Here are some beefs of mine:
Credit card companies that change your interest from 3.5% or 5.5% to 24%, or 29% – because of – well for really any reason they want. Read the fine print. Good reason to NEVER get another one.
Having to pay $80 or $100 to change an airline ticket when you know it costs them only the time they pay a clerk to do it.
Ridiculous bank over draft charges ($35 to $75) when it’s a once every-two-or-three-year occurrence.
Products we trust are healthful, like vitamins, and we learn they’re not and may be harmful instead. Most all vitamins Americans take are synthetic AND most have toxic artificial colors added. Evil. (See for example, “Are Your Vitamins Safe?” and many other recent reports coming to light.)
Places we go for instant gratification and a break. Instead, we become addicted to the sugary and unhealthful drinks and sweets there. Think Starbucks. Or McDonalds. They’re the evil carb vendors.
Look around. Who’s NOT overweight, tired and cranky? These companies make their money betting we’ll stay that way. And give them our money for that short term fix each day. Twice a day. Three times a day…
What is it about marketers and companies that makes them do things that make us HATE them when we find out (and we always do)?
Who here is NOT waiting for the chance to defect to a different credit card company, tell everyone we know what skunks they are, and hope they sink?
My vote? Chase. Evil. Pure evil. They sell you a low starting rate, even a “permanent” low rate, and they change it whenever. Read the small print, they tell you. And no, you cannot talk to a supervisor. Mind you, that’s AFTER spending millions selling you on the low APR. Once you’ve trusted, they betray you. Then you have to figure out how to pay it off so you’re not stuck with a 30% card.
So does anyone care that banks are in trouble? They’re in deep mogumbo because they’ve been arrogant, and deceptive in their advertising and unfriendly and unresponsive to the customers they had (“Your call is important to us…” wears thin after the first 27 minutes)
Consider Starbucks closing 600 stores. Many people are gleeful about it.
Now cut to us. We all market products and services. Is there any small print there, or hidden agendas that come out once she’s trusted us, that would make a customer sorry she ever bought your product in the first place?
Are we treating others the way we’re being treated by the companies we love to hate?
Or the way WE want to be treated?
If we claim Mc Donald’s or Starbucks are evil we are releasing our own responsibility and we are claiming victimhood. There are three sides to every coin and the truth is generally in the middle.
The victim thing can only go so far because no one has time to check into everything they eat, drink or eat. Vioxx got taken off the market because too many people were victims – unknowing victims who trusted that the drug they got would help them, only it killed them.
This is the same. Both these companies know they sell evil carbs that make people feel good for a while, wear off, and they have to come back for more.
Who has time to check into all the ingredients that has no interest in these things and TRUSTS, because there’s only so much one can focus on in a day?
‘Do no evil’ is one of the Google founders’ mantras. I’d say these companies are doing evil, under the guise of fun, quick, comfort and “break time.” When actually, they’re quickening the demise of every customer that frequents them regularly.
Of course, once a person knows what’s in the drinks and food there, they have to make the hard decision to cut back or cut it out and replace it with something different, that won’t be as harmful to their bodies.
But when consumers don’t know…and the vendors do, that’s evil in my book. The crime of omission.
People focus on what they care about. Health is not an issue until it turns poor and even then they want to cover it up with a Band-Aid and then ignore it as it festers and develops infection and worst. All drugs have information included that lists warnings. Sure, Vioxx didn’t list some of the risks but even if they did people would ignore the warnings. If you were to ask 100 people if they believe fast food, soda, or double shot latte is good for them or is healthy most will say no – as they know what is good and bad for them. If you want to point fingers, point them at the regulatory boards that govern the industries (FDA, etc). What would your solution be to close down all fast food establishments and coffee shops? Doctor’s creed is to do no harm yet they prescribe drugs all day long. We are responsible for our own health and safety.