Corporate Deception and the Patronizing of its Customer Base



Yesterday I stopped by the post office to get my mail. I have to keep a PO Box because I have neighbors that like to steal my mail, and a lazy post office and sheriffs department that seems to think it is no big deal. Subject for another blog, so anyway I received a postcard from eBay. As I read the post card it tells me how I can NOW get international visibility for a modest 10 to 40 cents more per listing. I chuckled. That is what we used to get included for listing with eBay, now we have to pay more for it.



The little things that these corporations do that belittles, patronizes, and takes advantage of the understanding of its customer based is absolutely amazing! But what is even more amazing is how the customer base takes it. It is almost to the point that the customers bend over expecting a swift kick in the ass and then thank the corporations for screwing them over. People need to stand up.



Here are three quick examples of how corporations like to screw people, these are based on my own experience:



1. Alltel tells you that you have 15 days to make sure the service works before you are locked into a two year contract. The fine print requires you to return the equipment you purchased before the contract can be canceled. Then they refuse to return the equipment by means of selling phones with padded hours and claiming to much time was used!



2. Ebay tells its customers (ya know the people that made them rich) that they are reducing fees. Then require them to pay for international exposure that was part of the service before. Kiss me first before you screw me some more please.



3. Walmart, one of my absolute favorites. Besides totally abandoning the buy American campaign, they love to befuddle its customers on the rollback prices theory. Here is how it works, you buy a 10 pound bag of dog food for $4.99. Then you go in and the price is dropped to $4.29 cents, but something feels different. Yet you look and see the cute little smiley face that tells you they rolled prices back by .71 cents. But upon further scrutiny you see the bag is now 8 pounds not 10. That means if the price was the same without a roll back it should be at $3.99 for 8 pounds. Yet they continually get away with treating their customers like they are stupid, all why they laugh their way to the bank with YOUR money.



People need to stop letting these corporations get away with this crap. Forget the politicians, a few well placed donations from "friends" of the corporation and they have effectively bought that politician off.



Things you can do:

1. Blog about it

2. Make a conscious decision NOT TO or LIMIT you buying with that corporation.

3. Tell a friend and ask them to limit spending with that corporation

4. Write a letter to the corporate headquarters telling them how they suck and why they do.

5. If you do have to shop with the corporation, tell everyone there why you are disappointed with the corporation and be a little loud about it.

6. And many more things that only are limited by your creative mind.




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