I knew they could find the deductions, but I didn't want to implement them. I already have a business, and it isn't one I can incorporate or that my kids can work in. I complained to the Better Business Bureau, and I wrote to the CEO. But they wouldn't (still won't) refund the money. So I got taken. What have I learned that will help you avoid a similar fate?
2) Do a little research. If transacting with a company, check with the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce about whether complaints have been made about the company. Read Consumer Reports to see what a product's track record has been.
3) Don't use plastic. Paying cash somehow seems more real than using credit cards. Maybe you'll have to save for awhile to afford it. That'll give you more time to think. And at least, if you're somehow scammed, you won't have to pay interest charges on the item. Of course, most credit cards do have purchase protection so if the product is defective, you can get your money back. But unless you don't carry a balance and can pay off the charges in full, it's probably not a good idea.
4) Follow your gut instinct. My stomach had butterflies as soon as I hung up with the NADN salesperson. I didn't tell my husband for a month what I had done, the only such thing I have ever kept from him. If I had followed my gut, I would have called the next day and cancelled the membership.
5) Avoid the hard sell. The sad fact is that the best salespeople will tell you anything, true or not, to make the sale. If you can shop by mail, on the internet, or in stores without commissioned salespeople, you can avoid being exposed to their high pressure tactics, which are not always completely truthful.
I hope that you will be smarter than I was. These money mistakes like the one I described here may not happen often, but they can be big ones, costing you hundreds of dollars. It's a consumer society out there, and scams abound. Buyer beware!
