Service charges and junk mail are starting to P me off!

[Todd Wilson]

Has anyone else noticed there is a "service" charge on darn near every bill you get now? My insurance,gas and electric bills,water and phone all have a "service" charge ranging from 3$-5$ on each bill.  This is really starting to piss me off. Not only am I paying for a service I am paying for a service to service me! All the expenses of business should be factored into the product or service a company is selling. Instead all these companys are charging you for what they sell you and then paying on top of that. And most of the time the "service" isnt worth a crap. You cant ever get a real live person on the phone. They all want you to do an automatic payment from your checking account. Still charging you the "service fee"  for nothing more then a computer pulling funds every month.

Before long Walmart will be charging you a cover charge to get into the building to go shopping. Its the same thing as these companys are doing charging you a service fee .


My part time job in the summer is mowing fields with my tractor. I dont have a "service" fee. I tell them how much its gonna cost to mow their field and thats that. I factor in my wage,fuel costs and a wear and tear cost of my equipment to cover maintainance and repair costs.

My time is worth a lot. I wonder if I can bill these companys a service charge because I have to open the dam envelope and read the bill and write out a check and drive to the post office and spend 39 cents plus the cost of an envelope (because some bills dont include a return envelope anymore).


Then we get on the subject of junk mail. I get 25+ pieces of junk mail a week wanting me to apply for this credit card and that credit card. I used to tear them in half and throw that crap away but it has started pissing me off having to do it and filling up our local land fill with their garbage. So I now take the the time to open each piece of junk mail up and put all their crap back into their postage paid return envelope and mail their shit back to them. At least I can make a little $ for the post office and cut into their productivity as they open a envelope with nothing in it. And get some satisfaction at getting back at them in a little way.


You guessed it I am paying bills today and going through all my mail and I am really pissed off! I need a PBR!


Todd

[NHCharger]

I need a PBR!

PBR

Oh, I know. PBR= 

A few years ago a store we had a charge card with, either Costco or BJ's, cancelled our store credit card because we never carried a balance. The letter stated we didn't have enough activity on our card.

[dkn1997]

you want to get really pissed off?  I read a story about an internet site that rents dvd's.  they mail them to your house, you watch and then return, then they mail you another for a flat fee per month.

people who watch the most movies are sent to the back of the line for new releases and their new dvd's ship slower than someone who only rents a few a month.  they freely admit this in court (they arre being sued by a frequent renter)

Their explanation is that the most frequent renters cut into their profits due to shipping charges, so they have a right to limit the amount of their rentals by shipping them slow and denying them the new releases.  one official was quoted as saying something to the effect of "it's unlimited rentals, but it does not mean some people can rent a million of them per month"

unreal the attitude of that company.  offer an unliminted amount of rentals for a flat fee and then turn around and say "no, sorry, you are using too much, you are cut off"  bunch of low rent dirtbags.

[Todd Wilson]

I need a PBR!

PBR

Oh, I know. PBR= 

A few years ago a store we had a charge card with, either Costco or BJ's, cancelled our store credit card because we never carried a balance. The letter stated we didn't have enough activity on our card.

I paid off my credit cards and cut them up last fall. I keep one around for emergencys and anytime I need to use it for something online but I do not carry a balance. If I charge something I wait a few days and then log into the  card web site and pay the balance right there on the spot. I got a nasty letter in the mail saying they dropped my credit down on the card due to mis use of revolving credit! HAHA! I was mad about it and gonna cancel that card as well but decided I will keep it and continue to pay the balance off right away. F 'em!

Credit cards are very bad these days. I noticed on my cards they were selling out to other card companys and then you are under their terms and conditions and interest rates and then they have you over a barrel. Doesnt matter that you agreed to terms and conditions of the original card now they change it due to the new company taking over. I do not have any part of that now. If I dont have the $ I dont buy it now. Sometimes you have to use a credit card to order something online  but it gets paid off right away!


Todd

[RECHRGD]

Yea, this stuff started a long time ago, but just keeps getting worse.  I remember about 15 years ago coming unglued while buying a used pick-up.  After adding for taxes and license fees they tacked on another $125.00 for "paperwork processing".  Hell, isn't that part of the salesman's job to process the paperwork?  Just look at your phone bills these days.  There are charges for every local, state and federal fund they can think of, including stuff that is also taxpayer funded.  Look your receipts from the supermarkets over very carefully sometime.  A very reliable source I know has mentioned that they have a progam that automatically spits out 1.5% of overcharges on every days sales.  I can't prove that, but I don't doubt it either.  Bob

[dkn1997]

I am not a conspiracy guy, but I could really see that happening.  They just keep finding new ways to make a buck.

one of the big insurance companies just got NYState to pass legislation that will basically bail them out if they have a "katrina" type of disaster.

I would love to be a business where the gov't will gaurantee that I make money, and even pass laws for it.

[hemihead]

I need a PBR!

PBR

Oh, I know. PBR= 

A few years ago a store we had a charge card with, either Costco or BJ's, cancelled our store credit card because we never carried a balance. The letter stated we didn't have enough activity on our card.

I paid off my credit cards and cut them up last fall. I keep one around for emergencys and anytime I need to use it for something online but I do not carry a balance. If I charge something I wait a few days and then log into the  card web site and pay the balance right there on the spot. I got a nasty letter in the mail saying they dropped my credit down on the card due to mis use of revolving credit! HAHA! I was mad about it and gonna cancel that card as well but decided I will keep it and continue to pay the balance off right away. F 'em!

Credit cards are very bad these days. I noticed on my cards they were selling out to other card companys and then you are under their terms and conditions and interest rates and then they have you over a barrel. Doesnt matter that you agreed to terms and conditions of the original card now they change it due to the new company taking over. I do not have any part of that now. If I dont have the $ I dont buy it now. Sometimes you have to use a credit card to order something online  but it gets paid off right away!


Todd

Talk about getting the shaft, I had a Mortage company sell out to another and I got tapped for a much higher interest rate on my home.

[red72chrgr]

Know what you saying! P's me off too  Todd use a debit card instead of a cc, that way you don't have to deal with 'em at all. We've been following Dave Ramsey's way of finances and doing a whole lot better now. If anyone is interested in Dave R. go to www.Dave Ramsey.com

[Todd Wilson]

Know what you saying! P's me off too  Todd use a debit card instead of a cc, that way you don't have to deal with 'em at all. We've been following Dave Ramsey's way of finances and doing a whole lot better now. If anyone is interested in Dave R. go to www.Dave Ramsey.com

I've listened to him on the radio and been wanting to go check out his web site and see what all he has to say.


Todd

[BigBlackDodge]

CC companies suck big time!!! They are the work of the Devil.

Glad I'm free from their clutches!

Heard about a guy that missed a car payment and his credit card company upped his minium payment because of it..........even though they were not late in getting their payment.


BBD

[Troy]

It's all tied together too. I pay cash for everything but that hurts my credit score which makes my insurance go up (!?!). Everyone and their brother checks your credit now to see if you are a trustworthy person - even prospective employers. The problem is, if you don't play the credit game (and get loaded with debt) you look like a less stable individual than someone on the verge of bankruptcy who still manages to pay their bills on time. I gave up on credit cards when the fees started costing more than the payments and the policies/interest changed as often as the wind. We gave up on the land line for the house for similar reasons. We get free long distance on the cell phones but were forced to pay long distance surcharges on the home phone just in case we ever wanted to make a long distance call (and then we'd be charged for the call as well). The fees and charges were more than the monthly bill so we dropped it. My bank charges me $2 if I try to withdraw money from my own account without writing a check. I can walk to the ATM 6 feet away and withdraw it free but talking to an actual person costs me money (it's actually called a "teller fee"). The financial and isurance industries seem to be the worst at these sort of tactics but other places are catching on.

And Todd: have you ever been to Sam's Club or Costco? You pay a yearly "membership" fee for the privilege of shopping there. Sam's is owned by Wal-Mart and it's about the same as a cover charge.

Troy

[Shakey]

It's all tied together too. I pay cash for everything but that hurts my credit score which makes my insurance go up (!?!). Everyone and their brother checks your credit now to see if you are a trustworthy person - even prospective employers. The problem is, if you don't play the credit game (and get loaded with debt) you look like a less stable individual than someone on the verge of bankruptcy who still manages to pay their bills on time. I gave up on credit cards when the fees started costing more than the payments and the policies/interest changed as often as the wind. We gave up on the land line for the house for similar reasons. We get free long distance on the cell phones but were forced to pay long distance surcharges on the home phone just in case we ever wanted to make a long distance call (and then we'd be charged for the call as well). The fees and charges were more than the monthly bill so we dropped it. My bank charges me $2 if I try to withdraw money from my own account without writing a check. I can walk to the ATM 6 feet away and withdraw it free but talking to an actual person costs me money (it's actually called a "teller fee"). The financial and isurance industries seem to be the worst at these sort of tactics but other places are catching on.

And Todd: have you ever been to Sam's Club or Costco? You pay a yearly "membership" fee for the privilege of shopping there. Sam's is owned by Wal-Mart and it's about the same as a cover charge.

Troy

I checked your credit rating before signing up to the new site last July.  Everything checked out ok!    

My lawyer said everything is on the up and up and gave me the ok to register.

[NHCharger]

I checked your credit rating before signing up to the new site last July.  Everything checked out ok!    

My lawyer said everything is on the up and up and gave me the ok to register.

[sixpack70]

My motor seargeant used to shop at sams club. He said they have the same dang stuff for the same price as walmart! The other thing is they are in the same dang praking lot!

[89MOPAR]

 Hemihead - it is not legal for the purchaser of your mortgage to increase your interest rate if you have a fixed percentage rate.
  A company can sell the mortgage to another company but they must abide by the terms of the original agreement.

Maybe you have an adjustable rate mortgage- the federal funds rate has increased over the last 2 years - so it would follow that your mortgage goes up.

All - there is a website called OPTout.com   or maybe Optout.org   where you can sign up for either 1 year, 7 years, or forever ,of non-disclosure of your credit history to companies that you have not solicited.   The three major USA credit reporting companies are all included in the site.

If you sign up for this, you shouldn't get anymore unasked for credit card or personal loan mailings.

[Brock Samson]

  The worst I have seen is the Hospital's that Double Bill,.. the second notice comes with a warning that their claim against us is going to a collection agency even thought the original bill was paid two weeks before being overdue.
So i've taken to copying everything and sending the copies in.. but the fact remains it's still happening... for FIVE years now..

O.K. how about this one?..

I am changing from Com cast Cable T.V. to the Dish Net werk  because I'm tired of only 6 of 70 plus channels having good or even decent reception and the constant interuptions of service with no warning rhyme or reason,.. plus the continued escallation in the fees...

...So THEY (Dish Net Werk)  set up a installation date at THEIR convieiance between 12 noon and 5 p.m. on a specific date...
on that day I stick by the house, waiting and waiting,.. and waiting... finally at 5:20 p.m. The truck stops in front of my house and they guy driving tells me he can't do it today because he's just too tired after doing 4 jobs that ran over time earlier,.. I need to rebook an installation apointment for later in the week...   

Someone's gonna pay for that  .

I asked him WHY!? and he explains D.N.W. always overbook the three guys tasked with the installs in S.F. so who's ever got the late appointment has to reschedule wasting another day and hopefully not again having the last appoint. of the day because....