We often hear about wrinkle cream companies taking advantage of customers with products that do not work, or with outrageous prices. It is not as common, however, to hear of consumers taking advantage of wrinkle cream companies, but it is happening all around the world. Consumers are purchasing products from companies that offer money back guarantees and using the product without having any intention of honoring the charge. They purchase the product knowing that they will be requesting a refund, regardless of the quality of the product. Is this behavior to be condoned, or is blatant fraud?
Strangely enough, many consumers seem to think that this is a good thing. Exhibiting total disregard for the companies that manufacture the products that they are purchasing, people believe that taking advantage of these companies is something to be celebrated. They pay little attention to how they would feel if they worked a whole week and then their boss said to them sorry we aren't gonna pay you. There is no way to get that work week back, and the services are already rendered. The same is true with these wrinkle creams. The product is already used, it has already been paid for to manufacture, but consumers happily exploit these companies that offer money back guarantees.
What makes this even worse is that they are attacking the companies that are actually taking their customers into consideration. If they did not care about the satisfaction of their consumers they would say that all sales are final, as many companies do. But they do not. In an attempt to do business by backing up the products that they create, they expose themselves to these predatory consumers who go from company to company without ever intending to honor their payments. It is a sad state of affairs when you stop to think about it. It's a little like buying a dress wearing it and returning it, only the store at least gets the dress back and can resell it. Wrinkle cream companies are left simply losing profits.
While there are some wrinkle cream companies that do not offer quality products and do not offer refunds it is hardly a reason to take it out on other companies. And while we understand that there are a few scams out there where consumers are being taken advantage of, it hardly makes scamming honorable companies acceptable. It makes companies question whether or not to offer these guarantees to consumers and then everyone will lose. These refund scammers are having a major effect on many companies in these already troubled economic times.
From a business standpoint, you cannot afford to leave a profit leak of this proportion open. It has been identified and its solution is easy, simply stop offering it. But then the rest of us consumers who purchase products in hopes that it works and we can continue to use them do not have the comfort of knowing we can get a refund if we have a reaction to the products. The behavior of a few consumers who are blatantly exploiting these wrinkle cream companies is having major effects on these business and before long it will start having the same effect on the rest of us. As consumers we need to reconsider our behavior before we start purchasing things that we can either not afford, or that we intend to return. If this would be happening to us, we would feel much differently about it. If you are going to purchase a wrinkle cream or any anti aging product, do so with the intention of keeping it. If you have a reaction to it, then feel free to return it, but do not just purchase it intending on scamming the company, it hurts us all.
Mark Robbins is a consumer advocate who contributes reviews and product warnings to benefit the consumer. He explores the other side of the equation in this article, but he primarily is a defender of product consumers' interests. His primary work is seen on blog sites where he reviews the best wrinkle cream products that consumers can buy.
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