Yesterday had me believing I’d stepped through a portal into an alternate reality, something I’ve been asking myself anyway, ever since our current government was installed.
A couple of days ago, I finally received the quote for installation of a generator which would offer peace of mind going into another New York Winter. As Grant says, we’ve managed without so far, but I have a sinking feeling in my gut.
The generator we would need runs about $10,000 and I was told that provided it was paid up within 18 months, there would be no interest on a loan. Still, with prices climbing steadily and my income having been fixed since 2007, large expenditures need careful consideration.
Attached to the emailed quote was a link to an application for the above-mentioned short-term loan. After mulling the matter over, I decided to see how it might all work out.
When I got as far as the interest rate, I came to a screeching halt: 26.99%
Maybe I did something wrong. I went through the application again, but the only item I’d side-stepped was the offer of some sort of insurance by which in case of catastrophic events you would be excused the loan. Fantastic, but it would cost $1.60 per $100 of the loan, per month.
Nah.
.
Banks have always been one of my pet peeves, but 26.99% interest?
This seriously annoyed me. Greedy bastards.
Excuse me. But it’s how I feel.
So I emailed the company that proposed selling me the generator, explaining that I had no intention of paying that sort of interest on a loan. He came back to me within minutes repeating what I had been told originally, that the loan would be interest-free if paid in 18 months, or I could choose a longer period for varying interest rates, 5.9%, 6.9% etc.
I returned again to the online application. Perhaps I’d clicked the wrong place at the beginning…but I had not and at the risk of seeming a nuisance, I emailed the company once more to point this out.
Some time later, a message came telling me that the choice of those “special rates” would come up upon completion of the sale. Oh, really – after I’ve clicked to accept a document that says 26.99%?
I think not. What a strange way to do business.
.
There are alternatives, so we took ourselves to Home Depot, but the size generator we would need is only sold online, so that was a bust, but we did some other shopping.
Then had a flat tyre on the way home. We’d been expecting to need a new set soon, so with the donut installed, we called in at the local tyre dealership to shell out more money.
A few weeks ago, we’d made a very humble purchase at the aforementioned Home Depot, two very humble and extremely ordinary door mats.
Soon, I received an email:
.
We’d gone in, picked up the mats and proceeded to the automated checkout.
The whole thing took about 3 minutes.
.
All of this for a damn doormat.
.
Perhaps I should just be a nice person and fill the stupid thing out, but these surveys have become an annoyance. I get them for just about every purchase or service of any kind. I haven’t the time or inclination to evaluate every little thing.
Medical facilities send them, for even a blood draw. I mean, what are you to say?
“A nice nurse inserted a sharp new needle with great skill!”
or
“A beastly woman stuck me uncaringly with a blunt needle!”
The thing is, I don’t believe any of it would make a bit of difference.
.