Three for Thursday 01.23.2020
Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
I want to personally thank you for being a part of our TrustDALE community! Our goal is to connect consumers with honest companies that treat people fairly and expose dishonest contractors that intentionally harm consumers.
Watch this Investigation
Almost all of us surf the internet these days to find services, but how do you know the company you contact is really the company you're intending to contact? Watch this crazy but true story about carpet cleaning, because This Could Happen to You!
Ask Dale
Here's today's Real Consumer Question: Bridgette wants to know what she can do after she realizes the items she ordered with her credit card are not correct. The good news? Charge back
Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!
Today's lesson on knowing the company you're trying to contact is the actual company:
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Contractors that require most or all of the money up are most likely not legitimate.
Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? If not, it's likely too good to be true. Scammers offer unrealistic opportunities that appeal to your greed. Offers that are too good to be true, ARE always too good to be true!
Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. Scammers purchase URL's (website names) that appear very similar to the legitimate company websites. Do a website search for the company you're actually trying to do business with. If it doesn't match the exact url of the real company, don't engage!
Define - Your deal by comparing Products, Offers and Prices. If the offer is more than 15% less than the normal price and there's no obvious reason (such as out of season discount) it's likely the vendor is cutting a corner you can't see.
Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract and an Effective Guarantee. Ask for a blank version of the contract before you ever agree to payment. Read the guarantee section carefully. Fraudulent companies will offer the moon and stars if they can't be held accountable later.
Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking Reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. There's no substitute for verifiable references.
Legitimize - Your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. Real and legitimate companies follow these rules. Make certain the company's identify can be verified (see above) and you'll be safe.
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS