American Express is a SCAMMER company

[ibex333]

Today I received a letter from Amex asking me to enter a million dollar sweepstakes.. Now I know what you probably think, but keep reading.. (if you care off course)

Anyway... As a human being I am off course curious, even though I know not to respond to such mailings. Despite having received hundreds of similar letters in the past I actually decided to read this one.

The offer seemed quite tempting. Why not enter the sweepstakes? I can win a million dollars! Sure the chances are probably next to zero, but what do I loose I thought... I quickly affixed the sticker to the letter and was going to look for a stamp when I decided to go back and CAREFULLY read the letter again. Thank god I did that.

With tiny tiny letters on the back, the bastards actually state that by entering the sweepstakes I authorize them to subscribe me to a magazine that I don't even want nor need, and unless I call them to cancel they'll keep sending me this crap and billing me. It also states that I can check the "NO" option on the back which is also very small... If this is not a scam, then what is?! This is actually quite clever, because if I am stupid enough to respond and NOT check the "no" option, they'll start sending me this junk and even if I call and cancel, they'll still charge me for the 1st issue. So if they catch a million idiots for example, that's millions of dollars in their pocket!

I am a young man and I have good eyes. I also speak English well enough to understand anything written and spoken. But what if I was like my father who spent most of his life in Ukraine? His eyes are failing due to age, and his English is quite poor. There are thousands upon thousands of people in this country who are either too old to read the fine print or cant understand English very well. Many of these cant see past the big $1,000,000 written on top of the letter! Hell I cant blame them! I might have fallen for it too if I was old! Such scams should not be allowed!

For the life of me, I cant understand why American public is OK with things like this. Why don't we all gather up and write a big letter to the Supreme Court or wherever, to let the govt know that scammers should not only be stopped but PUNISHED!

If I was wealthy enough to start a small business and host my own sweepstakes and I'd scam YOU the way Amex scams others, you'd be very angry right? Especially if I'd succeed... You might even take legal action against me in an attempt to take your money back. So why the hell is Amex untouchable? I don't see people suing them even though Amex should be sued, and punished.

Why is it that if I steal money from someone I might go to jail, but the CEO of Amex doesn't? I understand I probably sound VERY naive writing this, to say the least, but I'd like someone wiser than me to take 5 minutes and explain to me why no one in this country bothers to do anything about this crap...

I recently heard that similar scams are now starting to pop up in Russia and Ukraine(apparently there are some fast learners there). And the crazy thing is that no one can do anything about these things there either! The scammers manage to get away with stealing people's money and be protected by law. Why do we act like sheep? Why dont we do something about this? I wish I could write a letter of complaint to an appropriate agency to let the govt know that I DON'T LIKE that scammers are allowed to to steal peoples money and be protected by law. But I don't even know where to write...


/end of rant

 

[tfinch2]

Cliffs?

AMEX is awesome. I hope you have your flame suit on.

 

[Ns1]

hey, i got a "BRAND NEW WII CONSOLE 5 GAMES 2 CONTROLLERS ++ picture" I can send you for $25

paypal is thisrantisretarded@nigerianscammer.com



I can't tell if your thread is serious or not. I rate this thread terrible.

 

[compuwiz1]

What are you, new?

 

[warlord]

You think any other sweepstakes is different. Publisher's clearing house has been implying for years that your chances of winning increase with the number of subscriptions.

I don't care what cc company it is, they rake you over the coals. Out of 3 cc's I've had, MBNA, BOA, and Amex, Amex is the only one who hasn't raised my rate since the day I've had it 9+ years.

 

[OUCaptain]

Dude where have you been? Thats the least offensive of all scams. You think you're the first person to realize there is alway fine print. Amex is awsome and hands down, the best CC out there.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: ibex333
Why is it that if I steal money from someone I might go to jail, but the CEO of Amex doesn't?

CEO's and big shot execs with a lot of money use that money to buy influence over lawmakers, politicians and other people with power.

The people at the top do everything they can to remain at the top.

The people at the bottom have very little power to do much except in rare cases where you can get a few vocal individuals to convince a much larger group to stand up and speak out.

Unfortunately with the way society is, most people are often afraid of speaking out for a number of reasons. People generally like to feel anonymous when in a large group. I'd say theone big reason is that if someone starts speaking out and they say something incorrect, you would be made to look like a fool, much like people attack others on these very forums when they try to speak up.

 

[FoBoT]

why would you read that crap, if it looked like junk mail, toss it

 

[Soundmanred]

I clicked on this post, and the first word that jumped out at me was "PUNISHED!".
I then decided to read the rest of it in its entirety!
You should turn on CAPS LOCK and use an exclamation point after every sentence to get more attention!
And what is this "govt" you speak of?!

 

[spidey07]

LOL!

You think that was from AMEX?

I friend you as I hope this mail finds you well in your mailbox. You see you are specially selected to receive special prizes. All you have to do is send this special scratchoff special number one gold token back to us. You are a winner. Please send special token number 1 super happy family token to receive your gift!

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: Ns1
hey, i got a "BRAND NEW WII CONSOLE 5 GAMES 2 CONTROLLERS ++ picture" I can send you for $25

paypal is thisrantisretarded@nigerianscammer.com



I can't tell if your thread is serious or not. I rate this thread terrible.

Case in point.

Ns1, your post is a shining example of why people don't speak out.

Just because you accept that Amex and other companies like it include "fine print" does not detract from the OP rant that society has become accepting of corporations using their power to get away with highly unethical and often times outright deceitful business practices.

 

[kranky]

I don't want to sound like an AmEx apologist, but come on.

You get something in the mail offering you the chance to win $1 million. Certainly you figured there was some reason AmEx would offer you that, right? You realized they don't spend thousands of dollars in postage and printing just to give you nothing more than a free lottery ticket, right?

You saw there was a copy of the Official Rules included with the mailing. You knew enough to read them, obviously. I will guarantee you that somewhere on the paper you were to mail back it said something about the magazine subscription, and that wasn't mentioned only in the rules. I feel confident that is the case as you mentioned you could check the "no" option.

And if someone didn't read everything and somehow ended up with a magazine they didn't want, canceled it, and still had to pay for the first issue, do you think AmEx made any money on the deal? No, they would not. The cost of mailing you the information, processing the entry, entering the subscription order, and printing and mailing the one copy of the magazine certainly exceeds what they would have profited from you paying for one issue. They aren't going to make ANY money if everyone cancels after one issue.

They are doing what is called "marketing". They offer you the chance to enter the sweepstakes in hopes they will get more magazine subscriptions. And they hope that if you read one issue, you'll like it enough to continue. If you don't, they lose.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: BigToque

Originally posted by: Ns1
hey, i got a "BRAND NEW WII CONSOLE 5 GAMES 2 CONTROLLERS ++ picture" I can send you for $25

paypal is thisrantisretarded@nigerianscammer.com



I can't tell if your thread is serious or not. I rate this thread terrible.

Case in point.

Ns1, your post is a shining example of why people don't speak out.

Just because you accept that Amex and other companies like it include "fine print" does not detract from the OP rant that society has become accepting of corporations using their power to get away with highly unethical and often times outright deceitful business practices.

You can't legislate stupidity.

Case in point - "It's not my fault!!! It's the corporations! They're being all corporationy!"

Buyer beware.

 

[Schfifty Five]

"of course"

"lose"

 

[CPA]

lmfao, I want to see this letter you propose on sending to the Supreme Court. That would be gold.

 

[Legendary]

Here's an idea:

If you can't read the English required to obtain a credit card, then don't get one. You agreed to get those mails when you signed up.

If you want to start a business that performs similar tactics you better get the name recognition that Amex has to have any chance of success. The company built a name that people trust, engineered contracts that make such 'offers' legal to mail, and then send and wait. They use every piece of value in their company to attempt to make money.

Is it within a slim margin of the law? Yes. Does that same set of laws make America the place that immigrants want to come to? Yes. Are those two things interrelated? In some way, yes.

So fucking deal with it.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: BigToque

Originally posted by: Ns1
hey, i got a "BRAND NEW WII CONSOLE 5 GAMES 2 CONTROLLERS ++ picture" I can send you for $25

paypal is thisrantisretarded@nigerianscammer.com



I can't tell if your thread is serious or not. I rate this thread terrible.

Case in point.

Ns1, your post is a shining example of why people don't speak out.

Just because you accept that Amex and other companies like it include "fine print" does not detract from the OP rant that society has become accepting of corporations using their power to get away with highly unethical and often times outright deceitful business practices.

You can't legislate stupidity.

Case in point - "It's not my fault!!! It's the corporations! They're being all corporationy!"

Buyer beware.

People will always make dumb decisions, there is no denying that.

I do think there is something wrong when society as a whole has accepted that corporations engage in unethical business practice.

"Dude where have you been? Thats the least offensive of all scams. You think you're the first person to realize there is alway fine print. Amex is awsome and hands down, the best CC out there."

I don't know the exact situation in the OP but as you can see OUCaptain praises a company like AmEx because they appear to be engaging in "the least offensive of all scams".

It actually makes me angry that society has just bent over to these corporations because when I speak out I either get told to shut up by someone who will praise the company for not being as "evil" as some other corporation, or get ignored when I write to the company.

As an individual all I can do is not buy certain products, but you're often completely screwed in some cases since you NEED some of these products to get by in conventional society, unless you like to be a hermit and live off the grid.

 

[TruePaige]

Hehe..the OP is the two ladies in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...ctRjqw&feature=related

...the two ladies are sexy though. Well one is a milf.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: BigToque
People will always make dumb decisions, there is no denying that.

I do think there is something wrong when society as a whole has accepted that corporations engage in unethical business practice.

"Dude where have you been? Thats the least offensive of all scams. You think you're the first person to realize there is alway fine print. Amex is awsome and hands down, the best CC out there."

I don't know the exact situation in the OP but as you can see OUCaptain praises a company like AmEx because they appear to be engaging in "the least offensive of all scams".

It actually makes me angry that society has just bent over to these corporations because when I speak out I either get told to shut up by someone who will praise the company for not being as "evil" as some other corporation, or get ignored when I write to the company.

As an individual all I can do is not buy certain products, but you're often completely screwed in some cases since you NEED some of these products to get by in conventional society, unless you like to be a hermit and live off the grid.

*sigh*
Buyer Beware.

Who do you want to protect you? Who's bending over? If you choose to take it up the rear, then that is what you choose. Sure brand loyalty exists and that is the primary goal of any company. Their primary goal is to get as much money as they can from you.

And what in the world is wrong with that?

Don't blame "the corporations, their being corporationy". It's called Capitalism, and it ROCKS.

 

[HannibalX]

If you want the laws changed then vote to elect someone who will change them or lobby your local county government, state government and even your rep to the federal government to change the laws.

Edit* Good luck getting the laws changed. This is a capitolist socienty, we like our free enterprise here.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: spidey07
*sigh*
Buyer Beware.

Who do you want to protect you? Who's bending over? If you choose to take it up the rear, then that is what you choose. Sure brand loyalty exists and that is the primary goal of any company. Their primary goal is to get as much money as they can from you.

And what in the world is wrong with that?

Don't blame "the corporations, their being corporationy". It's called Capitalism, and it ROCKS.

I think you're missing my point. I have no problem with capitalism.

I'm angry that people like OUCaptain (who reflects the attitude of society in general) accept that corporations act "corporationy".

A company shouldn't be able to get away with things like "fine print", but they can do it because people are pushovers and just accept things as they are.

That means I have to deal with banks, insurance companies, phone, and internet companies that operate in ways that society has accepted (yet always complains about).

How society ever accepted unethical business practice is beyond me.

 

[evident]

you fail at reading, i got the same letter from amex, threw it out right away once i figured out it was signing up for some crap mag

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: BigToque

Originally posted by: spidey07
*sigh*
Buyer Beware.

Who do you want to protect you? Who's bending over? If you choose to take it up the rear, then that is what you choose. Sure brand loyalty exists and that is the primary goal of any company. Their primary goal is to get as much money as they can from you.

And what in the world is wrong with that?

Don't blame "the corporations, their being corporationy". It's called Capitalism, and it ROCKS.

I think you're missing my point. I have no problem with capitalism.

I'm angry that people like OUCaptain (who reflects the attitude of society in general) accept that corporations act "corporationy".

A company shouldn't be able to get away with things like "fine print", but they can do it because people are pushovers and just accept things as they are.

That means I have to deal with banks, insurance companies, phone, and internet companies that operate in ways that society has accepted (yet always complains about).

How society ever accepted unethical business practice is beyond me.

If you don't like the terms to the deal then don't do business with that company. Plain and simple.

Vote with your wallet.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider

Originally posted by: BigToque

Originally posted by: spidey07
*sigh*
Buyer Beware.

Who do you want to protect you? Who's bending over? If you choose to take it up the rear, then that is what you choose. Sure brand loyalty exists and that is the primary goal of any company. Their primary goal is to get as much money as they can from you.

And what in the world is wrong with that?

Don't blame "the corporations, their being corporationy". It's called Capitalism, and it ROCKS.

I think you're missing my point. I have no problem with capitalism.

I'm angry that people like OUCaptain (who reflects the attitude of society in general) accept that corporations act "corporationy".

A company shouldn't be able to get away with things like "fine print", but they can do it because people are pushovers and just accept things as they are.

That means I have to deal with banks, insurance companies, phone, and internet companies that operate in ways that society has accepted (yet always complains about).

How society ever accepted unethical business practice is beyond me.

If you don't like the terms to the deal then don't do business with that company. Plain and simple.

Vote with your wallet.

So after I drop all my services, how you do you suggest that I convince 51% of the population (that likely already believe they are being screwed) to stop using the bank, phone, internet and record companies for a long enough period of time that would force the companies to alter their business methods.

It just doesn't work.

The people in power (that "top 5% you always hear about) will stay in power forever unless some major social/economic breakdown occurs.

I'd like to think that revolution will come soon because the world we are living in right now (while we enjoy quite a few luxuries) is horrible.

 

[hiromizu]

What a momo.