HERE’S a scenario: A sales agent approaches a woman strolling at the mall and offers her a new weight-loss device that produces quick results. The woman stops and shows interest, so the sales agent starts to explain the details of his offer.

Upon knowing that the item costs far more than she can afford, the woman says that she cannot accept the offer. The sales agent persists by declaring that she has won a gift and it is just too bad because in order to claim the prize, she needs to make a purchase. Now, this puts a dilemma to the customer.

This is just one of the many sales strategies that marketing staff employs to unduly influence consumers to make unnecessary purchases. When the potential buyer insists that he/she doesn’t have cash to spend, sales staff is unusually adamant that they accept credit cards.

Many are already aware of these fraudulent activities, yet there are still those who seem to be blinded by the promise of handsome rewards. With the accessibility and convenience of malls nowadays, anybody who is rich or poor, educated or otherwise, is always a potential prey to these sales traps.

Unfair and deceptive sales practices are just what they sound like. They take place when someone in the position of a seller acts unfairly to or deceives a buyer.

Under Article 52 of RA 7394, otherwise known as the Consumer Act, “an act or practice shall be deemed unfair or unconscionable whenever the producer, manufacturer, distributor, supplier or seller, by taking advantage of the consumer’s physical or mental infirmity, ignorance, illiteracy, lack of time or the general conditions of the environment or surrounding, induces the consumer to enter into a sales or lease transaction grossly inimical to the interest of the consumer or grossly one-sided in favor of the producer, manufacturer, distributor, supplier or seller.”

Here are some instances wherein firms use selling techniques that involve deceit and strong persuasion to lure prospective customers into parting with their money:

• Sales agent offers Customer A the chance to receive a gift if he/she agrees to spare some time for a brief presentation. After the presentation, Customer A asks for his/her gift, but is told that he/she can only claim such if he/she purchases one of the items that were offered to him/her.

• Sales agent offers Customer B an expensive appliance along with several items which he/she can take home if  he/she agrees to buy. The free items lead Customer B into thinking that he/she would be getting a good bargain. Moreover, he/she is told that the promo can only be availed of at that moment, and this compels him/her to buy the product right away.

• Afterward, the customer learns that he/she can purchase similar products at another store but at a far lesser price than what he/she has paid for.

• Customer C joins a sales agent to the company office for a 30- to 45-minute presentation. The agent talks in circles for an hour or so and would not allow the customer to leave without buying an item. Other sales agents try to gang up on him/her, all of them talking at the same time.

As Customer C goes hungry and tired, or becomes worried thinking of a companion waiting outside or an appointment he has to catch, he/she yields to the offer.  At home, Customer C realizes that he does not really need the product and was only pressured into buying it.

• After the purchase has been made, sales agent tells Customer D that the item is nonrefundable.

With these, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) advises consumers to be cautious about the sales tactics used by companies.                

Always think twice before making a purchase. Scams and frauds can be detected when one learns to be wise and vigilant.

Remember that a gift may not be actually given for free if there is a purchase requirement in order to claim it. Do not be pressured to buy a product without being given time to compare choices from different establishments.

Moreover, the “No Return, No Exchange” policy is prohibited. Putting such statements in contracts, receipts and signages can be misleading and can prevent consumers from demanding their right to a repair, replacement or refund when the item they have bought is defective.

On the other hand, companies should remember that it costs more to get a new customer than to keep one. Selling techniques can dictate how far a company will go in the coming years. Advanced technology has made it faster and easier for consumers to spread the word about the goods and services they encounter, turning positive testimonials into a gold mine and bad raps a door to disaster.

Thus, companies should keep in mind that for every sale, the consumers’ needs and welfare should always be prime consideration. An excellent after-sales service aimed at satisfying the needs of consumers fosters a long, mutual relationship with them that will eventually build a wide and loyal client base.

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THE Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday awarded five petroleum exploration service contracts (SCs) to four Filipino oil exploration companies composed of Miocene Mining and Energy Corp. (MMEC), Helios Petroleum and Gas Corp. (HPGC), Burgundy Global Exploration Corp. (BGEC) and NorAsian Energy Ltd. (NEL).  

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday revealed that it has proposed a P2 additional fuel subsidy for transport sector to cushion the impact of the rising fuel prices.

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HERE’S a scenario: A sales agent approaches a woman strolling at the mall and offers her a new weight-loss device that produces quick results. The woman stops and shows interest, so the sales agent starts to explain the details of his offer.