The Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device (clever name, eh?) is probably the easiest way to record phone calls (from an abusive debt collector, for example) that I have seen. You stick it in your ear, plug it into a recorder, hold your phone normally up against your ear with the earbud in it, and it picks up both sides of the conversation!

You can use a tape recorder, but many MP3 players will also record, so you may not need anything more than what you carry with you already.

Quick. Easy. Good stuff.

Olympus TP-7 telephone recording device | BoingBoing

Predatory litigator Monster Cable recently withdrew a patent infringement lawsuit after attorneys from local firm Winthrop & Weinstine filed a motion to dismiss. Monster’s Cable was suing Minnesota company Denco for producing Monster Deer Block, a flavored salt and mineral lick designed to attract wild deer. And apparently easily confused with Monster’s overpriced electronic cables.

Inside Track: A Monster dispute is licked | StarTribune (via Consumerist)

Some of the “tricks and traps” in AFFIL’s Common Credit Cards Tricks and Traps (PDF link) are impossible to avoid. Or nearly so at least. I can’t think of a credit card agreement that does not include a mandatory binding arbitration clause, for example.

But some cards are better than others. When you are looking for a card, pay special attention to the fees and to tricks that credit card companies use to trick you into paying late (so they can collect those fees).

Not specifically mentioned by AFFIL, but equally important, watch out for “features” that are really excuses for the credit card company to charge you more money. Like credit protection, cash advances, and similar “benefits.”

When shopping for a car, the following statements mark you as a big sucker:

1. “I love, love, love this car”
2. “I need to get a car by tomorrow”
3. “I need a monthly payment of . . .”
4. “My trade-in is outside”
5. “I don’t know anything about leasing”
6. “My credit is a little spotty”

6 things never to tell a car salesman | CNN (via Consumerist)

Apparently the Lhasa Apso was making phone calls on a Verizon account. Bad dog! (Interestingly, the dog, Andy, apparently does have an American Express card of his own. No word on whether that account is in default.)

$142 Collection Bill Sent To Couple’s Dog | KCRA

As part of our summer focus on credit cards, AFFIL compiled this list of common tricks and traps (PDF). We all know that credit card contracts are designed to increase the likelihood that cardholders pay high fees and get charged high interest rates. So while you will be hard pressed to find a credit card without these terms - at least until our government outlaws them - if you’re informed and cautious, you have a better chance of steering clear of the traps and saving money. Here they are:

Fees and More Fees – On any given month, you might pay a late payment fee, overlimit fee, cash advance fee, balance transfer fee, foreign exchange fee, bill payment fee, Western Union fee, and whatever else your lender can devise. Not to mention monthly and annual fees.

Tricks to Make You Pay Late – These come in many varieties. If you’re late you’ll pay a hefty fee and your interest rate may go up. Check each statement carefully and pay your bill as soon as it arrives.

Changing Due Dates – Your bill will not be due on the same day every month.

Early Due Dates – Bills may be due just a few days after you receive them.