Three for Thursday 04.20.2023

Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.

First, let's acknowledge the rental car industry was brutally impacted by Covid. I am accustomed to the now expected upselling you get to the counter. But Saturday, Thrifty tried to trick me. The attendant asked which "package I wanted." He referred to a laminated sheet offering Basic, Standard or Complete. Without thinking, and having just gone through the expected upsell effort, I said "basic," of course. Five seconds later, I said "wait, is this insurance?" The attendant sheepishly said yes. I told him my personal auto insurance would suffice and I would not need the additional coverage. Lesson learned? The vendor has a script, and it often contains traps. Thrifty, which is owned by Hertz, might make some short-term profit for its stockholders through this technique, but it is a poor long-term strategy. Certified TrustDALE companies do not engage in tricks. Thank you for your belief in our community!

Watch this Investigation

Today's investigation = Andrew and Bernita Eke discovered the Towing Two-step. Watch because This Could Happen to you!

Ask Dale

Today's Ask Dale question comes from Amanda, who wants to know what I think about unsolicited door to door sales canvasing.

Watch and find out!

Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!

Today's seven-point lesson is identifying the tricks in the sales pitch and agreement.

Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Money demanded up front, especially full payment, opens you up to the easiest trick of all.

Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Accepting an attractive sales offer without examining the agreement is dangerous.

Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he cannot be found after he gets your money. This is the second most dangerous trick to avoid.

Define - Your deal by comparing product, Offer and Price. Knowing what you want and how you need it to perform will help eliminate tricks.

Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. A contract's length and depth should be proportional to the thoroughness required to protect both parties. Difficult to understand language is another world for "trick."

Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Tricksters are often exposed on these platforms, so be sure to check!

Legitimize - your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. Tricking is usually not illegal, so make certain you authenticate!