The Ron Paul Scenario

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that Ron Paul is elected President of the United States–even though we know that voting machines have been shown to be rigged with predetermined outcomes. What then?

I’ve heard some people say that Ron Paul will end all the “bad stuff,” if elected. I’ve heard that he will use Executive Orders to end the Federal Reserve, Department of Education and other “unconstitutional”  agencies and programs (doesn’t go far enough, but would be a good first step). From listening to some of the chatter, some folks are making Ron Paul out to be some kind of Messiah.

Unfortunately, it is not true and those things will never happen.

First of all, Ron Paul doesn’t believe that Executive Orders are Constitutional, so he would never use them. If he did, he would be helping to legitimize the process and open himself up to criticism from his detractors and those who do want to use them (“If you don’t believe they’re Constitutional, why are you issuing them?”), so don’t hold your breath waiting for Ron Paul to use dictatorial “stroke of the pen, law of the land” stuff anytime soon.

Second, even if Ron Paul was elected, he would be overriden by the Legislature at every turn, in the same way that Mark Sanford (former Governor of SC) had around 98% of his vetoes overriden with every new budget. Also, nearly every time Sanford wanted to push through a new idea, eliminate wasteful spending, cut taxes, consolidate agencies or eliminate redundant offices, the State Legislature pounded him from every angle, used the progressive (WIS-TV, The State Newspaper, PBS/ETV, Free Times, etc.) local media to make him look like an idiot for even asking for those things, and then boldly refused to give him what he was asking for–and it was done by both Democrats AND Republicans.

The only reason I could see for The Powers That Be to give–yes, give–Ron Paul the Presidency would be for accomplishing something like eliminating the Electoral College–something the progressives have wanted to do, for decades.

If Paul wins the “Presidential Preference” vote (public vote), the Electors are not bound to cast their votes for the popular choice (the candidate for which the public cast the most votes). If the Electors choose to cast their electoral votes to elect a different candidate, the country will come close to another civil war, with riots in the streets. The cries for eliminating the Electoral College will be heard far and wide, and the People will probably be duped into going along with it–including an increase in police power and presence to control any “civil unrest.” (Not that there should be elections for Masters, in the first place, but you get what I’m saying.)

The end result would be that the Statists have more police power and control, and the Socialist Republic of California has control of every new presidential election.

Remember: No matter who is elected, the State always wins.

In over 200 years of voting, we have only gotten higher (and more) taxes, more regulations, more currency manipulation and wealth destruction, more war, more surveillance (monitoring emails and phone calls, street cameras, tracking our cell phones, etc.), and so much more. Minor “victories,” once in awhile, keep the clueless Sheeple thinking that voting can make a difference, but history shows otherwise, so STOP VOTING! Stop legitimizing the rigged game of politics and keeping it alive! Separate yourself from it, and get “off the grid,” as much as possible.

Personally, I would actually like to see Ron Paul win, for one main reason: When his supporters watch as he is rendered completely ineffective, they will come to realize that voting accomplishes nothing but giving the People more of what they were getting, before. Even Ron Paul, himself, stated that he could “only be so independent.” At that point it will hopefully be easier for supporters of Voluntaryism (http://voluntaryist.com/fundamentals/introduction.html) to share the message of peace, cooperation and real freedom.

So…yay! Ron Paul 2012! Woo-hoo!

Amazon Deal Might Be On Again In South Carolina

Now that the Amazon deal is apparently back on the bargaining table in South Carolina, the anti-Amazon “Main Street” group (rumored to be Wal-Mart backed) is back to running their commercials, stating Amazon would destroy “375,000 main street jobs”–and I have a BIG problem with that.

First of all, according to 2009 City Data figures there were 129,333 people in Columbia, so someone please tell me how Amazon building a new distribution center–not retail store–in the Midlands would “destroy” a number of jobs equal to nearly THREE TIMES THE POPULATION OF THE CAPITAL CITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, and tack on another 12% in unemployment, statewide!

All that because of a distribution center? Absolutely preposterous!

This is evil, outlandish, anti-competition fear-mongering at its worst, folks. If Amazon was going to destroy “Main Street,” it would have done it a long time ago, because Amazon’s retail presence is ONLINE, not on the street corner–and has been for years.

And why should businesses down on “Main Street” be protected from competition, in the first place–and let’s be honest: That’s exactly what this is. Horse-and-buggy makers didn’t like automobile competition, back in the early days of cars, either, but progress is a wonderful thing!

But I digress.

Even if Amazon did construct a new distribution center, nothing would change; people are ordering from Amazon, right now–in South Carolina, too (*GASP!*)–and a new warehouse isn’t going to change a thing.

Amazon’s opponents say it’s “unfair” to let Amazon off the hook for collecting sales taxes on purchases made from people in South Carolina, while stores on the streets have to do so at the point of sale. Again, what is it that these people aren’t grasping about a DISTRIBUTION CENTER? It’s not a retail store! There are no–and will be no–Amazon point of sale purchases on the streets, in South Carolina.

Sometimes, it’s very easy to see why South Carolina consistently ranks near the bottom in educational achievement, because our government “leaders” are apparently dumb as rocks, too.

The Voting Booth – A Suggestion Box for Slaves

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain” is one of the most ridiculous, illogical statements I’ve ever heard. The only people who rightfully can complain are those who choose not to be a part of the political process.

Many people who have decided not to vote have awakened to the realization that the people they “elect” will be expected to initiate force against their friends, family and neighbors–a criminal activity–and those non-voters have chosen not to be an accessory to crime.

To those who claim to be a part of the “freedom movement,” please understand that you shouldn’t have to band with others to petition ‘Master’ (government) for your freedom. The system’s very nature is to control; that’s what government does. So, to ask people who gravitate to positions of power and control to please not exercise power and control over you is a waste of time–actually, it’s dangerous and counterproductive.

When you cast a vote, regardless of your intentions, you are helping to perpetuate and legitimize the system. By doing so, you are giving other people–typically an unenlightened majority–the opportunity to vote for things with which you disagree. Also, the votes cast may not even be the true results, but as long as masses of people show up to the polls the outcomes can be manipulated fairly easily.

And what has voting gotten you, anyway? Do you have more freedom than you parents enjoyed? How about less taxation? A stronger economy? More opportunities for enterprise and prosperity? More privacy? Less government intrusion into your life?

Every election cycle, we hear the people cry to “Vote the rascals out!” What has that done for the country? It’s given us increased taxation, a destroyed economy, a worthless currency, more surveillance cameras, militarized police, Homeland Security, email and Internet monitoring, cellphone tracking, more required licenses and permits (permission from a pay-off), molestation of our kids and spouses at airports, more checkpoints, more wars, more invasions, more murder, more destruction, more angry world neighbors…and on and on.

Because you voted, this is what you have received–regardless of what you wanted. YOU are the only one who cannot complain, because you enabled it by participating!

Voting doesn’t ensure success, anyway, regardless of the vote total.

I’ve sat through meetings and watched government officials hear 95% of people in a room say “No!” only to watch the officials vote “yes.” They know you’ll just complain to your friends, write an angry letter to the newspaper editor (which probably won’t get printed, anyway), and post an angry status update on Facebook–and then you’ll get over it and forget, because your kid’s soccer game, or going clubbing, is more important than the risk involved with running these officials out of town. As a politician once stated, “You can complain all you want, as long as you pay your taxes.”

The only way to truly bring about change is to STOP VOTING and participating in the system. Operate outside of it, as much as possible. End all support for it. When support is gone, there will be no system left to manipulate.

And Libertarians should take note: Government is borne of an entitlement mentality. Even if you want a “small,” “limited,” or “Constitutional” government (something that has never been and never will be), you are saying that you feel entitled to some government function and you feel that others should be forced to pay for it (taxation). Sorry, but that’s a socialist mindset–certainly not freedom–and it makes you no better than the other socialists (Rs & Ds) who are destroying the country. You all want to steal and spend the wealth of others; you just differ on how much, and where it should be spent.

Break free from the Matrix. Think outside the box. Overcome your conditioning. Be what you want to see in others. And, please, stop helping to perpetuate a slavery system!

(What is government, anyway? Read this and have your eyes opened, further: http://anarchistpov.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/reality-check/ )

What a Wonderful Life

I’ve had a few things on my mind, lately, so I’m going to use this as an opportunity to get some of them off my chest.

1.  First and foremost, I want to punch all the people who said that Windows 7 was their idea. If they had anything to do with another buggy software product from MicroSoft, they deserve a good smacking.

2.  Most modern-day so-called “rock” music only seems to rock me to sleep. I guess that’s what they mean by “rock,” these days.

3.  Companies that say you can get a new laptop computer for only “$29.99 per week for 12 months” are rip-off artists.  You can currently get a brand new laptop at major office supply stores for only $299.99, so why in the world would you pay $1559.48 for one? Don’t fall for this crap!

4.  Same goes for “free credit report” services. If you have to buy a product or service before you can get a report, it isn’t free. If you want a truly free credit report, you can get one every year by writing to the credit bureaus and simply requesting one.

5.  I’m really getting tired of seeing Safe Auto car insurance commercials that use the threat of police officers locking you up, or taking your car away, in an effort to sell their insurance. Personally, I wouldn’t use them if they were the last insurance company on the planet, because of it. Friends do not let friends buy Safe Auto insurance!

6.  If you’re going to hold up traffic, it’s probably a good idea to drive something other than a company vehicle. There are some companies I will not do business with, because their drivers have a regular habit of doing stupid crap on the highway–and because they were stupid enough to let me know where they work, I’m going to do my best to give their competitors my money.

7.  Speaking of bad driving, please stop holding up traffic so someone can make a turn across multiple lanes! So many accidents are caused by someone holding up traffic to make a gap for another car to cross through, while a car in the adjacent lane doesn’t see what’s going on and…BAM! Traffic collision. Don’t do it! Let them think you’re a prick, if they must. At least you’re safer. Get the driver of the other car to realize he needs to go to the nearest intersection and turn. Don’t take a risk of causing an accident, just because someone doesn’t feel like driving a few extra yards to a traffic light.

8.  Reading “a shine that lasts for weeks” on tire shine products really irritates me, because I know that the shine may “last for weeks” only if you don’t actually drive the vehicle. If you must actually drive it, the shine typically lasts for 3 to 5 days.

9.  Ever notice how the burger or sandwich you get at the fast food joint never looks like the product they display in those (false advertising) commercials? Getting a compressed, dried-out, lukewarm sandwich that looks to be about half the size of what I saw in the commercial is not cool, at all.

Okay, I think that’s enough venting for now. I’m sure I’ll have more to add, soon, because it seems the world is full of people who don’t get it or don’t care–or both.

Stay tuned…

SC Policy Council Misses the Mark on Free Markets

Today, I received an email update from SC Policy Council entitled, “Defend the Free Market: Tuesday 10am at the Statehouse.” I prefer a truly free market, so at first glance it sounded pretty good.

The message began with this:

“Legislators made it clear:  they want to get rid of the free market in South Carolina. Instead, they want to control the economy themselves, behind closed doors with your money.

See for yourself what the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said this Sunday in The State newspaper:

‘If we let the free market work,’ [Hugh] Leatherman said of eliminating company-specific incentives,’we’d be back in the 1800s.’

You read that right. He doesn’t think you can grow your business, choose the right job, make the best decisions or invest in your future, yourself. He and his colleagues believe they are much better qualified to do that for you. They want to cut deals with your money, and it doesn’t matter to them if they drive South Carolinians out of business.

Tomorrow, we are going to tell them our state is not for sale, and we need your help to do it!”

At this point, I was pretty fired up and preparing for battle–that is until I read the next part of the message:

“We’ve told you about legislators’ plans to give a powerful out-of-state developer a huge tax break – one that will take dollars away from core services like education and law enforcement, and will cost South Carolina businesses. Retail incentives are the worst kind of corporate welfare, and economists are clear: they don’t create new jobs or generate new wealth.

Rarely do we have a chance to defend the American free market economy. We have that chance tomorrow, but we need your help.”

Whoa, wait a minute! Did I just detect Orwellian Doublespeak? Since when is allowing people to keep more of their money “welfare”?

If a thief breaks into your house and takes $900 of the $1000 in your wallet, is he giving you $100 in “welfare”? No, he just stole 900 bucks!

It’s the same thing with a business. If government takes a little bit less from your company, it isn’t “corporate welfare”; it’s a reduction in theft.

I thought the SC Policy Council was for “Limited Government, Free Enterprise, Individual Liberty.” How can they stand for all those things, and call their gathering a “defend the free market” rally, when they just stated they want to stop a business from getting a tax break?

Basically, this is protectionism on a statewide scale. Their statement is saying make sure the out-of-state business gets hit with the same evil tax (theft) that SC businesses have to endure. Misery loves company, right?

If they really supported a truly “free market,” they would be saying, “We favor reducing the taxes that SC businesses have to pay, to equal the lower rates of out-of-state businesses, to make things even across the board” (until we can eliminate taxes, altogether). Instead, SC Policy Council is pushing liberal tax policies (by their own words, increased taxes for social services). Given the organizations who are partners in this event, SCPC’s message comes as no surprise to me.

It all boils down to this: If you truly support a free market, you may want to pass on joining the SC Policy Council’s rally to impose higher taxes on businesses–out-of-state or otherwise.

A taxed and regulated market is anything but “free.”

Government is like a Casino

In a casino, the odds are stacked against gamblers; the House is going to come out on top, at the end of the day, overall. There are some winners, here and there, but there are many more losers so the casino makes the most money.

Informants are hired to look and act like regular gamblers, in an effort to keep tabs on the regular folks who are gambling. If someone regularly beats the House, and amasses a considerable amount of wealth, the casino is alerted and the goon squad is dispatched to find out why–and possibly (forcibly) eject the person from the premises. Their business model is based on the idea that the House is the only one that should be making any serious money.

It’s the same with government and politics. With electronic voting machines, scare tactics, back-pocket media and an ignorant Electorate the odds are stacked against The People.

Any time a “third” option or activist group mounts a serious challenge to the Establishment Parties (RepubliCrats), the attack-dog media outlets go to work to discredit the candidate and cast doubt in the minds of voters: “It’s a wasted vote,” “People who associate with that group must be hate-filled or racist,” or “If you don’t vote for our candidate the [other "major" Party candidate] will win!” It’s all about dividing, conquering and advancing agendas through compromise and fear–and making sure no alternative can gain any type of ground to upset the balance.

And don’t get me started on the widespread ballot access laws, reporting mandates, contribution caps, etc. that seriously hinder any “third party” upstarts, but don’t really do much to hinder the “major” Parties who are already large and powerful. To me, it’s akin to the lopsided tax on the Southern states that led to the Civil War.

Infiltrating one of the other Parties– to try and win an election, based solely on the fact that some (idiots) blindly push an “R” or “D” button at the polls, without even knowing who the candidates are–will get you nowhere, either, because those Parties carefully vet their members and candidates. If you don’t play along with the Good Ol’ Boy game, you will never even make it through the nomination process. (Ron Paul is a good example of how these groups will cannibalize their own, if their agendas are threatened.)

By now, you’ve probably heard reports and seen evidence of vote tampering on electronic voting machines–everything from vote totals being switched, artificially casting votes for one candidate based upon the votes received by the opposition, etc. There is even video footage of a chimp hacking one of the machines. To put it all in perspective, Russian dictator Josef Stalin once said, “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.”

With all of those things stacked against you–those who want real change and real freedom–why do you continue to try and work within the system to try and change it?

I guess it’s like playing the lottery, even though a player is more likely to be struck by lightning–twice–than win the jackpot.

And the local government council meetings, where “public input” is permitted–but usually at no more than 2 or 3 minutes per person–are just dog and pony shows, too. Listening to the citizens is just a formality to most of these people, and necessary to keep you thinking that you actually have a voice in government proceedings, so you don’t rebel.

I’ve seen too many meetings where citizens packed the house, and overwhelmingly disapproved of a certain measure that was up for a vote, only to watch their local officials completely ignore the voices of the People and approve it, anyway. It was almost comical to watch these officials pay little attention to what the People had to say, knowing how they were going to vote before the first person even stepped up to the mic.

Threats to vote them out don’t work, because they know that most people don’t even know what’s going on with their government and will vote to re-elect them–and if that fails, there’s always those wonderful, programmable, electronic voting machines…

Stop putting your faith and energy into a system that is rigged to keep outsiders from succeeding. Don’t be fooled by the illusion.

It’s time to remove all compliance and support for this corrupt, freedom-destroying Establishment. Doing so is the only way we’re ever going to get things moving back in the right direction.

That’s some real “hope and change.”

(Related article: http://anarchistpov.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/reality-check/ )

Glenn Beck Still Disappoints

A few years ago, when I was an officer in the Libertarian Party, I wrote an article about Glenn Beck’s call screener (Sarah) hanging up on me when I called his radio show to discuss his mischaracterizations of libertarians. Mr. Beck found out about my article and screamed on the air, “I want to talk to this guy!”

Hearing that, I called the show and got a very few seconds, on-air, before a top-of-the-hour break, as he attempted to make libertarians out to be heroin addicts. I remained calm and polite, so he didn’t get the satisfaction of inciting me to lose my cool and come off sounding like a crazy person.

In typical talk show host fashion, he hung up on me and threw in another mischaracterization before going to break. (Many hosts need to use the mute button or hang up on callers to win debates.)

Fast forward about four years.

Now, Mr. Beck is calling himself a libertarian. The things I warned about, on my radio show years ago, are now coming to pass and Glenn is beginning to wake up a bit and give them some coverage, but he still has a long way to go.

Today, throughout his show, he ridiculed the “birthers” (those who are still demanding to see Obama’s birth certificate) and other conspiracy theory people and suggested that they self-censor to avoid being labeled nut-jobs. He also touched on Ron Paul supporters and those who talk about “Bilderburger” meetings, making fun of them in a fake caller skit.

Marx would be proud of the character assassinations and peer pressure.

When I heard that, I immediately thought of a quote from Mark Twain:

“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”

If you are stopped by the police at a highway checkpoint, for no reason other than you happened to be traveling down the road upon which the checkpoint was located, you are required to show proof of insurance and proof that you have jumped through all the hoops government requires in order for you to drive on the streets (driver’s license).

In order to get that license in the first place, you are required to produce your birth certificate and other forms of identification, to prove you are a citizen and who you say you are.

At border-area checkpoints, you are required to prove that you are a citizen in order to continue traveling through the area.

If having to prove we are who we common folk say we are, that we are citizens and are properly credentialed, is so very important to law enforcement and homeland security why are you a nut-job if you simply ask the President to abide by the same kind of standard?

Why hasn’t the man produced the real certificate – not the worthless “live birth” stuff – to silence critics and set the record straight? Talk about elitism – and all this coming from someone who constantly preaches equality and respect!

The President should practice what he preaches – and if it will stop him from further leading us into Communism, all the better. And Mr. Beck should get with the program.

Don’t let anyone pressure you into silencing your voices! Say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done to preserve your freedom, regardless of what Glenn Beck or anyone else has to say about it.

The March To Socialism

I’ve been hearing a lot from radio show host, Glenn Beck, about some so-called “march to socialism,” as if we haven’t quite gotten there, yet. Senator Jim DeMint called it a “slide” into socialism, referring to the current Administration’s agenda. I hate to break it to these guys, but the United States has been engaged in socialism since the very first tax was implemented – and the majority of the Federal Government’s budget deals with social programs, such as Medicare/Medicaid, Education, Social Security, etc.

Taxation is socialism; whenever you take wealth from one person and give it to another, that is socialism, pure and simple – and we’ve had it for a very long time, unfortunately. The only question left to ask is this: “How much of it do you want?”

Personally, I want NONE. Zero. Zilch. Nada. There is no amount of theft that I will support.

The bleeding hearts will say that we need social programs – socialism – to help the needy, and I sometimes hear socialists use religion to try and guilt-trip people into going along with it, for some “greater good.” The kicker is that many of these socialists ridicule God-fearing people, behind their backs, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to use religion against religious people, for their own purposes.

One thing I hear often is, “What would Jesus do?”

First of all, Jesus never did, and never would, use the power of government to steal and redistribute wealth. In fact, he operated outside of, and often in defiance of, government – and was crucified for it.

He asked people to give and sacrifice, freely, because a forced action means nothing, and often causes resentment and hostility – completely defeating the purpose of promoting charity, harmony, sacrifice and loving your neighbor, and it can be a stumbling block on the journey toward the Ultimate Goal.

Second, under God’s direction people were led out of slavery in Egypt – against the government’s desire to keep them in chains.

Some socialists will quote the Bible passage that speaks of rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. They conveniently leave out the rest of the passage: “Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus brilliantly spoke in this way to avoid a clash with the local authorities, while still adhering to the truth. The answer to the question had been answered, long ago in Psalms 24:1: “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

For freedom-lovers, there are some truths that remain self-evident, no matter your religion – or lack thereof:

Being a regular person, your neighbor can’t “legally” or morally go out and break into your home, take your children because he doesn’t like you or the way you are raising your kids, steal money from your wallet or bank accounts, force you to use mercury-containing (highly toxic) fluorescent lights, tear your newly-built storage building down because you didn’t get permission (a permit) from him, fine you because you painted your house a color that doesn’t meet with “community standards” or zoning regulations, etc.

How is it, then, that your neighbor—a regular person, just like anyone else—can win an “election” and suddenly gain the power to do these “illegal” and immoral things? If he didn’t have the power, before, and no one else possessed the rightful or moral authority to do these things either, how can that power come from the people? It can’t; therefore, it is illegitimate. You can’t give something away that you do not have—and men in powdered wigs didn’t have any right to simply write words on a piece of parchment and begin ruling present and future generations, either. (Reprinted from one of my previous articles.)

Next time someone tells you we are heading toward socialism, set them straight – and don’t fall for the guilt trips and “Caesar” garbage.

Free Credit Report Scams

I’m REALLY getting tired of seeing the “free” credit report commercials on TV, because they can end up being anything but “free,” if you aren’t careful.

Most people don’t realize it, but you can get truly FREE copies of your credit reports just for asking for them, each year. You don’t need to sign up and pay for any service, in order to get them.

From the FTC:

Q: How do I order my free report?

A: The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The form can be printed from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.

A Warning About “Imposter” Websites

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information.

Annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide consumer reporting companies will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam.

Q: What information do I need to provide to get my free report?

A: You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources.

Tricks of the Trade

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” I couldn’t agree more.

For instance, I regularly hear car dealerships advertise in their TV and radio ads that “all credit applications will be accepted!” Sounds great, right?

Of course, the dealership will accept all credit applications, but that doesn’t mean that they will approve them. There’s a big difference between taking your application when you turn it in and approving it because you meet the criteria for receiving a loan. I refuse to do business with any company who uses that slick business tactic.

Another thing I have noticed is “unique,” one-of-a-kind t-shirts. The producing company states that it is a unique shirt that is unlike the others that are similar in design.

In my experience, the “unique, one-of-a-kind” properties come from a crease being present in the fabric when the decal was applied, a blemish in the cloth’s coloring due to a factory error, the decal being off-center or slanted, or some other production mistake. Instead of throwing the lower-quality shirts out, and eating the cost, some companies try to sell them as “unique.”

Another thing that irritates me is “price and participation may vary.” In other words, not all of our stores are going to offer you what we just showed you in our ad, and if they do they might not sell it to you at the sale price we just advertised.

Rebates drive me absolutely nuts, too, for several reasons – and if I walk into a store and see that the “sale price” of a particular product depends on a mail-in rebate, I usually walk out without buying the item.

If a business wants to give me a sale price, just give me the sale price at checkout instead of requiring me to fill out specially-approved forms, give out my personal information, send a copy of my receipt, trust the postal service to deliver it, and then typically wait several months for a rebate check that might never arrive. Businesses use rebates, instead of in-store sale prices, because they know that many people won’t send in the rebate forms and claim the rebate money, for various reasons (lost rebate form or receipt, too much hassle, etc.), and they can potentially profit from those who do.

If you happen to be one of those who actually sends your paperwork off to get a rebate, the company may rent, sell, share, trade or otherwise transfer your personal information to other companies and affiliates so they can send you spam and crap mail, clogging up your mailboxes with unwanted advertisements and solicitations.

In addition to the examples mentioned above, be wary of offers that give you a special price for a limited period of time. Some of these promotional packages will lock you into 2 year contracts and charge you an outrageous monthly fee after the promotional period is over.

In any type of business transaction, always read the fine print and details and know what you’re getting into.