OCR Text |
Show MEN-WOMEN-COUPLES~— be MOTEL CAREERS AVAILABLE Before You Sign (Continued from page 13) Would you like a new exciting career in the growing motelindustry? We can train you for a stimulating, well-paying position as Motel Managers, Assistant Managers, Clerks, Housekeepers and Hostesses. Meet famous and interesting peop! , travel if you wantto; join in social activities; live in pleasant surroundings. Apartment usually furnished. Age no barrier — maturity an asset. This clause is found in all kinds of contracts—renta! leases, installment contracts, notes—andin effect reads: “I . irrevocably appoint any attorney of any Keep present job while training at home in spare time followed by court of record . . . to confess judgment practical training at one ot our training motels. Nationwide piacement assistance. For FREE iigimaton fill out and mail coupon amount due.” It makes possible unbeliev- today! Accredited Member NHS. TOT ESOTTS i “UNIVERSALMOTELSCHOOLS,Dept. : ! 1901 N.W. 7 St, Miem!, Florida 32125 1 POEASS PRINT. ! eS ee| Niaeres 1 pn ie 4 in favor of the seller against me fur the able exploitation, especially among the poor. In Cook County (Chicago), Ill., alone every year, more than $2 million worth of debts are collected through “confession of j ” Consumer advocates generally iee this fine print is so abominable that it should be universally outlawed. In the meantime, avoid it if possible. Some per- sons have been successful in striking it New KLEENITE gets dentures cleaner, brighter, faster. a California man inadvertently failed to oe Improved-Formula KLEENITE Denture Cleanser...with cleansing action unsu by ‘conventional denture cleaningtablets, unoxygenated pastes or powders, More detergent action, stronger penetrating power, more bubbly effervescence than ever. Surges to every denture surface, pene- the policy was taken out. Therefore, under the fine-print “pre-existing health condi- gives (Vigor aware of the significance of the clause, ide ear Fred Straub. More {Stamina Endurance Phoebe DunnforDPI. Less HeartStress! ‘Don't Don t be You WILL when Soothed away by Chooz chewing gum antacid. Gas, heartburn, stomachupsetdueto acid indigestion all vanish. And fast. Addedattraction: Chooz gum is just plain delicious. Pass the Chooz, please. Chooz. The only chewing gum antacid. a ‘Amazing new Quik-Fix fixesbroken plates, fills in the cracks and replaces teeth like new. Fast! Eas special tools needed. a your moneyback. Works every time or QUIK = per pound on international flights. If she wanted additional coverage, she should have taken out insurance. Such disclaimers of liability oeceur on any number of documents—from hotelroom and restaurant signs to baggage checks and rental leases. The fine print characteristically reads, “We are not re- sponsible for any loss . . .” or, “Ourliability is limited to... .” Many disclaimer clauses must be taken seriously. For example, household moving companies rigidly hold to a maximum liability of only 60 cents a pound for each item. If you want additional coverage for your possessions, you must pay for it. On the other hand, as Professor Monroe H. Freedman, of George Washington University’s Law School, says: “Many disclaimers are legally meaningless and put there believe they are covered, only to find out when they become ill that the company mostly to discourage law suits. There must contests the claim. The clause, found in individual (usually cars damaged in parking lots who have not group) health and accident policies, ically excepts from coverage anybodily disease which originated prior to a date specified in the policy. Thus, if you have pensation because the attendantsaid, ‘Read the back of your claim stub; it says right there we're not responsible.’”” Courts are taking an increasingly dim a disease—sometimes unknown to you or view of enforcing the fine-print liability even one that you have not noted on the disclaimers. One U.S. District Court ruled that the “lilliputian typography” on the application—at the time the policy is taken be thousandsof people who have had their been discouraged from pressing for com- out, the company mayinvoke the clause back of an airline ticket was not adequate or refuse to pay. However, in moststates, notification of liability to the holder. A the company cannot refuse to honor the claim after the policy has been in effect two (sometimes three) years unless you have knowingly concealed information. To protect yourself when applying for believe it? you read FREE Bulletin =15 18 years research World Expert Physical Fitness REFUSE SUBSTITUTES — Only ioBin Oi a effective. fered a heart attack, the insurance companydenied him paymentfor $5,000 worth of medical bills. The company claimed that The tragedy is that many persons, un- PHOTO CREDITS Cover: Malcolm Emmons. Page 2: Mario Romo for World Features, Inc. note on his application that he had a record of high blood pressure. Later, after he suf- tion” clause, it was not obliged to pay. film,flushes away foreign matter. Gets dentures cleaner, brighter, faster without brushing. Leaves der._ures fresh and odor-free. ye © Pre-existing health-condition clause. In applying for health insurance, there was evidence of heart disease before trates w..ere no brush can reach. Loosens 7 out before signing contracts. for the loss. Her ticket, the management pointed out, contained fine print limiting the airline's liability to only $7.50 accident or health insurance, don’t try to California court upheld an injured hospital patient’s right to sue the hospital for malpractice, even though on admittance to the hospital he had signed a contract absolv- ing the hospital of liability for negligence. hide visits to doctors or previousillnesses. Unquestionably, under a barrage ofcriticism and legal reform, some companies Answer every question. Otherwise, a com- are simplifying the fine print, enlarging panycanallege fraud and refuse to honor it, and putting it in a more conspicuous your claim. If you do have a known medical condition, a rider probably will be attached to your policy excluding coverage place where you arelikely to find it. The for that condition or allowingit, at a higher premium. Be wary of 2 company that does not make such provisions, for even though you have noted your complete medi- cal history on your application, it may still come back later and refuse to honor the claim on the basis the condition was preexisting. ® Liability waivers. On a flight from Buenos Aires to New York, a woman’s bags, which had been checked, were lost. One contained a mink stole, plus other items, worth $900, The owner thought that the airline would assume full responsibility. It didn’t. It paid her only $165 “ Family Weekly, April 12, 1970 courts are increasingly striking downrigid fine-print interpretations and siding with the consumer in fine-print disputes. Legislators are trying to abolish or modify a number of unfair fine-print clauses which are unconscionably weighted against the buyer. And such legal reform is indeed needed. Despite this increased protection, you must still exercise extreme caution: read and understand the fine print in any contract, and make sure you understand it. Don’t let a finger-drumming salesmantell you the fine print isn’t important. It is, or it wouldn’t be there. If you need help, consult your lawyer or your local consumer-protection bureau. « |