Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


Dumbo Links Week of 20Sept09

September 27th, 2009

Modern Box Office

The following are selected links from this past week on blogs and websites with discussion about Dumbo (and its neighboring areas):

And from NBC, about the Dumbo Art Under The Bridge Festival: “Sights and sounds include streets paved with oyster shells, traffic signs hjacked by poetry, and a guy turned into a werewolf by the recession (River’s Edge, Tercet and Stir Crazy). Squint and pre-condo DUMBO lives again, a blazing hotbed of artistic expression.”

Filed in Dumbo Weekly Links at 12:00 am
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  • Name
    Hey ahc,

    You might want to check out consumerist at http://tinyurl.com/n3ct7t apparently this is a known problem and they have a wallet sized card you can use to show when this happens. I usually carry cash, but agree with you in principle.

    Rabbitturd
  • Name
    Hello fellow waterfront dwellers,

    I feel I need to rant about something and gauge the opinions of my neighbors.

    Topic: Minimum purchases on Credit Cards at local merchants.

    People, we are being ripped off by greedy merchants. Not all of them, but I am sure many of you have been asked to make a minimum purchase when using your card, in some of these places. Let's face facts, these merchants already add the cost of credit card fees to the cost of the products, so this nonsense about minimums is an attempt to suck more blood out of you. Now according to Master Card ( http://www.MasterCard.com/us/merchant/PDF/BM-En... Page 91 -5.9 prohibited practices) and Visa ( http://www.corporate.visa.com/ut/faq.jsp ) merchants are not allowed to require a minimum purchase, in fact, they can be subject to penalties if they do.

    The economy is bad enough without having someone force you to spend money you otherwise wouldn't. Again, not every merchant on the area is doing this, but I am sure many of you have run into this problem. If you feel this is wrong, please feel free to file a complaint with your credit card company. This blatant pilfering of the area residents needs to stop already.What are your thoughts?

    Thankyou
    -Angry Hungry Consumer.
  • Dumbo
    Why should a retailer pay processing fees because you can't carry cash for a $4.65 purchase? If this is a problem for you maybe you are too dependent on your credit card. Seriously, do you really need to charge a $2 purchase?
  • Name
    So you are saying that retailers should not abide by the agreements they signed with the credit card companies? Is this what you are suggesting? Only the consumer needs to abide but not the retailer?

    -Angry Hungry Consumer
  • Dumbo
    No, I'm saying would it kill you to carry $10 measly dollars in cash to pay for your Starbucks coffee? Since you live in DUMBO I doubt you are struggling, but I'd bet money every retailer in the neighborhood is. They can pay the fees or not accept cards, which a lot of them don't, understandably. I hardly think a $10 minimum for credit card purchases is gouging.
  • Name
    Actually Starbucks doesn't require a minimum. You can even get a bottle of water on a credit card. Which is why I would go there, instead of lets say a mom and pop place. Now, how does that help the mom and pop place?

    This actually reminds me of the Simpsons when homer was kicked out of a "All you can eat" place because he ate all they had. He won the court case as the ad was "all you can eat", of course his settlement was he became a human ad for the establishment.

    -AHC
  • Name
    And just to add to your example of carrying $10, supposed I only have $6.00 and my total comes out to $6.50 and all I have is my credit card, $6.00 and bank card. Why do I have to now, pull another $20 from my account and pay anywhere between $1.50 to $3.00 as a withdrawal fee (MUCH higher than what the merchants pay, just to make up the 50 cents? Should I stand on the corner like cracky and pan handle the other 50 cents? Or should the merchant then throw away my food or lose the sale just because of a minimum?

    -AHC
  • Dumbo
    Yes it's quite obvious you care about the local mom and pop businesses. You're probably the first in line to complain about a lack of amenities and services in the neighborhood but god forbid you support anyone who tries to offer them. Anyhoo, I have no problem carrying actual cash since I prefer not to rack up card debt, but I suppose this is a problem for those who are dependent on credit.
  • Name
    Actually, I have been in the area for quite some time, and although I am grateful at what is offered, it was much better when Mom and Pop cared about the consumer. Now it's Bonnie and Clyde trying to force me to make purchases I otherwise would not buy. It's just like places that charge two drink minimums, which are also illegal. But hey, you know why they do it? They do it because they know that they can get away with it. They know that whatever they do, passive yuppies won't stand up for themselves, not only that, they will find justification to support those who are ripping them off.

    -AHC
  • Name
    Also, ask anyone that has worked in a retail place that sells coffee, it is pretty much pure profit as the markup is very high. If you think these merchants are not already adding the credit card processing fees to your total, regardless of how you pay, you are being naive. Name me a major business, like McDonalds or Duane reade that requires a minimum? They don't because of their agreements. If I want to charge for a cup of coffee, it is, according to the credit card companies, my right. The only recourse a retailer has is to NOT take credit cards. They signed the agreement.
  • Pete
    I think he's saying that you could either whine about it or carry enough cash. Yes, it may be a violation of the agreements but it's certainly not practical for the CC companies to explore every instance of stores doing this nor are they about to sacrifice some revenue in this environment either.
  • Johnson
    “But when I want to feel cool, I hop on the F train and head to Dumbo…"

    Good lord! Thought that the person was trying to be funny. Sadly it seems to be a true statement. Says something about the folks at TONY.

    Yikes! She must be a very uncool person.
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