Happy new year! It struck me, as I was thinking about my top tips for avoiding consumer catastrophes - the traditional way I fill my first column of the year – that my advice could be summed up thus: “Assume nothing and trust no-one; read the small print, do your homework, document everything.”
That way, you make yourself very hard to “catch”. Let me flesh that out a bit…
Assume nothing, trust no-one:
Go ahead and trust your nearest and dearests, but become hyper suspicious when you’re about to pay for goods or a service, particularly when it’s an online transaction.
Most of us are wise to the phishing e-mail con, but fraudsters continue to catch many by other means. For example, by hijacking legitimate adverts and websites, undercutting the price and adding their own contact details and bank account details. So never assume you’re dealing with a legitimate seller – source contact numbers elsewhere and check the bank details.
Don’t trust what a salesman – or anyone who earns sales commission – tells you, either in person or on the phone. Insist on seeing the terms and conditions in writing before signing or verbally agreeing to anything.
Often it’s what they haven’t told you that trips you up – for example, just how tiny that “dent or scratch” has to be, for that repair policy to cover it.
Don’t believe that the person who comes to repossess your car on behalf of your bank is a sheriff of the court – ask to see their identity card. Only a sheriff of the court can “repo” a car, anything else is a “voluntary surrender” on your part; don’t be tricked into consenting to that unless it’s what you want.
Never, ever sign a lease and move into rented accommodation believing an agent’s or landlord’s verbal promises that vital repairs or refurbishments will be done “soon”. Get it in writing.
And don’t assume that your loyalty to a company serves you – new customers generally get better deals.
Read the small print:
The terms and conditions are designed to look boring and uninviting because if consumers read every word of it, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t commit to the contract.
Many people unwittingly sign “balloon payment” car deals because they didn’t read the small print “final payment” bit in the contract, which revealed that after five or six years of paying the instalment they could afford, there remained one massive, unappealing, outstanding balance.
Many people hire cars without realising that if they have an accident on a gravel road, even if it’s not their fault, they’re responsible for the entire repair bill.
If you think wading through small print is a schlep, you’ve never had to deal with the consequences of not doing so.
Do your homework:
Use your detective skills before you buy that second-hand car or pay a deposit to that wedding photographer, accommodation agent or pool/kitchen installer – not afterwards, when things start to go wrong.
So many people go into these deals on the basis of little more than what they’re told by a salesman.
Then, when the car turns out to be a lemon, or the kitchen guy does a runner, leaving them with cupboard carcasses and little else, they turn into super sleuths.
They Google the company or individual’s name and discover media reports, consumer complaints, website entries and even court judgements which would have served as massive “avoid at all costs” warnings, had they come across them before they made their payment.
Go all forensic before, not after, you buy a second-hand car. For starters, ask the authorised service agents to consult their computers for the car’s service history – you may well discover that the mileage has been tampered with and other shockers the salesman didn’t mention.
Be sussed when it counts – before you do the deal.
Document everything:
It’s never been easier for consumers to get this right – our smartphones not only have excellent quality cameras built into them, but recording capability, too.
If you sign something and you aren’t given a copy of the document, take a photo of all the pages before you hand them over. If your holiday accommodation is barely recognisable from the images on the establishment’s website, get photographic proof.
Every year, particularly around this time, I get complaints from people who’ve been bitterly disappointed by their chosen holiday accommodation; from tired furnishings to cockroach infestations, and sadly only a few had thought to take photos as compelling evidence.
Before you drive off in a rental car, inspect the bodywork carefully and take photos of any dent or scratch, as protection against being accused of causing it.
Same goes for when you move into rented accommodation – take photos of any damage in order to avoid being held responsible for it after you move out, and need your deposit refunded.
As a tenant, insist on the agent or landlord doing an inspection, with you, before you move in, and again as you’re about to move out, noting the condition of the place in writing, so there can be no disputes about what damages you did or didn’t cause, which could impact on the refunding of your deposit.
And photograph receipts of high-ticket items, as they will probably fade before the warranty expires.
In short, wise up, know your rights, recognise the traps and take steps to protect yourself from the nasties lurking in consumerland.
Because that’s the ultimate consumer protection - consumers empowering themselves to avoid being ripped off.
Contact Wendy Knowler on consumer@knowler.co.za
Trust no-one and check up
That way, you make yourself very hard to “catch”. Let me flesh that out a bit…
Assume nothing, trust no-one:
Go ahead and trust your nearest and dearests, but become hyper suspicious when you’re about to pay for goods or a service, particularly when it’s an online transaction.
Most of us are wise to the phishing e-mail con, but fraudsters continue to catch many by other means. For example, by hijacking legitimate adverts and websites, undercutting the price and adding their own contact details and bank account details. So never assume you’re dealing with a legitimate seller – source contact numbers elsewhere and check the bank details.
Don’t trust what a salesman – or anyone who earns sales commission – tells you, either in person or on the phone. Insist on seeing the terms and conditions in writing before signing or verbally agreeing to anything.
Often it’s what they haven’t told you that trips you up – for example, just how tiny that “dent or scratch” has to be, for that repair policy to cover it.
Don’t believe that the person who comes to repossess your car on behalf of your bank is a sheriff of the court – ask to see their identity card. Only a sheriff of the court can “repo” a car, anything else is a “voluntary surrender” on your part; don’t be tricked into consenting to that unless it’s what you want.
Never, ever sign a lease and move into rented accommodation believing an agent’s or landlord’s verbal promises that vital repairs or refurbishments will be done “soon”. Get it in writing.
And don’t assume that your loyalty to a company serves you – new customers generally get better deals.
Read the small print:
The terms and conditions are designed to look boring and uninviting because if consumers read every word of it, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t commit to the contract.
Many people unwittingly sign “balloon payment” car deals because they didn’t read the small print “final payment” bit in the contract, which revealed that after five or six years of paying the instalment they could afford, there remained one massive, unappealing, outstanding balance.
Many people hire cars without realising that if they have an accident on a gravel road, even if it’s not their fault, they’re responsible for the entire repair bill.
If you think wading through small print is a schlep, you’ve never had to deal with the consequences of not doing so.
Do your homework:
Use your detective skills before you buy that second-hand car or pay a deposit to that wedding photographer, accommodation agent or pool/kitchen installer – not afterwards, when things start to go wrong.
So many people go into these deals on the basis of little more than what they’re told by a salesman.
Then, when the car turns out to be a lemon, or the kitchen guy does a runner, leaving them with cupboard carcasses and little else, they turn into super sleuths.
They Google the company or individual’s name and discover media reports, consumer complaints, website entries and even court judgements which would have served as massive “avoid at all costs” warnings, had they come across them before they made their payment.
Go all forensic before, not after, you buy a second-hand car. For starters, ask the authorised service agents to consult their computers for the car’s service history – you may well discover that the mileage has been tampered with and other shockers the salesman didn’t mention.
Be sussed when it counts – before you do the deal.
Document everything:
It’s never been easier for consumers to get this right – our smartphones not only have excellent quality cameras built into them, but recording capability, too.
If you sign something and you aren’t given a copy of the document, take a photo of all the pages before you hand them over. If your holiday accommodation is barely recognisable from the images on the establishment’s website, get photographic proof.
Every year, particularly around this time, I get complaints from people who’ve been bitterly disappointed by their chosen holiday accommodation; from tired furnishings to cockroach infestations, and sadly only a few had thought to take photos as compelling evidence.
Before you drive off in a rental car, inspect the bodywork carefully and take photos of any dent or scratch, as protection against being accused of causing it.
Same goes for when you move into rented accommodation – take photos of any damage in order to avoid being held responsible for it after you move out, and need your deposit refunded.
As a tenant, insist on the agent or landlord doing an inspection, with you, before you move in, and again as you’re about to move out, noting the condition of the place in writing, so there can be no disputes about what damages you did or didn’t cause, which could impact on the refunding of your deposit.
And photograph receipts of high-ticket items, as they will probably fade before the warranty expires.
In short, wise up, know your rights, recognise the traps and take steps to protect yourself from the nasties lurking in consumerland.
Because that’s the ultimate consumer protection - consumers empowering themselves to avoid being ripped off.
Contact Wendy Knowler on consumer@knowler.co.za
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