Save by paying attention to the small amounts (Part 2)

Subscriptions

The advent of the technological age we are in has resulted in an increase in the number of products and services which consumers are bombarded with. Gone are the days when people would need to physically write out a subscription and post it via snail mail, with a few details and a click of a button you can become subscribed to these services. Small as the amounts might be which get deducted, these add up at the end of the day- especially if you have multiple subscriptions.

Another contentious matter has to do with subscription to cable TV. In most instances, people are paying a lot of money yet they don’t necessarily watch all (if not even 80-90% of the channels).

Paying attention to contract terms & conditions

We are now in the second half of the year and up to this point we have managed to save some substantial amounts by looking closely at different agreements and contracts.

A few months ago our vehicle was knocked by the gate at the complex where we stay because the sensors were not functioning properly. I was waiting to drive out and turn to the right but I was waiting for the road to clear. As I always do I had positioned the car where the sensors could ‘sense’ the car but this time they did not work. I lodged a claim against the Body Corporate (and not my landlord) as I knew it was their responsibility to ensure the gate was functional- and they would have insurance for such matters.

Although the caretaker was present and was a witness to the incident, the Body Corporate’s insurers initially dismissed my claim without even interviewing the caretaker. They cited the following “...at the time of the incident the gate was in a good working order and the third party has failed to prove the Body Corporate negligence in the matter.”  It was only after another tenant caught on camera an incident where they were illustrating driving out and the gate closing on their car- that the insurers finally paid for the repairs.

After undergoing a certain medical procedure which the medical aid ordinarily would not cover unless a doctor motivated why they procedure was necessary- the medical aid gave me a run around. Although I had complied with their requirement to get the motivation letter from the doctor, it took a constant back and forth to get them to keep their end of the contractual obligations. I was prepared to take them to the Ombudsman if they had kept on refusing to pay.

Knowing and constantly checking our lease agreement made me aware of costs which are the responsibility of the tenant and which of the landlord. Had I not been aware of these terms, I would have been held liable to pay for certain repairs which were not meant to be for my account. How many other individuals are caught up in situations where they end up paying lots of money because of not knowing these terms or worse still not having a detailed lease agreement.