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[News] How would you feel..........



wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patreon
Aug 10, 2007
13,584
Melbourne
about paying in advance for retail services?

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46094938

Maybe depositing a hundred quid via card before entering Tesco? £250 in Pandora? A grand in PC World? And then getting it or the balance refunded as you leave if nothing is purchased. I know the cop doesn't actually mention these particular stores but he is complaining that 12% of crimes are retail related. No shit Sherlock, so to speak, or not in this case.
 




Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Not great if you just want a bottle of water and only have £99.99 available on your card.
 




The Optimist

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Apr 6, 2008
2,579
Lewisham
Paying for fuel in advance (which the article is about) is different. When you pull up at a petrol station you aren’t thinking I’ll have a look and see what I want. Once you’re putting fuel into your car there’s no changing your mind. I like the pay at pump option as it’s quicker than going into the shop.
 




BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,316
My usual petrol station is a card only Asda outlet.
No problems. However, I can see why ordinary petrol stations want you to go in the shop. Many wouldn't survive without the papers and sweeties etc.. they sell.
Don't think the same should apply to ordinary retail outlets though.I get a bit pissed off when some hotels take your card details when you sign in, but I suppose there are always the bad buggers around who do a 'moonlight'!
 


A1X

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 1, 2017
17,517
Deepest, darkest Sussex
Maybe an easier solution would be to install some sort of barrier in front of the car which only lowers upon processing of payment? Admittedly this would involve a cost to the company rather than someone else so has zero chance of happening...
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,006
Burgess Hill
My usual petrol station is a card only Asda outlet.
No problems. However, I can see why ordinary petrol stations want you to go in the shop. Many wouldn't survive without the papers and sweeties etc.. they sell.
Don't think the same should apply to ordinary retail outlets though.I get a bit pissed off when some hotels take your card details when you sign in, but I suppose there are always the bad buggers around who do a 'moonlight'!

Very common now for hotels to take a 'deposit' against possible charges - I travel on business a lot and they know it's a corporate booking, so I'm pretty unlikely to be doing a runner, but they still do it anyway. The article is only aimed at petrol stations not other types of store - I'd be perfectly happy to do this for petrol, only slight issue is I usually 'fill up' so can't judge how much it's going to be. I like the Tesco 'pay at pump' option that gives you a limit, and it's quick.
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,323
Uffern
Very common now for hotels to take a 'deposit' against possible charges - I travel on business a lot and they know it's a corporate booking, so I'm pretty unlikely to be doing a runner, but they still do it anyway.

I stayed at a hotel in Amsterdam (booked on a corporate card) that wanted me to pay 100 euros upfront in cash before checking me in (they wouldn't accept non-Dutch credit cards). I had to get the Dutch company contact to pay with her card. That was totally unnecessary
 


BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,316
Very common now for hotels to take a 'deposit' against possible charges - I travel on business a lot and they know it's a corporate booking, so I'm pretty unlikely to be doing a runner, but they still do it anyway. The article is only aimed at petrol stations not other types of store - I'd be perfectly happy to do this for petrol, only slight issue is I usually 'fill up' so can't judge how much it's going to be. I like the Tesco 'pay at pump' option that gives you a limit, and it's quick.

Likewise at Asda, you put your card in and can fill up to a limit of £99.
I'm used to hotels doing that now and I can't say I blame them; I was just having a 'grump'.:lolol:
 


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,264
not sure why make the leap from prepay on petrol to prepay all retail? one makes sense, the other doesnt.
 




Brovion

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 6, 2003
19,322
Last time I was in American at a buffet restaurant I had to pay in advance. Nothing odd about that, you pay in advance of eating at McDonalds for example, but as well as the food I had to pay a service charge! (15%, 17.5% or 20% were the three options I was given). Firstly that was pretty extortionate seeing as you basically served yourself, but what if the service (such as it was) or the food had been shit? Would I have been able to ask for my money back?
 


bluenitsuj

Listen to me!!!
Feb 26, 2011
4,301
Willingdon
And when the company goes into administration you lose your money.
 






studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,553
On the Border
How to kill the High Street in one move, require everyone to prepay when they went into everyshop.

No thanks say all consumers and instead they decide to buy exclusively online.

I have been using the Sainsburys pay at the pump as its quicker, but have now had to revert to paying at the kiosk as for some strange reason they have decided to stop issuing receipts at the pump.
 


Jim D

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2003
5,249
Worthing
I stayed at a hotel in Amsterdam (booked on a corporate card) that wanted me to pay 100 euros upfront in cash before checking me in (they wouldn't accept non-Dutch credit cards). I had to get the Dutch company contact to pay with her card. That was totally unnecessary

Was that because you wanted to stay for more than one hour?
 




Knocky's Nose

Mon nez est en Valenciennes..
May 7, 2017
4,133
Eastbourne
Last time I was in America.... I had to pay a service charge! (15%, 17.5% or 20% were the three options I was given). Firstly that was pretty extortionate seeing as you basically served yourself, but what if the service (such as it was) or the food had been shit? Would I have been able to ask for my money back?

The amount of 'tips' expected by people simply doing (or not doing) their jobs in America gets right up my snotter whenever I go there. I love the place on the whole, but the tipping culture is ludicrous.

My personal mindset is : If someone simply does their job, and no more, they are being paid by their employer for doing exactly what they have just done. However, If someone provides service above and beyond that - I will tip accordingly. Even if it's just a smile and nice greeting, asking if your meal is ok, making sure you always have drinks, clearing up the table quickly - that's all good.

If you get some poh-faced gimp who doesn't even speak to you simply carrying a plate from a serving hatch and plonking it down on your table - do they deserve a big fat tip for that? Do they f*ck! Well done - you carried a plate. Outstanding. Bravo! :shrug:

Anyway, back on topic... Paying for petrol in advance is a good idea. Paying for all retail services in advance is unworkable and I don't think that was the point of the article, shirley?
 






Washie

Well-known member
Jun 20, 2011
5,419
Eastbourne
The amount of 'tips' expected by people simply doing (or not doing) their jobs in America gets right up my snotter whenever I go there. I love the place on the whole, but the tipping culture is ludicrous.

My personal mindset is : If someone simply does their job, and no more, they are being paid by their employer for doing exactly what they have just done. However, If someone provides service above and beyond that - I will tip accordingly. Even if it's just a smile and nice greeting, asking if your meal is ok, making sure you always have drinks, clearing up the table quickly - that's all good.

If you get some poh-faced gimp who doesn't even speak to you simply carrying a plate from a serving hatch and plonking it down on your table - do they deserve a big fat tip for that? Do they f*ck! Well done - you carried a plate. Outstanding. Bravo! :shrug:

Anyway, back on topic... Paying for petrol in advance is a good idea. Paying for all retail services in advance is unworkable and I don't think that was the point of the article, shirley?
On the tips front, a lot of them are only paid in tips, they don't have a minimum wage in restaurants for instance

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 



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