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‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

nytimes.com

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Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#71

Post by GekkePrutser »

AniseAbyss wrote: post #53
Macha wrote: post #3

I've had to assist an elderly neighbour after her phone company cut off her phone service. Why? The way she had paid for it for the preceding 40 years was she would get the paper bill in mail, and then go down to the post office and organise payment using the details in that paper bill. They switched her over to paperless billing with an email that they've done so but you can opt out. She either did not understand th…

"they should just eat the cost" No consumers will eat the cost of a bunch of boomers who want to keep using cheques. And here's what will happen: the non boomer consumers will choose a cheaper bank. So unless the government wants to pick up the bill any sensible company will tell those senior citizens to get with the times.

As if the cost for those few bills make a dent in a bank's operating costs.

The government invents money by the billions die these guys. The least they can do is provide some service.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#72

Post by lucretian »

joshstrange wrote: post #46

> it hurts to see that the digital world has dehumanized us to the point that loyalty has lost all of its worth sigh , this has almost nothing to do with the "digital" world as much as it does with the fact that corporations never cared. If they could have saved a single cent by moving to "tellers"/ATMS that were mechanical in nature, 51 years ago when he first opened his account, they would have. The corporations we…

perhaps, but those things are related. the necessity of live human interaction must have created regular feedback loops that arrested extreme user-unfriendly cost saving measures. the digital world reduces or outright removes those frictions.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#73

Post by dghughes »

diek00 wrote: post #48

Last year my bank, Scotiabank, increased its profits be from $6 billion the previous year, to $9 billion. And while they can be helpful, try calling them on the phone. A painful process to deter you from calling them. I had to call them yesterday. When I finally got to talk to a human, she took my number for a call back, I am still waiting . I have no idea how the elderly deal with this blatant corporate greed.

Tangerine online bank too. I switched from a standard debit card which I had previously used with Google Pay app. to a new card they offered. The activation steps didn't work. It's been 2 years trying to get someone on the phone, I don't want to wait the 2 hours stated on the voice message. Their chat chat is useless.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#74

Post by justin66 »

rosndo wrote: post #69
justin66 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I thought this thread was about utility bills It was, which is why your comment starting with "As a business" was so bizarrely off-topic. > Is this a weird american thing? At least here in the UK mortgage interest deductions are only applicable to businesses. Yes. American homeowners can under most circumstances treat their mortage interest payments as tax deductable.

> It was, which is why your comment starting with "As a business" was so bizarrely off-topic. What do you mean by off-topic? Businesses receive utility bills too, and might genuinely be required to keep records of those. As far as I can tell, barring some very special circumstances, individuals never need to keep such records.

> As far as I can tell, barring some very special circumstances, individuals never need to keep such records.

This is blatantly false. Unless paying taxes is a "very special circumstance."

People don't want these records at hand purely for their own amusement, which seems to be the assumption you're operating under here.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#75

Post by kergonath »

naoqj wrote: post #23
deberon wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope when you become an elder the next generation shows you the respect you are currently lacking.

I hope that when I become an elder I will keep up with the progress of the world so I don't become a burden to others.

You are already a burden to others. From the moment you were born to the moment you die you rely on the rest of society.

Different people have different abilities and disabilities. That’s life, and if you cannot understand that and help the people who need to be helped, then you are even more of a burden.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#76

Post by throwaway29303 »

inetknght wrote: post #24

It's not just old people with this problem. Many younger people who've been victims of online fraud, and now have trouble with online accounts, fall into the same category.

Interesting. Could you please give us more details about this?

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#77

Post by vorpalhex »

AniseAbyss wrote: post #53
Macha wrote: post #3

I've had to assist an elderly neighbour after her phone company cut off her phone service. Why? The way she had paid for it for the preceding 40 years was she would get the paper bill in mail, and then go down to the post office and organise payment using the details in that paper bill. They switched her over to paperless billing with an email that they've done so but you can opt out. She either did not understand th…

"they should just eat the cost" No consumers will eat the cost of a bunch of boomers who want to keep using cheques. And here's what will happen: the non boomer consumers will choose a cheaper bank. So unless the government wants to pick up the bill any sensible company will tell those senior citizens to get with the times.

I still use cheques. I am definitely not a boomer. I also like paper statements, use cash and sometimes do paperwork on slices of dead trees.

I work in technology enough to distrust it greatly. I had a multi-week saga one time because I used an electronic pdf signature instead of printing it out. I still get people freaked out when my resume is digitally signed in acrobat.

I will stick to my dead tree banking.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#78

Post by chupasaurus »

adriand wrote: post #36
Macha wrote: post #3

I've had to assist an elderly neighbour after her phone company cut off her phone service. Why? The way she had paid for it for the preceding 40 years was she would get the paper bill in mail, and then go down to the post office and organise payment using the details in that paper bill. They switched her over to paperless billing with an email that they've done so but you can opt out. She either did not understand th…

I recently endured a Kafka-esque nightmare with my bank. I had this personal VISA card for several years but I rarely used it because I also have a Mastercard that I prefer. Anyway, two years ago when I started my current venture I opened a business bank account with my preferred bank for business banking (same bank I had the personal VISA through), so I applied for a business VISA. At the same time, I told them I wa…

> since I'd closed the account!

Either you didn't or the bank who emitted the card might have a huge PITA due to passing the transaction to a bank account which should not be.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#79

Post by ilamont »

masswerk wrote: post #45
Terretta wrote: post #40

Anyone happen to know the good reason retirees at 80 years old need hours extended outside the daytime window? Of all segments, superficially seems they'd be the most able to visit a branch during business day. But a second thought says that's probably failing to think in their shoes. For example, if they are less able to get around than younger segments, the issue could be being taken to the bank by a working family…

The real problem here is that there are no brick and mortar branche offices with regular business hours any more, only special appointments to be booked using an app.

Yes. My mother was unable to get a cashier's check at the local MegaBank branch on short notice because of this.

Re: ‘I’m Old, Not an Idiot.’ One Man’s Protest Gets Attention of Spanish Banks

#80

Post by moron4hire »

Macha wrote: post #3

I've had to assist an elderly neighbour after her phone company cut off her phone service. Why? The way she had paid for it for the preceding 40 years was she would get the paper bill in mail, and then go down to the post office and organise payment using the details in that paper bill. They switched her over to paperless billing with an email that they've done so but you can opt out. She either did not understand th…

> is of the age where she would not remember when exactly she had last paid which bill

I've been of that age since I was 18

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