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$250 to dispose of your vehicle, $1000 for extra miles you put on the clock

and $200 to replace the light bulb and the worn tyres—lease agents

constantly nickel-and-dime consumers when their lease runs out.

Here’s a rundown of what can trigger those fees, and some steps to take in

self-defense.

Disposition fee: leasing companies charge you if you choose not to buy the

vehicle at the end of your lease. This fee is set as compensation for the

expenses of selling, or otherwise disposing of the vehicle. It typically

includes administrative charges; the dealer’s cost to prepare the car for

resale and any other penalties. Make sure this fee is stated clearly in the

contract and is agreeable by you before signing on the dotted line. At

lease-end, you are left in no position to negotiate as the dealer can apply

your refundable security deposit towards this fee.

Excess mileage charges: Almost all leasing companies will charge a premium

for each mile over the agreed upon mileage stated in your contract. This

penalty can be as high as 25 cents per mile and can add up quickly. To

avoid the risk of running thousands of dollars in excess mileage penalties

at the end of your lease, always check the “per mile” charges in your

contract and be realistic about your mileage before you sign any contract.

If you think the limit is unrealistic given your commutation needs, then

negotiate with the dealer to get a higher mileage or contract for

additional miles.

Excess tear-and-wear charges: Another potential cost at the end of the

lease is any incidental damage done to the car during the lease. This is

deemed any excessive damage done to the normal tear and wear of the vehicle.

Notice the use of the terms “deemed”, “excessive” and “normal”. There is no

standard formula to define what’s “excessive” and “normal” and it’s up to

the leasing company to assess – or deem – the damage and determine what

they are going to charge. This leaves you at the mercy of unscrupulous

leasing agents who set stringent tear-and-wear standards. Make sure you

read the description of these standards, understand them and agree to them.

If your leased vehicle is damaged prior to the end of the lease, you may

find it cheaper to repair the damage yourself than pay the excessive charges

of the leasing agent. In the event of a dispute over the charges at the end

of your lease, get an independent third party to do a professional appraisal

detailing the amount required to repair any damaged parts or the amount by

which tear-and-wear reduces the value of the vehicle.

If you have ever watched the first episodes of a season you have no doubt sat around wondering exactly what someone was thinking when they picked out a song to sing. If you have ever found yourself in this position and you are considering auditioning for the show then this gives you a good indication of what you should not do when it comes to picking out the right song for your audition. While everyone is certainly free to select their own personal favorite song to audition with there are a few things that seem to apply pretty evenly all across the seasons when it comes to picking out the right song.

Your first cardinal sin is picking a song that is from someone considered a powerhouse. This would include but is certainly not limited to singers like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and even Celine Dion. If you hit the high notes and it does not sound perfect you will sound much more like a cat screaming. It is extremely important to avoid songs from these artists as well because in all truthfulness, most people heavily compare contestants to the original and it is extremely hard to inject your own personality into the song without hurting yourself. Each year there are dozens of contestants who pick songs from one of these artists and each year they are always sent home without going very far.

If you are gifted with incredible vocal range then be happy, but certainly do not take the initial audition as the perfect opportunity to show your range off. If you are having an off day for some reason, it can bring your American Idol experience to a screeching halt before it ever begins. If you are absolutely determined to sing a song from someone like Mariah, Whitney or Celine save it for Hollywood week when small mistakes will not cost you as greatly. This will still allow you to show off your vocal skills, while still staying with a much safer song choice when it matters the most.

Another artist to avoid is Janis Joplin. Regardless of what people think, she is not a singer that can be easily copied. Most contestants who attempt a Janis Joplin song try too hard to copy her exact style, and it often ends badly. If you are interested in showing off a song from someone like Janis Joplin, you need to work hard to turn it into something that sounds smooth and natural with your voice. If you are just trying to completely copy the entire flow of the song you will likely fail. Choose a different artist, or try to smooth out the song before you actually audition.

A final key piece of advice is always stick to selecting songs from an artist of the same gender. There is nothing that makes the judges laugh more than hearing someone that is a guy singing a Madonna song. However, the judges are not laughing in a positive way, they are much more likely to laugh over your singing attempt and consider you to be nothing more than a joke. The simple fact of the matter is the original song is still in the minds of the judges and if you differ too far, it can hurt your audition no matter how brilliantly you sing it. If you want to truly select a song from someone of a different gender make it your own and be certain that it is a unique version in order to have a good result from your audition.