Beware the smoke and mirrors of everyday life

FUNNY, isn’t it, how so many things are not what they seem?

Take fresh meat. It’s always packaged with pictures of cows looking over five-bar gates, or sheep gambolling in fields. But do you really believe that’s where your supermarket nosh comes from?

The other day, I saw a large van selling meat in a local market. The logo on the side said “Daisy Meadow Farm” or something similar, and there was a picture of a pretty cottage with a thatched roof.

It was only when you read the address, printed in small letters on the van door, that you learned “Daisy Meadow Farm” wasn’t based in some Dorset backwater. In fact, it was to be found on an industrial estate in Cleckheaton or somewhere similar. Very rural.

Another bit of sleight of hand is apparent when you look for car insurance. Always check what the excess is because, although it might appear to be only £150, it’s probably £150 on top of their statutory excess of £500. So always check the small print.

You must also take very great care if you buy a used car. Never accept the in-house finance unless you really have to. A friend of mine recently bought a used car from a big main dealer and thought he had done well to fend off their offers of gap insurance and bodywork protection.

He also thought he’d got a good deal on finance until the paperwork arrived and he found that there was a £300 arrangement fee which the salesman had omitted to mention as he snatched another wad of commission.

When all was taken into account, his £96 a month payment was really £105. And there was nothing he could do.

But the best bit of smoke and mirrors has to be the claim of currency dealers that they issue money commission-free, as though they’re doing you a big favour. Actually, they just package the commission in a way they hope you won’t notice.

They sell at a dearer price, then buy back at a cheaper one. A shop might buy dollars at 1.526 but sell them at 1.478. So to buy $100 will cost you £67.66 but take in your $100 and you’ll only get £65.54. Er, isn’t that £2.12 commission?

I can understand they need to charge for the service, so why pretend they don’t?

Some years ago, when I went to Belgium, I was advised to take euro travellers cheques. Trouble was, nowhere in Bruges would accept them as cash, as they do in the US, so I ended up paying two lots of commission.

In the end I simply used my bank card, and only paid once.