Paying Rent Pandemic

Why do I have to pay a monthly rent to buy something at a fair price? I can’t for the life of me imagine how this makes any sense. If you want my dollars, you post your goods and I’ll buy them, if they are priced well and of good quality.

Lately, the increasing trend of charging you monthly, for the honor of spending your money on their goods, has gotten out of control. Anything from makeup to leggings, to lingerie, mens, clothing, and women’s clothing etc., has deviated into a subscription “rent” situation.

Here’s how it works. You may a monthly charge to have access to these goods, so you can buy them, sometimes at a fraction of the price. A little marketing trick devised to make the consumer think he or she has exclusive access to exclusive products. Guess what, there is nothing exclusive about this scheme. Marketing firms have found that this type of pressure sale, gets results because society is addicted to having something special, unique or limited to special people. But are you getting anything of the sort? No.

Everything you buy from these “landlords” is the same as what if available anywhere in a store near you, or online at normal outlets. Now, if you are buying something because you want to feel important or have prestige, then that is another issue which I am certain therapists would be happy to discuss with you, for guess what? Another fee on an ongoing basis.

Let me help you unpack why you are getting nothing special, but a smaller back account each month. There is nothing you can name that is of such high quality that you can’t buy it the normal consumer way. In fact, the super high end goods, are not offered with rent type situations. these quality products, mostly name branded, are exclusive in their own right and have the price tags to prove it. They don’t need to make money off of you month to month. The makers and designers of the better quality and designer goods, know the people who want the products will buy them, without joining some club.

Most of the time the premium products are made in small batches, maybe on an order by order basis. Why? Because they don’t tend to overproduce or mass produce these items. Law of supply and demand, make little amounts and the prices stay high because they are finite. The more you make the less it costs to buy. It’s also cheaper to make. The reason for this is that the products are usually machined. Machines don’t have hourly incomes and can pump out masses in short amounts of time.

Here is another reason. The cheaper goods and mass produced in poor countries that are struggling to employ their citizens. The corporation or business, can go into these nations and take advantage of them. They can pay them peanuts, in some cases two, three, four, or similar dollars to make the wares. For this pittance, they are required to meet quotas that are often severely high. Please note that the dollars I have stated are many times not per hour, but per day.

Think about what four dollars, let’s say, gets you today. You can’t even get a low quality meal at your favorite fast food eatery. Even McDonalds charges over that for a meal. Does that seem like the income you would want to earn per day for twelve to fifteen hours of work? I know I sure would not work for that. And that pay we are discussing includes no benefits or protections for the people slaving for our sated hunger for goods.

Exclusive brands are usually made within the country of origin and by skilled craftsman, the opposite of what you are getting in a rent type of product. If you are okay with people being take advantage of and exploited, please carry on. I wont be able to change your mind or heart. That required empathy for human beings suffering under these conditions.

By now in life, made in China is a term we all know. Its connotation is that the thing being discussed is cheap, cheaply made, and poor quality. You are not wrong. We all have an understanding of the conditions of the people in the country, the government control and abuse of their own citizens. They are still human beings, and the fact that we turn a blinds eye on that tidbit, makes us all hypocrites. We say it’s offensive while we hit the ‘pay now’ button on the Amazon, Walmart, and just about every store cart, that we use. Does no one see this?

The quality of what just bought on our favorite site, is usually not stellar. It is made to be disposable in a short amount of time, ensuring you have to come back to replace it or get something different. This kind of shopping habit is designed to create impulse buying on top of repurchase. The companies need you to peruse the site while you look for a viable replacement and see that thing you didn’t know you had to have, at a rock bottom price.

Now back to the rental of your bank account. Many times, a subscription “rent” is charged monthly on end. The customer forgets to cancel it, or that they even have it. Why? Because they are not required to verify you want to continue it, after say, six month, a year or similar. That responsibility falls on your shoulders, always. They won’t make it easy for you either. Oh, they will say it’s so easy to do, but when you do go to cancel it, the customer cancelation department is closed, or you can’t even find it on the website at all. You have to take time from your busy day to stay on hold for a representative, while they are experiencing high call volumes. Sound familiar. Yes, it does. Some businesses are so pushy, they try anything and everything to keep you on the hook. Believe me what I say, that the kind of pressure they place on the customer, is such, that many take their deal and stay chained to the seller.

I am not trying to sound so negative, but when is enough, enough? Every kind of maker of goods and services is enlisting this kind of tactic. I am truly sick of it.

Last night I got notice from PayPal that the charge for a rental subscription to a lingerie company has successfully gone through. I looked at the amount and it was $10 more than usual. Naturally, I went to look at my membership monthly charge rate and it was the earlier amount, I had been paying. I never got a message, email or text that there would be an increase. They don’t have to tell you, apparently. It just goes through without notice. The hundreds or thousands or millions of customers, are unaware that its even takes place.

I pay a monthly fee for this company because I thought it would be interesting to see how it works, but here is the thing, just how many panties and bras does a woman need? Is a month’s worth of unduplicated undergarments enough? Two months? Six? Literally, I would not see the same set for 3 months and my drawers bust at the seams. You think that’s funny, but I had to buy another piece of furniture to house them all. Yes I know, I may have a little problem, but it could be worse. I could have a shopping addiction for many other less useful things. But there is it, I was paying every month for a credit a month for up to $60 on purchases from them.

I am not one to through money away, and in fact I am frugal in most areas of my life. I buy something and I take care of it and often it lasts me years and even decades. How that is possible is another article. So, last night after the charge popped up on my notifications, I tried to cancel my subscription service and amazingly, (sarcastic) I was not able to do so. The app nor the website has allowance for that. I have to call personally and wait on hold, bombarded by horrible music, waiting for someone to attend to my call, during “high call volumes”. Does anyone ever, not have high call volumes? Im guessing not.

I made the call this morning to cancel this and I was placed on hold. I was the 96th customer in the queue. I began hoping this was not a government queue situation, because I am not sure I have that many years left in life, to wait on hold too long.

Anyhow, I finally canceled the rental and I am clear to use my money on something I want immediately or at the very least, let it sit in my own account earning interest, instead of some corporate’s bank, earning them interest on my money.

Truthfully, guys, these are dumb ways to purchase goods. Your money sits in the back earning them interest, until you use it or the benefit they are dangling before you. The goods you are getting are the same or similar to what you can get at any department store or online shop. And all the goods either way are all being made in China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, or similar poor countries. Trust me, those legging your paid with that intriguing price of two for $24 with a monthly stipend, are not any better than anything you can get at any sports store. Sure they may have different prints, and maybe different bells and whistles, buy in the end, they are all the same.

Lastly, let me add this. If they can charge you say $24 for two of an item, that is $12 each, if you join the club, the that good is costing them peanuts, because they are still making a huge profit. The membership is only smoke and mirrors to make it seem you have an exclusive. Do the math. If the membership is $24 and month and you get 2 for that price each month, then who is benefitting? I promise you it is not you. Look at the non membership pricing versus the membership price and it will not make any sense how a single pair costs, $80 and the measly monthly fee brings that down to $12 each. Even if you only got 2 pair a month, that would mean, you’re paying $24 a pair. $24 down from $80 a pair? How does that add up? It doesn’t.

The lowest price of the item be it with a membership or not, it the gut bottom price of what the good’s value is. That being said, they are still making a large profit, or they would be out of business. There is no reason why they could not just charge you the lower price and forgo the contract. None. Even if, they charges you $5 per item more, it would not be $80 per legging.

My dad, when I was a teenager, and the designer jean craze was making parents poorer, gave me a set of books by Vance Packard. These books were on the tactics of marketing and ad agencies to get you to buy a product. Everyone should find them and read them, if they are in print. Hidden Persuaders, The Status Seekers, and the Naked Society are all books I read, among others on consumerism. I think these should be read by all. It would make more educated consumers of us all, and would help everyone shop more wisely. Think before you join anything.