Informed Consumer - small year end rant

I believe in being an informed and educated consumer. When I buy products I try to know what I will be receiving, what the limitations of that item are and how it will bless my life. I realize that not everyone does the same thing - not everyone makes an educated decision about purchases and thus the reason that most places have a return policies. However some items in your life I would hope common sense would prevail and consumers would educate themselves on how to use whatever they are purchasing.
It is one of my biggest pet peeves when someone makes a life altering decision and does no research into and then turns around to complain about the limitations or guidelines of said purchase. A great example: health insurance. Regardless of if it employer sponsored or an individual plan we're talking about your health here. I've been in the health insurance industry for upwards of 8 years, I've seen every side of the industry. People sit back and complain about how damaged Health Insurance is and while I don't disagree, I think it would be a lot less damaged if consumers would educate themselves on what is and is not covered.
Every single plan that is offered by ANY health insurance company has (by law) a benefit summary which will in detail explain what is and is NOT covered. If people would read this and try with some effort to follow the rules people would NOT have an issue. Alas people do not read this and do not follow the rules and then want to sit back and say its the insurance companies fault that they had a procedure that wasn't covered or bought a drug that wasn't covered.
I know people who put more thought into the television programs they wish to watch than they do the health care policy they pay for monthly. I have family members, friends, COWORKERS who know less about their health care policy than they do about how to built a house. I've had these same people sit and complain to me about their policy and when I offer to look at it, they're amazed that by just reading the book, I can tell them what is covered. They seem to think that the book is in a language not their own.
To conclude my small rant - read before you buy and know more about the important stuff (like insurance) than the unimportant stuff.