READING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
READING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
During recent times with technology advancing to the extent where digital is everything, and getting anything from coffee to company mergers are but a click away, we seem to have forgotten the age of hard copies, fine print and T’s and C’s.
Yes, they still exist, but in the new and glamorous age of online marketing it seems to always be the last thing mentioned among st the millions of pretty offers being thrown at prospective clients.
The smallest link on the website and the last document to be sent. Not to mention the bigger the company the smaller the link.
Even with all the protection granted to consumers with the latest update of the consumer protection act, the responsibility still remains that of the client to actually read the terms and conditions.
I remember the good old days when before going into any kind of deal even if it was between friends, you always had to hear out the boring terms, “if I borrow you my car, you will blah blah blah, you will not blah blah blah, and you may still not, even if blah blah,…..”
The only thing in my mind at that stage is, “give the keys already. AARRGHH!!!!”
So yes, we all feel that way about reading T’s and C’s.
But when exactly did we stop caring about what it is we are getting ourselves into. When did we start believing what institutions tell us, without looking at the fine print?.
Trust, I hear you say……..
But they don’t trust us…….
They tell us we need a good credit record in order to incur larger debt.
They ask us to bring a three months bank statement, certified copy of id, and proof of residence and/or any other account, as well as a payslip from a job you have to be permanent with, for more than a year. And with the new FICA ACT information renewal needs to happen on an annual basis.
This is when you need something from them. Is that trusting?
So ask yourself why should you trust them with your money and hope that you get what they say they will give you, without any hidden costs or loop holes.
If you think about it, the time that it may have taken you to read the terms and conditions of the contract, is nothing compared to having to fork out extra time and money on the details you didn't see.
If you work in a service industry, you will know, that the clients who are most likely to end up complaining are the ones who never read T’s and C’s made available to them.
If you’re a client you should know, you’re actually making it hard for both parties when you don’t read the term.
E.g. something goes wrong you call customer service.
The 5mins your on hold, seems even longer because you’re angry that they never did what they said.
They tell you they can’t help you because that clause was in the terms.
You’re angry.
The poor agent on the other end is helpless, and frustrated.
You get more frustrated and rant.
Your start swearing cause now you want your money back.
The agent gets angry and swears at you.
The guy loses his job and his small salary that he used to feed his kids…..
And you still have to pay the extra costs.
In conclusion you/me the consumer, customer, client, whatever you want to call yourself, are still responsible for talking the time and making effort to read the term and conditions, because you can only benefit yourself from doing so.
http://cybersmartisp.wordpress.com/
*PS: No real people lost their jobs and no real clients have been sworn at during the writing of this article.
Yes, they still exist, but in the new and glamorous age of online marketing it seems to always be the last thing mentioned among st the millions of pretty offers being thrown at prospective clients.
The smallest link on the website and the last document to be sent. Not to mention the bigger the company the smaller the link.
Even with all the protection granted to consumers with the latest update of the consumer protection act, the responsibility still remains that of the client to actually read the terms and conditions.
I remember the good old days when before going into any kind of deal even if it was between friends, you always had to hear out the boring terms, “if I borrow you my car, you will blah blah blah, you will not blah blah blah, and you may still not, even if blah blah,…..”
The only thing in my mind at that stage is, “give the keys already. AARRGHH!!!!”
So yes, we all feel that way about reading T’s and C’s.
But when exactly did we stop caring about what it is we are getting ourselves into. When did we start believing what institutions tell us, without looking at the fine print?.
Trust, I hear you say……..
But they don’t trust us…….
They tell us we need a good credit record in order to incur larger debt.
They ask us to bring a three months bank statement, certified copy of id, and proof of residence and/or any other account, as well as a payslip from a job you have to be permanent with, for more than a year. And with the new FICA ACT information renewal needs to happen on an annual basis.
This is when you need something from them. Is that trusting?
So ask yourself why should you trust them with your money and hope that you get what they say they will give you, without any hidden costs or loop holes.
If you think about it, the time that it may have taken you to read the terms and conditions of the contract, is nothing compared to having to fork out extra time and money on the details you didn't see.
If you work in a service industry, you will know, that the clients who are most likely to end up complaining are the ones who never read T’s and C’s made available to them.
If you’re a client you should know, you’re actually making it hard for both parties when you don’t read the term.
E.g. something goes wrong you call customer service.
The 5mins your on hold, seems even longer because you’re angry that they never did what they said.
They tell you they can’t help you because that clause was in the terms.
You’re angry.
The poor agent on the other end is helpless, and frustrated.
You get more frustrated and rant.
Your start swearing cause now you want your money back.
The agent gets angry and swears at you.
The guy loses his job and his small salary that he used to feed his kids…..
And you still have to pay the extra costs.
In conclusion you/me the consumer, customer, client, whatever you want to call yourself, are still responsible for talking the time and making effort to read the term and conditions, because you can only benefit yourself from doing so.
http://cybersmartisp.wordpress.com/
*PS: No real people lost their jobs and no real clients have been sworn at during the writing of this article.
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