Brewers Playoff Game Start Time

So we have waited 26 years for the Brewers to make it to the playoffs. I can’t wait to watch the Brewers game this afternoon. Wait that can’t be right. Apparently the Brewers play at 2:00pm local time…. on TBS. Wow thanks a lot MLB! Now I either get to take vacation time from work to watch the game or listen to it on crummy AM radio.

I’m sure a 2:00 game will be a ratings bonanza for TBS. Would it be too much to ask to play the game at a time when most people would actually be able to watch it?!

Swipe your own credit card

By now I’m sure everyone has seen the do it your self credit card transaction. Pretty much any store you go to now has the little machine where you swipe your own card and then sign in the box. I love those machines because you can usually swipe your card ahead of time and speed up the transaction. I think the more you can get the $8/hour clerk out of the transaction the better.

One place where that kinds of falls down is at Best Buy. Here are the Best Buy steps:

1. Swipe your own card like normal.
2. Cashier stands there looking confused.
3. Cashier asks for the card that YOU just swiped so they can enter the last 4 numbers.
4. Cashier talks to friends in line next to you
5. Card is returned along with 8 foot long receipt with 2 surveys on it.

So if they have to actually take the card from you why don’t they just swipe it themselves?! Am I missing something here?

Toyota Financial Services

Would you be surprised to find out that Toyota Financial services does not have an e-billing option for monthly payments? You would think the company who invented the gas saving Prius would certainly have a billing alternative that would help save trees. I’m surprised all the hippies haven’t complained about the “greenness” of this policy. Here is the reply I recieved:

Thank you for contacting Toyota Financial Services.  Billing statements
are system-generated, and you will continue to receive a paper billing
statement each month for your records.

We are currently not able to email billing statements.   You may view your
last printed billing statement by selecting the Statements tab.  You will
then need to select the most recent Statement Period from the dropdown
menu.  Billing statements are generated approximately 17 days before your
due date.

You may choose to receive Email Notifications by selecting the My Profile
tab.

We value your business and look forward to servicing your needs in the
future.  Thank you for visiting us at www.ToyotaFinancial.com.

Sincerely,
Toyota Financial Services

I signed up for their automatic payment service so my payment is deducted on the due date every month. I am a pretty anal record keeper so I usually like to know how much of a payment was applied to the principal and interest every month. Their statement and website cannot even tell me that information. If you want to know that you have to call and then they mail you a printout from their internal system that lists the amount applied to each.

I also have a loan through Honda Financial services. They have apparently figured out this black art of statement e-mailing. Each month my payment is deducted and they send me an e-mail with the details.

The worst part of all is I don’t even own a Toyota. I got a loan through them when I purchase a new Honda because apparently Toyota’s interest rate was .5% less.

Zip Code Required to Get Gas!

I stopped at Speedway/SuperAmerica the other day to get gas. I’ve been going to this gas station for the last 2 years because it is on the way home and easy to get in and out of. I put my credit card in the pump like usual and got ready to pump gas. The pump decided to start doing the idiot beep at me so I figured they were asking if I wanted a car wash, etc. I looked at the dim salt covered screen and saw that it wanted my zip code. I figured I messed up somewhere along the way so I hit cancel and started over. After a couple seconds I got back to the same screen and found there is no way past it without entering a zip code. So instead of entering those 5 numbers I decided to leave and go to another gas station.

This is apparently used for fraud detection. I guess someone who stole your credit card may not actually have your wallet with your drivers license in it. If someone steals my credit card I am not liable for any charges so for all I care they can buy gas or whatever else they want.

So the question is what’s in it for me. As far as I can tell the only thing that is in it for me is I get to stand in the cold like an idiot staring at their smudgy salt covered screen and punch in my zip code. Or I could just not go to that gas station anymore, that sounds like the better choice to me.