Consumeristic Hardships

Have you heard heard political activists talk about how power lies with consumers? I recently watching a documentary about where our food comes from and part of the message included this very basic theory. Even corporations will co-sign the concept that goods and services evolve and change in response to the need of the consumer, and what that consumer is willing to pay. If this is true, than why are so many of our choices from a cookie-cutter assembly line of options? Why should I have to pay "extra" in order to get exactly what I want? If I am the almighty consumer, why are my needs only met when they fit squarely in line with what a mass of other consumers also need?

In dealing with several companies for business and personal reasons, it is the process and the procedure that reigns supreme. The best thing about having a procedure is that a company does not have to deviate from it (unless it wants to) and has made up what it thinks is a reasonable basis to tell you, the consumer, no to whatever it is that you want that is not in line with the procedure. For that reason, I think that the marketing and ad agencies are more on point with their general philosophies--the consumer is told what s/he wants. The consumer is told that s/he has a choice, but from these very distinct options.

At this point, I'm not even really talking about food, although that's next. What about, say, wireless carriers? Who makes the most money from a standard practice of wireless phones being offered through wireless carriers? And in order to lower the price of the phone, a consumer must agree to a one or two year deal. You like that phone but you don't like that deal? Ok, go to another carrier. They offer the same phone but a different priced deal. Ok, so you don't mind the deal, but you have an estimate of how much you will be on the phone. Can you get a plan for about 550 minutes per month? No, you take the 700 minute deal. Well what if I never use those extra 150 minutes that I'm paying for (because remember, you know how much you use)? Can I keep the minutes for another month? Nope, we don't do that on this plan, try another carrier.

But why isn't your plan an equal exchange of the services you want and what you're willing to pay for? You don't go watching television on your phone so why do you have to pay for a "bundled" ability that you don't even want? Because that's the plan (the procedure) and this is just how it is.

What about the phone itself? What if you really like the phone but think the service that offers wireless sucks? So maybe you get a little bold and purchase a phone that's been unlocked and go to the wireless carrier of your choice? What if that phone starts acting up? Your fancy wireless carrier won't touch it because they cannot guarantee a phone that they did not issue. It's all hands off because, well, that's against company policy. And you're left holding a brick of a phone that doesn't work and that will cost more than the phone to have anyone repair it.

Sick of talking on the phone? What if you're in an area that only has one cable provider, one utility provider for gas, electric and water? What then? Where does your consumeristic integrity go now? When you get fed up with the antics of the company you deal with; who do you run to? Oh there might be some smaller company but you don't even know about it because they cannot afford the type of advertising to get in your face like the big guys do so forget about it.

It's a shame and it happens all the time. These aren't even my personal gripes, but I'm familiar with the syndrome. At this point, I think an advocate would now say that it's the consumer's responsibility to know, to question, to research and to find out what's really going on, at least to the best of their ability. But, asking the relatively normal if not a little antisocial folk who may happen upon this post, do you? Do you seek out all these answers and tend to walk the road less travelled? Do you have the energy to keep up the fight?

What happened to mutual responsibility?

I'm ok with the reality of it, really, but don't blow smoke up my butt and tell me that I'm in a sauna, ok? I'm the kind of person that responds to the upfront approach of getting screwed. The customer's always right? Fat chance.