HELOISE Reader wants refund for defective phone card

Dear Heloise: I am writing to you because I have a problem. I bought a prepaid phone card at a convenience store, and I have been unable to use it.
Not only will it not work, but the customer-service number is never working. I threw away the cardboard card that was attached to it, so now I am unsure of how to go about trying to get my money back.
If you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. Ten dollars is only $10, but today that is money that I could use elsewhere. Thank you for your time and help in this matter. Joyce from Texas
Let's see if we can get you some help. The first thing to do is go back to the store to see if you can get a refund.
We did talk with a representative from a major phone-card company, and he said that usually the retailer will not refund your money, since it has no way of knowing if the card is really defective.
However, the store should have contact information for the company. It might have other numbers that are not on the card itself.
We hope that this helps you out! Let us know. Heloise & amp; Heloise Central
Dear Heloise: I have a number of tote bags, and I find endless uses for them. I suggest placing them in your car trunk and using them for shopping. They tend to be much stronger and more comfortable to carry than plastic bags.
This saves you from having to remember to recycle the plastic bags you get from stores, and also saves the environment. Sarah M., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: Thank you for your great column in the Roswell Daily Record in Roswell, N.M.
A shower-curtain rod on the back side of the shower (ours is just above head level) is a good place to hang washcloths, and, with a curtain hook, you can hang a bath sponge and a back brush on it. Laura in New Mexico
Dear Heloise: A couple of weeks ago, you had a hint about cutting up steel-wool soap pads to extend their life. I have an even better way. After using a pad, I put it in a plastic bag, close it tight and put it in the freezer. At freezer temperatures steel-wool pads don't rust, and they defrost quickly when you need one. I'm still using one that I initially used more than a year ago. My only problem is remembering what this funky-looking thing in my freezer is! Ann Fekety, Dallas
Dear Heloise: If you use garbage-can liners in all of your wastebaskets, store a few in the bottom of each basket. When you remove the full liner, there they are in a handy spot. When you use the last one from the bottom, this sends you back to storage for more and gives you a chance to check if you need to buy more on your next trip to the store. Indoors or outdoors, it works. R.E. Graham, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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