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Top 10 Retail Scams
• The “Bait and Switch” Fraud: The main people to be blamed here is the management. They advertise items at very low prices to drive customers into the store. Incidentally, they generally don’t have the items in stock or far fewer than required to meet the demand created with their ad. • The “Keep you waiting, Wear you Down” Ploy: This is most common with car dealerships. The salesman abandons you for long periods claiming to work with the sales manager to get you a better deal when actually they just eat your time so that you shop around less. • Extended Warranty Scare Tactics: Extended warranties may be a good deal only if you are well aware about the item in question, the likelihood of it needing repairs during the warranty period and the price you have to pay for it. Otherwise, it may prove out to be a total waste of money. • The “I Made a Mistake adding this Up” Trick: This is an old trick mostly used when you are negotiating to purchase several items at once, like a furniture ensemble or a car with a number of options. • The “Get Them to Say Yes Routine”: This is quite easy to spot. You are asked a series of questions that you will likely answer in affirmative. This is supposed to set you up to say yes to all the important closing questions and you become an easy kill. • The “This is the Last One” Ruse: You are faced with situations like, “Another couple is looking at this same home-but if you can make a decision now...” Beware; this is just an attempt to play on your fear of ‘missing out’ on something you are longing to have. • The “Low-Ball” Lie: This is often the case when you are pre-shopping by phone. The salesman offers you a price that compels you to go into the store. Sadly, when you get there, your quoted model has already been sold out and you are offered a nicer model in just a bit more money. • The “Today Only” Tactic: This is a popular version of the “this is the last one” ruse. This is meant to set up an atmosphere of supposed urgency, wherein you must decide to make the purchase right then. • The “Paperwork” Euphemism: This illustrates the power of words. At the point of final closing of any sale, the salesman makes a not so innocent request like, “I just need you to OK the paperwork, sign right here”. What you are unaware is that the paper is actually a legally binding contract. • The “Turn Over” Maneuver: Familiarly known as a ‘Hand-Off’ or ‘T.O’, this is a mean attempt to turn a shopper into a buyer by turning you over to someone in higher authority, one who can possibly help you to negotiate a better deal. |
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