Consumer Watch - 204

A sly way to charge us more for goods

Have you noticed that we are being charged more on many goods once again in a very sly way?Paper handkerchiefs of Kimberly Clark now have 90 in a packet instead of 100. Wipes have 64 in a pack instead of 72,which sometime back was 80.The reason, it was explained to me,was"to keep up with the inflation."I was not aware that general inflation on all goods had been 10%.Also with many foodstuffs,there are often changes in the shape of the containers in order to hold less quantity. 

When firms say they'll call you back it's at their convenience not yours

I sometimes feel my cellphone is being used against me. I bought an item at Delta and wanted to know if they had the same item in a different material to be used for the winter. First ,I had to find their phone number on their complicated bill, and when I did ring and press the number for asking a question,I wa stold by their answering machine that they would telephone me back at my phone number, presumably at their convenience and not mine.This was particularly inconvenient as I need the information in front of me on my bill as well as the details on the item I bought to ask my questions.Is this a service? I have come across this more and more lately.

What a loss: Maccabi's 24-hour service ends

1. We were recently advised by Maccabi that the MOMA SECTION of Maccabi has been closed down. For those who have had the need to use this service,this is quite a loss. When you had a worrying medical problem,to be able to contact a nurse 24 hours of the day and night was exceptionally convenient.I also understand that Maccabi is not replacing this service.

2.I rang Maccabi on a Saturday to check the actual address and to ask on what floor of the building was our appointment with a doctor at 8 am on the Sunday. I explained that my husband uses a walker and we need to go straight to the correct floor. To my surprise I was told this information is only available on a Saturday as of 7 pm in the evening. This despite their slogan of 24-hour service.

FREE GIFTS SCAMS

Dear Ms. Ariel, 

In April 2019 I visited a Partner Mobile outlet to obtain a better deal for both my monthly payments which also included my wife's cell phone, the original contract having expired. The sales person questioned our needs and suggested a package which amounted to NIS 50 each per month for three years,which I accepted

When I had completed the transaction and was leaving, the salesperson handed me a bag saying, "Take this it's yours". He explained that it was a fitness watch and a loud speaker/radio, to which I answered that I had no use for it. He said: "Take them anyway they are FREE and do what you will with them".

Only in January 2020, eight months later, when I reviewed my monthly bills, I discovered that I was being charged an extra NIS 64.80 per month for the said FREE items (not of the highest quality), which incidentally I had thrown away after a winter clear out.

When I contacted Partner concerning this issue, they refused categorically to remove the charge for these items and are holding me to the payments for the remaining 26 months.

I am not naive having held very high retail management positions in a similar business and now realize of course it was a scam and we can all be caught unaware.

So as a warning to others, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, question it clearly, because if it appears too good to be true it probably is - even if you are told it's FREE.

Stephen Vishnick

Tel Aviv