Three for Thursday 02.25.2021
Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
Intentional deception really bugs me, and it probably bugs you. My friend's dad recently purchased a health product on social media. The ad offered a bottle of cbd oil pills for $5.25 plus $2.62 for shipping. No big deal, right? Wrong. His next credit card statement carried an additional charge of $102 dollars. What gives? My friend's dad didn't notice the "opt out" of continuing purchases of the product when he gave them his credit card information. He didn't notice it because it was in mice type. I helped my friend's dad protest the charge with his credit card company and file a request for a charge back. In case you didn't know, most credit card companies will allow you dispute a charge you didn't authorize, and even though this company has loads of mice type disclaimers stating that "agreeing to this purchase creates acceptance of our terms and conditions," most of the deceptive companies won't challenge the return of funds. Why not? Because the vast majority of people, and mostly seniors have no idea that path is available them, or it's too confusing and they don't pursue it. Shame on those intentionally deceptive companies.
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Today's Real Consumer Question is from Naomi, who wants to know my take on funeral insurance and pre-paid funeral plans.
Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!
Today's seven-point lesson on deciding to buy a product online:
I've been tricked!
(From today's consumer message above. Here's how my friend's dad could have protected himself).
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Most internet and social media purchases require a payment in advance. The more in advance, the more you should study the fine print.
Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? If not, it's likely too good to be true. Once again, they might be baiting you with an unusually low charge. If it feels unusually low, there's usually a nefarious reason for it.
Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. Internet based sales from out of state companies you've never heard of are notorious for this.
Define - Your deal by comparing Product, Offer and Price
Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. Internet tricksters set out to take advantage of you. Look for "opt out" boxes!
Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Internet based offers that trick large numbers of people usually carry heinous reviews. Look for those warning signs before you purchase!
Legitimize - your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked.
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS