Doing business in America now just feels like a scam

[Anonymous]

I have noticed a marked increase in underhanded to outright fraudulent business practices in day-to-day dealings with companies, and it’s really stressful. Corporate greed has always been a thing, of course, but recently it seems that things have taken a serious turn for the worse. You’re nickled-and-dimed on everything, service is apathetic at best, and there just seems to be a lot of smooth talking/studied lack of disclosure or transparency in ANYTHING.

Is anyone else noticing the same? I find it exhausting and I dread having to do anything, from renting a car to buying a plane ticket or even just buying merchandise.

[Anonymous]

Everyone is just following the President's way of doing business, so this is no surprise.

[Anonymous]

No, I haven’t noticed this at all. Maybe it is a DC thing, the Midwest is still the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

We've moved to a low trust, corrupt society where rather than the American feeling of plenty, we feel scarcity and zero-sum game.

I don't know if we imported it or voted for it. Probably both. It's a perfect storm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone is just following the President's way of doing business, so this is no surprise.

These things started long before. Let’s be honest here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've moved to a low trust, corrupt society where rather than the American feeling of plenty, we feel scarcity and zero-sum game.

I don't know if we imported it or voted for it. Probably both. It's a perfect storm.

Yes. This. It is much worse in dc than New England and probably worse in New England than the Midwest. I try to limit my transactions to either a small number of companies I find reasonably trustworthy and local vendors. I avoid most restaurants. But much of the economy is designed around ripping people off - especially those who can’t afford it.

[Anonymous]

No I don’t feel that way but I shop small and local. You need to find better places to shop.

[Anonymous]

Yes I feel that way as well.

Most businesses literally have no phone number to call for support. My health insurance company is trying to get me to use an app for physical therapy that is a total joke rather than cover my actual therapy with a trained therapist. Verizon makes it impossible to know if you are getting ripped off or not and they also have horrible customer service. Products don’t last more than a few years now. Even really expensive ones. No more sears warranty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No I don’t feel that way but I shop small and local. You need to find better places to shop.

Well how nice for you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I feel that way as well.

Most businesses literally have no phone number to call for support. My health insurance company is trying to get me to use an app for physical therapy that is a total joke rather than cover my actual therapy with a trained therapist. Verizon makes it impossible to know if you are getting ripped off or not and they also have horrible customer service. Products don’t last more than a few years now. Even really expensive ones. No more sears warranty.

+1 EVERYTHING is a scam now. Literally Everything OP. You're so right.

And PP my insurance (BCBS) is trying to get me to use apps that sell my personal data to IT companies acting as though they care about my health, incentivizing it with scales, and BP cuffs instead of real things that would help everyone's health like discounted or free massages. These companies like Livongo are harassing me and I don't even qualify for their programs yet BCBS keeps pimping me out.

As far was electronics go look up "Planned obsolescence." Apple slows down your phone after a few short years. I would never buy an iphone. Computers even if yours still works you will be unable to update the operating system and chrome so you won't be able to use it at all even though there is nothing wrong with the computer.

The world as it is is a scam and it sucks. Every part of it and no this isn't dramatic this is some real bs.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I’ve done some home repairs recently (nothing major), and the MO for the contractors seems to be: come in, talk nicely, explain what you will do, give a quote then go to the nearest Home Depot parking lot, pluck a few people and hope they can do what they say they can. If not, the better contractors will apologize, go back and bring someone else. The others will insist that the quality is acceptable and, besides, what you gonna do now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone is just following the President's way of doing business, so this is no surprise.

Wow what a stupid comment. These problems began way before Jan. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I’ve done some home repairs recently (nothing major), and the MO for the contractors seems to be: come in, talk nicely, explain what you will do, give a quote then go to the nearest Home Depot parking lot, pluck a few people and hope they can do what they say they can. If not, the better contractors will apologize, go back and bring someone else. The others will insist that the quality is acceptable and, besides, what you gonna do now.

What's mo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone is just following the President's way of doing business, so this is no surprise.

Wow what a stupid comment. These problems began way before Jan. SMH.

It's just another person with tdr

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've moved to a low trust, corrupt society where rather than the American feeling of plenty, we feel scarcity and zero-sum game.

I don't know if we imported it or voted for it. Probably both. It's a perfect storm.

It's just this area that is very apathetic. You can notice it in how people drive and how they are towards other people and even in your neighbors. I have very old neighbors who don't get any visitors. One of them went crazy.