RFDer pays bank bill a penny at a time

[B40]

A Canadian credit card holder is putting a new twist on an old trick practiced by disgruntled debtors -- repaying his bill in pennies to maximize the collector's inconvenience.

Unhappy when his Canadian bank began outsourcing some of its credit card processing to the United States, the RFDer lodged his protest via the bank's online payment system, jamming its computers by making dozens of tiny payments a day.

Don Rogers said he was worried that anti-terrorism laws in the United States could allow the U.S. government to access his data without his consent.

"I don't want the CIA or George Bush to know how many cases of Viagra I bought last week, or what church or charities I donate to," he told Reuters.

Rogers said his card has since been canceled by Vancouver-based Citizens Bank, but he will continue paying his remaining balance of C$1,000 ($860) one little bit at a time.

He has also decided to run in the January 23 federal election as a candidate for a fringe party that wants to abolish the North American Free Trade Agreement linking Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Citizens Bank spokesman Rolf Baumbusch said such outsourcing was commonplace among Canadian banks because there were "very limited opportunities" for doing the work in Canada. Canada's federal privacy commissioner has ruled the practice is legal as long as customers are informed.

But Canadians should be aware of cross-border privacy issues, said Arthur Cockfield, a law professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario

"More and more our personal information is being rendered into digital formats and zips around the world," he said, adding that any credit card data sent to the United States is subject to U.S. law.

Roger's initial attempt at paying in pennies produced a statement over 32 feet long, according to media reports.

Also disgrunted with his inability to price match at office supplies store Staples or "St00ples" as he refered to them as - he paid for his latest purchase there of $105.35 entirely in pennies.

[devious9191]

Too much time on someone's hands? I'm sure the guy getting paid 15 bucks an hour to record credit card payments couldn't care less whether he's paying one penny at a time or not.

[felix]

link to source?

[gman]

I think it is an old news and a re-post.

[B40]

I think it is an old news and a re-post.

Yup it's old, about 4 hours old.

[gman]

Yup it's old, about 4 hours old.

In that case, I mixed this up with another person who did something similiar.

[B40]

In that case, I mixed this up with another person who did something similiar.


There are lots of idiots who do this thinking they are hurting the company.

[gman]

I think I was right.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051123/visa_bill_051123/

It was on Nov 23rd.

[Shaner]

There are lots of idiots who do this thinking they are hurting the company.

It is hurting the company, somewhat. It drives the company insane when people do stuff like this. Paying in pennies at Staples isn't a huge deal, but paying off your credit card bill in pennies will result in you getting a phone call and possibly getting your card cancelled if you continue to do it.

[NDman]

I think I was right.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051123/visa_bill_051123/

It was on Nov 23rd.
Yup

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222556

[CodecX81]

and possibly getting your card cancelled if you continue to do it.

Thats why this is funny.. he already cancelled. ;) They cannot say he's not trying either.

I'd like to see a movement of people do this..

(I'd like to see a lot of things)

[deactivated1245]

I'd like to know more about this fringe party that wants to abolish NAFTA. That would give me someone to vote for, at the very least.

[sg1138]

I find it completely amusing the lengths people go for credit cards and how dearly they appreciate them when they have them.

Do they not know the cost burden they are placing on themselves? :lol: More people in Canada would be better off without credit cards, or at least severely downsizing their limits and access.

Why don't more people go around begging companies to steal their money away?
only if you don't pay down your credit card. i ahve 0 debt on my credit card so each month i earn 1% back so the bank pays me back money. how's that for hot?

[Shaner]

I find it completely amusing the lengths people go for credit cards and how dearly they appreciate them when they have them.

Do they not know the cost burden they are placing on themselves? :lol: More people in Canada would be better off without credit cards, or at least severely downsizing their limits and access.

Why don't more people go around begging companies to steal their money away?

Credit cards are a necessary evil. Try purchasing things in advance without a credit card. Try reserving hotel rooms at 5 star hotels. As much as I agree with you, I will always have a credit card as I need one.

[cyberknight]

only if you don't pay down your credit card. i ahve 0 debt on my credit card so each month i earn 1% back so the bank pays me back money. how's that for hot?

sadly, in Canada and US, only a minority of ppl pay off their credit cards every month.

[Paksis]

sadly, in Canada and US, only a minority of ppl pay off their credit cards every month.


40 to 45 % pay it off each month.

[MizTEcK]

i think OP added in that st00ples part himself

[dmdsoftware2]

It's actually illegal to pay more then 50 cents worth of pennies for any purchase.

[Shaner]

It's actually illegal to pay more then 50 cents worth of pennies for any purchase.

Show me where it says that? I've never heard of that and I just looked through my criminal code and couldn't find anything.

[gman]

Show me where it says that? I've never heard of that and I just looked through my criminal code and couldn't find anything.

Yes, there is a law allowing merchant to reject that kind of payment legally.

I posted that before. Now, let me dig it out again.

[UncleSteve]

Show me where it says that? I've never heard of that and I just looked through my criminal code and couldn't find anything.

It's in the Currency Act:

Legal Tender

Legal tender


8. (1) Subject to this section, a tender of payment of money is a legal tender if it is made

(a) in coins that are current under section 7; and

(b) in notes issued by the Bank of Canada pursuant to the Bank of Canada Act intended for circulation in Canada.

Limitation


(2) A payment in coins referred to in subsection (1) is a legal tender for no more than the following amounts for the following denominations of coins:

(a) forty dollars if the denomination is two dollars or greater but does not exceed ten dollars;

(b) twenty-five dollars if the denomination is one dollar;

(c) ten dollars if the denomination is ten cents or greater but less than one dollar;

(d) five dollars if the denomination is five cents; and

(e) twenty-five cents if the denomination is one cent.

Coins of denominations greater than ten dollars


(2.1) In the case of coins of a denomination greater than ten dollars, a payment referred to in subsection (1) may consist of not more than one coin, and the payment is a legal tender for no more than the value of a single coin of that denomination.

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-52/text.html

[zoro69]

I'd like to know more about this fringe party that wants to abolish NAFTA. That would give me someone to vote for, at the very least.

He's running for the Canadian Action Party, which was originally Mel Hurtigs party. They don't field candidates in all ridings, and are lucky if they get a few hundred votes each. Rogers finished far behind an indpendent who had her name on the ballot as "rosie the clown" and always appeared in full clown suit during the campaign last time.

[dmdsoftware2]

Show me where it says that? I've never heard of that and I just looked through my criminal code and couldn't find anything.

I learned it in grade 9 history class. Only thing I remember from the class :lol:

[YLSF]

why are you saying RFDer? Am I missing something? what is his user name?

Or are you saying he seems like an RFDer

[UrbanPoet]

Agree or not, the points being raised are very much all valid.

All of our data is getting sent around and around. I've been told the Orwellian world has arrived, which has led me to get the book 1984 from the library. It will be interesting to see the contrast between Orwell's fictional world, and our reality today.

A favourite authors is Noam Chomsky (http://www.chomsky.info/), I think he's one of the most brilliant and under-recognized people of our time.

It's all fascinating and makes me more hesitant and/or paranoid about my "public" activities.

Um... Noam Chomsky is not under recognized... In the academic world he is quite known.

As far as i know... the only academic that has achieved celebrity status is Marshal Mchulan. He was a prof @ u of t and was shown in the media all the time for his communication theory. "The medium is the message". He was popular in the 60s/70s when the first major war was broadcasted alll over television for the world to see up close and personal.

[CSR]

this is so old..

[atLANtic]

[QUOTE=UncleSteve]It's in the Currency Act:

Legal Tender

Legal tender


8. (1) Subject to this section, a tender of payment of money is a legal tender if it is made

(a) in coins that are current under section 7; and

(b) in notes issued by the Bank of Canada pursuant to the Bank of Canada Act intended for circulation in Canada.

....And gas stations dont :confused: accept 50$ and100$ bills

[computer01]

I find it completely amusing the lengths people go for credit cards and how dearly they appreciate them when they have them.

Do they not know the cost burden they are placing on themselves? :lol: More people in Canada would be better off without credit cards, or at least severely downsizing their limits and access.

Why don't more people go around begging companies to steal their money away?


I'll keep my credit card, thanks. I pay the balance in full every month, often several times a month because I can't get my limit any higher and I'm often exceeding my credit limit.

I've never paid interest on my credit card and I now have over $1,000 in redeemable rewards just from the last 3 or 4 months. I also get up to 1 year extended warranties with the card, free travel insurance, free rental car comprehensive insurance, free trip cancellation insurance, free 90-day theft and accidental damage protection on anything.

I'll let the other folks carry balances on their cards so the issuers can afford to run these programs.

I wonder what the stats are of Canadians who regularly carry a balance on their cards. I also wonder how that compares to the US. Anyone... anyone... Bueller?

[Steeve Urkel]

It's in the Currency Act:

Legal Tender

Legal tender


8. (1) Subject to this section, a tender of payment of money is a legal tender if it is made

(a) in coins that are current under section 7; and

(b) in notes issued by the Bank of Canada pursuant to the Bank of Canada Act intended for circulation in Canada.

Limitation


(2) A payment in coins referred to in subsection (1) is a legal tender for no more than the following amounts for the following denominations of coins:

(a) forty dollars if the denomination is two dollars or greater but does not exceed ten dollars;

(b) twenty-five dollars if the denomination is one dollar;

(c) ten dollars if the denomination is ten cents or greater but less than one dollar;

(d) five dollars if the denomination is five cents; and

(e) twenty-five cents if the denomination is one cent.

Coins of denominations greater than ten dollars


(2.1) In the case of coins of a denomination greater than ten dollars, a payment referred to in subsection (1) may consist of not more than one coin, and the payment is a legal tender for no more than the value of a single coin of that denomination.

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-52/text.html

Ok!
but why is it ok for stores to give you all your change in Loonies and quartes when u go to break a 20!!!

has happened to me many many times!

Disgruntled about having to carry so much change!
There should be a law about that also!

[sonick]

I just looked through my criminal code and couldn't find anything. maybe coz its not a CRIME to pay in pennies :lol:

Congrats on your successful debt management system, unfortunately most Canadians do not follow in your example.

Average Credit Card Debt: $3000
Average Line of Credit Debt: $13,500
(StatsCan 1999)
thats just an average, and is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT to bring up as support for your argument as it doesn't say exactly how many or the percentage of people hold debt on their CC's.

for example:
if 45% of ppl had $0, but the other 55% had varying amounts of debt, the average will ALWAYS result in a debt.

if 45 out of 100 people had $0 debt, 54/100 had $1 in debt, and 1 person had $299,946 in debt, you'd get an average credit card debt of $3000 :rolleyes:

or to take it to a further extreme, 99 people out of 100 have zero debt, one person out of the 100 is carrying $300,000 in debt; average = $3000.

I should try and find a stat somewhere to see exactly how many hold a balance see if you had found THAT statistic then it would be relevant in this discussion.

[sonick]

....And gas stations dont accept 50$ and100$ bills
heh, yah just thinkin back to my commercial law class; that if you owed somebody money, and you went to them with legal tender, and they for some reason refused to accept it, your responsibility of making the effort to go to THEM to pay them back would be absolved; and the onus of getting back the money owed would be on them and not you (but you would still owe the money).

[kcjchan]

I don't think this would have any effect of staples actually.. since they'll either see the payment as paid or unpaid with a certain remaining balance on an account....

Another thing to do is to buy stuff online or via phone orders, use loads of coupons, tell them u lost the original CC you purchased with and return stuff swapping different CC, one piece at a time. That would really mess up their accounting since they would have to look through many invoices to figure out which items shouldn't be refunded in full (since there were coupons used) and where the money went and stuff.

That's revenge for always messing up orders and holding out until competitors don't have stock or their sales is over to tell you that they are also OOS! :mad: