According to reports, we have “Run Away Inflation”. Although people seem to have ample money to spend, and are doing so freely, the cost of goods has become so high that people resent the increase. Although they are enjoying a major windfall with the new tax laws, large corporations have set aside all forms of ethics, and customer focused actions, to feed their un-satiated greed ! They are reaping record setting profits, and of course make a major effort to blame everyone else, be it COVID, or POTUS, or any other source where anger can be aimed. This clearly allows them to escape any accountability for their actions.
Powerful words ? Sure, but they know you will do nothing to stop them.
It starts with their advertising, especially on the web. They make claims for features they will never provide, and service that simply will not be provided. They have no hesitation to make promises, even on the phone, that will never be honored, even if it’s in writing. Then, when you agree to make a purchase, or enter an agreement for a service, new things appeared of which you had no knowledge. Suddenly you are paying far more than you understood, and that agreement you signed without reading the very fine print has you locked into a long term set of charges that far exceed your research.
When you seek to correct the problem, you can never reach anyone with the authority to fix it because all the decision makers are behind an impenetrable communications barrier. They have your $$$, often by deception, and you can’t do anything about it.
So you turn to Social Media and find that you are not alone. Your story is being lamented by hundreds, or thousands, of others who also recently fell to the same fraudulent practices. You were not foolish. These people are all learning that, to large public serving corporations, taking advantage of their customers is considered normal business. You also learn no one is going to help you, or the thousands of others, who have been harmed.
So what do you do ?
- Never agree to anything verbally. Insist on seeing it in writing.
- Don’t contract online. You will quickly find those companies only want the transaction, not the responsibility of fulfilling it as presented.
- Never sign an agreement until you read every boring line, and understand it.
- Know first who will provide the service to you locally, and be there to assist if a problem occurs.
The problem lies primarily with the use of online transactions. ( We’ve always known that the more friendly a sales person is face to face, the more likely the pitch is not 100% true. I’ve had them tell me lying is just good salesmanship. ) These companies count on your apathy to get away with their misdeeds. They count on your unwillingness to take a stand. Don’t let them get away with it. If a company tries to steal from you,
- FIRE THAT COMPANY,
- File a complaint with your state Consumer Protection Agency,
- File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau,
- Share the problem with your local TV stations’ Investigative Reporters,
- Share your experiences so others know to be cautious with that company if they decide to use them.
- ABOVE ALL ELSE, LOG EVERY COMMUNICATION FROM THE BEGINNING WITH DATES, TIMES, NAMES ( and/or ID numbers ) AND DETAILS OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. Nothing works better than providing them with this data when they try to deny their wrong doings.
We used to live in a time when customers were important, companies provided actual service and support, and business ethics mattered. Those times are gone. They have been replaced by the fulfillment of “Let The Buyer Beware”, and greed run amok. Personally, I’m finding that less is more, and often we don’t need those guys anyway.