What was your "thank god I looked at the contract" moment?

[@tonychan8558]

Remembering something from a film saved my contract $$$$. 'Changing Lanes', a law firm tried to rewrite a multi page contract to amend it, because the signature was only on the final page. Ever since then, every contract I sign, I sign EVERY page in the corner. I was happy with the contract with a partner company, signed every page as usual. Six months later, they tried to sue us for breach of contract. They changed a very minor detail which would help their case. As soon as we asked to see the contract, they sent one without my signature. Immediately, I flagged it up and said this was not the one I signed. We found the original contract and counter-sued. We won.

[@championCynthia2348]

I'm surprised this comment isn't higher up! This is godly advice and I will be taking it to heart every time I sign a contract from now on!

[@TheGuindo]

INVALUABLE advice, great way to cover your ass! make sure to get your own copy of anything you sign, too. if they're above-board, they'll just do it, no questions asked. if they put up any resistance or say "i'll send it to you later", that's a red flag. don't leave that office without a copy in hand.

[@M_IAWIA]

I always get printed copy of everything I sign, and print out whatever I sign online. Haven't needed to use it yet, but it's a cheap insurance.

[@sitizurkish]

Im in administrative line of work . One day , someone who I know is kinda higher up asked me to change something in the document . I did argued its already signed by big boss so we cannot simply change it . But he still demanded it and since Im young and still new there , I just followed as instructed . So next day , the big boss got into trouble and I found out what are they scheming actually . I felt remorseful as its my hand who did the changes . Later on I got more strict and fiery 😌 in my works . Also , I would read everything word by word and sign every pages at the bottom of the paper , whether theres space or not , allowed or not , I will sign on every pages . Oh , on last page I will write down date and time I signed it since some people always use the point : "its been a long time ago ,,, you must have forgot about it" 🙄 Girl , dont you pick on my memory . I can even say what clothes Im wearing ; I went to work by bike , car or public transport ; what pen I used to sign it on that day ,,, . And make sure to write the date in full (14/02/2024) as I caught someone trying to change a date too 🤦 . Not on my papers but it looks weird so I asked and they tell

[@mrtucey]

Sign with a blue pin so it stands out, and it also works as a way to tell if it's a copy. Though with so many color copiers out there, it doesn't work as well as it use to.

[@thescholarsjourney661]

Important life rule: if someone is pressuring you to sign a contract without reading it, you need to read it even MORE carefully than a normal contract.

[@L-ghtlessSky]

as soon as someone says “oh, don’t bother reading the contract, its a whole lotta nothing.” im grabbing that shit and reading it over a microscope.

[@duewhat9815]

One of the first vivid memories I have was with my Dad at a dealership, I had to of been maybe like 6 and the guy told him not to waste time reading it and he said something along the lines of "ohh thanks for the heads up" and we just left.

[@olliexlivi]

@@L-ghtlessSkyI read that in a New York accent

[@L-ghtlessSky]

@@olliexlivi idk why but i imagined it in goodtimewithscar’s voice

[@olliexlivi]

@@L-ghtlessSky 😭

[@Alex-on-youtube]

I work in films. We get a new contract every film. So every 6-12 months. I read it. I strike out the rules I don't agree with, sign and date next to them. Then, I hand it back to the production company to get counter signed. They NEVER check to see what I haven't agreed to. It's only actively come up once. They told me I was contractually obligated to work "up to 24hrs a day and 7 days a week". And that I was required to come in and work the weekend. I made them actively bring out my contract. Pointed out that they had agreed to my amendment. They were not happy. But agreed that I was not technically obligated.

[@gee3591]

Are you allowed to just mark it out? I would assume you need to make a new contract

[@Alex-on-youtube]

@@gee3591 honestly, I'm not sure the legality of it. I assume it differs from country to country. But in my experience, yeah, you're allowed.

[@awesome-fs6ot]

In the country I live in you can. And it’s legal and binding.

[@brag0001]

​@@gee3591 Why would you not? The contract only becomes valid once they themselves sign it. So you aren't scamming them or something. Some contracts contain a rule that the contract can't be changed to individualize it to prevent this from happening. It would be a really funny court case if you removed that one as well. 😂

[@gee3591]

@@brag0001 idk I just assumed that marking it out or using white out wasn’t an “official” statement or something. I always thought that you had to print out a new contract

[@justinfowler2857]

Wasn't me, but my sister. She had shitty credit. The dealer convinced her that the car loan was 9%. I read the contract and it was actually 26% interest loan.

[@rayhatesu]

Goddamn, trying to hit her with that "US Marine buying a Dodge Charger from the used car dealer near the base" level of interest rate, that was close.

[@The_Metal_Mechanic]

A credit union in Nebraska did the same thing to my wife. We're in Texas so they waited until closing time, faxed us the contract, and went home for the day. We needed the car that day so had no choice. Thankfully the car is now paid off and that Credit Union is gonzo, but they had to screw us over one last time by losing our title so the bank that acquired the old CU couldn't send it to us.

[@gratedshtick]

​@@rayhatesuthat's oddly specific

[@rayhatesu]

@@gratedshtick it's relatively well known among active/former US Military members that your average member of the infantry in the Marines are horrible with money, and I have read a comic made by an ex-Marine that satirized this fact in several comics (the comic being "Terminal Lance"). It's also common for Infantry to go for Dodge Chargers or similar expensive cars. Given that fact, I went with some referential humor.

[@cpK054L]

​@rayhatesu that's not true. Most MEXICAN marines buy Chevy Camaros and the infantry is like 3 out of 7 Mexicans

[@gooseyghost9138]

If someone is obviously worried when you start reading the contract and tells you something like "you don't have to read it" or "don't bother, just sign" that is the biggest red flag ever 🚩🚩🚩

[@fullmoonshadow6967]

Yeah, if they go quiet, encourage you to sign without reading, or act antsy about you checking anything, immediately back the fuck out.

[@SR_CTW]

actually that’s 3 small red flags.

[@elderliddle2733]

Law student here: Please for the love of all that’s holy and sacred…. READ THE DAMN CONTRACT! Most of the BS you see here is in fact legal because of the “I (insert name here) have read and understood the terms and conditions as defined above.”

[@brag0001]

That's what I like about my country. No contract with consumers can have any surprising clauses in them. If you put anything out of the ordinary in there, it's simply non-binding and the courts will throw it out. Consumer protection is a thing here, and it really helps people out a lot. If you want something out of the ordinary, the business better documents a hell of a lot how they made sure the customer knew and understood the clause ... And don't worry: scammers still exist and thrive in such an environment. Turns out you can scam people either from abroad, or even without any surprising clauses in the contract ...😂

[@sepehrsohrabi95]

​@@brag0001 what country?

[@brag0001]

@@sepehrsohrabi95 Germany

[@MisterAssasine]

germany for example​@@sepehrsohrabi95

[@thewanderingmistnull2451]

Depending on contract type, they can't do that in the US either. Boilerplate contracts, they're called. Obviously, you should still read/have a lawyer read the contract word for word, but there are some protections against people who do things like that.

[@patrickbuick5459]

I have read and found mistakes in so many contracts, often with the lawyer across from me saying "show me", then "we have been using that for YEARS"...

[@Tanis031]

I got a job offer. I read the contract. They had a line that if they decided there was a problem, NOT that I had caused the problem, I would be legally required to accept blame and be solely on the the hook for any consequences of the problem and that I could NOT talk about it. Like I get that if I did something illegal I should be held responsible and not the company. However, if THEY do something illegal and they demand I take the blame I'm required by the contract to go "Yup. That was me. Oh fines? I got this". I did not accept the job. They had the gall to go "Oh that's not what that means" when chatGPT, and later a lawyer, both agreed that is exactly what that section meant. The lawyer pointed out that is likely not legally binding as I could totally take them to court over it if it was ever used that way.

[@YourXavier]

So, you were offered Barney Stinson's job.

[@nleem3361]

Always read the contract. When renting, if moving into a place that doesn't have fresh new carpet and pant, make them cross out the parts of paying for paint or carpet if damaged. That should be done about every 3 years, so they could easily make you pay for it. Take pic and video when you move in and move out. Get everything in writing if they promise something. You can even text them something, like thank you so much for letting me, xyz. Then they can't come back later an say you didn't ask. If you don't understand something, consult a lawyer or refuse to sign. In general, contracts should be easy to understand. If not, and there's litigation, the person who wrote a misleading contract can get in trouble, but not always since you were ultimately the one who chose to sign it.

[@mannys9130]

Crossing out is not very durable. Have them type and print a new contract with that portion deleted entirely. Furthermore, ALWAYS read the ENTIRE contract over again whenever it has changed hands or has been edited. I read my leases and such front to back every time it is emailed/scanned/docu-signed back and forth. The risk of you assuming that the 1 discussed change was made and nothing else was slipped in elsewhere is just enormous. If you sign it, you can't say later on "He added that clause in without my knowledge!!!" Tough cookies, you agreed to it. Front to back, in detail, every time it leaves your sight even for a minute, before you put ink to that paper.

[@lance4862]

Bought my son a new car and the numbers were too high.... they tried to sign me up for mechanical breakdown insurance after I told them I wasn't interested. Then the finance guy wouldn't let me buy it until I heard his spiel for the same thing. I put in my headphones, closed my eyes and told him to let me know when he was done and if it took more than 10 minutes I'd go to another dealership. Hard sells make me go the other direction.

[@chebryan]

I feel like these are just the adult versions of the kids who would trick you into saying weird things like I-C-U-P

[@KitsuneYashaX48]

Except now you owe ICUP kid thousands at minimum if you fell for it. Which is certainly how those kids acted, at least...

[@DS-hq1um]

I was offered a $15,000 scholarship in exchange for a 2 year contract post-graduation. At face value, I would have happily signed. But reading the contract, they had no mention of what they would pay, if the position would be part time or full time, there was a non-compete clause, and above all - a clause that said they can ship you to anywhere in the country they want - and the two years wouldn't start until after you obtain your license to practice in that area (which can take about 6 months). Canada is too big to be accepting something like that.

[@Inasafespot]

Worked part time in a shop that sold craft items as well as homewares, every so often they would update staff agreements, never called it a contract. I decided to read it first while others signed after being told it was mandatory, there was section that stated that anything that the employee designed or developed in their personal time was deemed property of the company. I questioned the manager because as a crafter I often created my own designs but that would mean I would lose any rights for anything I developed, the manager tried telling me the company wouldn’t bother with that but knowing how litigious the owner was wasn’t taking any chances. No one ever noticed I hadn’t signed or submitted it. There was no way I was handing over anything I developed using my own resources in my own time while working 30 hours a fortnight.

[@sophiebaker3907]

The one about college students being tricked into debt - I know it's slightly different but when you said "why would anyone try to drown college students in debt?" I was like "sir have you seen the *entire American college system?*"

[@computernerdinside]

And people are mad when it was forgiven because it was predatory.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@computernerdinsideno, they get mad because it’s loans that were taken out because they were being forgiven after a huge economic recession a decade before that was sparked by people taking out similar loans

[@beneaton1776]

@@computernerdinsidethat was because the banks servicing the loans would have been paid with tax dollars after already having been paid more than was borrowed.

[@bitwize]

On the first day on a new job, the employment contract had a clause stipulating that I sign over to the company the right to use my name, voice, and likeness for marketing purposes. I didn't want them using my name, voice, or likeness for ANY public purpose, and I would have walked had HR not quickly drawn up a new contract. A job I was applying for wanted me to sign an NDA with a ten-year noncompete clause, the penalty for violating which was payment of half the market valuation of whomever I worked for at the time of violation. If I took a position with a FAANG, I'd theoretically be hosed for life. I told the lady she can stuff her "standard boilerplate" BS.

[@angstydoodles1101]

I recently rented an apartment with my sister and was appalled when she told me it was unnecessary to read the lease agreement. She's six years older than me and has rented several times, while this was my first time. Thankfully there wasn't anything messed up in the lease (because obviously I disregarded her "advice"), but I still can't believe she hasn't been roped into something shady with an attitude like that.

[@bl4ckhearts802]

she is the reason why people need to read contracts

[@calcustom5026]

@7:55 that's how all US military contracts work. The first contract you sign is always 8 years, regardless of how many years it says. If you sign a "2 year" contract you're actually signing up for 2 years of active duty and 6 years of inactive ready reserve. Basically you're agreeing to join the pool of inactive reserve personnel in the event of a major event that requires more military personnel. Like a pre-draft. It's very rare to be activated from the IRR.

[@TheGuindo]

it _was_ rare, and maybe finally is again, but for several years after 9/11 they were calling up IRR left and right. OP just got really unlucky with the timing.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@TheGuindono, he was being a baby because his easy job wouldn’t let him go because it happened to be important and they needed experienced people. the timing didn’t matter, he was just being a baby.

[@meuanglao7]

@@bostonrailfan2427 imagine being this much an asshole. war sucks, man. of course he didn't want to go.

[@emrysm5501]

After CDL training. Contract says we get paid a weekly ready salary if they can't place us with a driver mentor right away, but that is waived if we aren't ready to go. Got my license in Dec, and Dispatch says they can't guarantee I'll be home for the holidays, do I want to wait until January for placement? Remembering the contract I say no, I'm ready now. Sure enough, they didn't even have anyone available until January and wanted me to slip up and waive my fee.

[@Saturn.7056]

Nice one, bud! also, cool to see another fellow non-binary around here 😂

[@breetoldyouso]

Oooh! This is one I can contribute to. A fairly predatory company tried to get me to sign over my likeness, all content made on a particular platform, and have me agree to perform LIVE for 80 hours a month, minimum. According to the contract, if I did not obey these, I would owe them upwards of $50 Grand, AS WELL AS trying to get me to agree that if they were sued, I, a CONTRACTOR, would foot the bill. I rewrote almost the entire contract. I took out four pages, hand wrote in multiple lines, signed, and gave it back to them. They were not thrilled, but agreed to my amendments. I am incredibly glad I wrote in an escape clause as well (which was not included in the original) which allows me to no longer work with them.

[@DrgnLdyLizzie2001]

Education is reading the fine print. Experience is what happens when you don't.

[@RCuriousPilot]

"scamming you on an engagement ring" Almost all engagement rings are scams anyway, so this does not come as a surprise

[@thejnelson88]

Whsat was the point if she buys one because she didn’t like it.

[@haplessasshole9615]

Yes, they are, especially if you buy a diamond from a chain or mall store. This is why I chose a hand-crafted garnet ring from an independent store. I designed the wedding band to match, and had a fair quantity of gold to use for the casting. So, for about $700, my husband and I got matching bands and the garnet ring. They turned out beautifully! Other women at work, some of whose names I didn't even know, were coming up to me saying, "Debbie (or whoever) said you have a really cool wedding set. May I see it? Oh, that is _beautiful!_ Where'd you get it? I want one like it!" Nope. Nopetty, nope, nope, nope. Can't be done. It's utterly unique, as we had a contractual agreement that the band design was _mine._

[@aSipOfHemlocktea]

You mean they literally all are it was an artificial tradition created by a mining company it's not even related to actual Christianity or traditions

[@aSipOfHemlocktea]

Engagement rings are relatively new they aren't traditional, but because of a couple of people's grandparents got them people feel like they have to get one

[@aSipOfHemlocktea]

Then again every part of the modern wedding from the white dress to the expensive flowers literally was created by corporations

[@richardlandrum1966]

Pro tip: Condos = all the headaches of owning a home and none of the benefits....same goes for HOA's.

[@user-bq5lu9rs9w]

6:28 NO WAY SHE TRIED GETTING HIM TO SIGN A CONTRACT TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING A REFUND WHEN HE WENT IN FOR A REFUND

[@justinbrentwood1299]

If you're signing an important or expensive contract, make sure you know it.

[@bdkj3e]

Recently got a new HP laptop and the user agreement basically says that they sell their brand new software "as is" to the maximum extent allowed by law, the the total possible liabilty for them is $5 whole dollars.

[@neko6803]

yeah, dont buy HP. They used to be super nice but for the last almost 10 years, they only have been selling absolute garbage, both in terms of the Hardware and the Software

[@pfcblint3171]

Joined the army Advised I'd be going in with a higher pay grade due to education prior to joining. Sitting down in MEPS to sign paperwork. higher pay grade not mentioned ask about it Was advised that paperwork never made it to them Step out into the office, grab paperwork in holder waiting for MEPS employee to take Step back into office with paperwork. Guy sighs and reworks contract in front of me showing higher pay grade. RTFC

[@fullmoonshadow6967]

Could I maybe get a breakdown of those acronyms? MEPS and RTFC respectively?

[@pfcblint3171]

@@fullmoonshadow6967Absolutely. MEPS is the Military Entrance Processing Station. Usually a centralized place where people are brought in to do baseline evaluations like height and weight, hearing, vision, etc... before being allowed to join the military. It's also where you sign the official documentation and contact before being shipped off to basic training. RTFC just means to Read The Fucking Contract lol

[@fix0the0spade]

Gotta love Recruiters.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

nice lie…but that’s not how it happens. you are the dummy who didn’t read it, you were sent there AFTER you signed.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@fix0the0spade…except this never happened, the guy lied about it

[@mrow7598]

Renting a retail space, look for heating and cooling. Many will have you cover the heating and cooling service. The HVAC system might be 20 years old and never serviced once and you move in and the next day it breaks and you now have a $50k+ repair bill.

[@trixfox45]

Reminded me of what my mom told me. The place we live in came with a kitchen. oven was unusable and filthy , had a range hood(?) which was also filthy as fuck and I think also broken and ofc the cabinets and everything else was also filthy as fuck. The walls towards the ceiling are as of today still filthy because it's hard to reach and according to my mom wasn't able to clean it. If we ever move out they will get their filthy broken oven back, yes it's still in the attic.

[@mannys9130]

​@@trixfox45I sure hope you have clear photos and a mutually signed walkthrough contract between you and the landlord/PM which clearly explains that upon taking possession of the property, the conditions of those things were unacceptable and you are not responsible for cleaning/repairing/replacing them upon moving out. You should have it in writing that the oven was broken and filthy, the range hood was broken and filthy, and the cabinets and walls were filthy when you were given control of the unit. It's vital to cover all your bases during the move-in walkthrough. If you end up staying there for 10 years and the original owner changes property management companies twice and then sells it to a new owner with a new PM, they will have no idea what it was like when you moved it. The original landlord/PM rep will be long gone. You will lose your security deposit and be sued for replacement and repair costs when you move out even though it wasn't your fault. To save yourself, you have to be able to produce the walkthrough evidence and agreement on conditions to prove that it is not your problem. Landlords and their PMs are NOTORIOUS for racking up a bill of damages and inflated remediation costs just so they can keep your deposit. It helps them stay in the black while they clean and search for a new tenant which can potentially take months.

[@krayofsunshine]

My landlords are doing the same thing as the guy with the garage, but my employer only pays for legal referrals and finding a lawyer that represents tennants in my area is literally impossible. The lawyer I was finally able to speak to said that yes what my landlords are doing is illegal, I need a 500$ retainer for him to just get STARTED on the case. Wouldn’t even give me his hrly rate. Just. You can’t afford $500 up front? That’s cool, sucks though and hung up.

[@mannys9130]

ALWAYS read the ENTIRE contract over again whenever it has changed hands or has been edited at either party's requrst. I read my leases and purchase contracts and such front to back every time it is emailed/scanned/docu-signed back and forth and every time it leaves the room where I can't see it. I also get a copy of the specific version of the contract which I am signing to finalize, and I have them sign it as well. 2 originals with wet ink signatures, 1 copy for each party. The risk of you assuming that only the 1 discussed edit was made and nothing else was slipped in anywhere else is just enormous. If you sign it, you can't say later on "He added that clause in without my knowledge!!!" Tough cookies, you agreed to it. Front to back, in detail, every time it leaves your sight even for a minute, before you put ink to that paper. The risk of your signature jumping by itself onto a different version of the contract outside your line of sight is also very high, which is why having your original copy is critically important. If you sign 1 original and then you're promised a copy of that later, you may get a copy of a different contract which your signature jumped onto illegally and you may not realize it for months or years.

[@computernerdinside]

Also sign every separate page.

[@Gr3nadgr3gory]

Id love to hear someone else's lawyer tell me the opposite of what my lawyer did just so i can say "then i guess your lawyer is a moron."

[@BlackestInk-111]

Cat dealer ship sold is a car with 1000km warranty and 1 month warranty, it broke down less that 60hrs after buying it, the took it to a mechanic. After a month we still had not heard anything. They claimed we drove it over 1200km when we knew we had not even driven it 500km. They are refusing to give us our money back. The matter is going to court now.

[@kel9609]

Cat dealership?

[@alexandersmith2877]

@@kel9609you know good and well they just had a typo and didn’t proof read it

[@PlatinumAzure]

If they did buy a cat, it's definitely possible it wandered an extra 700km

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@PlatinumAzureplus they have motors running constantly…or so it sounds

[@ARKdeEREH]

I wanted to buy a vacant lot and have a house built there. A realtor sent me c.50 pages of legalese about the property. Buried in the middle was a paragraph explaining that the property could not be lived on until a precise date in the 2200s (so about 200 *years* in the future) unless the property owner paid the government a large sum of money that was increasing every year due to interest and was then nearly $300k. The fine print said that the government was also allowed to send regular inspectors to the property who could go wherever they wanted without permission from the owner. I laughed *SO* hard when I read that paragraph. Needless to say I didn't buy the property!

[@fluffyou9276]

Who's the realtor?

[@gr33n39]

@@fluffyou9276Exactly! they need to name and shame!

[@NewLegacy93]

Whenever I need someone to sign something, I tell them not to worry and that they don’t need to read it before signing. I do this without prompting. It’s not that I don’t want them to read the contract, it’s that their distrust is a better motivator to actually read it. Working with people who know the parameters of the deal and what you expect of them is generally better for having them actually meet those expectations.

[@tumbletauros]

I got 1. This was when I worked at Walmart, they made an app for associates to scan bar codes and it acted functionally the same as the big scanners you’d walk around with. Tells you price, inventory in stock and where to find it. Went to download the app and there was a big log of terms and conditions (I always read these no matter how silly it may seem due to my anxiety) among the terms was a little blurb about how by using the app you agree to give your phone to management if they need more scanners. Deleted right then and there. Managers tried to get everyone to use the app and every time they asked me why I didn’t have it I told them I didn’t agree with the terms and conditions.

[@Gr3nadgr3gory]

You know, with the way things are going it might be better for car companies to take orders directly from consumers. The modern age can make even a test drive possible with that system...

[@DageLV]

Lol, I'm Latvian, I bought Internet for 18 eur per month. Covid hit, they increased price to 21 eur, I called em and said I'm not paying it, if they wish, they can break the contract. Few days later got a phone call in which they said they'll give me 8.8 eur Internet per month, the current plan, no additional changes, I recorded that call as well,no issues. Normally if I were to break contract, then I'd have to pay for the router they sent me or whatever.

[@GrandSupremeDaddyo]

I was once given an employment contract that included a clause that would require me to work without days off if they were understaffed (The days would be added to my holidays). I disagreed with that clause so it was scribbled out and the manager and I both signed next to the change. A few months into the job and this clause was brought up. A lot of staff were upset that they would have to work, but I said no. The manager (a different manager) said it was in my contract. I said it wasn't. We went into the back and reviewed the document and I got to have my days off while everyone else worked.

[@rayhatesu]

So, I'll admit my story relating to this was a contract I was reading relating to car insurance on my phone. I was reading the fine print on a State Auto plan that would supposedly give you a discount on your insurance payments if you stuck a tracker in your car and religiously recorded the miles you drove while on the plan. I noticed mostly normal things within the contract until I got to the section regarding liability for damages and found the clear Crimson flag in the fine print: to paraphrase, any damage to related equipment in excess of $1000 USD is not covered by State Auto in terms of compensation for repair or replacement of said equipment due to the above damage. Given the vagueness of their use of "equipment", since it was not defined clearly in the contract, made me think "given how vaguely this is worded, what would they try to tell me this covers to get my signature, and what will they say it covers in the event of an accident?" My thoughts for both: just my phone, since the customer's phone is the "reporting equipment" for the app; and my entire vehicle, because attaching the tracker makes it part of the full "equipment set" between the tracking app, the tracker, my phone, and my vehicle. I immediately noped out of signing that contract and temporarily took a more expensive standard plan until I could switch back to a more reputable insurance company that I knew I could rely on for proper post-accident compensation (original company had closed their local leasing office, so I'd been forced to find a replacement since they didn't transfer existing customers to another affiliated leasing office when the first closed). Also, to those who might read this and say I overreacted: I already had known people using standard plans not getting payouts from them, so I assumed the worst off of their previous experiences and how much money the company makes by denying claims.

[@Spaghettiisyummy]

I had a major problem with my car! I needed cylinder work done and they bill at $230 per hour and I was told I had a deductible of $300! The lady reread the information and found the first warranty was still in effect! No deductible and no bill for me! It went to insurance! It was over $4000 in total!

[@CorderralLewis]

Not a contract but to start the year I went to buy some new journals and sketch pads. In the the store I just happen to turn over the pad I was holding and the label said something along the lines of "made with material considered carcinogenic and shouldn't be handled by x, y, z type persons". Not sure what made me read the label but I'm glad I did.

[@fullmoonshadow6967]

That should be illegal to sell, if it can harm people like that. I get allergies to foods and whatnot, but if a *material* can hurt people, it shouldn't be allowed to be sold.

[@fireidar]

Not really me but my ex-Best friend. Years ago when we were out of home and both about to move out of places, me a rental place and her, her parents, she called me asking if I wanted to move in with her and share the cost of the place. I was interested at first, until she told me where it was, too far away from family. However She was SO EXCITED about the place and desperately wanted it, but couldn't afford it by her self. It seemed that this place is where she had grown up as a child and had good memories and she wanted to move in there ASAP. After taking to her for a while I realised she had ALREADY signed the contract AND paid the deposit for it, but hadn't even gone to see it yet!! I was shocked and told her to NEVER sign or pay until AFTER she had seen it, because she doesn't know what condition it is in-my father had drilled this into me before I even fist moved out, along with taking photos of any marks on the walls or such before actually moving in so the owners or such could accuse YOU of it when you move out. I CONVINCED her to demand to see the property first, even though she kept insisting they would let her. I told her THIS was illegal and to DEMAND to see it, to either get her mother or father to go with her. Last I heard from her was an pissed-off call that they weren't going to give her back her deposit and she wasn't moving in. I was right. Apparently the place was disgusting. There was an old fridge in there which had had old food in it and it had leaked all over and sunk out the place. the floor was filthy, excetra. Also one house I looked at stunk of cat pee. It was nice, but stuck.

[@ToadenK]

I used to make money doing KZbin so many video networks and social media type companies can be very scumy One product sponsor site (pay for honest reviews) they updated terms of contract and it asked for editing privilege's of youtube channel including permission to edit and delete videos Another one was a new video site that said they could change the amount they pay you and can even charge the account when they deem necessary. This also included using videos and editing videos without notice. Worst part of this is I had several "professionals" look at contract and they just like "no this is normal" . . .. yea I didn't sign and site didn't last long.

[@Karina_Engr]

Home security service spoke to me on a 3 year contract. When I went to sign, it said 6 years! I didn't sign and pointed out the error. He played it off and made the change. Later, when the same company raised the price, I called them saying my contract is set at xx price, and I did not sign for a price raise. They brought it back down and didn't re-imburse me. Sheesh! 🤨

[@thedracobunny]

7:28 "Depends on my luck" made me chuckle lmao, I love the little comments after the stories bc it reminds me that this is a real person reading these, not a robot. This is definitely one of the best Reddit story channels out there

[@MGower4465]

Employment contract. As worded, the contract said if the employed and spouse had a child during the contract term, it belonged to the employer. There was no delimiting language to it being work or even work related, or that it needed to be created using employer time and/or resources. I would be fine with the clause with those delimitations, but this was too vague. The recruiter actually said "It would never be enforced that way". I just ssid "Just because it never has been does not guarantee it never will be. What's written down is what matters, not how its been used in the past." Recruiter looked stunned when I walked out. If they had just had sensible li its on the clause...

[@TomMcCarthyTKIB]

I'm sorry, the employer wanted your CHILD? That's a typo right?

[@WaterMan416]

I'm surprised the marine recruiters even talked about the 8 year obligation. Most of us don't find out about that until later. Doesn't affect most of us though. Heard of a number of folks getting recalled after 9/11 though. I had 6 years active and those extra 2 years I was nervous because there was a lot of shit going on with Korea in 2011, 12 and 13.

[@TheGuindo]

pretty sure they only talked about it at all because he spotted it in the contract and asked. recruiters absolutely never volunteer information like that, lmao

[@philippak7726]

thankfully never had to use contract BS or had it pulled on me, but definitely agree about the telecom wizadry I still am banging my head over a call that was something like an hour long. My internet had suddenly cut out. Hard reset of the router didn't fix it. hard reset the modem, and it stuck on the third light, the DS signal (first of the actual connection lights) the call to the company was like pulling teeth. "Have you restarted the router?" "yes, I also restarted the modem, and that hasn't come back on right" "ok, please restart the router again" "… ok, have restarted the router, all lights barring the internet light are on. The modem is not coming up" "you have to wait for all the lights on the router to come on" "they aren't coming on because there's no internet from the modem" "can you restart the router again?" "just to check, you want me to restart the box the internet comes into the house on, right? with five lights" "no, just the router, the one with three lights" "ok, but that's not the problem. I have restarted it again. two of the three lights are on, the one that is not on is the "internet" light" "you have to wait for all the lights to come on" I went through that with TWO people before they were like "I think there might be something wrong with your internet. I can't ping your router" - a bird had dislodged our external cable, turned out. the kicker was the second dude, after setting up our appointment, was like "ok, now I'll set you up with some data credit" "uh, so we'll have a lower charge on our bill this month?" "oh, no, for you to use on your smart devices until your internet is fixed" "oh, we don't have any of those, so please don't bother" "you don't need a [company] line to have the data, I'll send that through to your local store." "No, I mean we literally have no smart devices. No smart phones, no tablets. We have two laptops and a desktop, no smart devices, please don't." "set up your data, just go into your local store and they'll give you the sims"

[@curleyqreviews9793]

Oh my gosh. We had something similar. They kept sending us new modems that didn't work after a few days. Finally they sent a guy out. He checked my equipment then checked the powerline where a device was attached. Apparently, that thing was struck my lightning and was sending so much data to the modem, that the modem would break. He said it was like trying to fill a cup of water with a fire hose.

[@BazilYat]

It took us being passes to three people to tell them "the wire has come off the wall"

[@philippak7726]

@@BazilYat *sympathetic wince*

[@lunarl]

Im still annoyed at my dad over this: Was moving out of my old rented house to my newly purchased flat and knew I wouldnt get time off work for it due to how busy we were. I checked my lease and I was entitled to have a representative of my choosing present during the final inspection. I'd been having this off and on again fight with the letting agency about replacing a carpet for a while. The carpet had been badly worn when I moved in and the letting agent had said the landlord was happy to replace this once it went bald as it was still usable for now. They never did replace it and I had a feeling they were going to try and charge me for it from my deposit when I left. I asked my dad to sign over the keys to them and be present during the inspection to argue my point should they bring up the carpet, but apparently the letting agent just said to him they don't allow anyone to be there and he stupidly just left. Guess what they demanded they take from my deposit in the end? I managed to negotiate it down to half the cost of a new carpet, as I had some, but not all of my contact with them over this issue documented and also demanded a copy of the invoice from the carpet company to show the cost of covering that one small floor. I wasnt sure if Id win if I pushed the issue with the relevant company that held the deposit, but the threat was enough for them to drop the charge to half.

[@dailyatom8678]

I was one of the ones who fell in a bad contract. It was a truck drivers agreement, and in the paperwork it apparently neglected to mention if they would pay for truck parking, do reimbursements for items purchased on the trucks behalf, and the most agrigious(might have spelled that wrong) was they take out a 1k deposit and some drivers never get it back because they claim there was damage to the truck or equipment and take the whole amount. Its way worse but this comment is long as is.

[@meuanglao7]

yeah especially lease to own trucking jobs, they're so bad. if you aren't an o/o and the company wants to make you pay to use their cabs, nope out of that reeeeal quick. you will never own the lease to own cabs - they'll fire you for some arbitrary reason soon before you pay it off and take the cab right back. it's basically a ploy to pay you less.

[@consumingkazoos]

the phrase "booyah'd right out of there" is so hilarious for no reason

[@mshamblam]

MEPS was very clear when I joined about inactive reserves. The military is always pushy for you to sign, but the actual civilian processors are excellent at explaining exactly what you're signing up for.

[@samanthadelahunt3698]

My partner works for a place that just restructured and in their new contracts it basically states they won't ever be allowed to work retail again. He got them to rewrite it for him

[@testsubject5990]

$250k loan at 25% interest. That is $62.5k per year of interests, you will be paying about $1million if is a 15 year loan, for a $250k house.

[@jamesphillips2285]

That interest is higher than credit card interest!

[@B.V.Luminous]

The last one about cell service cancelation, what made this so easy is the fact a contract works two ways, and you both have obligations... When the phone company sent out the notification that they changed a portion of their service, that changes every contract that was signed prior, and if you dont mind the change then you arent required to take further action, but if you dont agree, for any reason to the change even if it seems beneficial to you as a customer, the fact that you have a signed contract stipulating service obligations gives you the opportunity end your mutual agreement. Most people don't use this because the change is usually insignificant.

[@SkashTheKitsune]

funny enough, Mobile contracts are quite reasonable in Australia The 12/24/36 month contract is basically just the payment plan for your mobile phone, you can pay the entire handset off and be free of the contract and be switched to month by month with their network (cell service) or have a bill where you are charged your monthly fee plus the contract amount. Basically it's a loan for the handset but a month by month contract for the service, when you leave you pay the "buyout" of your contract plus whatever is left owing in the month (IE: if you choose to cancel service partially into your month, you pay that month of your service and additional fees not in your service charge) I know it seems confusing but it's a lot more better than the USA where they give you a "free" handset and make up a price of your service and have you stick to that price or buy out the remainder of the price of the handset... also Australia doesn't lock their "contract handsets" so when you choose to leave your carrier, you can take YOUR handset with you.

[@matthewl419]

US is a little more like what you have than you think. Most companies don't do "contract for x years with us" anymore. They have you pay X monthly for the service and Y monthly for the phone. If you choose to stop going through them (even if you just skip a single month), you owe for the full remaining price of the phone instead of the monthly amount continuing. Most companies also offer incentives for paying for the phone monthly that reduces the price. For example, $60 for the service. And $16 monthly for the $400 phone until its fully paid off. Incentive for financing the phone is the $12 credit to your bill that reduces your actual payment for it to $4 monthly. Thus, monthly bill is $64 rather than $76. Once the phone is paid off, you now owe only $60 for the service. If you want a different phone service provider, you need the phone fully paid off and then need to "unlock" the device so it can be used with other providers. The process changes based on companies, but it's usually not too hard

[@patb6486]

Related to story two. Was eating in a divey restaurant couple guys came in sat at the bar (I’m at table next to em). They were talking loudly having a little celebration. Turns out they were car dealers (40-50 yr old guys). Anyway they were bragging and hyping each other up because a high school kid came in looking for a car and they got him to buy a better car they knew he couldn’t afford and were talking about how they’d probably be able to sell the car again once he couldn’t make the payments. Just predators and they were so happy about it

[@trashotaku]

8:34 I had to rewind because I thought it was the WIFE and not the newborn

[@Ingrid-sb6my]

Someone tried to sell me a condo with parking that really did not have parking. I paid a lawyer to do some digging before firming the offer and got my agent to write me an offer contract that could be rescinded at my sole discretion. Cost a little more but saved me from a huge problem and rip-off. My mamma didn't raise no fools.

[@ruthiewitter569]

If you’re suspicious about gorgeous digital pictures, save them and reverse search them. If they’re stock photography, get out immediately. Even if they aren’t, does not mean you’re in the clear, but it can be an early red flag you can catch.

[@JaxsonHornsby]

Nah “but it’s an engagement ring so I guess not.” Man roasted himself.

[@indigowulf]

So, I'm dating myself here but- back when Ultima Online was doing it's beta for 3rd Dawn expansion, I was sure all the spots would be filled by the time I got off work. Turned out, only a handful had got in by then, and they were not telling how. I read through the terms and conditions update because I guess my mind runs on the same kind of evil. Sure enough, found the link to the beta in them and got to play.

[@dinoblacklane1640]

Man that is so genius. But so sad that would never work now as people would leak that so fast now

[@erichanastacio9695]

A guy was recruiting a group (including me) to be his real estate agents. Him being our vice-president... In his speech, he basically said that he's a micromanager, a control freak, and an a-hole. He said he wanted to know what where etc on each one of us the activities basically every hour, needs to prove by on the spot pictures or video calls; needs to know if we know our real estate inventories by calling us up in the middle of the night waking us up in our sleep while he's pretending to be a client. He said he would still pretend to be a client during days off and the holidays. Since it was FREE FOOD in a fastfood joint, I didn't said anything about it until the meeting was over and the recruiter had gone away. I said to the other guys that i won't be joining his group. The benefits isn't worth of the would-be harassment coming from him. Thankfully, no one joined him. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@erichanastacio9695]

FREE FOOD was just burger fries and soda.

[@chernobyl169]

Story 8 - I gotta say, the fee reduction fee is a new one to me

[@bostonrailfan2427]

last story: they were more afraid of the federal military laws preventing their kind of draconian fees due to change of station, they could have fought but then were going to lose more money from fines from the federal government basically, it wasn’t worth the hassle

[@jennifershepherd2145]

The last page saying they could use my image and voice in any way they want, without asking first, in perpetuity.

[@testsubject5990]

How do they get away with verbally telling you something that is a complete lie compared to what their contract say when asked?

[@wolfcub824]

Proving that they verbally agreed to something else is quite hard, unless you have them recorded and many places recording people without their consent is illegal and can't be used in court.

[@ffbasspop]

This happened about 25 minutes after finishing shooting an episode of a game show on which I won a FnCKTON of money. A group of P.A.'s and lawyers ushered Me, my partner, and the runners up (who had also won some money) into an office to sign some paperwork. It was all pretty perfunctory stuff: "check here to verify your full name.", "check here to verify your address."..... then in VERY SMALL PRINT: "check here to waive your winnings and remand the full amount back to the production company. " Literally the smallest print imaginable! I asked, "excuse me; am I understanding correctly that if I check here, YA'LL keep the money I just won?" The head lawyer looked at me, sighed as if he had really been hoping no one would ask that question, and said "Yeah, that's what it means....." Two of the other contestants looked up, tore up their paperwork, and asked for new blank copies. I looked at them and said "you're welcome!"

[@1nm1]

Did you end up getting your winnings?

[@ffbasspop]

@1nm1 fortunately I never checked that box!

[@forgedude]

I made a major NBFC in India who wanted to lease my office to exclude their employees from using the private elevator I had installed for my aging parents ... they refused as this was their standard contract, I said then I have to charge you extra for the elevator usage... so they can either change the line about elevator use or change the rent they were about to pay. ... one week later they did change the line lol

[@ruthiewitter569]

Name and shame, people. Save others the headache. If people are scamming, they deserve to be found out.

[@johnc.a.t.7]

13:20 Speaking from personal experience, considering how terribly people treat homes that are not their own when renting, that woman is fair for waiving the notice of inspection. Some tenants do not clean, cut grass, or ensure the house is undamaged and safe UNLESS the tenants are aware that the homeowner is stopping by to inspect the house or check on the property. It may be rude or a violation of tenant privacy but thats better than paying hundreds, or thousands of dollars in extreme cases, because some individuals are irresponsible, ungrateful, and inconsiderate towards homes they dont personally own.

[@meuanglao7]

If that worries landlords so much, they should conduct inspections every two weeks. That's about how often grass needs to be cut. They should not be able to come into the property unannounced. That is a violation of privacy, and you claiming that that's no big deal makes you a major asshole.

[@razorwingz1723]

When I got my apartment my landlord was pissed I was taking so long reading every piece of paperwork she gave me lol

[@jamesphillips2285]

They shouldn't make the contracts so long then!

[@rubberducky8065]

1:58 can someone explain those percentages? Same with the car but what does that mean? Especially with the 250,000. do you have to pay an additional 25% to the price already listed or how does that work?

[@gratedshtick]

In reference to loans, that's the interest rate, which is money you have to pay to a lender alongside the principle amount. So yes, in the 25% of $250,000, you'd have to pay back $312,500 ($250,000+$62,500(25% of $250,00)) Hope this helps!

[@TheGuindo]

interest is usually expressed as APR (annual percentage rate), so the percent is the amount of interest they would pay PER YEAR on the loan. the principal balance is the amount remaining to pay back the original loan, so for instance if they have a 5 year loan at 25% APR and are paying $50,000 toward the principal every year, then the simplified calculations for interest look something like this: Year 1: $250,000 principal: $62,500 interest charged Year 2: $200,000 principal: $50,000 interest Year 3: $150,000 principal: $37,500 interest Year 4: $100,000 principal: $25,000 interest Year 5: $50,000 principal: $12,500 interest so they'd end up paying $187,500 in interest over the course of the loan, in addition to the $250,000 loan balance. but most mortgages aren't 5 years, they're 20~30 years, so you can imagine just how much interest that translates to at 25% per year. as a point of comparison, interest rates for mortgages in the US average around 6~7% APR currently. Even 10% would be considered high enough that you'd want to check your other options first.

[@jblyon2]

When a telecommunications carrier in the US changes your terms mid-contract and either reduces your current services and/or increases your current cost they are legally required to allow you to cancel the remainder of your contract term with no penalty. If you ever encounter an issue cancelling due to this the legal term to throw at them is "materially adverse."

[@randomguyontheinternet5030]

Yup. Always read the contract. Car dealerships are fuckin' sketch. Dont listen to a word they say, listen to the words they write, because at the end of the day, the only ones that matter are the ones in writing.

[@torqshep4118]

"Not to far from Vancouver" is typically slang for Seattle when talking to Canadians.

[@BennyBringerOfChaos]

I was headhunted by a cleaning recruiter once. Out of work for a bit I was willing to work under the contract she told me about. I read the terms and conditions of it and was scoffing barely into it. Essentially everything she said was a load of crap. Hours were wrong, dates/times were wrong. If I cleaned a client's house and they wanted to hire me directly, I would have to give a cut to the company and not be allowed to accept without their approval. She denied this being in the case and I wasted no more time on her.

[@yummypeach455]

9:27 story 12 I think the landlord actually mean it tho, like he’s not malicious, just too lazy to print out new contract and was like “oh you wanna write a new one? Go on, save me some hassle then”

[@Lina-py5wm]

Not my moment but related to me and technically my story - place I'm working at has a weird agreement. Technically I'm officially working with one group, and the place I'm working for 'bought' my contract for an agreed upon term. My boss was looking at the contract and realized that any and all work I do including drafts and final work - I work for a government agency which occasionally handles sensitive information like addresses - would belong not to them, but to the other company. Also means they would have access to internal data if I'd worked on it, any graphic design projects I made, etc. She sent back a hard email essentially threatening them to terminate their agreement (wouldn't be good for me, but probably for the best). They changed the agreement so fast. Thank god she's a meticulous person!

[@CazM]

The guy who got involuntarily recalled after 9/11 reminds me of one of my co-workers husband. He had been acti e military, did his stint then went into the reserves and after 9/11 he was involuntarily recalled and sent to Afghanistan three times and he was 50 plus years old on his third deployment their marriage could not survive it.

[@googanmcboogie9307]

Inactive Ready Reserve is standard for all branches. The time after your active duty contract is called "involuntary extension".

[@Apolemia]

I was going to buy an online article for 29,99€. That was until my bank asked for a confirmation telling me I d pay 29,99€ EVERY week until fucking 12 december 2099. Lol

[@adrianjimenez4994]

7:20 engagement rings are in it selves a scam, diamond only cost so much because they are artificially priced on the premise they are special for engagement, it turns out diamond is quite a common resource not that expensive really.

[@itspribanerjee]

Wow the last second one was wow and the last one, even I have had bad experiences with telecom~

[@Lightninghawk1144]

I read a job contract and it didn’t match the hours and conditions as what the interviewee said. Instead of 40 hours the contract said up to 7 days a week and obligated overtime. I signed it anyways because I was near broke. Sure enough to many people’s (but not mine) had two weeks without days off.) I got a lot of $ so it worked out for me

[@michealrossiter148]

once saw a contract that seemed a bit 'off'. normally the company put the amount in numbers AND words, but hadn't on this document. on their copy they tried to amend .29% interest and remove the . to give it 29percent. Fortunately was able to refuse to sign until the amounts were in words as well, and they 'apologized' for the amount typo!

[@i_g_man]

7:12 Vancouver BC, or Vancouver WA, or any other Vancouver I've never heard of

[@red2theelectricboogaloo961]

i guess i've learned a lot here but also i'm not surprised. nobody cares about the sanctity of anything anymore. and yeah, i guess it's also important to read major things carefully before going through with them.

[@charpeach773]

I live near Vancouver and can confirm.

[@ckinggaming5bucketmadness766]

Nah I’m totally first, ppl below me are just time travelers

[@Randombookwoorm]

Funniest "first" comment ever

[@fullsunn_kissed]

omg i'm gonna use that logic from now on

[@Eurowarswhatif]

😡

[@Eurowarswhatif]

How did you know

[@Randombookwoorm]

@@Eurowarswhatif its bviously a joke Ipad kids has no chill fr

[@mizu_the_floatzel]

As someone who worked in the rental car business I saw stuff that made you sick

[@1x4]

1:10 they're trying to do that to people who are already dmub enough to go 100k in debt for a degree that will be useless.

[@ancientofdays8644]

Most of those contracts are illegal as fuck under Eu guidlines.

[@villageofgamers]

Please, use something else in the background for your future videos. The CoD action in the background is very distracting especially with how fast-paced the map of choice is, and subtracts from the video.

[@zakziegler2602]

Why is this video coming up in my KZbin Shorts LMAOOO

[@dragonstooth4223]

We nearly got screwed by a mortgage broker who pressured us into a contract. Luckily my country has a legal cool down on contracts (actually most countries do) where you can back out of ANY contract within a given time period and can't pressure someone into signing. Most ppl don't know about this little trick of legislation. When you sign a contract, your supposed to have the opportunity to get a lawyer to look at it ... hense cool down periods.

[@HappilyHomicidalHooligan]

13:30 The clauses granting the Landlord the right to inspect with no notice and if dirt is found will result in summary Eviction are Illegal and Unenforceable as they both Violate State Law... I wouldn't have mattered if OP had signed that contract, if the LL had tried enforcing those 2 Clauses, when it hit Court, she'd have been Screwed with a 2 foot diameter, ghost pepper puree coated, spinning Brain Cactus... 😄😁😆😅😂🤣

[@YuriyDel]

Buying our house *our* realtor's agency tried to get us to blind sign a binding agreement of exclusivity (while we were already under contract) which aside from locking us out of shopping with others would also cost us ~10k (even though they were already getting paid in the deal and I did all the work 🤷‍♂-nearly cursed out the broker), and the mortgage company "screwed up" our rate paperwork twice-I should've fired the former, threatened to fire them both. Frankly, if we weren't pressed to make a move soon I should've/would've. You better believe we (spouse and I) both read every line of every disclosure every step of the way, sometimes striking entire sections, because you can kiss my ass when it comes to contracts.

[@NotBedwarsDad]

One time i decided my suv costs to much in gas so i got a car from the dealership it starts going from 40 to 20 mph and from 20 to 40 mph call the dealership and they dont call back reread the contract and they had checked that it had been recalled before but it hadnt been so the contract was void they didnt talk to us about it so we got a lawyer and just before the deadline they refunded the car turns out if we kept driving it the engine wouldve set on fire

[@greenerell484]

3:40 the on screen text is wrong

[@lightsidesoul]

Story 14: How is that still legal? The whole "If you sign the contract and don't cancel in time, we own your soul" type things where there's no way to get out, or the actual way to get out is so unreasonably restrictive? It's just like with Gym memberships, why are people allowed to make it so frustratingly difficult to get out of these things? I why they *do* it, but why are they *allowed* to?