Nickel and Dimed Bill
A bill to stop consumers from being Nickel and Dimed by businesses seeking to charge consumers indirectly.
Nickel and Dimed
Ever notice that every time you spend a dollar on a membership, subscription, service or any other direct payment it comes with indirect prices and you are actually spending more than you bargained for? Welcome to the world of Nickel and Dimed. When we are told that something is priced at $10 a month, why is the not price $10 a month? When a product says 50% off, is it really 50% off or just 50% off a made up price. Why do businesses hide prices or add prices or create prices and charge us discreetly instead of up front and in front of our faces? Why do we have to read 100 pages to find out the intricacies of true prices? Why? Because we have become too relaxed in a world of credit and easy pay. We are told to relax, save paper through paperless billing and we are swamped in endless jargon in order to make the price of fighting indirect prices greater than paying. Enough is enough. It is time that we as the Nickel and Dimed say ?enough? and demand true payment, true prices for the products and services we buy.
Therefore, I propose that our senators and representatives in Washington DC propose a bill, a True Price Bill that directs all businesses to advertise the true price of being their client. What does this mean? This means an end to hidden charges, an end to indirect prices and a beginning of honest business in a world where businesses have for too long Nickel and Dimed the consumer. I propose 3 principles in order to achieve this objective, 3 honest principles that should be of no hindrance to an honest business;
1. The price of a subscription or membership to any product or service should include all prices in its periodical fee and should be cancelable at anytime at either the client or business?s discretion.
This means no sign up fees, no upkeep fees and no cancellation fees or any other fees that increase what seems to be a low periodical rate.
2. If a store advertises a sale, special or discount, it has to be based on a price that was previously charged in the same store for at least a month to ensure the store actually planned on charging the original price.
This means when you walk into a store and see 50% off, it means 50% off a real price and not a price made up by the retailer.
3. Charges from credit cards, phone companies or any other product or service cannot charge you for anything, but direct charges that directly correlate with their product or service unless you the consumer opt-in to the charge.
This means no more being charged for shady internet services through your phone bill or discrete transaction fees through your credit cards.
Up front, in your face and direct is the mantra. No special fees, just paying what we originally desired to pay for. Ok, so what will businesses have to say about what I propose? They have only one argument. They will be forced to charge more if they are forced to charge direct. Of course they will! But what difference does it make? You will be paying the same. Only no
Ever notice that every time you spend a dollar on a membership, subscription, service or any other direct payment it comes with indirect prices and you are actually spending more than you bargained for? Welcome to the world of Nickel and Dimed. When we are told that something is priced at $10 a month, why is the not price $10 a month? When a product says 50% off, is it really 50% off or just 50% off a made up price. Why do businesses hide prices or add prices or create prices and charge us discreetly instead of up front and in front of our faces? Why do we have to read 100 pages to find out the intricacies of true prices? Why? Because we have become too relaxed in a world of credit and easy pay. We are told to relax, save paper through paperless billing and we are swamped in endless jargon in order to make the price of fighting indirect prices greater than paying. Enough is enough. It is time that we as the Nickel and Dimed say ?enough? and demand true payment, true prices for the products and services we buy.
Therefore, I propose that our senators and representatives in Washington DC propose a bill, a True Price Bill that directs all businesses to advertise the true price of being their client. What does this mean? This means an end to hidden charges, an end to indirect prices and a beginning of honest business in a world where businesses have for too long Nickel and Dimed the consumer. I propose 3 principles in order to achieve this objective, 3 honest principles that should be of no hindrance to an honest business;
1. The price of a subscription or membership to any product or service should include all prices in its periodical fee and should be cancelable at anytime at either the client or business?s discretion.
This means no sign up fees, no upkeep fees and no cancellation fees or any other fees that increase what seems to be a low periodical rate.
2. If a store advertises a sale, special or discount, it has to be based on a price that was previously charged in the same store for at least a month to ensure the store actually planned on charging the original price.
This means when you walk into a store and see 50% off, it means 50% off a real price and not a price made up by the retailer.
3. Charges from credit cards, phone companies or any other product or service cannot charge you for anything, but direct charges that directly correlate with their product or service unless you the consumer opt-in to the charge.
This means no more being charged for shady internet services through your phone bill or discrete transaction fees through your credit cards.
Up front, in your face and direct is the mantra. No special fees, just paying what we originally desired to pay for. Ok, so what will businesses have to say about what I propose? They have only one argument. They will be forced to charge more if they are forced to charge direct. Of course they will! But what difference does it make? You will be paying the same. Only no
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