If you haven’t seen the tv ad campaign recently there is one I have absolutely grown to despise.
There is a shopping environment of (campaign various) kinds. Everything is moving happily like clock work. Everyone happily.. nay dotingly swiping their Visa card.
Then it happens. Horrors. OH MY GOD! someone uses
(dum duh daaaaaaaaa) Cash!!!!
Everything comes to a stop. Smiling cashier units become disdanefully unhappy as they slowly have to count change. Peer pressure, everyone’s happy Camazotzian pattern has been disrupted.
The horrible pariah of society (typically dressed in clashing clothes) skulks off while the machine clicks back into sync.
I mean…. does this image terrify anyone else?
Last time I looked… and then again just now-
Every piece of American Currency bears the following words:
This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private
And despite it having a serial number… it’s basically untraceable and untrackable.
But what gets me is this pressure that in the perfect world… we all use visa and everyone just shops non stop in a rhythmic, utopian clockwork.
It presses just about every button I have and makes me want to switch entirely to cash.
« I am from Pittsburgh… I live in Seattle NO NO NO, WRONG WRONG WRONG »
I hate that commercial. It also brings to my mind that no one is checking to see if those cards actually belong to the people using them.
Wrinkle in Time ref was win!
Heh. I actually like those commercials. 😉
I am pretty much anti-cash, for my own finances, but that’s me. I don’t have a problem with other people using cash (provided that they don’t take all day about finding the required number of pennies), but I absolutely *hate* when people use checks — just doesn’t seem to be a reason for it, nowadays.
It doesn’t terrify me, but it definitely irks me. It’s typical advertising: create a problem that doesn’t exist and offer a solution. They have to overstate their point to get anyone to rethink their behavior, and they can bite me.
I recommend cash. And I have never and mean never met a merchant or service person who didn’t like cash just as much as I do ;))
Yeah, I’ll just bet the credit card companies would like to promote another view. Gee, I wonder why?
give it time.. soon, we’ll all be swiping an embedded chip in our hand. And the saps with debit cards will get the stern look.
Reminds me of something biblical I once read. Hmmmmmmmmmm..
Every piece of American Currency bears the following words:
This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private
You did see the big debate about how people are all up in arms that you can ONLY pay for the iPhone with debit or credit? Mainly because of this statement right here.
Oh, yeah… Points off from Apple
Wasn’t pleased with that decision at all.
That is the the same principle as those evil loan companies that penalize you for paying off your mortgage early!
I’m surprised Apple didn’t force people to use credit cards to buy the iPhone. I’m waiting for someone to only accept credit cards, thus forcing people to go into debt to buy something.
The whole thing just makes me want to become Amish sometimes.
agreed
I hate condescending commercials…
I hate that commercial. Honestly, switching to cash is actually a quite good idea. It keeps your finances straight and doesn’t put you into credit card debt.
Yep, I’m with you on the commercial and proudly use cash with a big smile. :o)
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one seriously offended and disturbed by that commercial.
I too am irritated by that commercial. I think it is part of a goverment plot to outmode cash.
Yeah, I saw that one today, too.
Disturbing.
I remember a few years ago, I had to send a few items via FedEx. First one was delivered, but I got an extra charge because somehow the credit card processing kicked out my card. So the next time, I decided to pay in cash. Imagine my surprise when the nice person at the FedEx office told me that they do not accept cash for transactions.
I always want to crack up every time I see that commercial, but then I laugh at the stupid.
allow me to say that I love that you can insert “Camazotzian” and that nobody blinks an eye.
Also, who watches commercials anymore?
Not all Visa/Mastercard cards are “credit” cards, there are quite a number out there of debit/check cards with those same features. The stores get charged a small fee every time a customer uses a credit card or one’s debit/check card. Typically those fees don’t apply to pin based purchases but most credit card processing companies have separate fees for those. Those credit card fees are based more on the Mastercard/Visa logo (Discover & Amex Ex have different fees).
The commercials do irritate me, but most do anyways.