[...]A little advice from WiseBread on the best way to complain about defective products, something that we all know is inherently linked with our Jewish identity, Margaret Garcia-Couoh suggests to her reader that calling or emailing a complaint just doesn't cut it like sending an actual pen and ink letter would.[...]
I need to try this out in India - where we rarely get stuff for free !. My dad has gotten some success; but most times, it has been with taking the product to their official store (or something like that). Need to try this out.
Wealth is what we use to negotiate with the rest of the world. People in debt are slaves to the lenders. Buy three books: (1) The Millionaire Next Door (2) Financial Peace (3) The Richest Man In Babylon. Richard Heaton
Do you think it would be possible to change our nation into one where public transportation is the norm, rather than having everyone in their own gas-guzzler?
Do you think that taxing gasoline, and bringing it up to the prices that Europe sees (~$8) would actually be a step in the right direction?
I know personally I've heard people complain about the price of gas, and use that as a reason for not driving - because it's too expensive. Perhaps if driving were even more expensive, people would be more inclined to use public transportation, and cities would then improve their transit systems
We might even see the price of an item made across the country as prohibitively expensive, and opt to purchase locally-manufactured goods, buy locally-grown food, and generally cut down on interstate shipping.
On the flip side, I've also gotten free stuff, and coupons for writing a company to say how much I LOVED their product, too!
Don't forget to compliment a job well done, even if it's a huge company!
But yes, I've written many a politely angry letter, and gotten some good results.
Except for Samsung. We bought a TV and a DVD/VCR in the same day, and they BOTH broke within months. We thought DVD's were just terrible, and skipped all the time, but it turns out it was just our DVD player. (we've since replaced it with a cheap Walmart DVD player, and it works GREAT!)
So I've boycotted Samsung and warned my family and friends ever since they ignored my letters.
Turns out their cell phones aren't that great, either, I've heard from friends.
The antigelling enzyme in Pineapple is destroyed by heat...thats why Jello and other deserts of that type tell you to use canned but not fresh Pineapple when used as an addition.
I've had no problem making Pineapple Jam myself at home.
Pff...like this works...I have excellent verbal communications skills, and have "correct" answered many of these questions...on many interviews...and still have not been hired.
After many of the interviews, I would later make a call-back, only to discover that I had been turned-down. When inquiring about *why* I was turned down, without fail, I was told that I did not have enough experience.
I have only three job references at seventeen years of age, two professional, and one personal. All three have given me good references. The skills and experience from said references applied to the jobs I was attempting to acquire, and yet I still could not get a Job.
There seems to be a growing disconnect between teenagers these days, and Corperate America; were Corporate America just "magically" assumes teenagers will suddenly have work experience...despite the fact that Corporate America, each year, is decreasing it's teenage workforce.
Could it be, as time progresses, the Corperations today are requiring greater amounts of experience in potential employees, thus barrign the door to younger generations causing a catch 22?
You must have experience in order to be hired in Corporate America these days (unless you have a College Education...but I digress on even that), but in order to obtain experience, as a teenager, you must first be hired.
The problem lies in the reluctance of businesses today. they do not wish to make a investment in our future, nor take *any* form of risk, consequently they reap no rewards (i.e. a experienced workforce).
This situation greatly angers me, because it highlights one of the founding issues of our society...money. Just as it takes money to make money, it takes experience to get a job...and thus experience.
What of those folks attempting to start a business? You have to have MONEY in order to establish credit (and a steady income at that!). you have to have credit in order to get a loan. You need a loan to start a bussines. But in order to get money you need a job. In order to get a job you need experience. In order to get experience you need a job...and it's a viscous cycle that never ends -_-
I feel exasperated, and distraught over the hand us teenagers have been dealt. True, we may live an easy life at home, but at the same token, many of us want to strike out on our own, and be self Dependant, to succeed, and to soar! But all we find is failure and rejection because we are what we are.
Can I help that I have no experience? No. Could I, given a chance? Yes. but who's willing to give me, a teenager, a chance?!
No-one.
Who said anything about free credit? The issue is banks jacking up interest rates (sure, they're allowed to do that because they hold us by the short hairs when it comes to these things) to cover their own idiotic mistakes in making risky investments.
You have a comment here from someone who is using their credit card for groceries and experiencing the problems that come from being unemployed. The issue here is not that that person is fiscally irresponsible, but that that person may have to pay higher interest rates if they have a revolving balance because banks tried to make an easy buck of off subprime investments. There are times when people may need to rely on credit to get by - being judgmental of them and their finances doesn't excuse what banks are up to.
The pineapple jam is just a gelling agent filled with artificial pineapple flavoring, maybe with some natural fruit flavors mixed in. So, the enzyme wouldn't be in the mix.
However, did you know that when you buy something online you may owe something called a "use tax"?
Yes. It is the law. When you buy something from, say, Amazon.com, you are supposed to remit the amount of your state tax to the appropriate department of revenue. Quite a few state governments would like to force online retailers to report all sales to the state where stuff is shipped, so that consumers can be made to cough up the sales tax, no matter where the seller is located.
Obviously state tax authorities are not chasing down every box of paperclips you buy online. But big-ticket items can attract attention. I bought a computer from a supplier in California and, several years later, was informed that I had to remit the use tax to my state government.
The seller's aim is to move products.Items sitting on the shelves are tying up money and space. Seller buys in volume so his buying price is lower. He sells in volume he makes more, although mark-up on each item is less. Finally the consumer pays less(comparatively)......everybody wins. If u r naive enough to believe BOGO on real estate, i'll sell u the air u breathe.
Recently I bought chicken breasts from Perdue (the new individually sealed ones) at a high price of 6 breasts for $8.99, but I wanted to try them since I only need to eat 1 at a time. the chicken wasn’t good (I didn’t get sick, but the texture was chewy and very pressed-meat-ala-fast-food), and I decided to write them a letter- with the UPC code and the receipt, telling them while I always buy Perdue and like the chicken, I was less than pleased with this purchase and asked if they could help- it always seems to work to ask specifically for a solution, so I asked for a coupon or a refund.
In less than a week I got a voucher/coupon for up to $10 off any Perdue purchase, and they even sent me a stamp to replace the one I used mailing my letter. I think the letter really does garner results!
with most people that you don't have to go totally A/C free. For some folks, it is too expensive, and the tips I have provided should help. For others, central air in a large home (like ours) is just impractical, so it's easier to try to cool one room and use the tips on the rest of the house.
We did just recently buy a small energy-efficient portable A/C for very hot days. We really haven't had to use it much yet. We thought it would come in handy for when we had guests over, as most people aren't used to not having it, and it wouldn't make us very a good host/hostess to have them subjected to our non A/C ways. I admit, that having it on for the hottest hour of the day on a few days has helped my allergies.
Whatever works is best for you and your family. If you use it sparingly, or only when you REALLY have to, you can see tremendous savings! And if you choose not to use it at all, more money to ya!
This might work most of the time, but it definitely does not work with Sandals Resorts. My wife and I vacationed at one of their places for about $1,000/day and were not happy at all with our experience. We easily could have taken that money and had a much better vacation. There were cockroaches in our room, the food was not good (Sandals in all inclusive but we even left one night to eat somewhere else), the wait staff was VERY slow, the SPA lost my wife’s reservations and didn’t seem to care… the list goes on.
Anyway, when we got back, I wrote them a couple of paragraphs about our experience (and I never write letters). I DHLed it to them from my office and tracked it, so I know it was received.
What did I hear back? Nothing. No letter. No refund. No offer for a reduced rate at another resort. Absolutely nothing…
Anyway, as you can tell, I was not happy with my Sandals experience. Their lack of caring just solidified the fact that I would never go to another one of their resorts again.
1) Writing a letter shows a higher level of commitment than an email, phone call or web feedback form, because of the extra inconvenience. Companies know you are serious. They also suspect someone who is serious is more likely to make a stink with his or her friends and family, and thus tarnish the brand.
2) Most companies do not have highly automated systems to process paper mail, unlike their Taylorian call centers or automated email feedback handling systems. Thus your snail mail has a higher likelihood of being seen by an actual human rather than some natural language parsing algorithm or a powerless call center drone.
As for pineapple jam, I am surprised it is even possible, since the bromelain enzyme in pineapple digesta pectin or any other gelling agent.
The glaring mistake that most people make, including the author of this article, is that ownership is the mere possession of any article.
Anything bought on credit is not truly "owned" until all obligations to the debt are paid.
When you buy something on credit, you do not own it until the final payment is made on any debt incurred to acquire the object. You may have some legal claims on it, but until the total debt is eliminated, you do not own the thing outright. In essence, what you have is the right to possess something subject to paying the principle and interest on a debt. Only when the obligation to pay the debt has been discharged in full, does anyone own a thing financed through credit.
There is far deeper meaning in the quote: "The things you own, end up owning you.", than the author of this article seems to understand....and it has nothing really to do with ownership or debt.
We were abroad last year on our honeymoon and my wifes bank took the liberty of cutting off her credit card. The local banks could not do anything and when we rang our bank all they could do was post out a new card to us, but we weren't to be home for another two weeks! Thankfully I still had access to my money but otherwise we would have been completely stuck.
When we got home we found a snail mail letter saying there had been foreign activity on the card and that they were going to cancel it, sent on the very day they did cut it off. I took time to write a carefully worded, very polite but VERY unhappy letter about how we could have been stuck cashless on our honeymoon, how the snail mail letter they sent to us was only sent on the day the card was cut off, how no effort was made to phone/email us, and saying how we had brought our money with us on the card, because its safer than cash, isn't it? I also asked if we should rather close our accounts with them and go with a rival bank. I copied this to the CCard dept and our branch manager.
Got a long letter back from both saying how they were reviewing their systems, blah blah blah, and a cheque for €500! Best letter Ive ever written.
Definitely worth complaining if youre not happy with a service, and the more polite and dignified you are in your complaint the stronger it sounds.
Paying off with old terms is usually not an option. When these notices are sent they include the provision that not accepting means the total balance is due within 30 days. Chances are someone in this situation can't do that and opening a new account to transfer to it is impossible. A person in this bind has no choice but to accept or default.
We all agree that carrying a balance is not a smart thing. But, there are many legitimate reasons why a person would be in this position, so your gtWise assumptions are not warranted.
Why no outrage? Government can tax, tax, tax and no one really gives a hoot. Especially, since the bulk of the burden always seems to fall on someone else.
This country was founded on a principal of Government By the People & For the People.
How can the author of the book say that 10K/person/year is the happiness point? Currency and its buying power fluctuates day to day. 10K today is not 10K a decade ago nor will it be the same a decade from now.
And a point to the Greed conversation. Greed is the extreme of desire. Greed is bad and the word was created with a connotation of evil. Greed is the desire for money or other things beyond the necessary amount. Greed cannot be fulfilled, therefore like a drug, greed will drive a person from good behavior to bad behavior in a push to fulfill his or her unfillable want.
If you are able to charge your mortgage, and you pay your bills from a high-yield savings account, you are getting additional time for the interest to compound as well. It isn't going to necessarily make for a huge windfall, but having an extra 21 days or so of interest is always a positive effect.
In addition, as was stated before, if you are going to pay eventually, why not earn the points and allow them to continue to accumulate for a while? It is also a siplification technique. The more you can put on a credit card, the more simplified it becomes when bills are due. Automatically have everything possible charged to the card, reduce the number of payments (and corresponding due dates), earn additional interest during the grace period, and simplify things for yourself.
In actuality the rewards are the standard 1 point for every $1 charged, not 1%. The reward conversion rate varies, but points can be transferred to any number of airline or hotel partners, or even exchanged directly for gift cards, products, servcies, etc.
Interest rates do make a difference, so I don't think it can be considered the least of anyone's concerns.
I am not disagreeing with this statement. I just tried to show that the interest rate hike is easily avoidable. You simply don't agree to the new terms and pay off your balance under the old ones. Easy as that.
The rest of my post was trying to debunk the arguments that you used against my solution. Now you came up with several more:
the customers are playing by the rules and trying to build good credit.
Let's just nip this one in the bud. You don't build good credit by carrying a balance. And if you don't carry a balance the interest rate hike has no effect on you. You can build perfectly good credit by paying off your credit card every month.
And it's not like every line of credit is opened by some greedy bastard who just wants some play money
Then what are they opened for? To buy groceries? To pay rent? These people seriously need to reconsider their finances and they have to realize that they might need a second job, move to a cheaper city or simply cut back. Remember, no one is entitled to free or cheap credit.
The rest of your arguments simply reiterate what the others said, so I'm going to spare you with my rebuttal on those.
I've cut back on using AC, but I don't think it's necessary to have an all or nothing approach. I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Northern VA with lots of windows and little, if any, direct sunlight. When I'm home I open all the windows and run the ceiling fan in my bedroom. I also use a column fan to cool the living room. I close all the windows when I leave and run the AC to keep the apartment at about 80 degrees. I also have a room thermometer that I use to monitor the temperature in the apartment.
I have two Louisiana cats, one of which is a shaggy, long-haired Maine Coon mix. Both of them find their own ways to deal with warm temperatures. Sometimes I find my short-haired brown tabby hanging out in the bathtub or relaxing on the kitchen floor where it's cool.The MC mix hangs out under the bed. I keep plenty of cool water around at all times and brush them. Sometimes I even wet down a paper towel and rub them with it - the water evaporates and cools their skin. They love it!
[...]A little advice from WiseBread on the best way to complain about defective products, something that we all know is inherently linked with our Jewish identity, Margaret Garcia-Couoh suggests to her reader that calling or emailing a complaint just doesn't cut it like sending an actual pen and ink letter would.[...]
I need to try this out in India - where we rarely get stuff for free !. My dad has gotten some success; but most times, it has been with taking the product to their official store (or something like that). Need to try this out.
GCM
Wealth is what we use to negotiate with the rest of the world. People in debt are slaves to the lenders. Buy three books: (1) The Millionaire Next Door (2) Financial Peace (3) The Richest Man In Babylon. Richard Heaton
Do you think it would be possible to change our nation into one where public transportation is the norm, rather than having everyone in their own gas-guzzler?
Do you think that taxing gasoline, and bringing it up to the prices that Europe sees (~$8) would actually be a step in the right direction?
I know personally I've heard people complain about the price of gas, and use that as a reason for not driving - because it's too expensive. Perhaps if driving were even more expensive, people would be more inclined to use public transportation, and cities would then improve their transit systems
We might even see the price of an item made across the country as prohibitively expensive, and opt to purchase locally-manufactured goods, buy locally-grown food, and generally cut down on interstate shipping.
On the flip side, I've also gotten free stuff, and coupons for writing a company to say how much I LOVED their product, too!
Don't forget to compliment a job well done, even if it's a huge company!
But yes, I've written many a politely angry letter, and gotten some good results.
Except for Samsung. We bought a TV and a DVD/VCR in the same day, and they BOTH broke within months. We thought DVD's were just terrible, and skipped all the time, but it turns out it was just our DVD player. (we've since replaced it with a cheap Walmart DVD player, and it works GREAT!)
So I've boycotted Samsung and warned my family and friends ever since they ignored my letters.
Turns out their cell phones aren't that great, either, I've heard from friends.
The antigelling enzyme in Pineapple is destroyed by heat...thats why Jello and other deserts of that type tell you to use canned but not fresh Pineapple when used as an addition.
I've had no problem making Pineapple Jam myself at home.
~ Roland
Pff...like this works...I have excellent verbal communications skills, and have "correct" answered many of these questions...on many interviews...and still have not been hired.
After many of the interviews, I would later make a call-back, only to discover that I had been turned-down. When inquiring about *why* I was turned down, without fail, I was told that I did not have enough experience.
I have only three job references at seventeen years of age, two professional, and one personal. All three have given me good references. The skills and experience from said references applied to the jobs I was attempting to acquire, and yet I still could not get a Job.
There seems to be a growing disconnect between teenagers these days, and Corperate America; were Corporate America just "magically" assumes teenagers will suddenly have work experience...despite the fact that Corporate America, each year, is decreasing it's teenage workforce.
Could it be, as time progresses, the Corperations today are requiring greater amounts of experience in potential employees, thus barrign the door to younger generations causing a catch 22?
You must have experience in order to be hired in Corporate America these days (unless you have a College Education...but I digress on even that), but in order to obtain experience, as a teenager, you must first be hired.
The problem lies in the reluctance of businesses today. they do not wish to make a investment in our future, nor take *any* form of risk, consequently they reap no rewards (i.e. a experienced workforce).
This situation greatly angers me, because it highlights one of the founding issues of our society...money. Just as it takes money to make money, it takes experience to get a job...and thus experience.
What of those folks attempting to start a business? You have to have MONEY in order to establish credit (and a steady income at that!). you have to have credit in order to get a loan. You need a loan to start a bussines. But in order to get money you need a job. In order to get a job you need experience. In order to get experience you need a job...and it's a viscous cycle that never ends -_-
I feel exasperated, and distraught over the hand us teenagers have been dealt. True, we may live an easy life at home, but at the same token, many of us want to strike out on our own, and be self Dependant, to succeed, and to soar! But all we find is failure and rejection because we are what we are.
Can I help that I have no experience? No. Could I, given a chance? Yes. but who's willing to give me, a teenager, a chance?!
No-one.
How does Bob Barr figure into that, since the LP wants to cut back taxes on both rich _and_ poor? Seems to me he'd be the best vote.
Who said anything about free credit? The issue is banks jacking up interest rates (sure, they're allowed to do that because they hold us by the short hairs when it comes to these things) to cover their own idiotic mistakes in making risky investments.
You have a comment here from someone who is using their credit card for groceries and experiencing the problems that come from being unemployed. The issue here is not that that person is fiscally irresponsible, but that that person may have to pay higher interest rates if they have a revolving balance because banks tried to make an easy buck of off subprime investments. There are times when people may need to rely on credit to get by - being judgmental of them and their finances doesn't excuse what banks are up to.
The pineapple jam is just a gelling agent filled with artificial pineapple flavoring, maybe with some natural fruit flavors mixed in. So, the enzyme wouldn't be in the mix.
Our sales tax is 8.3%, with noplace to go but up.
However, did you know that when you buy something online you may owe something called a "use tax"?
Yes. It is the law. When you buy something from, say, Amazon.com, you are supposed to remit the amount of your state tax to the appropriate department of revenue. Quite a few state governments would like to force online retailers to report all sales to the state where stuff is shipped, so that consumers can be made to cough up the sales tax, no matter where the seller is located.
Obviously state tax authorities are not chasing down every box of paperclips you buy online. But big-ticket items can attract attention. I bought a computer from a supplier in California and, several years later, was informed that I had to remit the use tax to my state government.
The seller's aim is to move products.Items sitting on the shelves are tying up money and space. Seller buys in volume so his buying price is lower. He sells in volume he makes more, although mark-up on each item is less. Finally the consumer pays less(comparatively)......everybody wins. If u r naive enough to believe BOGO on real estate, i'll sell u the air u breathe.
This is a great idea -- I'm sure my dog will love it!
Does anyone know of a good cat food recipe (crockpot or not)? I'd really like to get into cooking cat food, too.
Recently I bought chicken breasts from Perdue (the new individually sealed ones) at a high price of 6 breasts for $8.99, but I wanted to try them since I only need to eat 1 at a time. the chicken wasn’t good (I didn’t get sick, but the texture was chewy and very pressed-meat-ala-fast-food), and I decided to write them a letter- with the UPC code and the receipt, telling them while I always buy Perdue and like the chicken, I was less than pleased with this purchase and asked if they could help- it always seems to work to ask specifically for a solution, so I asked for a coupon or a refund.
In less than a week I got a voucher/coupon for up to $10 off any Perdue purchase, and they even sent me a stamp to replace the one I used mailing my letter. I think the letter really does garner results!
with most people that you don't have to go totally A/C free. For some folks, it is too expensive, and the tips I have provided should help. For others, central air in a large home (like ours) is just impractical, so it's easier to try to cool one room and use the tips on the rest of the house.
We did just recently buy a small energy-efficient portable A/C for very hot days. We really haven't had to use it much yet. We thought it would come in handy for when we had guests over, as most people aren't used to not having it, and it wouldn't make us very a good host/hostess to have them subjected to our non A/C ways. I admit, that having it on for the hottest hour of the day on a few days has helped my allergies.
Whatever works is best for you and your family. If you use it sparingly, or only when you REALLY have to, you can see tremendous savings! And if you choose not to use it at all, more money to ya!
Linsey
This might work most of the time, but it definitely does not work with Sandals Resorts. My wife and I vacationed at one of their places for about $1,000/day and were not happy at all with our experience. We easily could have taken that money and had a much better vacation. There were cockroaches in our room, the food was not good (Sandals in all inclusive but we even left one night to eat somewhere else), the wait staff was VERY slow, the SPA lost my wife’s reservations and didn’t seem to care… the list goes on.
Anyway, when we got back, I wrote them a couple of paragraphs about our experience (and I never write letters). I DHLed it to them from my office and tracked it, so I know it was received.
What did I hear back? Nothing. No letter. No refund. No offer for a reduced rate at another resort. Absolutely nothing…
Anyway, as you can tell, I was not happy with my Sandals experience. Their lack of caring just solidified the fact that I would never go to another one of their resorts again.
PS. They own Beaches Resorts too.
1) Writing a letter shows a higher level of commitment than an email, phone call or web feedback form, because of the extra inconvenience. Companies know you are serious. They also suspect someone who is serious is more likely to make a stink with his or her friends and family, and thus tarnish the brand.
2) Most companies do not have highly automated systems to process paper mail, unlike their Taylorian call centers or automated email feedback handling systems. Thus your snail mail has a higher likelihood of being seen by an actual human rather than some natural language parsing algorithm or a powerless call center drone.
As for pineapple jam, I am surprised it is even possible, since the bromelain enzyme in pineapple digesta pectin or any other gelling agent.
The glaring mistake that most people make, including the author of this article, is that ownership is the mere possession of any article.
Anything bought on credit is not truly "owned" until all obligations to the debt are paid.
When you buy something on credit, you do not own it until the final payment is made on any debt incurred to acquire the object. You may have some legal claims on it, but until the total debt is eliminated, you do not own the thing outright. In essence, what you have is the right to possess something subject to paying the principle and interest on a debt. Only when the obligation to pay the debt has been discharged in full, does anyone own a thing financed through credit.
There is far deeper meaning in the quote: "The things you own, end up owning you.", than the author of this article seems to understand....and it has nothing really to do with ownership or debt.
Try Buddhism 101 for more understanding.
We were abroad last year on our honeymoon and my wifes bank took the liberty of cutting off her credit card. The local banks could not do anything and when we rang our bank all they could do was post out a new card to us, but we weren't to be home for another two weeks! Thankfully I still had access to my money but otherwise we would have been completely stuck.
When we got home we found a snail mail letter saying there had been foreign activity on the card and that they were going to cancel it, sent on the very day they did cut it off. I took time to write a carefully worded, very polite but VERY unhappy letter about how we could have been stuck cashless on our honeymoon, how the snail mail letter they sent to us was only sent on the day the card was cut off, how no effort was made to phone/email us, and saying how we had brought our money with us on the card, because its safer than cash, isn't it? I also asked if we should rather close our accounts with them and go with a rival bank. I copied this to the CCard dept and our branch manager.
Got a long letter back from both saying how they were reviewing their systems, blah blah blah, and a cheque for €500! Best letter Ive ever written.
Definitely worth complaining if youre not happy with a service, and the more polite and dignified you are in your complaint the stronger it sounds.
Paying off with old terms is usually not an option. When these notices are sent they include the provision that not accepting means the total balance is due within 30 days. Chances are someone in this situation can't do that and opening a new account to transfer to it is impossible. A person in this bind has no choice but to accept or default.
We all agree that carrying a balance is not a smart thing. But, there are many legitimate reasons why a person would be in this position, so your gtWise assumptions are not warranted.
Why no outrage? Government can tax, tax, tax and no one really gives a hoot. Especially, since the bulk of the burden always seems to fall on someone else.
This country was founded on a principal of Government By the People & For the People.
Does anyone believe this is true today?
The Government is a blood-sucking leech.
How can the author of the book say that 10K/person/year is the happiness point? Currency and its buying power fluctuates day to day. 10K today is not 10K a decade ago nor will it be the same a decade from now.
And a point to the Greed conversation. Greed is the extreme of desire. Greed is bad and the word was created with a connotation of evil. Greed is the desire for money or other things beyond the necessary amount. Greed cannot be fulfilled, therefore like a drug, greed will drive a person from good behavior to bad behavior in a push to fulfill his or her unfillable want.
Do not confuse Greed with Industry.
If you are able to charge your mortgage, and you pay your bills from a high-yield savings account, you are getting additional time for the interest to compound as well. It isn't going to necessarily make for a huge windfall, but having an extra 21 days or so of interest is always a positive effect.
In addition, as was stated before, if you are going to pay eventually, why not earn the points and allow them to continue to accumulate for a while? It is also a siplification technique. The more you can put on a credit card, the more simplified it becomes when bills are due. Automatically have everything possible charged to the card, reduce the number of payments (and corresponding due dates), earn additional interest during the grace period, and simplify things for yourself.
In actuality the rewards are the standard 1 point for every $1 charged, not 1%. The reward conversion rate varies, but points can be transferred to any number of airline or hotel partners, or even exchanged directly for gift cards, products, servcies, etc.
Interest rates do make a difference, so I don't think it can be considered the least of anyone's concerns.
I am not disagreeing with this statement. I just tried to show that the interest rate hike is easily avoidable. You simply don't agree to the new terms and pay off your balance under the old ones. Easy as that.
The rest of my post was trying to debunk the arguments that you used against my solution. Now you came up with several more:
the customers are playing by the rules and trying to build good credit.
Let's just nip this one in the bud. You don't build good credit by carrying a balance. And if you don't carry a balance the interest rate hike has no effect on you. You can build perfectly good credit by paying off your credit card every month.
And it's not like every line of credit is opened by some greedy bastard who just wants some play money
Then what are they opened for? To buy groceries? To pay rent? These people seriously need to reconsider their finances and they have to realize that they might need a second job, move to a cheaper city or simply cut back. Remember, no one is entitled to free or cheap credit.
The rest of your arguments simply reiterate what the others said, so I'm going to spare you with my rebuttal on those.
I've cut back on using AC, but I don't think it's necessary to have an all or nothing approach. I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Northern VA with lots of windows and little, if any, direct sunlight. When I'm home I open all the windows and run the ceiling fan in my bedroom. I also use a column fan to cool the living room. I close all the windows when I leave and run the AC to keep the apartment at about 80 degrees. I also have a room thermometer that I use to monitor the temperature in the apartment.
I have two Louisiana cats, one of which is a shaggy, long-haired Maine Coon mix. Both of them find their own ways to deal with warm temperatures. Sometimes I find my short-haired brown tabby hanging out in the bathtub or relaxing on the kitchen floor where it's cool.The MC mix hangs out under the bed. I keep plenty of cool water around at all times and brush them. Sometimes I even wet down a paper towel and rub them with it - the water evaporates and cools their skin. They love it!