Three for Thursday 05.12.2022
Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
Are you a one sign buyer? In other words, you check only one source before making a critical purchase. I was in Nashville recently meeting clients, when a couple told me their neighbor hired a contractor to build an elaborate in ground pool, simply because he had been the supervisor of a different company that build their home. They didn't check his references, they didn't take in to account he'd only been in business a short time, and they didn't check references. If they had, they would have learned he was robbing Peter to pay Paul, an often-unintentional practice when a fledgling company runs out of capital. Sadly, there's nothing they can do about it short of suing the man who's clearly a turnip (as in you can't get blood out of...) The easiest way to avoid this catastrophe is to follow my seven-step process in every purchase you consider significant or visit our community website TrustDALE!
Watch this Investigation
Today's investigation = Solar Panels. Cliff paid tens of thousands of dollars to install solar panels on his roof, so why didn't he save on his electric bill? TrustDALE finds the underlying cause of it.
Ask Dale
Today's Ask Dale question comes from Missy, who wants to know how her insurance company can drop her after two accidents that weren't her fault! Watch, because this really can happen to you!
Click the video for the answer.
Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!
Today's seven-point lesson is how to shop and choose the right insurance coverage.
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? In most cases, you do have to make a payment for coverage to begin, but that payment should be a small amount of what will be recurring payments.
Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Unusually low premiums almost always mean unreasonably low coverage. Therefore it's imperative to get several quotes.
Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. There are fake insurance policies still sold by people who disappear. Verify the source of the policy.
Define - Your deal by comparing product, Offer and Price. Shopping rates is essential to knowing you're getting adequate coverage at a reasonable rate. "Bundling" doesn't always result in savings.
Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. Insurance is an example of it being an absolute must that you have someone who understands insurance tell you what you're buying - other than the insurance agent who's selling it to you.
Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Checking reviews is essential to acquiring proper coverage. You'll be shocked at the online reputations of some of the biggest advertisers.
Legitimize - your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. Insurance companies are required to be licensed as well as agents. It's easy to check credentials with your state's Department of Insurance.
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS