Chapter 4: Developing and Supporting Your Ideas
Scenario
Read the Fine Print!
“So, Dave, I hear that you’ve found the deal of the century! A week in Mexico for 299 bucks! I wish I’d known about that Website, too. I might not be spending my Spring Break at home, helping my mom paint the house.”
“Yeah, well, remember that old saying, ‘Everything is not always what it seems’? I am proof that whoever said that knew what they were talking about–he probably got scammed, too. I found out too late that the Website I used to find that vacation isn’t legit. I’m out $299, and I’ll be spending my break at home with my parents as well. Probably working with my dad to try to recoup the money I lost.”
“Are you kidding? How did you find out that the site was bogus?”
“Well, after I wired the money, I was told that I would receive my ticket and my vacation packet the next day. When that didn’t show up three days later, I went back to the Website to find out what the delay was. When I typed in the address, I got redirected to the Maryland Attorney General’s Webpage. Apparently, there have been a lot of complaints against this site, and it’s been shut down. The Attorney General’s office wants anyone who’s paid money to this company to contact them, so they can compile a case against this company.”
“Man, that’s a bummer. But if they’ve been doing this to lots of other people, you’d think that your background check for the company would have revealed it. What did the Better Business Bureau say about the company? No complaints? Or what about the student center here on campus? Hadn’t any other students complained?”
“I didn’t do any checking. Everything looked fine. They had testimonials from ‘satisfied customers’ and some cool pictures of the resort and the beach. And it said there were only a couple of spots left, so I had to wire the money immediately. Just because the Website looks legit doesn’t mean I wouldn’t check it out first.”
“Okay, okay, message received. Lesson learned! I won’t be quite as gullible next time. Let’s talk about something else–something positive. Did you see the announcement in the campus newspaper that the college is going to shut down two days early for Spring Break? I can hardly wait. After this fiasco, I need some good news.”
“Umm, Dave, I hate to be the one to tell you this but that story about extra days for the break is not true. Apparently, it was in the April 1st edition of the campus newspaper, and it was just a prank for April Fools’ Day. Didn’t you read the disclaimer on the last page saying that this was a ‘special’ edition and that none of it was actually true? Dude, I worry about you. I’m beginning to believe that you need a full-time babysitter . . . ”
Introduction
Do you think Dave is gullible? Regardless of your opinion on the matter, the above scenario provides some sound advice. If you want to be an informed consumer, you must do your research. It is important to research just about anything these days if you want to be a s