My Address Changes, What’s wrong with that?
As a contractor my address and residency changes frequently. While some may think it’s a flamboyant life moving from country to country, and it does have it’s compensations, it does mean there is really nowhere to call home. It’s likely I will end up in the UK but I have spent less than 10% of my life there so I can’t be sure.
Banks have no trouble with location changes, why should you?
With reference to Wasting time with Liberty Reserve you might be excused for thinking I have trouble with banking and other financial matters. Well, actually no I don’t. I use Paypal, Alertpay, First National (South Africa), Solbank (Spain), the AIB (Ireland). These organisations provide a superb service and handle my requirements without difficulty.
The problem comes with organisations like Digital River and the myriad of company names they hide behind. It started around June 2004, at the time I was in Tenerife Spain when the USA lost it’s battle against the Brussels Tea party and agreed to pay EU taxes. Some Brits have sympathy for the founding fathers and the Boston party of the same name, but unlike Americans we didn’t have a choice.
The result was a ridiculous method of tax designed to disadvantage US business and promoted by Digital River et al. Bold in their quest to kiss european butt they decided to implement recommendations which like the common extradition treaty are yet to be ratified by US govt. Countless millions of dollars have been collected by DR which is supposed to be handed over to an EU authority. It is not that we don’t like to pay, it’s that we want our payments to go to the right f*%$$$ing country! And DR think it doesn’t matter how much we pay either!
Unless Blighty finds a way to fight for it’s rights in europe I probably will not return (hooray I hear Brits shout, their silence is deafening).
Paypal and Alertpay protect my bank accounts
I like the way Paypal and Alertpay block traders from getting my personal details. Who knows who work for the traders you meet online? Large or small there maybe thousands of people with access to that data. How can we know our information is safe? Years of experience with Paypal and Alertpay have given me a growing trust, but small amounts only. My business dependency on them is less than 10%.
High street banks have proven to be less reliable recently, but I know each of my bank managers and I know where they work!
If I want to buy why do you need a copy of a utility bill?
Can you imagine my reaction when asked? The item I wanted cost $29.95. When I asked why they replied “It’s standard policy for anyone using Paypal who does not include their address”. I pointed out they can setup Paypal to provide the address, it’s then up to the buyer to decide whether to go ahead with the purchase or not.
But that request for a utility bill is a shocker, there is so much they can do with it, but why does a merchant need it? It makes no sense.
Fax your credit card
Another favourite is to ask for a credit card to be faxed or emailed. Absolutely bizarre! Why don’t I just hand you the keys to my Maserati while I’m at it? Thankfully this is not asked for that much now with banks reminding customers they are obligated for any abuse of their cards down to incompetent use (such as making copies and faxing them to people!).
All I want to do is buy, please sell me your products, I’m human, not an ATM
Remarkable that all the way through the sales process some companies forget they are dealing with a potential customer and not an ATM. I don’t spit money on demand and I do care how you treat me. Use Share-It, Digital River or any other company that tells me where I am in their world and how much I must pay them regardless of what the software developer wants are loosing more than customers and money, they are flying a flag that shouts “I can’t be bothered”.
And if you are using these organisations successfully and refuse to consider how much better you would do if you didn’t then let me know and I’ll work on a percentage of new business you gain.
There are three ways to make money
Inherit it, Win it, or sell something. So if you have not inherited or won a fortune why make it hard for people to buy?
