Random Thought of the Day

A local body shop has screwed up a repair, though I'm happy to say things now look like inconvenience is all I'm going to be put through in the end. I would have taken the trouble to give them a good google review, now it'll be 'no review' and they should feel lucky. Any more crap and it'll be a bad review. I'm not the type to go further legally but we all have our limits.

In the event of those possible unhappy scenarios coming to pass , another thing I'd ding them on is their big sign that says something to the effect "maximum $500 on credit card"; this is a violation of their Visa agreement, and probably the agreement they have with other cards.

Quote: link below

Q. A merchant required a minimum purchase amount in order for me to use my Visa card. Is this allowed?

A. In general, a merchant is not permitted to establish a minimum or maximum amount for a Visa transaction

https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/visa-rules.html

The site gives a handy link to report such BS: https://usa.visa.com/Forms/visa-rules.html

Quote: odiousgambit

A local body shop has screwed up a repair, though I'm happy to say things now look like inconvenience is all I'm going to be put through in the end. I would have taken the trouble to give them a good google review, now it'll be 'no review' and they should feel lucky. Any more crap and it'll be a bad review. I'm not the type to go further legally but we all have our limits.

In the event of those possible unhappy scenarios coming to pass , another thing I'd ding them on is their big sign that says something to the effect "maximum $500 on credit card"; this is a violation of their Visa agreement, and probably the agreement they have with other cards.



https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/visa-rules.html

The site gives a handy link to report such BS: https://usa.visa.com/Forms/visa-rules.html

Interesting. I've bought cars and have asked to pay by credit card. They have always told me I could put a downpayment down on the credit card but the balance has to be paid by certified check. I think I got them to waive the 'certified' part a few times. But never allowed to pay the balance by credit card. Are you saying the car dealerships are not allowed to do this?

Many places will take a credit card but charge a 2+% "convenience" fee or something like that. I just paid my local taxes (semi-annual) and can by check or cash or credit card. If you pay by credit card the add a hefty fee; I think it was a tad under 3%.

Quote: SOOPOO

Interesting. I've bought cars and have asked to pay by credit card. They have always told me I could put a downpayment down on the credit card but the balance has to be paid by certified check. I think I got them to waive the 'certified' part a few times. But never allowed to pay the balance by credit card. Are you saying the car dealerships are not allowed to do this?

Many places will take a credit card but charge a 2+% "convenience" fee or something like that. I just paid my local taxes (semi-annual) and can by check or cash or credit card. If you pay by credit card the add a hefty fee; I think it was a tad under 3%.

Good points, it may be that businesses are allowed to add the fee, I've run into that too, but not allowed to say you can't set a max. Not about law but about the agreement btw.

I hadn't given it much thought except I already had been told by somebody they aren't allowed to set a minimum, which many do anyway too.

If I have time I'll look through the full agreement

What is happening with the CC's is that things changed for the merchants once the CC companies started providing cash back and other increased benefits. Before that time a merchant paid a set percentage on CC purchases. This would vary my merchants by volume, the big national companies get much better deals.

Now with the premium cards the merchants pay a surcharge on top of the normal fee they pay. Your CC company isn't giving the consumer anything. The CC company uses it's power to force the merchant to pay for your cash back. Merchants don't have enough profit to give an additional 2% back on major purchases and will limit the purchase amount.

I have a letter from American Express sitting and I've vacillated as to whether or not to just ignore it? It pertains to an unused cc that I've had for years with them. IIRC a few years back, I called them about something similar, which is, If I don't use it in the next week or so, it will expire which they say would put a ding on my credit?
I have a card that I use as my "working card", and a couple others that sit, similar to AE going unused. When I called them last, the guy says there is no fee for the card, I have credit available if I want, and if I let it expire I get the ding. It made sense to me, but alas here I am again, either charge something or take the hit.

What does that actually mean to me? I don't feel like borrowing any money at this time. I don't think it is right to impugn my credit simply for letting a card expire that I don't use? Having an American Express used to mean something, but I don't think it does so much anymore?

Thoughts?

Quote: petroglyph

I have a letter from American Express sitting and I've vacillated as to whether or not to just ignore it? It pertains to an unused cc that I've had for years with them. IIRC a few years back, I called them about something similar, which is, If I don't use it in the next week or so, it will expire which they say would put a ding on my credit?
I have a card that I use as my "working card", and a couple others that sit, similar to AE going unused. When I called them last, the guy says there is no fee for the card, I have credit available if I want, and if I let it expire I get the ding. It made sense to me, but alas here I am again, either charge something or take the hit.

What does that actually mean to me? I don't feel like borrowing any money at this time. I don't think it is right to impugn my credit simply for letting a card expire that I don't use? Having an American Express used to mean something, but I don't think it does so much anymore?

Thoughts?

Whats the ding and how serious is it
I gotta think that if somebody is going to lend you money and they see that ding, they will ignore it.
Almost sounds like a salesman exaggeration regarding the ding
I have a CET Visa card for CET benefits in Vegas. free food and shows
I still have the CET card but I went and got a MGM Master card that I am going to use for MGM benefits in Vegas and phase out the CET.
I hear You get dinged if You get another credit card. I'm not maxing out a card and getting another. Quite the opposite. I use my card a ton but pay off the entire balance monthly. That counts for way more then a dumb ding
I have a spotless credit history. Whos not going to lend me money at a great rate because of a stupid ding for somebody that has excellent credit.

For some technical reason there is a temporary ding in your rating, basically no big deal that will go away I have to think, but if you are about to apply for credit somewhere soon, I wouldn't cancel the card just before applying. It your credit was so-so to begin with it might be a bigger concern

I think the ding that is being referred to is just that your available credit line will go down when that account closes. Your FICO score is calculated based on the available amount of credit and the current utilization of it. Your FICO may go down a little just because you now have less credit available.

Quote:

From the mid-16th century[1] until the late 19th or early 20th century, young boys in the Western world were unbreeched and wore gowns or dresses until an age that varied between two and eight.

Quote:

The main reason for keeping boys in dresses was toilet training, or the lack thereof.[4] The change was probably made once boys had reached the age when they could easily undo the rather complicated fastenings of many early modern breeches and trousers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeching_(boys)

I think I will disagree with possibly everyone in the gender arguments, and I think people put way too much emphasis on the proper clothes for the which gender or sex.

In fact, aside from practicality issues, I highly suspect the fashion industry warp peoples minds into positions that are completely artificial and made up through marketing. After awhile people don't even realize where it comes from and substitute the marketing for some position they think came to themselves.

Quote: rxwine

From the mid-16th century[1] until the late 19th or early 20th century, young boys in the Western world were unbreeched and wore gowns or dresses until an age that varied between two and eight.

Hemingway's mother had him in a dress
till he was almost 5. He never got over
it and some think it's why he was always
trying to prove what a real man he was,
Bullfights, deep sea fishing, African safari
hunts, two fisted drinking..