Other LanguagesConsumerman Herb Weisbaum reveals his six tips for being a smarter consumer in this top-notch MSNBC article. Read his sage advice and implant it firmly in your noggin and you’ll cut your risk of being conned. Herb goes into greater detail in his article, but here’s the CliffsNotes version --
- Question all offers: You need to be skeptical of everything — unknown Web sites, telemarketing calls, mail solicitations, e-mail offers, and all advertisements.
- Don’t be fooled by ‘no-risk’ offers: If you’re not confident in the offer or the company, don’t let a money-back guarantee or free trial offer convince you to buy.
- Get it in writing: Verbal promises don’t count. It’s as simple as that.
- Credit cards vs. debit cards: A credit card gives you better fraud protection than a debit card.
- Best deal may cost more: Cheap is cheap. It’s not always good.
- Use your brain: Don’t say yes to any telemarketer who calls out of the blue. Don’t respond to postcards or letters from unknown companies that require an immediate response. And don’t get greedy!
By the way, did we mention it's National Consumer Protection Week?
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