Tricks Of The Trade: How You’re Duped Into Spending More Than You Want to

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

There use to be a commercial (now turned company slogan for Syms) that lauded that the best customer was an educated consumer. And, when it comes to the best bargains or what we invest in for ourselves and our families, most of us would like to consider ourselves savvy shoppers. Still, most of us are leery of sales people, even many commercial claims. Yet, we all make purchases often based on “limited” information and perception. But, do we really know what we are buying. According to the experts, the answer is “no”, which is why they recommend doing your homework and reading between the lines and the fine print.

· Toiletries: According to experts toilet paper tops the list of buyer beware “bargains”. Some brands while boasting 1,000 sheets per role achieve that distinction by shortening the sheets, then bulking up each role with texture. In actuality, the “larger” role is shorter by 300 inches.

· Not all they wrapped up to be: Experts suggest that packaged products/foods are notorious for duping consumers. In fact, they frequently cut pack on quantity but keep the same size package presuming that consumers won’t notice the difference, especially if they cut back a little at a time. For instance some major mayonnaise brands recently downsized for a 32-ounces to a 30-ounces, but kept the same quart jar.

· Not so special offers: Special offers made regarding technology such as text messages truly do require you to caveat emptor. According to experts almost all television commercials have (very) fine print at the end. However it is only shown briefly for a second or two, hardly enough time to read through it, and typically containing information of additional charges. And, commercials aren’t the only culprits. According to experts there are often additional charges associated with reality shows that encourage viewers to vote for their favorite competitor.

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