Three for Thursday 12.03.2020
Welcome to TrustDALE's Three For Thursday with Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell.
Have you ever heard of "the two percent?" It's a term I've used for years to describe a subset of consumers who a) set out to get something for nothing, and/or b) are not happy unless they're unhappy. The first is group is disappointing but understandable... I once dealt with a man who bought his father a security system, never paid for it, and complained over social media until the vendor abandoned pursuit of payment, deciding it made better business sense to stop the attacks than to stand on principle. The second group is less understandable; people who derive pleasure out of being a curmudgeon. Oddly, they seem unconscious of the fact their complaints are groundless. Great companies develop a sixth sense in terms of identifying these types and act professionally, but accordingly. The good news? My experience shows these two groups only comprise about 2% of the consumer marketplace. Most people I encounter simply want a great product at a fair price and are looking for "win-win" relationships.
Watch this Investigation
Romance scam part 1: Could a person fall in love with, and give their life savings to a person they've never met? Watch, because This Could Happen to You!
Ask Dale
Today's Real Consumer Question is from Bea: "Dale, have you heard of Rakuten and is it legit?"
Todays Lesson on how to be a Savvy Consumer!
Today's seven-point lesson on determining if you have a valid complaint (Explanation: You feel violated, unappreciated or perhaps ignored, but what should you do next?
Fast - Do they want your money NOW? Did you give them your money with no due diligence on your part? Yes, they may have ripped you off, but you should have been aware of the risk.
Funds - - Is the investment required relevant to the promised payoff? If not, it's likely too good to be true. Lots of people realize after their purchase those deep discounts that followed the initial price were all just part of an insincere sales script. If you didn't do comparison shopping your realization you didn't really get a great deal is on you, not them.
Found - A person who intends to rip you off will make certain he can't be found after he gets your money. If you can't find the seller after you've been burned, you indeed have a valid complaint, but no findable party to complain about!
Ensure - Your deal with an Ethical negotiation, an Equitable contract and an Effective Guarantee. This is where you document your levels of protection. Getting an equitable and understandable agreement backed by an effective guarantee is your best path to formulating an effective request for consideration.
Authenticate - Your deal by requesting References, checking Reviews, and examining government and watchdog reports. Failing to authenticate doesn't lesson your grounds for seeking satisfaction but authenticating in advance will lessen the need for seeking satisfaction.
Legitimize your deal by determining if the company has a business license, liability insurance and is Lawsuit and background checked. Legitimate value providing companies will always be licensed, insured and validated. If you've checked these boxes, chances are much better they'll take your concerns seriously.
SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS