You, as a consumer, wield the most powerful weapon on this planet – money! Learn to use it wisely.
Your money is hard-earned. You should be careful how you spend it, especially when you buy expensive items. To be a smart and responsible consumer there are three main steps to follow.
1. Know what you want. Before buying, ask yourself:
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- Am I being impulsive?
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- Am I being pressured into buying?
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- Can I afford it?
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- Do I really need it?
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- How often will I use it?
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- Is it the right time to buy?
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- What can it give me?
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- What do I want?
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- What do my friends and family think?
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- Why is it important to me?
2. Know your options. Start shopping around to establish:
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- Cost
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- Features
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- Quality – how it compares to the best and worst of what is available
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- Guarantees and warranties
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- What, if any, after-sales service is available.
Visit sites such as http://www.pricecheck.co.za/ to compare prices.
3. Take your time. Spend two or three days thinking about your purchase while studying your notes and weighing the advantages against the disadvantages.
4. Know the deal. Make sure you clearly understand your responsibilities and the responsibilities of the seller. Then:
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- Get the agreement in writing – especially the salesman’s verbal promises.
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- Make sure the agreement covers everything and that you understand it.
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- Get the total price – not just monthly instalments.
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- Check for hidden costs or unexplained charges, such as unwanted insurance cover or unnecessary warranties.
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- Discuss finance fees and interest rates, if applicable. Is the interest fixed or does it fluctuate?
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- Don’t sign anything you don’t understand or anything with blanks or incomplete information.
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- Inspect your purchase before signing the delivery note.
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- Keep the packaging in case it must be returned.
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- Read the instructions carefully.
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- Keep a file for documents such as warranties, guaranties, receipts, contracts or agreements.
If you feel that you did not get what you paid for, it’s your duty as a consumer to complain to the branch manager or customer care office of the business concerned and to give the company a reasonable chance to make good.
If you’re still dissatisfied, you can contact one of the Consumer Affairs Offices for help. Visit www.southafrica.info/services/consumer/consumer.htm#.VQBsBfmUeSo#ixzz3U5xSGMDb for the contact details in the various provinces. These offices have trained staff who will advise you on your rights as a consumer and who will intervene on your behalf in disputes over contracts, quality of products or services. You can also contact them to find out if a company you intend doing business with has a previous history of complaints against it.
Source
http://www.southafrica.info/services/consumer/consumer.htm#.VQBsBfmUeSo#ixzz3U5xSGMDb. South African consumer service bodies.
Revised by M Collins