Read and translate the text. Consumers can have a wide variety of problems

Consumers can have a wide variety of problems. The following section will help you avoid some of these problems and will explain how to deal with difficulties that may arise.

Generally, making large purchases on impulse is not wise. When shopping for products or services, learn as much as possible about them before buying. Careful consumers always compare prices and products before buying. This is called comparison shopping. They purchase the product only after considering other products that could also meet their needs.

For major purchases, careful shoppers go to the library and read about competing brands in consumer publications. Your librarian can point these out to you. You should also speak with your friends to get recommendations about products.

Once you have determined what product you need, you may dis­cover that it is available at more than one store in your community. Especially for important purchases, it makes good sense to buy from a store with a good reputation. Your local Better Business Bureau (BBB), listed in your telephone directory, can tell you if there have been complaints about a particular store. If you are making a pur­chase from a store that is not in your community, check with the BBB located in the same community as the seller.

Several kinds of policies may differ among stores. For some prod­ucts, there may be additional charges for delivery, installation, and service. A price that seems lower at one store may really be higher once extra charges have been added on. Also check on the store’s return policy. A very low price at a store where all sales are final may not turn out to be such a good deal if you decide that you are unhappy with the product once you have it in your home. Sometimes a shopper may even spend a little more money to purchase an item from a store with an outstanding reputation for service or the ability to deliver the item quickly and install it free of charge.

Before making a purchase, you will want to read the warranty (also known as the guarantee) carefully. Different manufacturers and stores may provide different warranty coverage on very similar products. When studying the warranty, be sure to find out what you must do and what the store or manufacturer must do if you have a problem with the product. A warranty that requires you to ship a broken product to a faraway place for repair at your expense may not be of much value to you.

If you are required to sign a contract as part of the purchase, be sure that you read and understand the entire contract and that all blanks have been filled in before you sign. If you have trouble under­standing the contract, ask the store for permission to take the con­tract to someone who can help you understand it before you sign it. You may not want to deal with a store that will not let you do this.

Finally, do not believe everything you hear from the seller. Later you will learn more about “puffing,” or seller’s talk. Just because a seller says “This is a real bargain!” does not make it true. You have to determine whether it is a bargain through careful shopping.

Advice