Banks: nickle and diming

Originally Posted by deborahbroadus

Did anyone notice a trend of businesses not accepting cash? My daughter relayed an experience of traveling, stopping in a motel/hotel and being told that they don't accept cash.

My first thought was that it was a way for credit card companies to strike back and in this way maintain their death grip on the economy steering wheel?

a few weeks back my brother was required to use a credit card to "hold" the room he was trying to get at a hotel. he handed the lady the entire amount for the room in cash, but still had to use his credit card. nothing was charged to his card, but she still had to swipe it. i thought that was a bit odd.

Originally Posted by kylerimb

a few weeks back my brother was required to use a credit card to "hold" the room he was trying to get at a hotel. he handed the lady the entire amount for the room in cash, but still had to use his credit card. nothing was charged to his card, but she still had to swipe it. i thought that was a bit odd.

Thank you! I wondered if it was becoming a trend not to accept cash. Along with BOA's behavior/marketing that raised such an out roar, I wondered if they (banks, credit card companies...etc...) were coming up with another strategy and involving other businesses in that strategy to maintain the credit hold and discourage the use of cash.

Far-fetched..perhaps, but possible.

They tell us it's so that if you tear anything up during your stay, they have a way to charge you for the damage.

Then there's that whacked out, uber-cynical part of me that says it's easier to keep track of someone swiping a card, than it is to keep track of someone paying cash.

Quite frankly, if I buy something in person, and if it is something that I cannot deduct from my taxes, I pay with cash. With those kinds of expenditures, it is absolutely no one else's business but my own what I spend my money on.

I'm guessing that it sure would be convenient for the government in SO MANY ways to completely eliminate cash and have all transactions merely "funny money" as numbers in a computer. Must be darn inconvenient to have to have the Federal Reserve Bank constantly using up so much paper to print up more money for them to spend. I guess that paper and special ink gets expensive after a while compared to the actual value of the money itself being printed....

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Quite frankly, if I buy something in person, and if it is something that I cannot deduct from my taxes, I pay with cash. With those kinds of expenditures, it is absolutely no one else's business but my own what I spend my money on.

I'm guessing that it sure would be convenient for the government in SO MANY ways to completely eliminate cash and have all transactions merely "funny money" as numbers in a computer. Must be darn inconvenient to have to have the Federal Reserve Bank constantly using up so much paper to print up more money for them to spend. I guess that paper and special ink gets expensive after a while compared to the actual value of the money itself being printed....

BUT it would make sense. Thinking about what Shadera said, what if they were looking for a way to keep tabs on EVERYONE? What better way than to make cash itself undesirable (and thus close down the FRB and parcel out the employees?

I think BOA went one way in its "fleecing" and was the red herring for the insidious plan that's already in action. It probably wasn't planned that way, but it certainly was a distraction. In the meantime, I predict we will see less and less of actual money being used in transactions, as our lives become dictated by 'CARDS.' It's not stupid, you certainly can't get most Government positions without having a bank account (direct deposit), and banks give out Debit and Credit cards so that one can access their accounts...

I think more of us need to start using cash to foil this attempt.

*mock me if you will* LOL Seriously...the thoughts that cross my mind.

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

support your local credit union.

I looked into this and it seems like it is a better deal than even a local bank. The nearest branch is a bit of a drive, but I rarely annually go to my bank, most banking business is online these days.

Originally Posted by Lucille

I looked into this and it seems like it is a better deal than even a local bank. The nearest branch is a bit of a drive, but I rarely annually go to my bank, most banking business is online these days.

Plus they usually have a 'star' network, so you should be able to use ANY credit union ATM and not get hit with fees for withdrawls. It comes in handy when traveling.


eventually it'll be bar code 'credit links' and every moment of our lives will be tracked.

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Plus they usually have a 'star' network, so you should be able to use ANY credit union ATM and not get hit with fees for withdrawls. It comes in handy when traveling.


eventually it'll be bar code 'credit links' and every moment of our lives will be tracked.

I watched a few minutes of a movie 'In Time' when my son was over, about a society where the currency was time. Babies were born with, I think, 30 years. People could transfer time to each other by touching wrists just where you have that bar code. When funds ran out, so did your life.
The wealthy lived for hundreds of years. The poor lived from day to day.

I'll look into the star network, thank you for mentioning it.

Well, you know, if the government would combine cell phone technology with GPS tracking, automated banking fund transfers and embedded chip ID, MANY people would go for it just for the capability of being "linked up" with their cell phone service 24/7. All they need to do is to come up with a surgically implanted device with a power source that will run indefinitely without replacement or recharging and people will be lined up for them. Heck, I think if some people even had to stick their big toe into a light bulb socket for an hour, they would STILL go for it....

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Well, you know, if the government would combine cell phone technology with GPS tracking, automated banking fund transfers and embedded chip ID, MANY people would go for it just for the capability of being "linked up" with their cell phone service 24/7. All they need to do is to come up with a surgically implanted device with a power source that will run indefinitely without replacement or recharging and people will be lined up for them. Heck, I think if some people even had to stick their big toe into a light bulb socket for an hour, they would STILL go for it....

As many people (myself included) as would sit though a TATTOOING, hair perming, plucking and piercing... you might be right! Pain is pain.