Column: Something About Nothing

Have you read the fine print? Maybe I should ask this question instead: If you could read the fine print, would you read it?

I am referring to the fine print at the bottom of contracts, product explanations, commercials, websites and anywhere a company feels the need to explain or disclaim something.

I recently bought a hair care product (made in the USA). I pulled out the paper that came with it explaining the ingredients and warnings. I peered through my trifocals. I got my reading glasses. I finally took my glasses off and held the paper right next to my eyes and I could finally make out the important details that highlighted the disclaimers for the product.

Recently we contracted for a service to use in our home from a company. The other person in my household was a little upset with the fees. He felt the fees had not been advertised. I said to him: “Did you read the fine print?” and pointed him to the website. The fine print was there at the bottom of the website’s page. It was so fine you had to put your nose close to the computer screen to read it.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes fine print as something thoroughly and often deliberately obscure; especially: a part of an agreement or document spelling out restrictions and limitations often in small type or obscure language.

There is fine print on every item of food in my cupboard. There is fine print on every piece of software I own. My house is full of fine print. I wouldn’t have to buy any books for a long time if I took the time to read the fine print.

Missing reading the fine print on some things such as my Cheerios box probably will not make any difference in my life. However how many of us take the time to carefully read the fine print on our credit card agreements? Did you take the time to read the fine print on the new credit card agreement that you just applied for at the local chain store so you could get 10 percent off your purchase that day?

What about the fine print disclaimer on a medicine you might take that tells you that you could suffer a rash, your eyes could turn purple and you might jump like a kangaroo by taking this medication.

What is the purpose of the fine print? I have to believe the purpose of the fine print on our products is because there is not room to write on the bottle in large letters the warnings and ingredients in our products. It can’t be because companies want to mislead us because they know we won’t read the fine print.

What about the fine print on legal papers and contracts? For instance the fine print on the service we signed up for reads like this: “*Installation fee applies. Service availability depends upon location. Internet speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Some restrictions may apply. Taxes and other mandated service charges will apply. Pricing is subject to change.”

The letters were so tiny compared to all the other text on the web page. It was easy to miss. And you see the words “pricing is subject to change”? It did. It changed two weeks after we signed up. Read the fine print.

Another area that is difficult for us consumers and is hard to police is the lengthy disclaimers on websites and on software. When you are installing software the software agreement page pops up. In order to continue, you press “yes” not taking the time to know what you are agreeing to. Did you wonder how that other software program ended up on your machine? It was all in the agreement.

Many websites have fine print and disclaimers that tell you what they do with your information. It is all there in the fine print.

According to Time Magazine, there are 8,999 words in WebMd’s disclaimer. Facebook on the other hand only uses 5,861 words. Did you read them?

We live in a world of fine print and disclaimers. You can get away with almost anything if it is in the fine print.

Andy Rooney said it best. “Nothing in Fine Print is ever good news.”

This column does not endorse fine print. Live large.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at thecolumn@bevcomm.net. Her blog is www.thankfuljoy.com. Listen to KBEW AM radio 1:30 p.m. Sundays for “Something About Nothing.”