Paying in advance is stupid
To the editor:
Time and again, we hear stories about people that have been devastated as a result of paying for a product or service in advance of receiving either the merchandise or the promised work. Those harmed are always whining and complaining that ‘something needs to be done about the crook that took their money.’
From the noise being made by the ‘whiner,’ one might be led to believe that being cheated was an unusual and unfortunate occurrence. Factually, it was neither.
Paying for anything before it is delivered is absolute stupidity, and the person crying needs -instead of police intervention- immediate psychiatric help.
By paying up front, it’s not just dollars that are relinquished. The buyer’s leverage is lost and an incentive to cheat the purchaser is immediately put in place. When a salesperson claims that you must pay in advance because “this is the way we do business,” that should be the signal to end the conversation and seek other alternatives.
Anything short of this is just plain dumb, and when you’re cheated you’ve received exactly what you deserve. Bottom line, stop acting stupid and when you do…don’t whine.
Dick Kalfus
Cape Coral