Louisa Cornell, ladydawgfan, KateS and Kelly Ryan are the winners of Fun Contest Saturday!
Lori Austin's (aka Lori Handeland) An Outlaw in Wonderland has been named one of Publisher Weekly's Best Summer Books of 2013!!
A big CONGRATULATIONS to Goddesses Lori Austin (Lori Handeland) and Sabrina Jeffries for being named as RITA finalists for their historical romances BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER and A LADY NEVER SURRENDERS!
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Last week, my bank sent out a notice stating that beginning October 1st, they will charge $4 per month just to HAVE an ATM card.
That’s right. Just to HAVE one.
I checked around and discovered that several other banks are getting ready to do the same.
That grinds my gears. I wouldn’t mind it if my $4 went for more tellers (they’ve cut back to only two) or more services (did I mention they’ve started charging for my once-free checking account AND my once-free deposit box?). Instead, I’m paying more for less. And if they charge me for just having an ATM card, what’s next?
So this morning, I marched to the bank, removed everything from my safe deposit box, withdrew my money, closed my accounts, and drove to my local credit union where they won’t charge me $4 per month for an ATM card. In a word, I put my old bank on my Black List.
I vote with my wallet at my local bookstore, too. I buy at least ten romance books a month and sometimes more. Online shopping is sweet, but what will the world be like when there are no more bookstores? I don’t want to know, so I vote, vote, vote with my wallet.
I encourage you to do the same — if you believe in something (a bookstore, a community coffee shop, a local diner), then support it with your wallet. Those are the votes heard loud and clear.
Do you vote with your wallet? What bookstore enjoys your patronage? Are there any businesses on your Black List? Has your bank added an ATM card fee? What grinds your gears?
I love my bank here in Australia, for those who are receiving government benefits there are a number of banks that are fee free. So far with my current bank there hasn’t been any problems to drive me insane with. I have one bookshop that I shop to the exclusion of pretty much any other store. What annoys the heck out of me is the tax on feminine hygiene products. Some idiot (probably a man) thought when they were bringing in the Goods and Services Tax that women wouldn’t mind paying extra for tampons and pads yet condoms are tax free. Then there is the rising cost of food and the incredible shrinking food packets. It’s pathetic I tell you.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:42 am.
Oh, Kelly, the shrinking food packets! That’s one of my pet peeves, too, and there are several things I won’t buy now because it’s more packet than food. I haaaaate that!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:28 am.
Funny – I just noticed that packaged Buddig beef used to be square – they actually make it round now. Literally CUT CORNERS
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:19 am.
I could not agree more, Karen! I do the same. Votes with dollars are important, especially these days!
And when I’m in a situation like yours with your bank, I always kindly but firmly let the place know WHY they are losing my business. In a couple of instances, I’ve discovered that the issue that upset me has been resolved and I actually went back,
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:43 am.
Deb, I was very polite when I closed my account and I told the lady why, but she just nodded. I understand from a friend of mine who works at another bank that they expect to lose a few people but are ALSO launching a campaign to lure new customers in and are giving out a $125 signing bonus.
Banks. Pah!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:30 am.
Of course the sane thing for the bank to do was waive your fees to keep your account instead of offering a stranger $125 to open a new account.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:12 am.
I would do the same for my local bookstore, if they weren’t so snooty that they don’t carry romance novels. “Oh, we don’t have one of those sections.” I switched to e-books anyways. I definitely boycott places that treat me poorly or put money towards political causes that I disagree with. There are a few big corporations that haven’t gotten any business from me as a result. A lot of times if you disagree with a bank’s fees, you can march in there, speak with a person, and they will make it disappear.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:04 am.
Cail, I hate it when bookstores get ‘too good’ to sell a book. It makes you wonder how they make it, doesn’t it? I mean, what kind of a business model is it that they’re turning away customers?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:32 am.
I would get all the info I could on how much revune romance novels make and walk back in there and tell them …I personally spend $xxx a month on romance novels and the industry themselves generate over XXXX.XX million/ billions (or whatever it may be) Im glad to see that you can afford to lose your fair share of it, now if you will excuse me I’m going to “so n so” book shop and give them my hard earned money to those nice people there, by the way there’s a funky smell in here…then turn and leave….
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:53 pm.
There was a major New York City department store that unlike every other retail business on the east coast, didn’t close on Sept. 11, 2001 until 3 pm. While the city was paralyzed and stunned with fear, they were still chasing the almighty dollar instead of allowing their employees to get home to their families. It was 5 years before I shopped them again and even then only our of convenience. I have eased my stance lately but I’m not proud of myself.
I’d love to tell my banks to hit to the bricks but my preferred local bank can’t work with my day to day needs – therefore they get the quality side of my business but not the quantity side.
Love your support of the local bookstore – very commendable!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:07 am.
Fresh, that is horrible. I’d never heard that, but wow, would it make me angry. Lately, it seems to me that companies think less and less of both their employees AND their customers. How is it that they’re still in business?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:34 am.
I had heard places like Starbuck’s were open that day (as I recall they caught a lot of flack for charging for water, don’t recall how true that turned out to be) and for a place that sells beverages it makes sense. They would have been providing a needed service namely water so with that logic in mind I can understand a Convenience Store staying open but a Department Store I don’t see a reason for it. Just my thinking.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 12:16 pm.
I do. If you want to be rude to me when I shop, I don’t want to shop in your store. If you want to fail to stock the romances until every other genre is out on the shelves and you force me to go to your counter and make you get the books out of the back…then I’m going to the store that puts them out on Monday night.
I’m seriously considering not shopping at Barnes and Nobles since they put the romance section in the back of the store like I need to do the “walk of shame” to and from the romance section. However, as you’ve pointed out, bookstores are getting harder and harder to find.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:33 am.
Pesky, the reason bookstores put the romances in the back is the same reason that bread and milk and meat are in the back of the grocery store—they’re forcing you to walk to what you want in that store—what 99% of people want in that store—so that you have to walk past all kinds of things you don’t want so they can lure you into wanting it. You go to buy milk and walk out with milk, salami, oregano, and paper towels. It’s not the “walk of shame”, it’s the walk of profit. For them.
If anyone needed any proof that romance SELLS, the back-of-the-store placement is it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:10 am.
Which I belive, it’s also because they know we will go to the back of the store because we are dedicated buyers. Same reason why men’s clothes are at the front of the store, because they will walk out before they have to look for stuff.
It still does not make it right. We are being punished for our purchasing habits.
And the fact B&N puts out all other shipments of genres (at least my local B&N) prior to putting out the Romance releases still annoys me.
(Fierce Pesky face)
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:18 am.
I so agree with you Claudia!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:37 am.
I think they realized at our B&N in Cary that moms buy the most romances, lol! They put the kid section clear across the store from the romance section, so you have to walk through it all, including RIGHT past the cafe (so the kids beg for a cookie or muffin) and all the newest books. Smart…
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:08 pm.
My local Barnes and Noble has reduced their romance section to such a tiny portion of the store that they never have the new books, anyway. They’re silly if they don’t jump on the opportunity afforded them by romance-friendly Borders closing.
I keep asking at the desk if they’ll add more romances, though. Surely if enough people ask, they’ll listen.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:36 am.
I’ve found that all the genre sections have shrunk in B&N, and I don’t understand that at all. That’s what dedicated, addicted readers buy! Genre fiction of all stripes.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:19 am.
What I hate about Barnes and Noble is that their new releases are in a completely different section that is no where near the location they should be. At least they are at our store. Why can’t they put the new releases on the end caps in the genre sections?
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 1:41 am.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one having these problems with B&N, 1. Have to ask for book and it turns out its in the back (actually got told once that book I wanted was in the back being saved for a special display table next week). 2. My local one doesn’t carry some of my fave authors but the one next city over and the one two cities over by my daughter’s house does. 3. For over a month there was an empty case in the Romance section which has recently received books. 4. To find the book I want I have to look in 4-5 places then may be forced to see problem #1. I can understand space may be an issue so you can only carry so many but when you have an empty case for what seems like a month or more then I’m not so sure that’s it. Reading the other posts makes me wonder if B&N is going to be the next to close its doors.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 12:47 pm.
I vote with my wallet also. Funny thing I was just on the phone with my bank yesterday. My normally free checking was changing and I had to decide by 9/12/11. Luckily I got into another free plan. Sorta, you can’t write more then three checks a month or they start to charge .50 a check. Which is ok since I do most of my stuff online anymore. but still.
If I get treated badly at a place of business I have a hard time of ever going back.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:40 am.
JudyF, it’s sad that you have to limit your checks. So much of that is done electronically now that there is NO extra cost to the bank. What they want are those extra fees. So they’re selling something that doesn’t cost them anything.
I hate that. I feel cheated. But I’m glad you found a plan that works for you. That’s something, at least!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:38 am.
Right now I like my bank. Since DH & I are over 50, we get free checking and so far it’s been just that free. Several years ago we bought a table & chairs from a national furniture chain on the understanding we would be able to get replacement or additional chairs if needed. One chair leg split & when we went to get a replacement, we were told they didn’t make or sell those chairs any more. Needless to say we won’t shop there again. DH was able to repair the leg.). I love going to the local Barnes & Noble. Even though I have to walk through the store to get to the romances. The booksellers are very nice & more than willing to help me find whatever I want. I do have issues with a local half price books store. I took some books in to sell over a year ago and the 20 somethings behind the counter were terribly rude and condescending. I don’t think they realized I could hear their comments. apparently they figured anyone over 30 was deaf. I only recently started going back in that store just to buy I will never sell them any of my precious books!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:52 am.
Sue, your B & N sounds much friendlier than mine! It’s awesome that they keep the stock up, too.
I was recently at a restaurant and two waitresses were complaining about the people at their tables and were so loud that everyone could hear them. They weren’t talking about my table, but I felt so uncomfortable that I’ve never been back. Rudeness is inexcusable.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:40 am.
I was at the register at the grocery store one day. The cashier, who has waited on me many times, but certainly isn’t somebody I would consider a “friend” or that I would feel comfortable “gossiping” with, started complaining to be about a customer that came through her line just a few minutes before. Apparently, the cashier had overcharged her on some produce by about 5 cents. The customer pointed it out and the cashier, for whatever reason, said she couldn’t change it and told the lady she could go to the customer service desk to have it corrected. So the cashier told me ALL of this and followed up with, “Can you believe she was worried about 5 cents?!” I just kind of shrugged. And THEN… she actually pointed the lady out to me as she walked by on her way out of the store from the customer service desk. I didn’t know WHAT to say. I felt so uncomfortable. It’s not her place to complain about a customer to ANYBODY and I certainly didn’t want to hear it or have the lady pointed out to me. I avoid that particular cashiers line EVERY time I’m in the store.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:23 pm.
Karen, we did exactly the same thing 8 years ago when our bank, and our mortgage holder, was bought out by 3 separate banks over a 6 month period. We would just get our new checks & cards in the mail when we’d get another announcement of a new buyout. We went to the credit union — also ranked one of the top ten places to work in the country — and never went back.
We live in a small, midwestern town whose economy is always being threatened by big box stores so I *always* vote with my wallet, supporting local farmers, storeowners & businesses. When Borders closed, I couldn’t understand why everyone was so upset — our local bookstores have plenty of ambiance, free coffee on Fridays, and will order anything I want.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:21 am.
Malea, good for you! It’s so important to support your local businesses. Our neighborhood has been blessed with a number of cool little shops and restaurants and I try to go to each of them as often as I can. Honestly, they’re all better than the national food chains or big box stores. They’re more willing to back up their good price with good service.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:58 am.
Bank buyouts and trades are so common. I’m actually a bit surprised that any of the changes affected you, though. I’m not questioning you, though. The reason I say I’m surprised is that my husband has been working in the banking industry for over 15 years. He’s been with his most current job (sort of) for 11 years now. I say “sort of”, because I know they’ve had at least four buyouts and/or trades in that time period. We have the same checking account (bank employee benefits include one free checking account) as we had when he was first hired and none of the benefits have changed even though the original bank traded his department out to another out of state bank. Of course, I’m not sure if that’s because his account was originated as an employee benefit or not. I have to point out, though, that as irritating as all of the changes are to consumers, it’s equally irritated to the employees and families. His benefits, such as sick time, vacation, insurance, etc. change every time the company buys, sells, or trades a division. He went from four weeks vacation one year (it was his first year to qualify for four weeks) back down to three weeks the next year because of one such change. What a pain! Sadly, there isn’t much to be done when you’re actually ON the payroll.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:29 pm.
Amanda, our bank was bought out and they left the fees the same … for a while. In six months, everything started changing. And now, this.
Sheesh. I’m sure it’s every bit — and MORE — for employees. I don’t blame the bank employees on the ground. I blame the board of directors who care more about making five million dollars a YEAR. I have friends in the banking business and it doesn’t pay the lower levels what it should. You can definitely see the effects of economic stratification in bank employee salaries.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:21 pm.
i took my money out of my old bank 2 yrs ago. they gave me a hard time cashing my nanny work cheques since they were from personal accts so they put holds on them constantly- which in then in turn bounced my rent cheques.This happened way too often.
I now have a no fee acct through my grocery store that also gives me free cheques.
scotiabank is EVIL!!!!!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:22 am.
ScotiaBank is evil, Kathy. That used to happen to me all the time when I would deposit my work cheques through the ATM machine. When I complained they told me I needed to depoist them with a teller to avoid a hold or pay a fee on my account to get overdraft which would allow me to deposit through the ATM. The probelm was, on a good day they only had 2 tellers working at a time and the line ups were always out the door and I wasn’t going to pay them anymore convenience fees. So, I took my money and switched to RBC. I figured it was the lesser of two evils.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:43 am.
AmyS, I switched to PC banking and LOVE it!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:46 am.
We have looked at PC banking, but never made the switch. I think it’s just laziness on our part. I am surprised my hubby hasn’t switched just for the free bag of PC cookies you get when you sign up. lol. He loves those cookies.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:37 am.
Kathy, I hate it when they ‘hold’ money. It’s just a way for them to make more money off of it. I noticed, too, that a few months ago, my bank stopped recognizing online deposits between accounts after six. Now they’d take the money OUT of one account instantly, but they wouldn’t recognize the transfer until the next day, which meant the money was in limbo for almost 24 hours. That’s my money, peeps! Where’s it going if it’s not sitting in one of my accounts?
So glad you found a better plan. I’m very happy with my new one, too.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:00 am.
It drives me nuts when you buy something and use your debit card it comes out of your checking like that very second. But if you return something its a good several days. Once when my old cat Dusty was sick (and dying) my bank took out the amount twice. I had to call the bank then the vets, then the bank again. It still took them ten days to get it back in my checking.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:23 pm.
I’ve noticed that delay. I made a deposit at my bank about two weeks ago and they ‘forgot’ to put it in. It took them three days to figure out where it went, and meanwhile I was just out even though I still had my receipt. It’s funny how that works, isn’t it?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:23 pm.
Kathy, when I find out my bank will put a hold on a check, I cash it and then immediately deposit the cash into my acct. They don’t like it much but there is nothing they can do about it and cash is registered right away.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:28 am.
eviqn, how smart is that?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:23 pm.
The grocery store I used to frequent started making customers bag their own groceries and this angered me. We do have certain stores around that are bag your own, but they offer discounts on food. This store just switched without offering anything in return. All you get is a cashier who now stands there and watches you bag while she waits to serve another customer. They won’t even help you. I do not go their anymore. If you are going to take something away from your customers, then you need to offer some sort of compensation.
I drive 45mins to my bookstore of choice. There are two closer, but they only carry select titles and the clerks are not very nice or helpful. So, I don’t mind driving the extra time to give my money to a store where I feel welcome and will always get what I am looking for.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:36 am.
Amy – The grocery store I go to has bag boys (is that politically correct these days??) who take your groceries to your car for you! There are no cart corrals in their parking lot because if you have that many bags, they’ll take it out for you… without even asking, it’s just done automatically. Yeah, they’re a bit more expensive, but they have the best produce around!
Oh… in my small town, we even have a gas station that still has a couple full service pumps!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:36 am.
TrishD- I would love someone to carry out my groceries, especially in the winter.
We have one gas station in town that still pumps gas for you. Even if it is out of my way, I will go there to get gas. I love having someone do it for me and they clean my windows as well.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:42 am.
Amy, they just WATCH you? Wow. That would tick me off, too. I’m glad you’re going to another store!!!
I have to drive to get to a good bookstore, too, but they can be found! I think stores have forgotten how much customer service counts.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:02 am.
Yep, they just watch or sometimes they will chat up the next cashier over. I got so fed up, I complained to the manager and then never went back to that store again.
If I receive great customer service from a store, I will go back time and time again, it doesn’t matter if it’s in the next town.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:09 am.
Most of our stores will bag and some you do yourself (discount stores, but they charge if you need bags). I like to bag my own bc alot of times they dont care what they put in the bags or how. I would come home with smached bread,or so many items in the bags they would tear, tear bags with box corners then not rebag or double bag. I had on cashier knot all my bags shut and then I would need to cut them open when I got home and carried them in with just a little loop hole to hold on too. I cant stand “chatty” cashiers or hairstylist, Im not there to give my lifes story or to hear theirs. I just smile and hmmm once in a while. Ask me questions in regards to your job or service not about my personal life it not your business.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:17 pm.
So far I have no complaints about my bank. I like the fact that when I go in there, everyone knows me and I’m not just a number.
I do have some businesses on my Black List. One restaurant in particular, which is sad because their food is really good. I went in one time and the owner’s wife, I found out later, was so nasty that I left before I even got the food. Have never been back since.
Sadly, the closest bookstore that I was always in was Borders. We all know how that story ended. I’m really going to miss them.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:41 am.
SuzyQ, I’ll miss my Borders, too, but I’ve found two bookstores that aren’t tooooo far away that are independently owned and the people seem super nice.
That’s sad that the owner’s wife chased away customers. You have to feel bad for the owner — he not only lives with that sort of a person, but she’s apparently also hanging around his work!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:04 am.
I’m using a bank for my mom’s estate… they had free online banking for 3 months when you open the acct… then they start charging you $6.50 a month…Uhmmmmm dropped that little option… only paying water, heat & electric… $6.50 equals about 15 USPS stamps…
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:00 am.
Cate, good point. Stamps aren’t that much. I think banks believe we’re all too lazy to pack up our toys and go home when they start adding fees for various services. The lady at my bank actually said, “It’s only $4 a month…” It’s not JUST $4. It’s FOUR DOLLARS. In these times, you can’t throw money away like that.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:24 am.
And it’s just $48 at the end of the year. That could be a new pair of shoes, a stack of books, etc. I can’t believe the teller said that.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 1:43 am.
Oh, my bank charges quite a lot. In fact, just reminded I have to go to a bank, which is not the bank which account I use, to cancel something they did — they changed a card I had — which I NEVER use into a credit card, without my asking or approval, and they’re charging me monthly for it, deducting from my credit limit. Like, for freakin’ real? Yeah.
I vote with my wallet, sure. Restaurants are the first to go. I HATE when they take something I loved out of the menu. I’m a creature of habits and often go to a place all the time and order the same thing. Then, BAM, out of the menu, changed main ingredient, B’s heart broken forever, faithful costumer and family lost forever or until they rectify the horrible mistake.
Bookstore — I’ve gone digital and there’s no going back. I LOVE it, it’s so practical, so easy, so fast; no shipping, no waiting…
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:05 am.
B, my mother abandoned Olive Garden for changing their menu back in 2002. You have to let them know that you’re not happy and why, so good for you for standing up for what you like!
As for going digital, my son’s the same way. He’s digital all the way now and loves the convenience of it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:35 am.
Oh, definitely. I always vote with my wallet. Everyone does, don’t they?
I’m having trouble with bookstores. My local bookstore, Borders, is out of business as of today. Now where do I go? I haven’t figured that out yet.
I don’t have a bank or an ATM card, mostly because I’ve felt banks are a rip-off for a long time now. Yay, you, for pulling your business!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:16 am.
Claudia, my sister never votes with her wallet. She goes to the same places, even when she’s unhappy with them. She’s a creature of habit and just puts up with stuff.
I know. I can’t imagine that, either.
I’m so sorry your Borders is gone. That’s so sad. I’ll miss mine, too. But I AM finding some pretty cool local bookstores. A few of them are awesome and the people super helpful. Maybe you can find one that’s not too far away?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:40 am.
Yeah… I’m going to stay quiet on the whole bank issue… I work at one. But let me say the bank I work for is great! If you were here in Michigan Karen, I would take such great care of you that you would never want to leave!!!
I do vote with my wallet. I live in a small town and I try to give my money to the local stores and restaurants. My vote doesn’t carry much weight, the wallet isn’t big enough for that, but I do try to go to the local businesses as much as I can.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:29 am.
Trish, now I wish I lived in Michigan!!! I know there are good banks, and mine used to be one, but they were bought out by a huge bank and things have been sliding ever since. I do love the tellers. I know them all by name and they’re awesome. It’s just the overarcing policies that I dislike.
I bet your vote with your local businesses counts for more than you realize! There are some great ones out there and every little bit helps.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:42 am.
My US bank started charging me a fee because I had less than $100 in my account. They knew I was overseas and didn’t notify me. I only found out when I tried to use my ATM and got a penalty both from the ATM for not having funds in my account. Apparently, they had started charging me a monthly fee until I didn’t have any funds in my account and kept on charging my – account. They got an earful when I called them and closed my account.
I vote with my wallet by buying non-apple products
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:30 am.
Archer, my bank charges a fee if you don’t have a monthly average of $100 in your account. Some months it’s difficult for me to keep that much in there. I try to vote with my wallet, but it’s small.
My local store is Barnes & Noble, but I still order from Amazon because they have free shipping and don’t charge sales tax. Also I have a Kindle and buy a lot of ebooks. I use Amazon mostly for music now, although I still buy a couple print books occasionally. There aren’t any independent stores around here anymore, which is a shame.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:41 am.
my old bank when i closed my acct took all of the whopping 11$ i had left in there for monthly and closing fees. ANd the head teller had the nerve to tell me i owed them five more dollars.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:49 am.
Did you pay?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 1:32 pm.
Archer, they EMPTIED it and THEN told you? Sheesh. I hope yu told them, “Thanks for – literally – nothing.” How rude is that?
My bank told me there were no fees for overseas ATM withdrawals (I called and asked specifically before I went), but when I got back, they hit me with over $100 in ‘overseas withdrawal fees.’ That made me so mad, though they eventually refunded it. Grrr!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:44 am.
They didn’t even tell me! I found out because my credit card that has automatic payment charged me a penalty for not having funds in my account since the bank had already taken out all of my money. I was able to get some of the money credited back.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:33 pm.
Grrrr!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:24 pm.
Oh Oh Oh don’t get me started. In the bank where I have my retirement and savings account, they started charging me a fee for having less than some minimum balance in the checking account. That’s because I don’t really have a checking account with them. I opened an account so I could open the other, more important accounts. They have a lot of my money invested with them. And they are going to charge me a fee for not having a minimum balance?
Good idea, Karen! I think I will follow your lead!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:39 am.
Shop the banks, Julia! There are a LOT of differences in fees. And be sure you ask if they will be increasing their fees within the next year because some of them are in the process of bumping them up between now and Christmas.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:46 am.
Archer, I LOVE Apple! What did they do to make you stop buying them? I’m curious.
Yes, I vote with my dollars all the time. Fortunately, I don’t use an ATM card, so I guess I’m okay (but I better call and check). That sucks, though. You do have to be careful with banks and credit card companies or they’ll sneak fees in on you every time.
We have a local bookstore that I refuse to frequent because they refuse to carry romance.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:40 am.
I ONLY use ATM cards and am sunk if they start charging a fee for using them. I won’t buy something if I don’t have the money in the bank and would hate to think I have to pay a fee for it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:44 am.
Sabrina, I can’t imagine not having an ATM card. I use it all of the time and never use my credit cards. You have to read every little announcement the bank send you. They sent this announcement tucked into a statement along with some advertisements and I almost missed it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:48 am.
I think the first thing that puts me off is the vibe in their stores. I dunno it feels kinda cliquey.
) I sooo want the HTC desire z.
I understand the popularity because of the ease of use, however I also think there are so many other great products out there and I like being different.
The having to dl itunes and being stuck in that one store doesn’t work for me either. Although I’m guessing the cloud thing is somewhat taking care of that.
I like being able to tinker around with my pc and can fix most things on it myself. Also, there pc repair places are much more easier to find.
With phones I like the ones that have a qwerty keyboard because I don’t want to have to get special gloves to use a touch screen in the winter… (moving to Scotland soon so I’m gonna be wearing gloves a lot
Oh and apple isn’t compatible with flash, which means I can’t view a lot of sites I like.
I have an ipod touch, which my bf gave me to try to lure me on to the dark side. I do admit its handy, but why or why doesn’t it have a search option when you’re on a webpage lol?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:45 pm.
I’m not sure if I want to be here today. Banks are getting bashed!! I’ll just keep reminding myself that everyone is bashing the banks, not the people who work there.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:49 am.
yes, remember that it the banks’ policy not the workers that get us all riled up!
it not you Trish!!!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:51 am.
I love the people at my regular bank. I love the fact that the tellers were nice to me even when we almost had no money to sustain an account. I will continue to be loyal to that bank.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:12 am.
Trish, seriously, I LOVE the tellers and the one loan officer at my bank. However, the manager is about 25 years old, and isn’t the nicest lady I’ve met, though I suspect she’s been dealing with a lot of unhappy clients lately.
Seriously, it’s the policies of the bank itself, and not the people that I have an issue with. I also know that there are GREAT banks out there. I just need to find one of those.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:50 am.
I used to work at a bank too, Trish. I agreed with some policies and didn’t with others. I think some fees are stupid, and bloodsucking, but most can be avoided just by following the “rules” and reading the fine print. I found that the people who would come in and scream at me for 40 minutes were usually not only repeat offenders, but also had total disregard for following the bank’s policy, then freaked when they got fees. No offense to anyone on here, but it happened all the time. I have a close friend who is constantly switching banks because she gets overdraft fees- I just listen and nod my head. NOT going there! ;D
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:15 pm.
Your friend is blaming someone for her own issues. Overdraft fees are fine — they serve a purpose which is to get people to be cautious with their money. What gets me is that I’m getting all of the new fees, while the bank administration cuts back the numbers of tellers (and pay them very little to begin with) and THEN vote to pay the CEO a 5 million dollar per year bonus. The people who work in my bank are lovely, which is the only reason I stayed as long as I did. I’ll miss them! :-/
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:28 pm.
Oh, yeah- tellers get paid SQUAT! I started as a teller, and barely made enough to cover daycare for my first child. Moved up to relationship banker, got a good raise, had a second child and back to square one! So, I left to be a STAHM- which is a million times better. Now when people yell at me, I get to send them to their room, lol….
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:20 pm.
i had an issue a whole back with my cable co. my bill was getting out of control so I cancelled my digital cable and went to regular. they insisted I return the box which I ad bought 10 yrs before. They wouldn’t reduce the charges no matter how many reciepts I showed them. when the co. redid their acct statements they reset everything to say i had rented the special box when they set up my cable on move in day. digital cable was nowhere on the horizon back in 93.
after much arguing i gave up and gave them the box and said I was done with them, cancelling all cable and internet. the next day I found out they were giving the same boxes away as an incentive to all their new digital customers.
yet the one I paid mega bucks for i had to give back. I got them back by not paying the bill over what I calculated i owed.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:58 am.
Wow. What a confusing thing to have done to you. I just switched to a better cable company and I love their product — the reception is so much better! Kathy, I’m glad you got your issue resolved!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:52 am.
My grandma’s bank happens to be headquartered in the town that we live in. So, when I started taking over her finances 4 years ago, I called the bank, said I was MS’s granddaughter and presented the appropriate legal docs to back me up. Everyone was so nice to me. Things ran smoothly. Then, I went to a community event where the upper management of the bank was there as well. I stuck my hand out, said “Hi. I’m Amanda A.” I swear I got the cut direct from the upper management. They heard my last name and turned their back to me! I asked my MIL why they didn’t like us, and she didn’t have an answer for me. A few months after that, I was talking to a former bank employee, who said that they had a list of people that they were supposed to be nice to, and a list that they didn’t want any business from. Well, my gma is 96. When I inherit and do my estate duties, I’m going to assuage my grief by moving her money to a bank that was nice to me–even when my balance was less than $100. So yeah, I vote with my dollars as well.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:09 am.
Wow. Amanda, how silly of them to do that! And to make a list? How unprofessional. My local state representative put out a watch list of people who’d asked him questions at his open town meeting — not activists, but just regular citizens who’d ASKED QUESTIONS. Weird, eh?
I’m sorry you had to go through that!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:54 am.
Good for you Karen H! Yes I do vote with my wallet, but I won’t name names because I tend to get all passionate in a snarky way which would not be befitting the station of a romance goddess…so yes, I boycott and endorse with my hard earned money.
I also vote with my tv viewing habits, which currently are basically non-existent because of of the biased trash I see displayed whenever I attempt to turn on the tube. I only watch HGTV and Monk, because there I am not offended or attacked.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:35 am.
Lisa, I was careful to control my Inner Snark, but it was banging on the cage door, wanting out. And ohhh I lurve HGTV!
Btw, I did watch a pretty stellar game of football last night, though.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:56 am.
You are a graceful goddess! I never see that snarky side!
Truly what’s not to love about people restoring and beautfying something old and unusable and turning it into a treasure? I never get tired of these shows and also love the house hunter international show…someday I dream of a little place in Italy….maybe that hot guy in the suit you mentioned will stroll by and join me for a glass of vino?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:12 pm.
Mmmmm. If I could only find him again … *sigh!*
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:28 pm.
Amazing game last night! Although I was sure I was going to have a heart attack in the last two minutes. DH actually mentioned the #12 jersey last night – I think I am wearing down his resistence
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 2:06 pm.
kez, it was a LOVELY game. I grinned and yelled and then grinned and then yelled — whew! Both teams were good, which makes for the best games.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:29 pm.
I vote with my wallet as much as I can. I don’t do the self-checkouts because I think that is just wrong, unless you get a discount since you are not using their services of a human being they are charging you for with those groceries.
As for the bank thing, I’m keeping my eye on my bank close. They sent out a letter saying they are not going to charge a fee like the other banks are starting to, but let’s just wait and see….
As for bookstores…the closest bookstore is 2 hours away because all we had were Borders, Waldens, and a local bookstore. When Borders and the Waldens left last year, strangely our independent bookstore folded too. He kind of left in the middle of the night… no notice or anything. Some of us went there for our book/coffee club and the store was closed, shelves were bare and end of story… There was a write up in the paper about how the owner moved to Texas and wasn’t heard from again…. strange… but anyway, I have to go online unless I find myself upstate, then I patron the bookstores up there.
But the wallet can be an effective tool as long as there is a mouth to go with it. As well as voting with your mouth, one needs to write letters, make phone calls, and notify the grapevines that you hang with why you are voting the way you are so they can make a decision if they want to do the same. I’ve worked in customer service for more years than I care to count, and unless you voice why you aren’t spending your money in a certain place, not much will change.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:39 am.
Angela S, that’s a very good point! You’re absolutely write about speaking up and being heard. I explained why I left and I got the impression they expected some people do leave because of the fees.
It’s nice that many places will let you email in your comments, too, which is awesome.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:31 pm.
You bet I do vote with my wallet,I think banks should pay us for the prvilege of holding our money and not charge fees for everything they can think up. I pay with my wallet when I go into the local B&N Bookstore every week(which is about 40 miles from my home to buy books.I just wish that money bought me better service more knowledgeable employees.Where is that bookstore employee that has that smile and says”May I Help you” It has been replaced with the digruntled person that says”Lady I don’t read them I just sell them”But,I keep trying:)
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:57 am.
Gail, I wish we had could run a bookstore consulting business here on Mt. Oly. We could show those bookstores what customers REALLY want and how much authors are WILLING to do! Wouldn’t that be lovely?
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:35 pm.
I just did some googling and looks like my bank is “testing” the same ATM card fee. It won’t be in my state yet, but I think I will go ahead and write a letter. Unfortunately, this tiny town doesn’t have a lot of options and since I don’t plan to stay here, I won’t investigate a local banking option. I will look at the pros and cons.. my bank is proposing a $3 fee per month. Is it worth $3 for the convenience of that card and branches all over the country? Possibly. My friend is with a credit union, which she loves and I am all for.. but she also has to mail in all her deposits since it is in another state.
I have definitely voted with my wallet and by word of mouth and word of the interwebs. Both positive and negative.
The local book store closed here years ago, so now the only option is Hastings in town or a B&N 60 miles away. I think there are a couple indies up there, but have not investigated yet.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:12 am.
Sheridan, I’m sure there are some people who are okay with the fees. It just seems like a bait and switch when a place of business offers less services and then charges more. I’ve even thought of using an online bank. I hear there are some of them that are awesome.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:37 pm.
Switched banks last year after banking at the same bank since we got married. There was a fee for everything. Finally decided we couldn’t take it anymore. We have gone to a different bank where I had already opened an account the year before.
$4 dollars per ATM transaction! That is so outrageous. With financial stocks tanking and the lawsuits over mortgage handling inundating the entire banking industry I guess they’re looking for a way to fund their ineptitude. Sort of a bank tax. Well I am glad you let your dollars vote.
Bookstores! We lost two mystery bookstores early on when I moved here. They were family run and lovely. Then we lost Crown bookstores that had run them out of business. Then we lost Borders which I really loved because they not only had romances but a great kids section.
Now I shop at Target because it is close and usually carries recent titles and Barnes and Nobles for titles that I can’t find there. My Barnes and Nobles is a maze of bookshelves and I prefer to call and have them check to find out if the title I want is on the shelf. If I am looking for very old or out of print romances, we still have a couple of good second hand bookstores who I have shelled out to to fill out titles. I vote local!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:29 am.
Louise, it’s not $4 per ATM transaction, but $4 per month just to have the card. I know it’s not that much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s the principle.
Wow, your area has been through some bookstores. It’s sad that the big box stores like Borders put the smaller bookstores out of business and then *poof* disappear. I keep hoping that maybe some of the small, local bookstores will come back. Fingers crossed!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:43 pm.
Ooooh, I hate those mysterious bank fees! I don’t mind paying for something of value, but I resent being charged unnecessary fees. I feel like I’m being robbed. Those fees add up!
I’m fortunate. I live in Seattle, right in the city, so there are lots of bookstores nearby. I also have an ereader, so I buy books online, as well. Gotta love instant gratification.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:30 am.
I have an ereader, too, but I keep going back and forth. But it may be that as we have fewer options to buy actual paperbacks, that I’ll buy more and more ebooks. It’s certainly simple to order them!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:49 pm.
My bank is threatening to do that too, I might be switching to the credit union that we have our car loan through.
I vote with my wallet all the time. It has been over 35 years since Wilson’s House of Leather has gotten a penny from me or any family member because of one saleslady. We had gone into the BH store with our kids and frankly they were brats but the saleslady kept telling us not to worry about it, we left anyway to deal with the kids. A week later we go back w/kids again, this time they are behaving but the woman followed us around the store reminding us to keep them in check. What was the difference? The first time we were in DH’s Porsche, the second in a VW. A bank in Carson City, Nv was glad to see my backside because I announced quite loudly that they would give my son all the money they owed him and we would never walk into a place that stole from their customers again. This was on a Friday evening while people were cashing their paychecks. Then I took the lovely sunshade they gave us for our car and put it to good use. I wrote “In my opinion Nv.State Bank are thieves” and put in my window every time I stopped somewhere. Not very grammatical but effective.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:47 am.
eviqn, lol! You’re a strong consumer advocate — you go, girlfriend! I’ve never staged a scene, but I’ve been politely firm. I can just see your sunscreen!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:51 pm.
That was MY baby those people stole from, not the smartest move they could have made. We found out later they were doing the same thing to many customers. Even with direct deposit they would hold logging it to the accounts for several days by which time the customers had paid bills, bought food and such like on an account that was “overdrawn” and then they charged OD fees.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:40 pm.
Good for you, Karen! This has become one of my all-time pet peeves. You’re going to charge me for access to MY money?? I don’t think so! Fortunately, my bank is a local small-town bank and so far they haven’t started charging fees for anything. My checking account is free because I am “of a certain age” and there is no charge for my debit card either. I pay most of my bills online. However, a couple of places began to charge me a fee for paying online with my debit card or writing an e-check. SO, those companies now get paper checks.
The car tag office wanted to charge me 5 bucks for paying for my tag renewal with my debit card. I made them wait while I went out to the car and got my checkbook. Girl at the window said “It’s only five dollars.” I said “Yes, but it is MY five dollars! I worked for it and I get to decide what I will or will not pay for with it.”
I did all I could to support my local bookstore (they were always happy to see me!) but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. It closed a few years ago. I buy a lot of books at Walmart now because of the convenience, but I also travel to the two Books-a-Million within a 20 mile radius when I can’t find what I want at Walmart. I buy many of my Regency research books from a little shop in London because the staff is so helpful. They constantly send me e-mails about books on my wish list and about books they think I might want. They even have contacts over here with book dealers and if they find a book with a dealer here they let me know. Service like that will keep my business!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:05 pm.
Louisa, what is the name of your bookstore in London? I’d love to see what they have. I frequently buy out-of-print books on ebay and a good number of those come from the U.K.
There’s a BAM here, but it’s on the other side of town. I should visit them! They used to have a terrific romance section. Thanks for reminding me!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:53 pm.
Shortly before I moved from Los Angeles to Nv I bought a new car but because we were moving I had the title sent to my address in Carson City.When it was time to renew the tags I went to the DMV where they wanted to charge me $350. sales tax for my car. I had proof that I had purchased the prior to my move but they wouldn’t budge on the issue. So I took myself to Tahoe, walked into the DMV there and renewed my tags in California. I wasn’t about to pay sales tax on something I had already paid sales tax on. I love Oregon, no sales tax plus I get my gas pumped for me.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:16 pm.
I’d love to have gas station near me that would pump my gas for me. I haven’t had that service since this tiny little gas station near my parents used to do it — but it was eventually sold and the new owners didn’t offer that service. That’s probably why it went out of business a few years after that.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:56 pm.
Good for you, Karen! I also vote with my wallet. I actually do belong to a credit union and have for a long time, even though it’s kind of a pain sometimes because there aren’t as many branches. Upside is everybody knows me there.
I vote with my wallet about food, too–as much organic, humanely produced as I can get. Not all of it is, of course, but a lot. It changes things.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:23 pm.
Barbara, I’ve been eating more organic food, too! It’s much fresher and has a lot more taste — and vitamins. Thankfully there’s a great farmer’s market close by that has some really great veggies. It’s more expensive, but that’s ok by me. I don’t mind paying more when I get something for it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:58 pm.
I pay flat fee every month for all my banking services. There is no way of getting away from it. I do a lot of on-line banking, which I get for free and also includes unlimited trans actions with with my debit card. I get my cheques printed free once a year and so many other transactions.
My mother’s account was with the credit union, but there is not a branch anywhere near me and there on-line banking system is not as good..
As soon as we have her estate settled I am transfering the money over to my bank..
But then again I live in Canada and the banking system is different.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:36 pm.
Everything in Canada seems different, but vaguely familiar.
I’m glad you’ve got a good bank. I’m looking forward to getting to know the people at my new bank. They seem very nice!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:00 pm.
I won’t purchase gas at a Murphy stations anymore. They typically have the least expensive gas and then they offered a MurPay option (attach your checking account to their system and then text the amount you want to pump, and they send you a code to enter rather than swiping your card). You can the lowest advertised price for the past 24 hours when you do that. Good deal, right? Ha! Not when you can’t get your code to go through. Awhile back I was filling up using this option about once a week. Then one day, gas prices had gone up significantly (shocker, I know) so I texted a higher amount to be able to pump. I tried using the code and the code wouldn’t work. I spent A WEEK trying to work this out with MurPay customer service AND the company responsible for their accounts / financial security… or whatever it was. I can’t remember the name of the company. Anyway, they basically told me at one point it was because of bounced checks or insufficient funds, WHICH WAS BOGUS, because NEITHER of those had happened. So I emailed them and told them they were nuts (I’d had enough by then) and that wherever they got that information, it was completely wrong. They then called me and told me they apologized for the wrong information. They said the reason the code wouldn’t work is because it popped up as “possible fraudulent activity” because their system registered that I was trying to access a larger than normal amount of money. Um… hello? I said, “Yeah, that’s because GAS PRICES ARE GOING UP.” Grrr!!! So I told them fine, it was irrelevant at that point anyway, because I would simply refrain from using their stations again in the future. I’ll pay a few cents more down the road to be able to purchase gas and without because accused of spending more money than I have.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:41 pm.
Amanda, that would make me mad, too. Sheesh! What a bogus thing for them to say, and insulting, too!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:01 pm.
I’m in Oregon too, and a friend told me that one reason she and her husband moved here was the no-pumping-your-own-gas thing (also no sales tax)
Last week a friend of mine discovered that her monthly SS auto deposit wasn’t in her bank account. The reason was astounding: Walmart had sent her a debit card, unsolicited, which she ignored, never activating it. But Social Security had received a letter, supposedly from her, directing that her money to be deposited to the debit card. The very nice woman at SS said, “This sounds like fraud,” but the amount of money wasn’t enough for an investigation to be started.
To retrieve her money, my friend had to activate the card, withdraw the daily limit until she had all the money, and then deposit the cash at her bank. Each time she did a withdrawal, the debit card people charged her two dollars and her bank charged her three.
She has her money now and and assurance from the SS people that they’ll require confirmation from her if this ever happens again. Two days after this incident, she mentioned it to a nurse at her doctor’s office. The nurse had encountered the same Walmart debit card situation, and eight hundred dollars was transferred from her bank account without her permission. In her case, she was able to fill out all the fraud complaint forms with her bank (and was told that thousands of those cards are mailed out, then random accounts are hit up for transfers – I googled that part of the story and came up empty, but it sounds possible).
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:52 pm.
omg that is so messed up!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 1:31 pm.
You would think someone would at least call to verify something like the two things you mentioned.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:12 pm.
Karenmc, that’s scary to even think about. And your poor friend lost $5 every day she withdrew her own money! That’s outrageous. I’m glad they protected her account from that every happening again.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:04 pm.
I not only vote with my wallet I’m the person Joe Girard always writes about. Yep I’m the customer who uses her pocket book and her BIG mouth to always share when I have a VERY Good or Very Bad experiences! The rule of 250 folks each person encounter and influences in their lives enough to attend their wedding or funeral. I give more credit to word of mouth reports than magazine or BBB reviews. On everything from grocery’s to paint brands to church services, to garage sales…No KIDDING!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 2:04 pm.
Katy, good for you! We all need to be advocates for ourselves, especially when it comes to corporations. I think you’re right about word of mouth, too. That’s the ultimate referral system and the least influenced by those who stand to benefit from it.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:06 pm.
I live in a very small town in SW Ohio and not only do I vote with my wallet but also with my voice. If I have a bad experience I will chat with other people about it. Word of mouth is an amazing thing in our town.
Recently needed to purchase a used car in an emergency situation out of town (long story) and even though we have been banking at the same bank forever and they all know us by face and first name – they would not let us access our money since we could not come into the bank. The woman on the phone actually had the audacity to say “that’s what you get for traveling without a check” – out shopping right now for another bank. Whether or not the law allows us to call and use our money – we won’t let that bank manager be snotty to us again. What happened to customer service???
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 2:18 pm.
Good for you! There’s no reason why they couldn’t raise your cask limit for you. My old credit union that I used when I was in college used to do that for me over the phone whenever I needed it, which wasn’t very often, but they were always so nice about it.
I hope you find a great bank!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:09 pm.
I vote with my wallet all the time. We’ve changed banks twice in the past 3 years because of fees. Currently, our checking and savings accounts aren’t even at the same banks because one bank had a better program for savings, but not checking and vice versa.
Borders is gone, which has left me with B&N, which is not my favorite store. No indie bookstores, except Christian ones in this part of LA County. It looks like Target, Amazon, and half.com will be getting more of my business.
I support local farmers by buying produce at the farmer’s market. Sometimes it cheaper, other times it’s more expensive, but it’s ALWAYS better produce.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 2:27 pm.
Janae, that says it all: “I support local farmers by buying produce at the farmer’s market. Sometimes it cheaper, other times it’s more expensive, but it’s ALWAYS better produce.”
It’s not that people mind paying a bit more now and then, so long as they’re getting something for their money.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:10 pm.
So true. I’ve a friend who gets so caught up in the coupon usage and saving money, that she’s given up on quality.
We’re impatiently waiting for pomegranates to be in season – 5 in a bag for $2. They are the best pomegranates I’ve ever eaten.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 1:36 am.
I vote with my wallet all the time. If that was an entirely successful strategy, though, Oreo Cookies would still come with chocolate middles.
I have blackballed Chili’s restaurants, since they TWICE took my name by phone to “hold” my spot, and then denied they did any such thing when I got to the restaurant 7 minutes later.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 2:28 pm.
We have blacklisted Burger King for the last decade, in my family, since my dad had to come get DH and me, when we were still dating, one day because they TOWED OUR CAR. We ate there on a sunny day, in SOFL, and took a SHORT walk on the beach after, maybe 20 minutes. BK towed our flippin’ car. We were so upset, they didn’t even apologize when we pulled out the receipt. My dad, who is the world’s most chill guy, actually yelled at the manager and stormed out of the restaurant. Even his grandkids know we don’t eat there, lol….
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:45 pm.
Ooooh, that would make me mad, too!
And I hear you on the Oreos thing. At least they still have double-stuffs!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:11 pm.
I vote with my wallet. Remember in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts says “You work on commission, right? BIG mistake. HUGE.”…That’s me!
(Well, not the hooker part, lol!) If I get crappy service, I leave and don’t usually go back- but if I get great service and the price is good, and the product is good, then I will be very loyal.
I also grocery shop with my wallet. I used to get these awesome $10 off $50 purchase coupons at one store that is usually higher priced then the others. So, because of that coupon, and the fact they double other ones, sometimes super double or even triple coupons, I would shop there. I got these great coupons for months, but when they stopped sending them, I went elsewhere. Because I am not paying you $3.50 for a jar of spaghetti sauce that I can buy at WalMart for $1.50, or $4.65 for 9 oz of prepackaged turkey that I can buy for $2.99 at another grocery store. I have a budget, and two little boys who mow their way through food like a plague of locusts. REALLY hungry locusts….
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:23 pm.
Dana, you’re a Consumer Extraordinaire!
I’m glad to know you’re not like Pretty Women (a hooker). That’s a horrible career choice. Heehee!
I actually shop at a grocery store that’s more expensive simply because they do things so well. Their staff is amazingly helpful and friendly and they still bag the groceries and offer to carry them to the car. They always have their customer service area staffed AND they hire people for some of the simpler jobs who are elderly or mentally challenged, which I appreciate. I may not get the best prices, but I leave happy and satisfied and with exactly what I want.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:15 pm.
We use a Credit Union and have a Debit\Credit Card there is a fee if you run the card through as Debit but not as Credit. My Son has a traditional ATM Card for which there is no fee (unless he uses a bank that’s not where his account is). I think our Credit Union charges a Monthly Service Charge for Checking. We didn’t get a choice on type of card since we have a Checking Account we automatically get the Debit\Credit and my Son automatically got ATM for his Savings Account.
As for voting with my wallet I try to but sometimes due to Budget and available Inventory I find I have to go places I don’t particularly care for. The inventory at the closest Bookstore leaves a lot to be desired. The same store in the next city over has a much better inventory. I have a pretty good idea of what the odds are for finding a book at a local bookstore and will purchase online if I either can’t find what I want or based on past trips have a good idea it won’t be there.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:47 pm.
Robin, you’re right and if you can’t find what you need — or at the only price you’re willing to pay for it — you sometimes have to shop places you might not like. I’m fortunate to live in a fairly good sized city, so I have a lot of choices, but I know that when I lived in my little town in TN, I didn’t have quite so many options as I do today.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:17 pm.
I bought a Brother sewing machine a few years ago and I loved it, all I had to do was push a button to sew. The problem was the drop in bobbin would jump out and jam. Brother would authorize repairs, and repairs, and repairs until it was out of warrantee. They would not however admit it was a bad machine and replace it. My repairman, Richard, told me that they never defect machines out because Brother refuses to accept them back the shop eats the price of the machines. I finally sold it at a yard sale and gave the lady Richard’s name and address. I tell anyone I see about to purchase a Brother product, they don’t stand behind them.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 3:47 pm.
eviqn, I had a Brother fax machine and it only worked for about two months and then something broke and I could never get it fixed. I am sort of surprised they’re still around because I’ve heard many complaints about their products.
It’s nice that you can check reviews online now, although I hear that a lot of them are paid for by companies nowadays. They shouldn’t allow that!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:19 pm.
I can be a basically easy going person but not if you try to lie, steal or cheat me or mine; then I’m the Supreme Commander B***h on Wheels.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:44 pm.
I left a bank once the way you just did, Karen. My sons had accounts that this bank had inherited when another bank went under. Only the new back was in the process of piling on the fees. Anyway, each account had a few thousand in it, and I needed a chunk out of each for a large purchase they were making. I went in and asked for it in checks so I would not be carrying all that cash, only to be told there was a five dollar fee for each check.
I was so furious that I asked if there was any fee for just taking it all out and closing the account. Not only was there no fee, they would *give me a check*. So that is what I did, and they made out the checks I wanted but lost the two accounts.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:09 pm.
Madeline, that’s so ridiculous that I don’t even know where to begin. I’m glad you stood firm!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:22 pm.
Yes! I vote with my wallet.I go to the little mom and pop grocery stores. I go to the little non-chain diners and breakfast places. If my bank starts charging for ATM’s I will do the same thing, withdraw! I wonder if that would be a 4.00 charge for everyone of us, husband, wife and child.
I have even started buying everything American. New plates – Fiesta ware- cobalt blue because it is the only American product I could find.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:08 pm.
Debbie, I’m on a buy American kick, too! I love colbalt and have a lot of that color in my house. I’ll have to check that out.
It’s a $4 charge per account and we have four accounts, one for me, one for Hot Cop, and one for each of my kiddos.
Btw, we’ve been exploring the local diners and have found some gems. You never see your neighborhood until you get off the beaten path and stay out of the chain stores.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:25 pm.
Forgot! I shop regularly at Barnes and Noble. I will willing drop a 125.00 a month on books, sometimes more. If either one of my children asks to go to the book store off we go. A book is always money well spent!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:12 pm.
Amen! I just wish my local B & N had better service and a larger romance section. But maybe now that Borders it gone, B & N will jump on a chance to expand in that area.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm.
My B&N has a very large romance section. All the workers are very friendly and helpful. One is a librarian at the local elementary school and works there part time. It is like a nice little home away from home.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:34 pm.
Debbie, that’s so nice for you! I am hoping my local B & N will do the same. Fingers crossed! It’s such a great opportunity for them to increase their sales.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:17 am.
I vote with my wallet all the time too. I purchase my clothes and shoes at places with good quality and service. I buy my paperbacks at B&N locally because I want them to remain in business so I can browse there. I get my yarn at my local knitting store. I cheerfully boycott stores and businesses that don’t meet my standards.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:39 pm.
Stephenia, good for you! Btw, I’ve been wanting to learn to knit, but haven’t done it yet. But maybe soon . . . it’s calling me!
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:18 am.
We have three banks, A credit union, A big name bank and our military bank (which also carries all our insurances (home, car, motorcycle, and life) and they are our best bank). The Military bank pays us when we use our ATM card at other banks. and gives us rebates too when we use our card for lots of things. the credit union is our back up bank. the big bank is what we had to get when we moved back to CO because a lot of places wanted a local bank, and that is why we have three banks. but If I have to I really like to shop at my local stores and not have to drive all around just to get what I need, or drive out to the base which is about 30 minutes away for our home.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:59 pm.
Patsi, what a great bank! You’re very fortunate! I have to say that so far my new bank seems very helpful, though I doubt they give rebates for using the ATM at other banks. That’s AMAZING!
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:20 am.
Yes that is a great bank. It’s USAA Military Bank and Insurance. I Love IT
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 9:44 pm.
I absolutely do vote with my wallet. And if my bank sends notice of such a thing,I will most assuredly do the same thing you did. I do not take it lightly either. Changing banks is a life altering thing. It is a great deal of work and frustration. But I will most certainly do it. Especially since recently, my bank discontinued the rewards program. I gladly paid $25 a year for the program because I got my moneys worth from it. If they wanted to cancel it, then just do it. Their reason was that it is now illegal for them to charge money for a debit card. That is absolutely what they told me. So if that is not true, then that is another reason for me to move on along.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:44 pm.
My old bank just started a rewards program, so I don’t know how that’s now ‘illegal.’ Sounds sort of excuse-like, doesn’t it? I did like the rewards program, but my new bank has something similar. It seems that so many of the rewards program used to be worth something, and now they’re rather anemic. I used to dote on my Delta frequent flyer miles, but now I just fly whichever carrier is cheaper because the programs has gotten so weak. I hate that.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:23 am.
That’s great! I also try and do the same. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s already too late for so many things… I’ve never heard of a bank that *didn’t* charge for just having an ATM card, for instance. Or, it’s becoming increasingly hard to find clothes or shoes NOT made in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil or Romania. Buying local often means getting very little choice.
As for bookstores, I don’t know any which sells romance (as in new books) except from big chain stores that certainly *don’t* need my money…
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:48 pm.
Asia, my local used bookstore also sells new books. They also do awesome signings, too. I love that, too. I had no idea that other banks were already charging fees just to own an ATM card, but I’m not happy mine went in that direction. I’m just glad there are some who don’t!
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:50 am.
We’ve been with our credit union for over twenty years–never any fees and great service. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t use their local credit union. We’ve brought in all my family as converts.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:52 pm.
I’m a convert now, myself. I opened my accounts with my old bank because they had my mortgage, which they sold about six months after that. I love my new mortgage holder, though, so that worked out.
I think the local credit union is a good answer!
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:51 am.
I won’t buy gas at any CITGO gas station because CITGO is owned by the Government of Venezuela. The dictator of Venezuela is determined to bring down the USA and we are supporting this by buying their gas.
I won’t shop at my local bookstore because they, too, are too “good” to have a romance section. Seems odd when romance sells so well.
I don’t go to movies that have arrogant stars who think they are worth 20 million a movie. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance.
I bank with my local credit union because they don’t have those ridiculous fees I see advertised everywhere. My credit union gives me points every month that I can use towards products like free checks and reduced points on loans.
I don’t go to restaurants where the wait staff is rude. Even if it happens once, I am not likely to ever go back again.
I make choices everyday of how to spend my hard earned money. I want to make sure it goes somewhere I can stand behind if ever I have to defend a purchase.
Vote with your wallet!!!! I love it and am embracing it everyday.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm.
Andrea, well said! And kudos for knowing the companies and ‘who’ they are and what they represent, too. That can take some work, at times.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 10:52 am.
Way to go! I’ve been credit union member for over 30 years & wouldn’t change to a bank for anything.
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:33 pm.
My local bookstores have all closed in the last few years.
We never had a big box bookstore and now the only bookstores in town are the local Christian college bookstore and the community college bookstore.
I would love to vote with my wallet on that score, but instead I must buy from Amazon or drive for an hour. I’m sure you can guess what I do…
I have switched banks in the last year for some of the same reasons – more fees for pointless things. I’ve stopped visiting various restaurants because of poor service. I’m more likely to stop going because of poor service than poor food. If the food sucks once, I’ll try it again to make sure it isn’t horrible. If the services sucks more than once, I will never go back!
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 11:09 pm.
I was caught in Paris on 9/11/2001 and all flights into the US were cancelled. My branch there had so may add on costs that in a fit of anger, I walked into the Banc Oest and threw myself on their mercy. They opened an account for me gave me a gold line with no add on costs and located their American Branch in Marin County so I became a Bank of the West customer and remain so to this day. So many little bookstores have left our neighborhood because of Borders and now that they’re gone I’m glad I supported the last independent bookstore in our town with my wallet. It’s really the only consumer weapon we have.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 1:26 am.
I do vote with my wallet. Any business that treats me well & indeed goes just that little bit further has my undying loyalty. Mess me around & I will go elsewhere.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 4:15 am.
Well I sent off a rather firm email to Dara Joy and Cory (whoever the heck he is) demanding my book or a refund. I was tough and firm and not willing to be screwed around anymore.
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 5:32 am.
I do vote with my wallet. I love amazon because they often have lower prices on books. I love, love my credit union as they don’t fee me for things like ATM/Debit cards.
I do hate that as we are paying more for less!!!
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 11:09 am.