A merchant s representation or promise cannot be verified if it is not in writing. If a business or salesman is hesitant about writing down any of the above-described representations, a consumer should be careful about entering into the transaction. A consumer should remember that he or she does have bargaining power, and this power can and should be exercised if necessary. Students are advised to keep copies of all rental agreements and property condition inventories. This is an area that frequently comes back to haunt tenants.
Many consumers fail to read or understand agreements they sign.
This is unfortunate and tragic in some situations. Failing to correctly understand an agreement may make it impossible to challenge its validity if it is contrary to the consumers understanding. The legal system assumes that consumers read all agreements before they sign them. Do not sign an agreement unless its meaning is clear, and do not let a salesman persuade you to sign an agreement on the spur of the moment. Consult an attorney if you have doubts about all or a portion of an agreement.