Think Twice Before You Open Your Wallet

Do you think the company charges you the right amount of money? I DO NOT! 

Corporations do not care about how much money they charge you. Actually, they will like it even more if you pay too much because it will bring them more profits. That is the reason why they do not come to you and give your money back willingly even if you pay extra. 

Notorious Bills from Comcast

[Extra Hidden Fees for $159.95 Comcast Bundle]

Comcast is the greatest example of this term. The company hides anonymous fees that are not or cannot be explained to the customer and charges these to the customer. Moreover, even though there is a way for the customer to reduce the fee for renting a modem, which is to purchase one for less than $100, the representative will not tell them - because renting a modem for $10 a month will make Comcast’s pocket thicker. 


Four Principles to Keep in Mind 

To protect yourself from getting ripped off by greedy corporations, there are four things that you need to always keep in your mind. 

1. Do not trust corporations

Whenever you purchase something and sign a contract, such as for a loan for your car or mortgage, NEVER EVER think that the corporations have already dealt with everything for you because they will not. So, do not just sit and nod your head about everything on the paper. Make sure you always thoroughly read what you are getting yourself into. 

2. Check your bill before you pay

Like I previously said from the Comcast example, it is highly possible that you might pay for something that you are not even aware of or something that you do not even need to pay for. Thus, you should always make sure you check your bill before you pay. 

3. Questions? Ask!

While reading through the forms that you have to sign for a car loan, a small bill for subscribing to cable or the internet, or even from the grocery store, if you run into a question, NEVER hesitate to ask. Do not wait for the representative to explain every single cost to you. Do not expect them to tell you how to reduce the cost. Do not expect that they charged you the right amount. You should be the one who asks questions about purchasing a modem instead of renting it. Don’t you think you should know where every single penny of yours goes? 

4. Do not set up automatic payment

This is a typical way to cause people to not pay attention to their bills because the money goes out automatically. It will make you to reach the point where you do not even remember the payment date, and you do not even notice if you are getting charged extra. Thus, avoid automatic payments and ALWAYS read your bills before you pay. 

Concluding with J.D. Roth "The Secret to Saving"

[J.D. Roth "The Secret to Saving: Think Before You Spend"]

This article is about correct purchasing behavior. It gives you some questions to think about before you make purchases, and I thought the questions are applicable even when you are looking through loan contracts or bills. So, it is totally worth the read!