Many scams have slipped quietly into the realm of the 'new normal.' Take, for instance, the mystical 'free trial' that requires your credit card details, only to morph into an uninvited monthly guest on your bank statement.
Product warranty is another type of normalized scam. It's almost as if some products attend a 'Breakdown Bootcamp' where they're trained to last just one day past the warranty period. They sit there, ticking away like a time bomb, and the moment the warranty expires—boom! They retire faster than an overworked polling agent during a national election.
Why do banks have 'available balance' and 'actual balance'. This is not normally an issue when you have a healthy bank balance. When you are depleting your money faster than a jaded music artist high on drugs and everything else except their bank balance that is very confusing and traumatic. The ATM says something like actual balance P1897, available balance P7. Available balance is in fact your actual balance but as you see the banks don't work that way. The optimistic 'available balance' that invites you to daydream about a shopping spree, and the stern 'actual balance' that brings you back to earth with a thud. It's like they're two sides of a financial coin, one whispering sweet nothings about endless possibilities, and the other coldly reminding you of the harsh reality that there’s not enough in the kitty to pay off those troublesome creditors who now have your phone on speed dial. Available balance is meant to put a smile on your face while actual balance is meant to wipe off such nonsense. Isn't this some type of legalised scam?
But wait, there's more! The 'buy one get one free' deal where the 'free' item costs more than if you'd bought two separately. The thrill of a bargain can sometimes outshine the actual value of the deal. It's like finding a treasure chest, only to open it and discover it's filled with chocolate coins – delightful, but not quite the gold you expected.
Then there are the 'low-fat' labels on food that are bursting with sugar and a dictionary's worth of unpronounceable ingredients. It's like a magician's act, where the trick is on your wallet and the only thing disappearing is your hard-earned cash. The low fat story in a lot of products ends on the label outside.
Yet, amidst this entire circus there's a silver lining. The internet has become a beacon of enlightenment, with viral threads and watchdog communities shining a light on these normalized deceptions. Facebook pages have compiled lists of these everyday scams, crowdsourcing wisdom from the masses to help us navigate the murky waters of modern consumerism. Even the Police have chimed in, warning us about the common frauds lurking in the shadows of our lives.
So, as we tread through this minefield of modern-day mirages, let's arm ourselves with knowledge, a healthy dose of skepticism, and maybe a calculator. After all, in the age of information, the greatest scam of all would be to let ourselves be fooled when wisdom is a click away. Just remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably belongs in the same category as calorie-free chocolate cake.
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Thulaganyo Jankey is a Rapporteur and training consultant who runs his own training consultancy that provides training in BQA- accredited courses. His other services include registering consultancies with BQA and developing training courses. Contact him on 74447920 or email [email protected]
