Something About Nothing by Julie Seedorf

 

My irritation levels have been up this past week. It isn’t anything major just everyday life tweaking my tangents.

I am sad Herberger’s department store will be no more. To be fair, I am not a frequent shopper. My love of clothes from my younger years has dissipated, and I only shop when I actually need something and it is on sale at a very good price. I wondered how the store made money on the sales.  Were the prices so inflated they still were making money at the sale price? My last month’s $80 purchase actually added up to over $600 if I totaled up the original price of the goods. Whichever way you look at it, our lack of brick and mortar shopping and our expectation of only buying on sale, is making our favorite stores become ghosts of the past.

There are some items I buy outside of my community because they are not carried in town. I visited a chain store in both Mankato and Albert Lea this week that always carried an over the counter item we use, only to be told they will no longer be carrying the item in the store but it could be ordered online.

I also stopped at a well-known bookstore in Mankato. I had a New York Times best-selling author’s book I wanted to pick up. I couldn’t find any books by this author. I had to ask, and I was told they could order them in for me but they no longer carried the author’s books in the store. As I was lingering over coffee, I heard other customers stopping at the desk and asking about other books and authors, and they were given the same answer; it would have to be ordered in. I left without purchasing anything except coffee.

I tried to do the right thing and shop in an actual physical brick and mortar store rather than ordering off the internet. It is a catch 22. Stores want us to actually shop in them to keep them in business, but because traffic is diminishing it is forcing us to order online because they are not carrying our products.

I have also been researching a new venue for our cable, internet and television. I am with a nationwide company and have been happy with them. We have been their customer for three years or more. A year or so ago they raised my rate immensely but I was able to get them to drop it; however, a month or so ago my rate went up $50 a month, making my entertainment pleasure more expensive. Where can I rob Peter to pay Paul? My light bill also went up $50 a month. I tried to negotiate a new rate with the cable company, but apparently I am stuck for another year at that rate because of a contract I signed. I seem to remember them telling me to call them when this happened, and they would change it again, but of course it is not in writing anywhere so I am stuck. I asked about cutting some of my plan but it would cost me because they also had to come to my house to do something to my cable, so to save money I have to spend money.

The problem with so many of these plans from media companies is that they bundle everything so you can get a cheaper price and to unbundle them sometimes costs the same price to have only one or two of the services. I am tired of their games. You would think companies would give tried and true customers the good rate because they value their business, but they cause people to be deceptive to get a good rate.

A few years ago, one media company rep told me that to get a good rate we needed to drop it and then quickly have the spouse sign up under their name so we got the new customer rate. Isn’t that cheating? And they were encouraging it.

My landline adds to my crabbiness because it is only there for the telemarketers and spammers to interrupt our peaceful home. But because it is part of the package it would cost me the same money to only have two services instead of three which include the telephone.

Let’s see if there is anything else I can crab about? Yes, I did get two calls today from City Hall in my community today. At least that is what my caller ID said. I answered because it was my City Hall, and I love our City Hall employees. Who wouldn’t want to talk to them? Apparently City Hall has hired new people with accents who are hard to understand and have started offering great rates on credit cards and are giving away cruises. Who knew?

Well, I feel better. Thanks for letting me rant. As far as my cable TV and shopping — the jury is still out.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at hermionyvidaliabooks@gmail.com.