop running.

They replaced the switch, recharged the freon and got it working again in just a couple of hours. Actually, the only reason it took so long was because the parts store delivered the wrong part to them two different times! They probably could have had it fixed in about 45 minutes otherwise.

The manager kept apologizing for the part delivery mishap since it made me wait longer, but as I told him- I'm impressed they can even keep up with all of the different parts of all of the different cars in the first place. He also mentioned that if it had been a problem with the compressor, he would have still honored my warranty.

Even though I didn't ask for it- he did not charge me for the labor. He said he did it because he appreciated my continued business. I have to say- that was the best $75 (or whatever the charge would have been) investment he ever made. Because after this experience at my local AAMCO, he's going to continue to get my business, for as long as I own my Tahoe!

So, for $105 (the cost of the new pressure switch and freon) I once again have a truck with a nice, cold a/c! That's well below what I was expecting to pay to fix it. And I received better customer service from them than I could have imagined. They have gained a loyal customer.

I don't know if your local AAMCO service center treats their customers the same, but I'd still recommend you give them a chance.

Way to go, AAMCO!

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This is the 5th Episode of "Inside The Debt Black Hole" - a show that combines Personal Finance and Geek Culture. The topic of today's show is gadgets and gizmos- specifically how much does it cost to keep them charged!

A recent story on Dvice talked about a study by the Electric Power Research Institute revealing how much it really costs to keep our toys charged.

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

My question for today is- at what cost would you stop using your gadgets and gizmos because they cost too much to charge? Leave your comments down below.

If you have topic ideas or guest suggestions for future episodes- email me at escape AT debtblackhole DOT com or contact me through Twitter. Thanks for watching!

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Today's post is a Debt Black Hole Guest Post by Suzan Bekiroglu. Suzan is a published author, freelance writer and editorial consultant for secureloanconsolidation.com. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida, she faced the mounting obstacle of paying over $24,000 back in student loan debt. Determined to eliminate the debt, she became knowledgeable about money management. She seeks to educate others with tips on managing student loans and other kinds of debt, as well as in general personal finance and money saving tips.

Hershel said it, standing out there on the highway the morning after the zombie attack at the farm. "Christ promised a resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had something a little different in mind." He might as well have been talking about walking debt as "The Walking Dead." As a nation, Americans are infected with debt; a lot of it gone bad, on everything from credit cards (2.93% in January 2012), to mortgages (4.27%). Even though aggregate consumer debt fell by $126 billion in February 2011, the total still stood at $11.66 trillion.

Americans may be paying their bills on time now, and managing their money more effectively thanks to four years of the Great Recession, but the climate is ripe for a zombie debt apocalypse. There's no rogue virus or voodoo curse involved. It's actually pretty simple financial necromancy. Collection agencies buy old debt for pennies on the dollar and then go after the consumer for the full amount, thus turning a tidy profit.

So what do you do when glassy-eyed, slack-jawed debt "walkers" come after you to suck your brains out? You go for the head shot; it's the only way to take them out. Don't run. Don't hide. Find out exactly how much ammo you have, and fight back.

Some Zombie Debt May Be Deader Than You Think

Under the terms of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, within 35 days of being contacted by a debt collector consumers can request in writing via certified mail with return receipt that the debt be verified. The validation must include documents from the creditor of origin proving the amount is indeed owed and is correct, and that the current agency has a right to seek its collection.

There is also a statute of limitation on some debt. People often confuse that stipulation with the credit reporting time limit, which is simply the length of time credit bureaus can show delinquent debts on a credit report. For most obligations, that's seven years from the time the debt became delinquent. A bankruptcy, however, can be shown for 10 years, and tax liens for 15. These terms are laid out by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The statute of limitations on a debt starts from the last date of activity on the account and varies by state. Normally the period is 3-6 years, but in some instances goes as high as 15. Some debts never expire, including federal students loans, child support (in some states), and federal income taxes.

Always check to see if a debt is valid. If it's not, you don't have to pay the collector, but the debt is not erased per se and the collector can still file a lawsuit against you. Also beware of any "official" activity with the account. If you contact the creditor and even so much as make a verbal promise to pay, the statute of limitations period is restarted. So, in verifying the length of time the debt has been delinquent, consult your personal records only!

Even with Valid Zombie Debt, Fight the Harassment

Even if the zombie debt is valid, however, you don't have to let the collectors beat the door down. You can send a cease-and-desist letter via certified mail to the collection agency requesting that all communications stop immediately. (Make sure you send it return receipt requested.) If the collection agency continues to harass you, you can take legal action against them.

At the same time, however, don't ignore the issue, especially if you get a court document indicating a lawsuit has been filed. At this point, you need a lawyer. If allowed to go unaddressed, an attempt to collect a zombie debt can infect your whole financial life until your credit rating is endangered. Then you won't just have one walking corpse on your hands, but a whole stinking herd of legal problems.

**Dave's Note: Although I, personally, would not consider a debt consolidation loan like the ones offered by the company Ms. Bekiroglu is associated with- I chose to post this article anyway. The wonderful thing about personal finance is that everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'd rather present my readers with many points of view, instead of just one. Some people may like loan consolidation programs, just as some people- but not me- liked Babylon 5.**

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