Speaking of extra taxes, here’s something that really bugs me: fees.
Why isn’t there a bigger backlash against the myriad fees that we’re all subjected to by corporations – why don’t they treat us like they want our business, rather than charging us for the privilege of being their customer?
Let’s see. If you use an ATM that’s not owned by your bank, you pay $3. If you want to go to your own bank and see a human teller, you pay $5.
The phone companies charge an “FCC” charge – they call it that so that you think it’s a tax that goes to the FCC, but it’s actually a charge that the FCC told them they could collect to pay for their lines. In fact, that charge should be part of your service fee, but they figure that they can charge it separately and make more money – cause the basic service fee is subject to competition so they make it seem cheaper (although, it’s pretty freaking high, and they STILL charge extra for Touch Tone service in some instances).
There’s a fee to have many credit cards, even though they make plenty of money off of your interest charges.
There’s a fee to apply for a mortgage, even though the bank is going to make three times the value of your home in profit. Some mortgage companies charge a fee for automatic debit services, even though it saves them money.
Some cable companies actually charge a monthly fee for the cable box, even though it’s necessary for the service – again, it should be part of the basic change. Some companies even charge a fee for the remote control.
J.C. Penney, where I am thinking of buying new bedroom furniture, charges a delivery charge. Then they charge another fee on top of that for each piece of furniture. Why not just charge a furniture delivery fee and be done with it?
You are charged a fee for making utility and other payments via telephone or electronic debit, even though that method is quicker and more efficient for everyone involved.
Credit reporting agencies charge a fee for you to see your own credit report. Banks charge to send out paper statements. And grocery stores charge you extra if you don’t use their data-collecting “club cards.”
I wish I had been keeping track of all the fees businesses charge me so that at the end of the year I could present a mind-boggling number. For now, I’m just going to avoid giving any of my business to any company that wishes to charge me a fee for the privilege. They should be paying me to continue being their customer.
And so continues the war with the customer.
