Excuse me, can you look the other way so I can take $2 out of your pocket?
In yet another example of doing whatever it takes to grow revenue and take advantage of consumers our friends at Verizon will be dipping into your pocket, starting January 15, 2012, charging you a convenience fee of $2 for making a credit or debit card payment on-line or via call-in channels. Now let me get this straight. We will now be charged $2 for making an on-line payment? So should we now cancel the paperless billing (Which of course was marketed as and is a true cost savings, green and all of that), so we can get our bill through the mail again and only pay $0.44 postage? Is this a plot to save the postal service? They can certainly use the help.
The web was supposed to alleviate many of these costs. Buy instead it has just created another huge revenue stream for many companies. Think about the convenience fees for purchasing tickets on line with companies like TicketMaster? Head shaking! Or of course the recent announcement by major banks to charge you $5 per debit card transaction? This one has been stopped for now but do we think we have heard the last of this. I think not.
$2 bucks here, $2 bucks there. Well those $2 buck fees add up and we continue to be pinched by businesses whenever possible.
Let me know of other areas where this is happening in your life so we can share with our readers by commenting below.
Happy New Year to all!
Webman
Webman's View 
22.2% + $2 in 2012…
LikeLike
Webman… another great post… Happy New Year to you and you family.
Here’s my favorite fee from 2011.
In August, Luan and I went to the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City to see Jeff Dunham. (For anyone who doesn’t know who Jeff Dunham is, go to youtube and watch Achmed, The Dead Terrorist. 145 million views… the definition of a video going viral.)
I call for tickets… $60 times 2, + $3 per ticket phone order service charge, = $126. OK so far.
“Would you like the tickets sent to an e-mail address ?” “Sure, OK”. “Your total is $128.50”.
“WHOA… you just said $126 !” “Yes sir, but there is a $1.25 per ticket charge to send the tickets to your e-mail address.” “You mean if I use MY printer, and MY ink, I get charged an extra $1.25 per tcket ?” “Yes, our programmers have to create a PDF file to send it to you.” “BUT if I pick up the tickets at the box office, the total is $126. ?” “Yes.” “We will pick them up at the box office.”
Unbelievable. We paid $409. for a regular room at the Taj on a Saturday night…. but they didn’t get that extra $2.50. Hey, we don’t GIVE money away !
LikeLike
Well done Coacha. Happy New Year!
LikeLike
P.S. We didn’t gamble… we were laughing too hard.
LikeLike