How the scam works:
Imagine you are in a store and you really like a HDTV. The price is great, but you are going through some financial challenges, so you can’t really buy it.
The manager suggests you sign a “provisional sales agreement”, meaning that they will sell it to you for the same price if you decide to come back and buy it before a specific date. It seems fair enough to you, as the manager tells you these agreements will help your credit as well. If you don’t come back before the deadline, the store will shred the agreement.
Sounds good! But a month later, a letter comes in your mail asking for the first payment for the TV you purchased. The “provisional sales agreement” you signed was a credit application and the TV was sold to you right then.
How to avoid:
We keep saying it over and over again; never sign anything without reading all the small print. If you don’t understand something, don’t sign. It’s intricate for a reason.
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