Stuck in a contract or something where you are getting ripped off? Have no fear, the Australian Government Department of Fair Trading is here!
Many around town consider me a very successful Sales & Marketing Mentor – I am very flattered and every-time I hear this I praise the lord as it was only a few years ago where I was against the wall (and I rebuilt myself from a massive low).
When I started out in my business, I had a lot of colleges that were in the whole Coaching / Mentoring and Consulting Game. As more of a Mentor / Consultant myself, I started out doing what I do today and love (even though I am a hardcore blogger these day driving online more).
I charged very fair prices, had no contracts, did all and more of what my clients wanted and let my clients choose when to start working and how long for – with no pressure and all based on trust and respect. To me this is obvious and at the time I had a bunch of Coaches / Mentors who did the whole 12 month contract thing.
They would often laugh at me and stay I was stupid – these scum-bags would take pleasure in how they would lock people into long-term contracts, prey on their vulnerabilities and demand things like 6 month deposits for no reason other than to fund their holidays. To add insult to injury, if people weren’t getting value and wanted to get out – they would be mean, use pressure and threaten to “Vodafone” style sue them and charge out the rest of the contract. I have seen Coaches do this, Mentors do it and a lot of so called “Private Colleges” do this type of thing as well.
On a range of philosophical levels I have a big problem with this and going back to the people who said I was “An idiot” for not doing that, ALL OF THEM have left the industry and gone back to work. I am dead serious and the reason is that after people finish with them, they really do hate them and so get the opposite of referrals – angry people bagging them all over town so they get no more business.
I meet so many amazing, honest, hard-working and kind people who get stung by these PREDATORS and it’s very sad when people do evil things to others.
But if you are in this position or know someone else who is, please don’t fear (and I am serious when I say this), the Australian Government is to the rescue!
The Government has this brilliant office called the Department of Fair Trading which are free and exist to protect innocent people like you and me from companies that rip us off. This could include evil Coaches / Mentors with stupid contracts designed to make you poor / buy them a new car, or companies like Vodafone who have been in lots of trouble for misleading claims in their marketing.
If you are in this position, just call them up and in my experience is that they are fantastic. They can help you understand your rights and help you defend yourself. Be it getting what you are paying for or getting out of situations you don’t deserve to be in when it comes to contracts and the like.
I trust this helps and hope you enjoy these tips on the house from a Marketers Viewpoint! Of course too, you may also want to get legal advice on this one too (as I am not and cannot give legal advice – this article is for more practical street-level tips).
I hope that helps awesome friends and if you are in a bind, I hope you get out of it quickly!
Just go and speak to Fair Trading x x
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