How to get the best of shoddy shops, crooked car-dealerships, and heartless HMOs--without having to hire an attorney.
    
The Miss Manners of the consumer kvetch shows readers how to go postal, with complaint letters designed to melt the heart and sting the conscience of the most obdurate, negligent, or customer-hostile corporations.  

Drawing on her experience as a pen-for-hire for irate consumers--and on the advice of clients, attorneys, and CEOs--Ellen Phillips shows readers:              
- Who to write to, what to say, what to ask for  
- The names and addresses of over 600 major companies
- How to draft personal petitions covering everything from tenant-landlord disputes to workman's compensation
- Suggestions on what steps to take to avoid litigation
- Consumer Smarts for automobile buyers
- How to protect yourself from fraudulent business solicitations
- Navigating the courts to ensure the well-being of your family and children
- Help in getting proper coverage from your HMO
- And--because sometimes the world is on your side--how to write the perfect thank- you note.

Delightfully readable, easy to use, and filled with the addresses of hundreds of corporate customer relations offices and state and federal agencies, Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed! is an essential resource for anyone who wants to reach out and scold somebody.

Rarely does a day go by when most of us do not have to deal with surly salespeople, cheaply made products, or vast and indifferent bureaucracies. Most of us endure this with a stoicism worthy of Seneca himself. After all, what's the use of complaining? It all seems to fall on deaf ears, anyway.

But the world needn't be like this, according to Ellen Phillips, consumer consultant and founder of Ellen's Poison Pen, Inc. Since 1988, Phillips has been helping frustrated consumers to get refunds and apologies from everyone from the corner druggist to massive insurance agencies. In her book, Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed!, Phillips shares the secrets of writing letters of complaint that get results. The first few chapters cover the general dos and don'ts of writing effective letters of complaint (remain calm, use polite language), along with useful advice from legal experts (don't embellish, stick to the facts).

The chapters that follow target specific problems we all face at some time in our lives, ranging from getting bumped from a flight to the secrets of successfully dealing with your HMO. Each chapter contains bullet points, illustrative anecdotes, and a number of example letters, most of which were based on actual letters sent on behalf of Phillips's clients. On top of all this, Phillips also provides an appendix listing the names and addresses of over 600 major companies, government agencies, and consumer organizations. Phillips believes that we should get what we pay for, and after reading her book, you'll be able to stand up for your rights with confidence.

Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Appalled," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Appalled in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Appalled when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Appalled, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain.

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on June 29, 2007. The length of the article is 471 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ain't no way to treat a lady; Humane society appalled at manhandling of female pooch.(Life)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 29, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: b1

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This digital document is an article from New Internationalist, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 449 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Appalled.(Letter to the editor)
Author: Chas Bayfield
Publication: New Internationalist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Issue: 396 Page: 34(1)

Article Type: Letter to the editor

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This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on March 31, 2006. The length of the article is 733 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Brownsville also appalled at racist sign.(Commentary)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: March 31, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: A11

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This digital document is an article from Hawaii Business, published by Hawaii Business Publishing Co. on June 1, 2002. The length of the article is 687 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Eat and Run: Cajuns may be appalled with Dixie Grill's new lunch specials but locals will be enthralled. (Dining Withdave).(Brief Article)
Author: David K. Choo
Publication: Hawaii Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2002
Publisher: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
Volume: 47 Issue: 12 Page: 77(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on May 15, 2007. The length of the article is 454 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Mom 'appalled' by son's wait time in ER.(City)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 15, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: b3

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