Free Trials Aren't Always Free

During my recent research on false advertising I found this particular reference.  This FTC site gives some good advice on how to deal with mail order or Internet companies to make sure you are not being cheated.  This is all about critical thinking, looking before you leap, reading the fine print and setting yourself up for success; and I'm glad to see the government encouraging it.

Here is an example of such tactics taken from a critique of a weight-loss product sold over the Internet.  It appears customers are often charged twice before they are able to stop the billing.

One thing not noted by the FTC is that if you are billed by a company that practices one of the sleazy tactics referred to on their site, you are in a better position to stop or dispute charges if you use a credit card than a debit card.  Some people are dead set against credit cards, but their arguments are based on a lack of discipline by the cardholder, not on any fault of the credit card itself.  Credit cards are excellent financial tools when used responsibly, but they can also lead to disaster when inadequate discipline is applied.  So we see that discipline not only applies to health issues (Feb 3 and Feb 6 blog), but also to finances -- and to getting our work done on time, and to controlling urges like gambling, etc.  Better behavior in this one dimension leads to better consequences throughout our lives.