Cheated on inferior products

A consumer bought a few boxes of local sweets in a store at 8 yuan. Later, she saw the same product sold at another store for 3 yuan. She bought a few boxes at the lower price to average down. She was told later that the cheaper product could have expired. Her immediate remark was - I have been cheated. She felt that it the product had passed the expiry date, the store should not have sold the product to her without telling her.

Cheating is to sell a product without disclosing relevant information or providing misleading information about the product to the consumer.

If a consumer can felt cheated of a few dollars in a consumable product that has expired, how would the consumer feel if he or she has been sold a financial product that locks out the savings for 30 years and takes away 50% of the savings, amounting to more than $200,000, without being told? Is this cheating or not cheating?

It is important also to look at the degree. There is no much harm of being cheated of a few dollars. But if one is being cheated of a large sum, one should pursue the matter rigorously.

Tan Kin Lian