I don't think I'm alone in recognizing that many organizations are cheating the consumer today, and to me it seems like this trend is growing. This is not surprising since our current Trump administration is cutting all kinds of consumer protections and dismissing lawbreakers and lawbreaking cases which gives permission to others to break the law. How do we deal with this?
The need for technology oversight, protocols, laws, and policies
For too long the tech world has been a Wild West with few regulations. This is now getting out of hand, and just as we did with the Industrial Revolution, we need regulations, laws, and protocols to protect people during the tech revolution. There's too much room for cheating and disinformation that harms lives.
Reevaluate who you do business with
First, it's important to reevaluate who you do business with. Companies that I had success with a few years ago seem to have changed their practices and I've had a lot less success with those companies. Specifically Priceline, VRBO, Shutterfly, and Amazon are companies which I could count on for good service a few years ago, but recently have added questionable fees, costly consumer practices, and far less quality when it comes to the products I've ordered. I also dealt with a couple of new companies recently that appeared to be simply shams with low quality products and very difficult return policies thus resulting in money lost by me and gained by the company because they were using marketing techniques that promised a product or a service that had no quality and did not live up to the marketing--these sham companies not only reap your dollars since their return or cancellation costs are great, but they also likely sell your information too thus exposing you to more scammers and cheaters.
So as I reevaluate who I am doing business with, I will likely greatly reduce or eliminate the business I do with the companies listed above in the days to come, and I'll be on the lookout for trustworthy companies who treat the customer with respect and fairness.
Check your credit card statements weekly
It's amazing what you find when you check your credit card statements--often erroneous charges show up for all kinds of reasons. It's getting more difficult to dispute those charges, but always dispute the questionable charges.
Be wary of online businesses
So many online businesses cheat--their promises are not legitimate and their marketing techniques are slick. The old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true," holds true in this regard.
Don't give out your personal information freely
Just this morning I was tricked into signing up for a business that wasn't legit--they caught me with a sensitive topic and very good marketing. I got my money back, but they have my information. Be wary.
Haste makes waste
Don't make purchases too quickly--cheaters online and offline know that when you're rushing, you're easier to cheat.
Share the information related to experts, services, and companies that treat the consumer with respect and honesty
Now since the Trump Administration has created havoc with and gutted so many consumer protection agencies, we are going to have to help one another. Spread the good news related to reliable, quality services, experts, companies and products. For example I have an amazing dentist. I've had success at Macy's with regard to purchasing clothes (I'm not just saying that because my son works there, but he does work there). TJX is usually reliable yet I've noticed a few problems with their credit card--I'm keeping an eye on that. I've been a long time BJ's customer, but I like what I'm hearing about COSTCO's DEI decisions, so I'm considering a move. As far as travel, I'm moving away from third party travel agencies since I'm wary of the fact that it seems that's becoming a monopoly owned by a few companies and a monopoly that doesn't seem to really care about quality, accuracy, or the traveler. I've had good luck with VISTA print while I've noticed that the quality of Shutterfly has diminished--I'm not alone in this, others have had problems too. I've also had good luck with American Airlines.
I'm going to be more careful during these times about who I do business with. It simply takes way too much time to have to dispute their errors all the time. If you have a company you rely on for quality, let me know.
