But first, the plug. If you have a question, comment here, e-mail me at consuminginterests@baltsun.com or call 410.332.6151.

Here's the November 13, 2007 Q&A:

The Q:

Do you have a right to collect interest on a paycheck if an employer is late with your wages?

Mike McGee of Towson was outraged recently when his two 19-year-old sons waited almost a month to receive their final checks for their summer jobs as lifeguards for a local pool management company.

"Both sons turned in their keys on 9/4/07 of this season and did not receive a paycheck for a few weeks," McGee said. "At some point towards the end of September, when they pushed the issue with [the] office manager, he told them that they did not get credit for turning in their keys due to their supervisor having misplaced them. However, checks would be mailed soon."

Son Marc received his paycheck a few days later. Son Ian, however, waited more than a week later after calling the company again before he received his final pay.

"Do Marc and/or Ian have any recourse to collect or request interest on their money due?" McGee asked. "They work under a contract during the summer, which only protects [the company] should an employee quit before the end of the summer or not show up for work when scheduled. Nothing in the contract specifies how timely paychecks should arrive.

"Is there a law which requires money to be paid within a certain time frame? I don't like to see kids get taken advantage of by companies."

The A:

The McGees are sunk unless they want to pursue this through legal means.

According to the Maryland Guide to Wage Payment and Employment Standards, it's generally up to an employer to set regular paydays, "and pay all earned wages of an employee on time regardless of whether the employee has turned in a time sheet or punch card, quit without notice, or provided any other form or document required by the employer."

Had the pool management company failed to pay the McGees, they would have a legitimate beef. If a court found that wages were withheld in violation of the Maryland Wage Payment Law, and not as a result of a bona fide dispute, the wage guide says that a court could award damages of up to three times the amount of the unpaid wage plus attorney fees.

In the case of the McGees, however, "As long as you got paid, albeit late, there is no provision in the law where you could collect interest," said Richard Avallone, program manager for the state's Division of Labor and Industry. "Even though it's late, they've satisfied the law because you've received payment for work completed."

To avoid such problems in the future, parents should caution young wage earners to read employment contracts (or parents should read the contracts with their working children) before planting a signature on vague agreements that don't spell out when and how wages will be paid.

Copyright © 2007, The Baltimore Sun

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Here's the Nov. 6, 2007 Q&A about international calling plans:

The Q:

If you sign up for a calling plan that excludes international calling, can you still be charged for international calls?

In early October, Mike Ross in Catonsville said he received a call from Verizon Communications informing him that someone had made $500 worth of calls to the Philippines on his home phone.

"I have their Freedom Essential Plans, which spells out that I get unlimited local and long distance, but no international calling," Ross said. "We use calling cards and such to make all our international calls.

"I know who it was, my wife's relative who was visiting, and he made the calls without asking or my knowledge," Ross added. "Why would they even let the call go through? Do I have any legitimate complaint against Verizon when I am not signed up for an international calling plan that they allow the calls to connect?"

The A:

While Verizon cannot fully turn on a mechanism to stop all international calls (since doing so would also interfere with Ross' ability to make overseas calls with a calling card), Ross can request that Verizon place a toll block on outgoing international calls on his line. Such toll block requests are often made to prevent expensive 1-900 calls from being rung up on a home phone.

"When a customer signs up for service, we don't automatically put this block on the line," said Verizon spokesman Sandra Arnette. "People are free to make any calls they wish. We can, however, place a block on their line if they request it."

Ross has now signed up for the international toll block. He is, however, still responsible for paying his bill.

"Verizon cannot police a customer's phone line," Arnette said. "However, we are willing to work out payment arrangements with Mr. Ross. And, we offered him an international calling plan, which would provide cheaper per-minute rates. Perhaps, Mr. Ross should consider asking the relative who made the calls to pay the bill."

Ross is going to take Verizon up on its offer for a payment plan. He's declining the offer for an international plan since his calling card is cheaper, he said.

As for asking the relative to pay the bill, that's a big fat no-go, Ross said. That would start World War III in the family.

Ross' solution?

"I told my wife next time we visit Manila, we're going to go make calls to the States from his house."

Copyright © 2007, The Baltimore Sun