Consumer Expectations Essay -- Businesses Papers

Consumer Expectations The summer following my junior year in high school I learned the harsh realities of business in the world of used cars. When I purchased my 1995 Honda Civic I was told the air conditioner needed a recharge after I asked about the malfunctioning unit; however, a mechanic soon informed me of the real problem-the absence of a full A/C unit. The dealership in fact replaced the A/C unit, but not until I signed a contract stating I could not file suit or request any other repairs for the car-that, of course, was to their benefit. Three months later, I found out that the engine had been improperly mounted and that the transmission needed $3,000 in work-all things they failed to tell me at the time of purchasing the car. After only four months of use, the car sat unusable for nine months. At first, I thought I had gotten a deal when they fixed my A/C; however, that deal-in the end-cost me about $5,000 in additional work. It bothered me that a company could manipulate people, especially me, into signing a contract-knowing of several other problems with the car. From this experience, my idea of business morphed into one of deception-a result of the untruthfulness of business practices I encountered. Behind deception rest secrecy and openness-two important but yet difficult to define ideas-where large conflicts arise. Sissela Bok's essay, "Secrecy and Moral Choices," seeks to explain these complexities of secrecy-how secrecy is both helpful and harmful to human existence. Bok scrutinizes not simply the idea of secrecy, but considers as well our ability to control secrecy. In discussing secrecy's inherent benefits to society, Bok presents its ability to grant "elements of human autonomy: identity, plan... ...s. Ed. Denice Martone and Pat C. Hoy II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 14-16. "Secrecy and Moral Choice." The Advanced College Essay: Business and Its Publics. Ed. Denice Martone and Pat C. Hoy II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 3-10. "The Perspective of the Liar." The Advanced College Essay: Business and Its Publics. Ed. Denice Martone and Pat C. Hoy II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 11-14. Carr, Albert Z.. "Is Business Bluffing Ethical?" The Advanced College Essay: Business and Its Publics. Ed. Denice Martone and Pat C. Hoy II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 17-21. Kim, Christopher Jr.. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2002. Oppel, Richard A. Jr.. "Despite Warning, Enron Chief Urged Buying of Shares." The New York Times. 19 Jan. 2002. 26 Jan. 2002. Polonetsky, Jules. "Privacy in the Internet Age." Schimmel Auditorium, New York U. 4 Feb. 2002.