Who Watches The Watchers?

How long will be forced to put up with the petty tyranny that is the BBC’s Watchdog programme?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for consumer rights. After all I am one myself (a consumer that is). It appears to me however that Watchdog is no longer about helping the consumer by exposing sharp business practice, it’s more about “Shock Jock Journalism” in a blatant grab for ratings and promotion of Anne Robinson’s fading career. To my eye it looks like this programme deliberately sets out with a jaundiced and non-impartial eye to exaggerate the failings or flaws of what are often legitimate, honest, business, while ignoring the stupidity and naivety of their customers. Whatever happened to balanced impartial journalism?

To my mind often the so called “victims” are simple (Okay - stupid) people who have not read or taken the time to acquaint themselves with a company’s terms and conditions. Either that  or where there is an obvious fraud, they have forgotten the first rule of any business transaction “If something looks too good to be true – then is most probably is”. Once the customer falls foul of a clause in the contract they don’t like, or that doesn’t allow them the freedom to withdraw from a contract they freely entered into, they expect to be made the exception to the rule and treated as a special case.

Our society has become choked with those who firmly believe that the rules must be rigorously applied to everyone else, except them. Like spoilt children when they cannot get their way they go crying to Nanny (or in this case Anne Robinson) usually because they want their cake AND their ha’penny. The programme always takes the part of the customer no matter how stupid, lazy or indolent they are and appears to have no concern of the business reputations they besmirch and often ruin by their biased perspective.

Any transaction is in essence a contract. in a contract there are duties, roles and responsibilities assigned to and accepted by both sides. As customers we have as much responsibility to abide by the contract as the seller. Therefore, before we enter into a transaction we have a duty to make sure we know  what the terms and conditions are. We should not gripe, wail and moan when the other party seeks to enforce those conditions we don’t like if we default on our end of the bargain, or simply change our minds.

I believe that it’s time for consumer rights organisations to take a back seat. They should tell people their motto should really be “Caveat Emptor” (Buyer Beware).

Here are some of my rules for safe shopping:

1) Never buy anything where you haven’t instigated the sale.

2) Avoid “cold calls” and people who contact you without your knowledge (even if they know your name, or tell you you have won a prize).

3) Always make sure you understand the terms of the transaction (is there a returns policy? If so, what is it? Is there a guarantee?)

4) If there is a contract READ IT.

5) Don’t be embarrassed about taking as much time as you need. If you want to take the contract away or read it overnight, or if there are clauses you don’t understand ASK.

6) Remember the seller is anxious to sell you the goods. They will still be there the next time you ask for them.

7) Don’t believe the salesman who tells you “You must sign today or the opportunity will be gone”. (Like the opportunity, the likelihood is he salesman will be “Here today and gone tomorrow).

There are of course many other things I could say but in the end it all comes down to common sense. Unfortunately as the old saying has it “Common sense is a very uncommon commodity”.