Apr. 26--In a matter of weeks, two of the biggest consumer headaches popped up in the news.

The culprits? One is the going-out-of-business sale -- this one involving once locally based Joe's Sports, Outdoor & More, which was bought by a liquidator April 9. The other is the complicated closure of a local firm with high-priced, order-ahead merchandise -- in this case, North River Boats Inc., which is under investigation by the FBI and has since had its stores taken over by the bank.

So what better excuse to remind readers that there are ways to avoid -- or find help resolving -- these kinds of sticky, money-sucking situations?

The situations are more challenging than the usual consumer rubs because, in both cases, management is gone or on its way out, leaving behind less invested operators without direct responsibilities to customers.

The Desk has already heard from one angry Joe's customer who dropped in on the first day of the liquidator's sale. He was surprised to see a bike he'd been eyeing for his daughter that had been priced at $99. The tag at the liquidation sale was marked $139 -- a 30 percent discount, according to the shiny sticker running alongside it.

It's true. Prices can be higher at such sales. Liquidators often cut off any existing specials (say Joe's anniversary sale, which had been going on since the first week of April) and move items back to pre-sale prices. Then, liquidators typically apply the going-out-of-business discounts, which often start around 10 percent off and, potentially, increase over the life of the sale.

Remember, liquidators' aren't in it to hand out hot deals. Their mission is to collect as much money as possible to cover the bankrupt retailer's debts and make some profit.

Oregon law allows liquidators to stock similar merchandise left over from other going-out-of-business sales they've held. To be sure you're getting Joe's goods, check tags. If the tags have different colors and sizes, ask a clerk why. Look out for such wording as "additional agent merchandise."

Assume all sales are final and that any product you buy won't be covered by guarantees or service plans -- which some manufacturers won't honor when goods are sold through liquidation.

Customers tangled up with North River Boats Inc., meanwhile, might be wondering about their boats.

The Roseburg-based aluminum boat manufacturer was searched by the FBI earlier this month after North River's bank alleged it had tweaked inventory figures in an attempt to qualify and maintain a credit line.