Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
Three for Thursday 02.22.2024
Here’s another edition of “you don’t know what you don’t know.” There has been attention lately on “lunch shaming,” the practice of embarrassing children whose parents have not paid their child’s lunch bill. Here’s why a lot of parents who can, don’t want to pay their child’s lunch bill. The nation’s free and reduced lunch program operates on the honor system. A parent fills out a form and states the family’s income to determine if their child will receive free or reduced payment for lunch. I dug into this years ago and discovered the percentage of children receiving free or reduced lunch was significantly above the percentage in the population that would qualify. Why? Schools do no verification of income, and the government does not want them to, because a school with a high percentage qualifies the school for even more federal funding. And here is the kicker. All that free food is being bought from corporate farms by taxpayers through provisions in the US Farm bill. My point? Too often, political talking points are more important than facts.
Watch this Investigation
Today’s investigation -Stanley Tumblers Watch because this could happen to you!
Ask Dale
Today's Ask Dale question comes from Gary. He wants to know how to get the most money when selling a diamond ring. Click the video for the answer.
Today's Lesson On How To Be A Savvy Consumer!
Today's seven-point lesson is on validating information.
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Anyone demanding full payment up front should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Too good to be true? There is a catch you’re not seeing – yet. Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he cannot be found after he gets your money. This is why third-party verification of facts before you commit is so important. Define- Your deal by comparing Product, Offer and Price. This is THE best way of making certain your offer is valid. Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. The second-best way to make certain your offer is valid. Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and reviewing watchdog reports. The third best way of making certain your offer is valid. Legitimize - Your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background searched. This is only a starting point for a legitimate company. You must do all seven steps!
Dale's New Book:
Don't Get Scammed: Get Smart!
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS