I’m just a regular person making about $70K a year in a big city, and I’ve recently felt incredibly powerless dealing with private companies. For instance, my landlord’s auto-pay system had a glitch that excluded my pet rent and water bill. I ended up with over $1,000 in late fees. Despite hours on the phone, it turns out their system doesn’t really do auto-pay and requires a fixed amount instead of covering the full rent. It feels like a scam, and my options are to pay the fees or potentially spend a fortune on legal action.
Another frustrating experience was trying to cancel my pest control service. I had to endure a 40-minute call followed by 35 minutes of arguing, just to finally cancel. There’s no online cancellation option, and the process felt like a timeshare sales pitch.
Why do ordinary people seem so unprotected against these shady practices, and how can we change this? How does one person even start to address these issues?
I wouldn’t see it so black-and-white. I don’t think Tim Walz is owned by anyone and he is running for VP.
He’s beholden to the corporations controlled by the wealthiest 1%. Anyone who gets elected is already someone who “plays ball” because they don’t get to there otherwise.
Ha you don’t even get to run without people in line to donate to you. And since corp donates for both candidates it’s a win or win situation for them, which implies lose or lose for everyone.
It would be nice if corporate bribery were not allowed. Giving tens of millions to them - to their “campaign” - which they all funnel and launder into their pockets - is literal and unambiguous bribery. And yet it’s the reality of our nation.