Three for Thursday 06.01.2023

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

I'm sure you've heard the expression "cutting off your nose to spite your face." My wife Angie and I recently witnessed that in a big way. We dropped by a bank to add her to an account. We were asked to wait by a teller who was leaving for lunch - knowing there were only two employees left to staff the branch. That was customer no service strike one. Ten minutes later, the branch manager told us they were short-handed, and it would be another 10 minutes. Nearly one hour later, they couldn't activate my wife's access because they couldn't print a card for her to supply her signature. It was clear this bank was so focused on cutting expenses, in this case man/woman power, they risked losing a sixteen-year customer. Cutting back on employees might help the short-term bottom line, but the intangible harm is far more significant when lost accounts become tangible and thus measurable.

Watch this Investigation

Today's investigation - House Squatter Part 2. What to do when someone illegally moves in! Watch because This Could to you!

Ask Dale

Today's Ask Dale question comes from Reid, who wants to know his rights in the event a company won't honor its warranty.

Click the video to find out!

Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!

Today's seven-point lesson is on leveraging the law to your advantage.

Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Full payment in advance, without a strong guarantee, lessens your leverage with your legal options.

Funds - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? Biting on "too good to be true" offers without strong contracts or guarantees also lessens your legal leverage.

Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. You can't prosecute someone you can't identify.

Define - Your deal by comparing product, Offer and Price. Defining your deal increases the likelihood you won't need legal leverage later.

Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract, and an Effective Guarantee. This is your best opportunity to increase your legal leverage. Equitable contracts and effective guarantees are far easier to prove in court.

Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Again, this ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure.