Beware of Scams & Pressure Tactics

Scammers are resorting to all kinds of tactics to help you part with your money, from dangling a ‘prize’ bait under your nose, to ‘full-artillery’ pressure tactics. Don’t be fooled or pressured into buying something you don’t really want. Here’s a couple of examples of what I feel, are misrepresentations and sales duress in the marketplace.

Recently, I received a telephone call from an unidentified individual, who provided a quick generic company abbreviation, when I asked where she was calling from. This was not the lengthy, uninterruptible, memorized introduction we’ve come to recognize from telemarketers, and her personal way-too-mushy tone made me somewhat curious.

Within a few seconds, the big announcement came: “You’ve won!” I apparently had won $75, from a drawing of names from a recent telephone allergy survey. And since they were going to be in my area that afternoon, they would like to personally deliver my winnings. How nice!

Now, up to this point, the caller had been oh-so-nice, so I was shocked when she responded by hanging up, to my question “what will this visit entail?” Of course, she didn't call back and no one came to deliver my winnings.

There had been no mention of vacuum demonstrations, nor had there been any hint when the allergy survey was taken the week before. In fact, we thought we were responding to an allergy association questionnaire. It was only after piecing all of this together, that I realized the winnings, would have been a purchase discount, preceded of course, by a high-pressure vacuum demonstration.

A few years ago, we allowed a salesperson to come into our home to conduct a guaranteed-no-more-than-15 minutes vacuum demo. Those first few minutes were actually very impressive, and if he would have stopped at that point, we may have upgraded our vacuum.

That was not the case however, and the pressure artillery began pouring in. After two hours of heavy ‘bombardment’, and a total disregard to our “which part of ‘No’ do you not understand”, he finally left. Of course, this visit left us with a sour feeling towards vacuum demos.

Manufacturers should take note that these so called marketing techniques which are meant to seal a sale, often end up with a ‘wounded’ consumer who no longer wants anything to do with the product, and an innocent vacuum that never got to strut its stuff.

In many cases, the product may be a sound investment, but it's the presentation that quelch's the sale. A good product should sell itself without any pressure, once all its features are proudly displayed.

I would love to see vacuum demos conducted in a professional manner, to be able to try it out and ask questions, without fear or pressure whatsoever, and with full respect for my ability to make my own purchase decisions then, or after a few days’ consideration. This kind of treatment would certainly leave the consumer with a respect for the company, an interest in the product, and possibly a sale, resulting in a win/win situation all around.

You can protect yourself from this kind of marketing, by being informed of your rights as a consumer, and by following a few guidelines: How to Guard Against Scams & High-Pressure Tactics