It can come as somewhat of a surprise when the service
technician who arrives at your home to do repair work or to
connect the new washing machine you bought turns into a
merchant and starts to peddle his wares: a device to prevent
lime buildup, a stand with wheels, filters, moisture
absorbers or whatever your heart desires.
The fact that the merchandise is being offered not by a
salesman but by a technician — a professional who the
consumer tends to place faith in — can tip the scales
in favor of making the purchase.
B. of Bnei purchased a Crystal washing machine. "A technician
arrived to connect the machine and run it for the first time.
Afterwards he offered us a filter against lime buildup that
is supposed to extend the life of the washing machine and to
prevent the accumulation of lime deposits on the drum and
pump. He tried to convince us we should buy it right away
since he was already there so he could install the filter
without any added installation charge. He charged NIS 218 for
the filter alone.
"When I saw how simple and easy it was to install the filter
I decided to avoid purchases on the spot, thinking the price
might be a bit high. I checked at stores in Bnei Brak and
found the price of such a filter was only NIS 75! Was there
any justification for charging three times the price?
[Consumers] should be warned about technicians who take
advantage of a moment of weakness and should not buy anything
without comparing prices."
Service technicians also have another trick up their sleeves.
"We bought our son a new washing machine for his wedding,"
recalls S. "The Sherut Plus technician who came to open the
machine offered the newlywed couple insurance for eight
years, which can only be taken out at the time the packaging
is removed. He bought the insurance for NIS 1,400."
According to the Consumer Council cases in which a technician
arrives at the home and offers products or services for a fee
are included under the category of peddling deals and
therefore the consumer is entitled to cancel the transaction
within 14 days and receive a refund — without paying a
cancellation fee or any other fee.
Service Plus CEO Ilan Levian says every complaint of
aggressive selling is checked thoroughly and the customer is
entitled to cancel the deal and receive credit. "Sherut Plus
is one of the largest service companies in Israel and we
provide service for 17 percent of all of new appliances
sold," he says. "We have a number of apparatuses operating
for customers and we do all we can to ensure customers
receive the best service possible."
