Last week I got an email from Audible saying that I was eligible for a special deal. I click on the link, and my account is not eligible for the special deal. The email said that I was emailed specifically because my account was eligible. This week, I got an email from Audible saying that I was eligible for a free Audiobook if I sign up for Gold Membership. I already have Gold Membership. Ergo, I am not eligible for the deal.

In other news, my optometrist’s office apparently refuses to send my prescription to the Redstone Walmart because the optometrist is on vacation. I cannot for the life of me figure out why that matters and why they don’t have my prescription on file so that they can send it out. Meanwhile, Redstone Walmart won’t let me place an order with a prescription to be named later, nor will they let me order over the phone even though they have my frame preference on file. This is going to set back my glasses order by a couple of weeks, most likely. My glasses are getting scratched up.

My credit card company blocked my credit card. I finally called them about it and for some reason it was the purchase of Audible (that Audible forgot about) that triggered it. Is there an industry of credit card fraud with audiobooks? Of all the things…


Category: Market

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7 Responses to Consumer Blues

  1. Φ says:

    Switch to contacts.

    When I order contact lenses online, I can either fax or email a copy of my perscription to the vendor, or I can just give the doctor’s name and phone numberr. If I do the second, the vendor tries to call the doctor. If they can’t reach him, the subscription is “deemed verified” and the order is filled.

    Not sure why you can’t do that with glasses.

  2. trumwill says:

    I can’t wear contacts until the air clears.

    I might be able to order glasses online, but unlike contacts I want to know how they look when I wear them. It’s hard to do that online.

    I don’t order contacts online, either, mostly due to bad experiences with contacts that are all the right measurements and such but still don’t work right. I like being able to truck it right back to the eye doc. Eventually I may get faith enough not to do that anymore.

  3. ScarletKnight says:

    1) As I’m sure you have noticed, restaurants in an attempt to be helpful have put recommended tipping amounts at the bottom of the bill. Normally they list 15% and 18%. Sometimes they add 20%. On my most recent trip to TGI Friday’s, the three suggested amounts were 18%, 20%, and 25%. Amazing.

    2) On Sunday I went to Taco Bell at 5 in the afternoon. Even though I was literally the only customer in the place, it took them more than 6 minutes to make my food. When I asked the manager why it took so long, he asked his employees why. They all pleaded it wasn’t their fault, since 5 is when the shift changes. One of the employees came out to tell me that the manager told him to tell me it was because they were “changing the meat”.

    At Taco Bell there are two stations where the food is assembled. If they are changing the meat in one, they should leave the other open in case a customer comes in. Now if there were customers ahead of me, I can understand waiting. But when I am the only one, I expect my food tout de suite. After all, it is called fast food.

  4. trumwill says:

    On my most recent trip to TGI Friday’s, the three suggested amounts were 18%, 20%, and 25%. Amazing.

    1) The 20% is the most puzzling.That one is… pretty easy to figure out, if you are so inclined. I’m not a fan of the natural creep of expected tippery, though since I tip 20% by default it’s not as big of an issue for someone who can’t figure out the 15% they want to tip.

    2) There was a Burger King near the Sotech campus where twice I waited over 20 minutes without remotely the customer volume to justify it. I was not sorry when they tore it down for parking.

  5. AC says:

    “On my most recent trip to TGI Friday’s, the three suggested amounts were 18%, 20%, and 25%. Amazing.”

    I guess someone figured out how to apply anchoring effects! “What, you’re picking 18%? What are you, a cheapskate?”

  6. ScarletKnight says:

    The 20% is the most puzzling.That one is… pretty easy to figure out, if you are so inclined.

    LOL as AC mentioned, they don’t just do it so we don’t have to do math. They do it as a hint as to what the expected tipping percentages are.

    I tip 20% by default

    Wow you are easy. 15 for me.

  7. trumwill says:

    Yeah, I know that there is some nudging in there.

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