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WASHINGTON, DC —
With many consumers turning their attention in the coming
weeks to the New Year, the nation’s oldest consumer advocate is
warning them to be careful when it comes to considering trial
offers. These offers, such as gym memberships, are often
presented as a great value for consumers, as well as an
opportunity to test out a product or service without making a
commitment to purchase. The National Consumers League (NCL)
advises, however, that there are often more details to a trial
offer agreement than consumers may be aware of.
In a new brochure released this month, NCL offers tips for
avoiding the pitfalls of trial offers for consumers. Advice
includes what a consumer should consider before, during, and
after accepting the terms in a trial offer. Tips include
suggestions for determining the trustworthiness of a company
making the offer, whether the offer is appropriate for the
consumer, and the best course of action for ending a
relationship with a company involved in such an offer.
“Trial offers can be a great thing for consumers,” said
Linda Golodner, NCL President. “But, like with anything else,
they need to read the fine print to make sure they’re not
agreeing to something they’re going to regret. Our new brochure
will help consumers know what to look for to decide whether an
offer is right for them.”
The new brochure, “Weighing a Trial Offer: Is this the Deal
for Me?,” includes lesser-known facts about trial offer deals,
such as:
Sometimes people let a trial offer lapse without canceling the
product or service because they did not provide their billing
information to the seller. However, if the consumer bought other
goods or services from the company in the past, the company may
already have their account information at the time the free
trial is offered. Consumers may be surprised with a charge once
the trial offer ends and then have to take extra steps to
resolve the problem.
NCL’s new brochure was made possible by an unrestricted
educational grant made by Vertrue Incorporated
(Nasdaq: VTRU).
For more
tips to make the most of a trial offer, order NCL’s newest
brochure by sending a business sized self-addressed, $.60
stamped envelope to NCL, 1701 K Street, NW, Suite 1200,
Washington, DC 20006. Or download the brochure for free at
www.nclnet.org/publications.
Check out NCL's new web pages
at
www.nclnet.org/finances/trialoffers |
