Fill the form yourself

THe reluctance to fill forms is universal. Everyone hates it and would not miss an opportunity to pass on that work to someone else, so that all you need to do is to sign on the dotted line. Even when we are forced to fill it, we don’t bother to read the contents. We skip the fine print, ignore all the conditions listed therein and, in short, treat the whole process as an unpleasant task.

Unpleasant it may be, but that kind of an attitude could well land you in trouble. So whether you are filling a form to buy insurance, or to admit a patient to a hospital, to get a car loan or purchase a flat, to open a bank account, or join a gymnasium, do exercise utmost patience, fill the form yourself correctly, and if you have some clarifications, get those, too. But do a good job of it and protect your interest.

Let’s take credit card forms, for example. Credit card salesmen sometimes turn up at the most inconvenient of times. It could be at a petrol station, where you are impatiently waiting for your turn to fill up petrol in your car, or at a supermarket, where you are hurriedly trying to complete the mandatory monthly chore of buying provisions. They tempt you with a long list of advantages that the card gives you and, at the slightest sign of your capitulation, hand over an application form and tell you that all you need to do is to sign your acceptance of the card offer. That’s a temptation that most consumers find hard to resist.

In all such cases, it is only when the first bill comes that you will realise the folly of signing on a blank form. Because in all probability, you would have been issued card protection insurance you never asked for and billed for it. Similarly, there could be other charges — annual charges for the card, while you were assured that the card was coming free. You could even be billed for a health insurance policy and subscription for some magazine that you never wanted in the first place.

Since the form was not filled in your presence and you would not have read it before signing it and do not even have a copy of the filled and signed form, this is sure to take you by surprise. And then begins a long battle with the credit card company.

What most people do not realise is that an application form is the most important document that forms the basis of the contract between the consumer and the service provider. So it has to be treated with due respect. Besides filling the form yourself (after reading all the terms and conditions) and keeping a copy, it would be advisable to get in writing all the verbal promises made and also all related documents. Remember, credit card companies and also retail outlets keep changing their offers, but as far as you are concerned, whatever is promised to you at the time of sale holds good.

Similarly, if you are buying an insurance policy, I would suggest that you make sure that you fill it yourself, and that it is filled correctly, and the information given is accurate. Sometimes the insurance agents may gloss over certain answers that you may give or even ask you not to give certain information. Do not go by such wrong advice. Remember, incorrect or wrong information could well jeopardise your claim. So stick to the truth and keep a copy of the form that you have filled and signed.

In fact, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority’s regulation on the protection of policy holders’ interest discourages agents from filling the form. It, therefore, suggests: "Where, for any reason, the proposal and other connected papers are not filled by the prospect, a certificate may be incorporated at the end of proposal form from the prospect that the contents of the form and documents have been fully explained to him and that he has fully understood the significance of the proposed contract."

Likewise, when you are applying for a flat, read the terms and conditions carefully. If you do not understand any of them, ask for clarification. The same rule applies to forms given by hospitals at the time of admission. Incorrect or wrong information could not only affect the line of treatment given to the patient, but also the health insurance claim.

So don’t be lazy when it comes to filling forms.

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