Big Brother the Better Business Buream

Don’t ever make the mistake of assuming the BBB (Better Business Bureau) will ever help you out in a dispute with any business. Especially if

• The business is in another city/state/country
• The dispute is over “virtual goods”
• You “Agreed to the venders terms and conditions”

The worse mistake you can make is to communicate with the merchant after you filed a grievance with Big Brother. Everything you san can and will be used against you.

Beware The Fine Print

Once upon a time the BBB supported consumer rights. IF you and a beef they would go to bat for you.

Anymore, if you initial the “I agree to the terms and conditions” spot on the contract; or click on the box on the internet form, forget about any rights thereafter.

Sure, you may have a case on the rare occasion. Even then, all the unscrupulous vendor does is to string it all out and learn as much as they can from your case, then get with their lawyers and tweak the “terms and conditions” clause so it never happens again. You’re only helping them to rip off the next poor slob.

Barnum and Bailey’s Circus

Barnum had a motto, “there’s a fool born every minute.” That’s you!

The internet has given businesses access to a whole lot of new suckers. Easy money!

Just think about it, will you? With all the cheap, useless, falsely-advertised merchandise out there (everything from music CDs with just one decent song out of 20 tracks to paper-thin “gourmet” pots and pans) – you think they don’t have it all figured out before piggy goes to market? How to deal with the constant barrage of complaints and law suits?

Conclusion

Buy everything “made in the U.S.A.” All the crap made in China is made so flimsy to minimize weight and shipping costs. At least if some American company rips you off, your hard-earned money isn’t going to some toothless Chinaman in a filthy-dirty Beijing sweatshop.

As Confucius say, “Yankee fool born evelly minute.”

Image credit: arinahabich / 123RF Stock Photo