BEWARE OF THE SMALL PRINT

We have all heard of the term ‘Buyer Beware’ but, especially since the introduction of GDPR, we should all be increasingly aware of the ploys used by many organisations which utilise misleading small print to deceive us and entice us in.

At sale time we have long been used to attention-grabbing storefront banners saying ‘50% off’, only to discover ‘up to’ in the tiniest print, once we have been lured inside. More use is being made alternative forms of media as we embrace the digital age, and I have begun to notice, especially with regard to TV ads, a plethora of what might be termed ‘riders’. In one evening alone I captured the following - minimum spend required, new customers only, for a limited time, additional costs may apply, conditions apply, available from selected stores only. And the latest from a large number of charities, ‘by texting you consent to further contact’ i.e. once we have got your details, we will be pestering you until you give in. Sadly, many organisations are suffering financially at present, but I have chosen to opt out of supporting those which have adopted such marketing techniques.  

Similar methods are also used when persuading us to buy and use new products, with statements such as ‘78% of women agree’, or ‘8 out of 10 cats prefer’. The small print often reveals that just a handful of people have been surveyed; hardly conclusive.

My big bug bear at the moment are websites which encourage us to join for free, which is  common with dating sites; it may be free to join but the service is usually of such limited value, that unless you are willing to sign up for a costly monthly subscription, the likelihood of meeting your dream date is remote.

Having been in the advertising and marketing industry for many years I am also well aware of the data that can be captured by agreeing to ‘cookies’, signing up for store cards and completing lifestyle surveys. Believe me, these companies do not have your best interests at heart; they are merely gaining information in order to target you more effectively when it comes to selling you their products and services.

Having used them several times over the years, I used to be fan of ‘Survey Monkey’, but felt thoroughly deceived recently to find that to access the full range of data I required I would have to subscribe, which had not been made clear from the beginning.

Our personal data is precious, and we must do everything we can to protect it by ensuring that when we agree to third party access, we know exactly why they need it, and for what prupose. The lesson is, read the small print, and provide only the minimum of information. In most cases no-one actually needs to know your age, gender, sexual preference or religion.