Three for Thursday 04.08.2021
Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
I've been experiencing a season of stress (haven't we all) but it occurred to me my stress is assumed, not imposed. What I mean is, the difficulties I'm dealing with are because I chose to accept a particular challenge, not because I didn't have a choice. A close friend of mine once left a secure job for a new adventure and I asked him why. He said, "the pain of where I am has exceeded the fear of where I'm going." I deal with people every day who are experiencing stress because it has been imposed upon them; specifically, consumers who made poor hiring choices and were trying to find relief. Life is hard enough, please tell your friends about our community known as TrustDALE. It's reasonable to expect and experience "win-win" relationships between consumers and service providers, and that's one way we can all reduce stress! And by the way, if you read about my friends Ted and Beth Ishler and their new podcast "How Are We Still Married?" in last week's post, click below to watch to their appearance on Atlanta & Company.
Watch this Investigation
This consumer's roof contracting choice as so bad we had to call our investigation what it was, a Roof Autopsy. Watch because This Could Happen to You!
Ask Dale
Today's Real Consumer Question is from Andrew, who wants to know how people can avoid falling for Storm Chasers who visit your neighborhood after severe weather.
Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!
Today's seven-point lesson on dealing with people who canvass your neighborhood: (I am generally not a fan of unsolicited canvassing, but if you follow my recommendations below, you should be able to protect yourself).
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Never agree to pay any amount of money in advance due to a person showing up uninvited at your door.
Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Door knockers can be legit, but unreasonably low rates or hyper value returns are warning signs you're about to be taken!
Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. Canvassers offering on the spot services, i.e., pine straw scattering or handyman services are often journeymen who don't intend to deliver value. Another reason you should insist on proof of findable office or at least a business license.
Define - Your deal by comparing Product, Offer and Price. Canvassing can be a cheap way for a company to advertise. It doesn't change your responsibility for thoroughly examining your need compared to their offer in a reasonable time frame. Accepting services on the spot is dangerous!
Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. This is where real and tricky live. It's hard to thoroughly evaluate a canvasser's offer without proper deliberation. Therefore, I always recommend at least a 24 our deliberation period before making a deal.
Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Canvassers should arrive in clearly marked vehicles, in company uniforms and wear I.D. badges. If they don't, I would decline their offers.
Legitimize - your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. Don't let the canvasser into your home, until after you've verified their legitimacy through this step.
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS