The FuzzyBlog!
Marketing 101. Consulting 101. PHP Consulting. Random geeky stuff. I Blog Therefore I Am.

Thursday, June 20, 2002

Ok.  This is Just Plain Funny. If you are a fan of Coca-Cola products, read this: http://www.staggernation.com/pieces/coke.html 8:10:33 AM  Google It!  comment []   IM Me About This

Check Your Bank Statement: Using that ATM Card May Cost You $1.50 PER PURCHASE! If You Ever Buy Groceries With Your ATM Card, You Want to Read This!!! NOTE: For international readers, this is U.S. centric (as far as I know). The Wall Street Journal yesterday ran an article about how when you use debit cards i.e. an ATM Card at the Grocery Store, you may be getting, well, royally screwed.  Apparently banks get less transaction fees when your ATM card is used as a debit card than as a credit card.  The difference here is that a debit card doesn't require a signature and, since the $$$ come out of your account in real time, there isn't even a chance of them making interest on the transaction.  They are arguing that the fees are justified because since there isn't a signature there is a greater chance of fraud.  Horse puckey I say.  Horse puckey.  That's what the PIN is for. So, rather than being the normal slacker, uninformed consumer that I am, I looked at my online bank statement.  Here's what I wrote someone in an email about this: It's not EVERY time you use the debit card that it costs $1.50 per transaction but it is at least some of the time.  This seems to be true at least for Super Stop and Shop part of the time.  06/14/02 Debit Card Purchase: Sssc Swampscot MA -103.47 06/14/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 (that was my groceries). Here's the list of fees from 5/23 to 6/19: 06/19/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 06/03/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 06/10/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 05/28/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 06/14/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 06/03/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 06/10/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 05/23/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 05/31/02 ATM Network Fee -1.50 That's 9+.5*9 or 13.50 in BANK FEES!  JUST FOR USING MY ATM CARD! Talk about unbelievable, unrelenting, just plain unacceptable greed.  For years banks have been trying to get us all to use ATM cards for purchases.  And now this.  No wonder! Class action consumer lawsuit anyone? Fighing Back! I set up an email account, atmfees@fuzzygroup.com to capture feedback.  If anyone wants to send emails of fees they've been charged that would be very cool.  I'll publish it in a week or two.  DO NOT send any sensitive financial info of course.  And I have mis-stated any facts, etc or someone has links to this piece (the WSJ has no permalinks for non subscribers) then email scott@fuzzygroup.com and I'll get them posted. The Stop and Shop complaint list is 800 767 7772 if this happens to be where you were screwed on fees (they're big in the north east at least). The Pennies Option I'm strongly tempted to start paying for groceries in pennies, dimes and quarters as a protest action.  A long time ago when The Interface Group (the producers of Comdex) treated me very, very poorly, I paid a $2,000 plus bill in about 18+ boxes of loose change shipped UPS to them.  And I didn't tell them who much was in each the box...  I never had a problem again.  After all... Legal Tender is Legal Tender.  This is very frustrating even for you but oh so satisfying.  A National Pay in Change Day anyone? Change My Bank As an FYI, my bank is Fleet out of Boston.  I suspect that I will NOT be a Fleet customer much longer.  Does anyone's bank not do this?  Any recommendations? Want to Forward this to Someone Else? If you want to send this to someone else, use this url: http://www.fuzzygroup.com/go/?atmfees (Hey -- a lot of people who aren't bloggers don't get the permalink icon so why not make it easy for them?) 6:09:52 AM  Google It!  comment []   IM Me About This

Take Your Own Advice Scott, Take Your Own Advice! A few weeks ago, I write this piece: Researching a New Client.  Dewayne pushed me to write this and he was so correct.  I wish I had thought to apply it to my choice of hosting vendors.  My misery in this area continues.  It's the reason why things are late -- we still don't feel comfortable with reliability yet.  So here's my suggestion before you start business with a new vendor: Read this Follow Technique #4, Step 2.  If I had just done this I would have saved more than 1 week's worth of effort.  Sigh.  I never was good at taking my own advice.  And, I can promise you this -- you haven't heard the end of this approach to reputation checking.  More soon.  I'm so frustrated with myself now I can't even see straight. 5:12:08 AM  Google It!  comment []   IM Me About This

Very, Very Cool: The Essential Blogging Cover is Available! We (the authors) have known about this for a bit of time but we couldn't disclose.  Given that I am very much a cat person, I'm so pleased with this cover graphic.  And, yes, it's now my desktop back drop. Thanks Nat!  (Nat was the editor who pulled all of us authors towards the finishing line.  And if you think this was like herding cats ....) 4:44:47 AM  Google It!  comment []   IM Me About This