A Question for the Consumers

[bamacre]

We all buy all kinds of goods and services. From shoes to LCD monitors, cars and houses, haircuts to doctor visits. It is really amazing how much money trades hands or goes through the intertubes every day.

My question is pretty simple. With what products and services are you unhappy? Cost to benefit. I'm not talking about comparing different brands or different companies. What do you think is too expensive for what you get in return, or where is the quality in your opinion too low, regardless of what brand or company you choose from which to buy? The answers could be anything, good or service.

Before anyone asks, yes, this is a serious topic.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Cable/internet cost was the first thing that came to mind.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
Cable/internet cost was the first thing that came to mind.

Oh that's one of mine, too.

 

[MovingTarget]

Phone service......both landline and cellular. The costs for implementing/supporting these technologies has gone waaaay down from where they used to be. Case in point: text messaging. Compare the rates of text messages per byte transmitted compared to ANY other type of data. We are being gouged.

 

[Skitzer]

Yeah, another one here for cable TV/internet. I won't tell you how much I pay but it doesn't seem nearly worth what you get.

 

[Dissipate]

Cell phone service, cars, plane tickets, taxi cabs, rental cars, auto mechanic work, broadband Internet, cable TV, energy drinks, groceries at full price grocery stores, food at restaurants, coffee at retail coffee chains (i.e. Starbucks), anything at retail malls, almost anything in an infomercial, drinks at bars (big time), apartment rent, movie tickets, gym memberships.

 

[MovingTarget]

"Ask your doctor about........."

 

[JS80]

Doctor visits. Swanky bars drinks.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Cell phone charges. You know it's bullshit when a basic monthly plan in Canada costs close to $40, and in a place like Finland, it's under $10. :|

Also, I think Canadians are gouged on prices for new cars, and consumer electronics, especially relative to the US. Thankfully I'm not in the market for those products ATM.

 

[Brainonska511]

Cable and Internet
Phone service, particularly text messages
Certain food items

 

[Elias824]

Cell phones, doctors, car repairs. I think cable internet is actually pretty cheap and reliable when you think about how much needs to be done to get everything to connect in such a manner. Then again I get 50mbit fiber at my house for $40 a month, so what would I know

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Elias824
Cell phones, doctors, car repairs. I think cable internet is actually pretty cheap and reliable when you think about how much needs to be done to get everything to connect in such a manner. Then again I get 50mbit fiber at my house for $40 a month, so what would I know

It depends where you are. At home, my parents get Verizon FiOS 20/5 connection, which it actually is for much of the time for the same price that I get my shitty-ass Comcast 6/1.5 connection (in Chicago) which is usually around 2 or less down.

 

[bamacre]

Health care? Car insurance? Fruits and vegetables? We currently pay more for a gallon of milk than a gallon of gasoline. Considering the source, that seems high, too.

 

[OCGuy]

Technically I help fund the FDA, and I personally think that whole f-in administration needs to be disbanded and re-worked.

Too many reasons to list, but I'm sure everyone knows anyway.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Technically I help fund the FDA, and I personally think that whole f-in administration needs to be disbanded and re-worked.

Too many reasons to list, but I'm sure everyone knows anyway.

Careful, you're hinting at the point of my thread.

 

[dardin211]

Cable TV is the biggest ripoff to consumers. Unless the cable industry overhauls and goes into a build your own cable channel package, or a completely ondemand service like Netflix I will be dropping them with the next 5 years guaranteed.

Internet service I am overall happy with its price and quality of service, however I am not happy with the ISPs getting ready to play the copyright police for the RIAA/MPAA. I am also not happy with ISPs bandwidth caps and the possible impact on streaming legal media, like Netflix.

 

[Moonbeam]

Quality psychiatric care for the world. But the poor doctors are as sick as the patients.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: dardin211
Cable TV is the biggest ripoff to consumers. Unless the cable industry overhauls and goes into a build your own cable channel package, or a completely ondemand service like Netflix I will be dropping them with the next 5 years guaranteed.

Drop them now.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1102441
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1098626

 

[sisq0kidd]

Restaurant Service and Tipping: I tip, tip well actually. But I hate how some servers expect it regardless of what type of service they provide me. I'm a pretty nice guy. I don't really ask for any refills or anything extra, but if you're gonna be a dick to me, why bother "servicing" me in the first place? Go get your coworker.

Auto Industry: The whole industry is a magnet for con-artists. Not saying there aren't legit people in the industry, but it's a cesspool for jerks. Anywhere from buying a new car to servicing your car is worse than a trip to the dentist.

DMV: Why work there if you hate it? Seriously, go get a different job. You hate it, we hate hate it, we hate that you hate it.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Almost all services provided to my house... cable + internet, phone, trash.

I have canceled my phone service, the internet prices and services offered has not changed since 2000 when I first got it, my trash service bill is outrageous and only offer one tier of service (I do not generate the amount of trash for the tier I am forced to take)

 

[DukeN]

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Cell phone charges. You know it's bullshit when a basic monthly plan in Canada costs close to $40, and in a place like Finland, it's under $10. :|

Also, I think Canadians are gouged on prices for new cars, and consumer electronics, especially relative to the US. Thankfully I'm not in the market for those products ATM.

Agreed. So as a big FU to the Canadian auto folks, I bought my last two cars in the US for substantially less. You should too - the only way some people listen is if you vote with your wallet.

 

[rudder]

My Dodge Caravan sucks big donkey balls.

 

[senseamp]

AT&T DSL is only 768kbps where I live. I live about 1 mile from Apple's main campus, so I think it's a disgrace that we have such horrible infrastructure in so called Silicon Valley.
I think lack of real competition has something to do with that.

 

[Atreus21]

Originally posted by: senseamp
AT&T DSL is only 768kbps where I live. I live about 1 mile from Apple's main campus, so I think it's a disgrace that we have such horrible infrastructure in so called Silicon Valley.
I think lack of real competition has something to do with that.

Lack of competition will screw you every time.

Any entrepreneurs here want to spearhead a competitor with me?

 

[vi edit]

Daycare costs me about $1200 a month for an infant.

That's not cool.