Post by Rob W. Case on Sept 4, 2010 15:56:40 GMT -6
It’s no secret that times are tough. It’s also no secret that companies will do whatever to trick you into buying something, simply by exploiting the traditional patterns for making a purchase. What do I mean by this exactly? Well, I’ll show you. I was recently looking for an old epic movie that I wanted for my collection. And so, I found a website that offered the movie for only $3.77. Usually this movie is $14.99 if you purchase it brand new, and this was brand new. And so, I made the transaction to buy it, meaning that I added it to my card, checked out, and am waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Since I was a first time customer, they waived the shipping fee, and so, as far as I knew, I received the movie for $3.77.
Sounds good, so far…. right?
Then within the past couple of weeks, I saw that this company, which I made this DVD purchase from, was charging my credit card with a note next to it on my credit card statement that said “recurring payment.” I was really, really ticked. So then, I did a little research with a website called www.ripoffreports.com and at this website, another person posted their experience, having the very same thing that happened to me, happen to them. I found out that this website, upon completing a purchase, has a box with a lot of very fine print upon completing the purchase. The agreement was subtle, but there. In simply clicking the “submit payment” button, I happened to look over the fact that I agreed to have my credit card billed monthly as part of a movie “club” which requires a monthly fee. Thank God I found this out in time. I immediately retrieved the information needed to contact this company and cancelled my “membership.”
You have to be mindful now-a-days about cleverly crafted, scams. Since I’m one who tends to learn from bad experiences, I will be mindful to watch that I don’t make any subscriptions, memberships, or what have you, due to clicking the big submit order button, and not looking at the print underneath. It was very clever, and very crafty, and what makes this such a successful money-maker is that nobody is out there expecting such conduct. After all, as I stated before, when you make a purchase online, it is custom to add the item(s) to your cart, check out, submit your address, and credit card information, and be on your way. It’s very custom to do it this way, especially when you have done this routine time and time again for years and years. Now, you have to watch for sneaky “added” features, because now, in your routine, (and if you are speedy in your routine like I am), you are likely to overlook something that has been snuck in to exploit your impulse to complete the transaction quickly.
It seems that the drumbeat of "Ignorance and Unexpected “Surprises” build profit" is a song that is echoing throughout the desperate businessworld, and if you do not look for these things, then hey, they now have the paperwork (and thus the legal support they need in a court of law--should it go that far) they need to prove that you voluntarily consented to the agreement.
Yet, it’s interesting…..
By the time you would find out about your “membership,” the membership dues would have been already paid, and in the end, you would have already paid full price (if not more) for the movie that you avoided paying full price in the beginning. I guess, the safest place to buy from is www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com when it comes to buying movies at an uncommonly low price.
In a nutshell, I guess the moral of this story is, where you might never think to read fine print, now is the time now to look for fine print. It will save you money in the long run.
Sounds good, so far…. right?
Then within the past couple of weeks, I saw that this company, which I made this DVD purchase from, was charging my credit card with a note next to it on my credit card statement that said “recurring payment.” I was really, really ticked. So then, I did a little research with a website called www.ripoffreports.com and at this website, another person posted their experience, having the very same thing that happened to me, happen to them. I found out that this website, upon completing a purchase, has a box with a lot of very fine print upon completing the purchase. The agreement was subtle, but there. In simply clicking the “submit payment” button, I happened to look over the fact that I agreed to have my credit card billed monthly as part of a movie “club” which requires a monthly fee. Thank God I found this out in time. I immediately retrieved the information needed to contact this company and cancelled my “membership.”
You have to be mindful now-a-days about cleverly crafted, scams. Since I’m one who tends to learn from bad experiences, I will be mindful to watch that I don’t make any subscriptions, memberships, or what have you, due to clicking the big submit order button, and not looking at the print underneath. It was very clever, and very crafty, and what makes this such a successful money-maker is that nobody is out there expecting such conduct. After all, as I stated before, when you make a purchase online, it is custom to add the item(s) to your cart, check out, submit your address, and credit card information, and be on your way. It’s very custom to do it this way, especially when you have done this routine time and time again for years and years. Now, you have to watch for sneaky “added” features, because now, in your routine, (and if you are speedy in your routine like I am), you are likely to overlook something that has been snuck in to exploit your impulse to complete the transaction quickly.
It seems that the drumbeat of "Ignorance and Unexpected “Surprises” build profit" is a song that is echoing throughout the desperate businessworld, and if you do not look for these things, then hey, they now have the paperwork (and thus the legal support they need in a court of law--should it go that far) they need to prove that you voluntarily consented to the agreement.
Yet, it’s interesting…..
By the time you would find out about your “membership,” the membership dues would have been already paid, and in the end, you would have already paid full price (if not more) for the movie that you avoided paying full price in the beginning. I guess, the safest place to buy from is www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com when it comes to buying movies at an uncommonly low price.
In a nutshell, I guess the moral of this story is, where you might never think to read fine print, now is the time now to look for fine print. It will save you money in the long run.