Motorists Slugged Again At The Pump

[OscarTheGrouch]

I thought this was interesting.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19433005-1242,00.html

[SamanthaJane]

greedy greedy greedy:banghead:

[Tam-I-Am]

While I don't agree with the surcharge, it seems to me there is a really easy solution....pay with cash.

[OscarTheGrouch]

Some people just aren't comfortable carrying around large amounts of cash.

[Jem]

While I don't agree with the surcharge, it seems to me there is a really easy solution....pay with cash.

Ditto! :thumbsup:

[OscarTheGrouch]

I think the issue is more the fact that the banks have cut the surcharge to the retailer, so why should they be offloading an excess to the customer? Sounds to me like profiteering. Why shouldn't people have a choice of how to pay? Aren't we heading toward a cashless society anyway?

[SamanthaJane]

I agree oscarthegrouch because i hardly ever use cash! (i use my debit card) because im not comfortable carrying around cash... especially with some weirdos that hang around my service station, they've been known to grab peoples bags before! I only take out cash when i know im not going to be able to access an eftpos facility (which is hardly anywhere these days- most shops have eftpos machines)

My parents pay for almost everything on credit card then transfer the money through net bank to pay for the bills. They almost never have cash on them. They hate the thought of someone pinching their wallets with a heap of cash in them. Why should they have to carry around up to $100 cash when going to fill their cars up because the greedy people in our society have decided to charge a fee on using your credit card.

As oscar the gouch said, it all just sounds like profiteering to me!!!!

[Tam-I-Am]

Debit cards attached to savings or cheque accounts are classified as cash these days. They're only charging the surcharge on credit card transactions. As I said, I don't agree with the surcharge - but it's there, so if you don't want to pay it.....find an alternative.

[SamanthaJane]

I do realise debit cards are not the same as credit cards. But i wouldnt class them as "cash" either. Its still using a card instead of over-the-counter cash. And it was a comment made agreeing with oscarthe grouch's "Some people just aren't comfortable carrying around large amounts of cash". I honestly wouldnt be surprised if they start bringing in fees for debit cards aswell though it'd be interesting to see how they'd get around it anyway... :D

I think you should have the choice of either option without negative impacts. The price of fuel is already enough hurt on people's pockets. Perhaps the day before pay day a person needs a full tank of petrol and doesnt have enough cash in their wallets or in their accounts so they use credit. Not everyone has the option of cash transfers at all times. And to start charging extra fees for credit purhcases... hmm really does just sound like profiteering to me too.

[OscarTheGrouch]

II think you should have the choice of either option without negative impacts. The price of fuel is already enough hurt on people's pockets. Perhaps the day before pay day a person needs a full tank of petrol and doesnt have enough cash in their wallets or in their accounts so they use credit. Not everyone has the option of cash transfers at all times. And to start charging extra fees for credit purhcases... hmm really does just sound like profiteering to me too.
I'm sure there are many struggling families out there that are in that prediciment.:thumbsdown:

[Tam-I-Am]

I just saw the full story on the news. Its actually only a few service stations in Melbourne, who have to warn people with signs before they fill up - ie the signs have to be at the bowser.

So if you happened to end up at a servo that did it - you could always go to the next one down the road.

[SamanthaJane]

Domino effect... it may start off as one or two but pretty soon most things catch on...

But I just hope this doesnt happen as i think there is quite enough fees and charges in our day to day world to keep us on our toes without more popping up:thumbsdown:

[OscarTheGrouch]

I just saw the full story on the news. Its actually only a few service stations in Melbourne, who have to warn people with signs before they fill up - ie the signs have to be at the bowser.

So if you happened to end up at a servo that did it - you could always go to the next one down the road.
The article was also referring to service stations in NSW. Once it catches on, I'm sure more than just a few will do it.

[pestiferous]

feeling a little deja vu here,

Didn't we go through all this some 2 -3 years ago ?

If you check most business's you will find they are (and have been for some years) entitled to forward such transaction charges onto the consumer. You'll probably find as those charges are usually only a few cents you havent even noticed your paying it.

Some choose to cover the extra cost themselves, some pass it onto the person using the service. charging YOU the amount the bank charges the business has nothing to do with greed! EFTPOS and C/c facilities are there for YOUR safety and convenience.

If we do not offer the service, we loose customers. If we raise prices to cover these overheads, we loose customers again.

The banks know this and charge us tens of thousands a year in fees to use their facilities. Smaller businesses have no choice but to pass these costs on, to either those using the service OR to all customers through higher prices.

If you want to name greed, name the banks because that's who has forced us into a situation where. It costs $2.50 per transaction to withdraw from a savings account through other bank ATM (ever seen an actual BANK atm in a servo ?)

$2.50 to use savings options on a debit card, OR 20c to use the credit option on the same debit card account! of course using the credit option allows the bank to charge the business more!

If you don't want the fee's don't take advantage of the convenience offered by credit and debit cards.

stand in line for 45 minutes to withdraw at the branch,

drive an extra hour to find an atm that belongs to your bank,

or pay the cash advance interest on the same amount you dont want to pay the bank fee for! but DONT blame the business who has been covering these costs for you for years!