                    Readme file for the evaluation copy of 
 
                        BATTLING THE BILL COLLECTORS
                                 Version 1.0
                                 August, 1993

                                   InfoTek
                       50 Lake Road, Woodbury CT  06798
                                 203-266-4139

   
       INTRODUCTION

       Thank  you  for  evaluating  Battling  the  Bill  Collectors. This 
       program is  designed  to  give you the knowledge and tools to deal 
       with bill collectors on your terms.  
       
       When a consumer defaults on payments, the creditor begins  efforts
       to  collect  in  the hopes that they can restore the customer to a 
       current  status,  thereby  preserving  the  account  and   a  good
       customer relationship.  When  a customer  falls  too  far  behind,
       typically  120  to  180  days, the creditor will often hire a debt 
       collector to try to collect the past due  payments  for  them. The 
       consumer is then bombarded with a number  of  collection  tactics, 
       usually in a matter of fact and business-like manner.  Then  there 
       are the debt collectors that use intimidation and even harrassment 
       to collect a debt. If you are being collected from, you  need this 
       program. You have very specific rights  and this program will help 
       you learn what they are. With this program you can remove yourself 
       from falling into the many traps bill colletors  set for you.  You 
       will  be  able  to  stop all  further  collection  attempts,  spot 
       violations of the law and put an immediate  stop  to  harrassment. 
       Perhaps more importantly, you can keep your  sense  of  self-worth 
       through a tough time which few people choose intentionally. 
       
       You  will  learn much about how to deal with debt collectors  with 
       this program, but first, it is important that you read the rest of 
       this file to become familiar with how this program should be used. 
   
                  DISCLAIMERS, NOTICES AND RIGHTS OF PARTIES
       
       COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

       All  versions of Battling the Bill Collectors are copyrighted  and 
       are the property of InfoTek,  Woodbury,  CT.  Any  modification(s) 
       and  redistribution  of  such  modification(s) is  a  violation of 
       copyright and present a hazard to subsequent users.

       THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION ACT TEXT FILE

       The Fair Debt Collection  Act has been provided  as ASCII  text to
       allow printing of the entire document only. Please  remember  that
       this is a legal document and therefore is not to be modified.

       RESOLVING PROBLEMS

       If you bought  this  program  from a  shareware  Distributor,  you
       should first contact  them to resolve any conflicts  pertaining to
       the  sale  of the  evaluation  copy  of  this  program. If you can
       not get the  problem resolved, we  would  like  to know  about the
       problem.
       
       ORDERING FROM INFOTEK
       
       You  may order a  copy of the  evaluation  disk  from  InfoTek  by
       writing to us at 50  Lake  Road, Woodbury, CT 06798.  Specify  the
       disk size (3 1/2" or 5 1/4")  you need and enclose $5.00. We  will
       ship you  the latest  available version  shortly upon  receipt  of
       your order.
       
       COPYING THE PROGRAM

       The evaluation copy may be freely copied and distributed to  allow
       others to evaluate the program, but you must keep the program  and
       all  associated  files intact and unmodified. If you intend to sell
       copies of this program for profit, please read the VENDOR.DOC.
 
       RIGHT OF USAGE PRIOR TO REGISTRATION

       It would be unreasonable to expect you to refrain from using  this
       program prior to  registering  it.  Therefore, you  may  use  this
       program for a reasonable  period  of  time to gain an appreciation
       for how it works and how it can help you.

       If you find yourself actively  using  Battling the Bill Collectors 
       and want to be supported with future  upgrades  and other benefits
       of registering, you are invited to register with InfoTek. We can't
       support you if we don't know that you are using the program.

       Full details about registration and what  it includes is  provided
       from within  the program.  Just  select  HOW TO REGISTER  from the
       ABOUT menu at the top your screen.

       NOTICE TO ALL USERS

       Nothing in this program ever suggests  stepping  outside  of  your
       legal rights as granted to you by Congress  as  specified  in  the 
       Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  You are advised to honor your 
       legal responsibilities and agreements with your creditors.
     
       WARRANTY

       BATTLING THE BILL COLLECTORS IS  PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT WARRANTY 
       OF  ANY  KIND, EITHER  EXPRESSED  OR  IMPLIED, INCLUDING  BUT  NOT 
       LIMITED  TO  THE  IMPLIED   WARRANTIES   OF  MERCHANTABILITY   AND
       FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO  EVENT  IS  ANY  LIABILITY
       ACCEPTED FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED, EITHER  DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY,
       AS A RESULT OF USING BATTLING THE BILL COLLECTORS.

       RATHER, THIS  PROGRAM PRESENTS GUIDELINES,  TIPS  AND POINTERS FOR
       YOUR CONSIDERATION THAT, WHEN APPLIED  PROPERLY, HAVE  BEEN SHOWN
       TO WORK AS THEY PERTAIN TO DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS.

       MAILING LISTS

       InfoTek does not sell, rent or loan  its registered  user  mailing
       list. Such  mailing list is kept within the  company for  its  own
       use to mail upgrade notices. Therefore, you can be confident  that
       your name will not be given to any other person  or  organization.

       ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS (ASP) STATEMENT

       This program is produced by  InfoTek, a member of the  Association
       of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure  that the
       shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to  resolve a
       shareware-related  problem  with an ASP member  by contacting  the
       member directly, ASP may  be able to help.  The ASP Ombudsman  can
       help you resolve  a dispute or problem  with an  ASP  member,  but
       does not provide technical support for  members' products.  Please
       write  to  the  ASP  Ombudsman  at 545 Grover  Road,  Muskegon, MI
       49442 or  send a CompuServe  message via CompuServe  Mail  to  ASP
       Ombudsman 70007,3536.

       STATE LAWS

       The  Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is  a  federal  law.  Your 
       state  may  have its own laws pertaining to debt collection  which 
       usually  make  an effort to clarify or further restrict unfair and 
       abusive debt collection practices.  You  may  wish  to  check your 
       state's statutes for specifics.

       COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

       To use  this software you will need, at a minimum, the following:
            1. An IBM XT or compatible (AT or 386 preferable)
            2. At least 512 kilobytes of free RAM
            3. One 360 kb 5 1/4" or 720 kb 3 1/2" floppy disk drive.
            4. EGA, VGA or SuperVGA color monitor.
               (Note: Important color coding is lost with monochrome
                monitors).
            5. 1 megabytes of free hard drive space
            6. DOS 3.3 or above.

       OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

       1. A mouse  is recommended (Microsoft  is preferable).  However  a
          mouse is not required to use the program.
       2. A printer is necessary if you want to print letters, forms  and
          other information directly from the program.
       3. Microsoft windows PIF and icon files  are  provided  to  assist
          running this program under windows as a DOS application.

       PROGRAM FILES

       This distribution disk should contain the following files:
       
       INSTALL.BAT    DOS batch file to launch the install utility.
       INSTPRG.HCM    The installation utility program file.
           BBC.LZH    The compressed set of program files.
         LHARC.EXE    The unarcing utility.
            HL.EXE    The program needed to read the hypertext file.
        README        This readme file.
        VENDOR.DOC    Vendor instructions for distribution.

        After installation, your hard drive should contain these files:

        README        This readme file.
            GO.BAT    The batch file used to start the program.
           BBC.HCM    The hyper text file containing the information.
           BBC.HIX    The hyper text file's index.
      HYPSHELL.CFG    Start up configuration file.
            HL.EXE    The program needed to read the BBC.HCM file.
           END.HYP    The closing message.
         FDCPA.TXT    The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in ASCII text format.
           BBC.ICO    Icon for Microsoft Windows 
           BBC.PIF    Program Information File for Microsoft Windows 
       LETTER?.TPL    Each of the Letter Templates in ASCII format
             *.DTA    Files used to store information you provide from
                      within the program.

                       !!!DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MODIFY ANY FILE!!!
       NOTE:

       If you  were  given  an  incomplete disk, you  should  notify  the 
       Distributor or person  who  sold (or gave)  you  the disk. If  you 
       cannot obtain a new and complete disk, send your name and  address  
       with  $5.00 to InfoTek,  50 Lake Road, Woodbury CT  06798. Request 
       an  evaluation  copy of Battling the Bill Collectors  and  specify 
       the disk size. If you  purchased  the  incomplete  program  from a 
       Shareware Distributor,  please advise  us  of the name and address  
       of the Distributor, we will  insure that  the Distributor receives 
       a complete disk.

       INSTALLATION TO A HARD DRIVE:

         YOU MUST USE THE INSTALL UTILITY FOR SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION.

       You will  need to install  this program on  your hard drive. To do
       so, simply  enter  the  command INSTALL  at the DOS  prompt  while 
       logged onto the floppy drive that contains  this  disk. Follow the 
       prompts.
              
       Once  you have installed the program to your hard drive,  log into
       the directory  where you  installed the program and  type the word
       GO.
 
       CONCLUSION
 
       Once again, thank  you for trying Battling the Bill Collectors. We 
       are  confident  that  you  will  find these principles interesting
       and, when   used  properly,  will  prove rewarding.
       

       The Staff of InfoTek
       
