4 ms·

I think it's important to recognize that you or I may not be the ones at risk here, and the same convenience/safety tools that we don't think much about might h

by mafuyu 6y ago

I think it's important to recognize that you or I may not be the ones at risk here, and the same convenience/safety tools that we don't think much about might have an outside impact on others. I was in a fancy managed apartment for a while and they had carded access, security cams, electronic package lockers, etc. That relationship is pretty unique in that I'm paying a lot of money for a more "luxury" experience, and I have more leverage if something goes awry. (This management company totally dropped the ball on making the actual units nice to live in, but that's another story...) There are plenty of horror stories of landlords being shady, the classic one being coming up with an excuse to hold the security deposit. I really would not trust them with putting "smart" devices in my home. I once rented in a complex where the online credit card payment cost an additional $15 fee over walking to the office and handing over a check, because it was some service that they bought in that skimmed off the top. Rent-to-own also has a history of being predatory towards people with lower income. On top of the typically terrible value of renting to own, it's the same relationship as renting where a bad landlord could do all sorts of things, but now you have even more to lose since your money is locked up in the relationship.

jjoonathan 6y ago
> I'm paying a lot of money for a more "luxury" experience, and I have more leverage if something goes awry No. That's a sales line. There are so many cases where paying more gets you worse treatment. Enterprise software pops to mind. So do luxury hotels. A $150 room will have free wifi, free breakfast, and no surprises. A $500 room will nickel and dime you on wifi, breakfast, parking, non-smoking, gym, a valet you didn't ask for, and they'll tack on a few fake tax fees for good measure. Because they can. > This management company totally dropped the ball on making the actual units nice to live in, but that's another story... No, it's the ending of the same story. We've all been there, it sucks, and you have my sympathies, but please don't believe or repeat the sales nonsense. It's a bunch of socially normalized lies designed to close a deal, nothing more.
- mafuyu 6y ago
  Yeah, that's fair. My take may have been a bit naive. It is a bit like Enterprise software, though. Even if you're getting screwed, they'll be polite to you at least. When I badly broke an appliance, they replaced it no questions asked. Going through the same with my current individual-owner landlord would definitely be an event.
ramses0 6y ago
"Cashless" is full of fees, especially for credit (not debit) transactions. https://www.google.com/search?q=rent+on+credit+card+points https://www.google.com/search?q=rent+on+credit+card+points """thepointsguy.com › guide › paying-rent-credit-card Mar 9, 2020 - There is no publicly available, fee-free way to pay your rent or mortgage with a credit card. Due to bank interchange fees, accepting credit cards..."""

by mafuyu 6y ago

jjoonathan 6y ago

> I'm paying a lot of money for a more "luxury" experience, and I have more leverage if something goes awry No. That's a sales line. There are so many cases where paying more gets you worse treatment. Enterprise software pops to mind. So do luxury hotels. A $150 room will have free wifi, free breakfast, and no surprises. A $500 room will nickel and dime you on wifi, breakfast, parking, non-smoking, gym, a valet you didn't ask for, and they'll tack on a few fake tax fees for good measure. Because they can. > This management company totally dropped the ball on making the actual units nice to live in, but that's another story... No, it's the ending of the same story. We've all been there, it sucks, and you have my sympathies, but please don't believe or repeat the sales nonsense. It's a bunch of socially normalized lies designed to close a deal, nothing more.

mafuyu 6y ago
Yeah, that's fair. My take may have been a bit naive. It is a bit like Enterprise software, though. Even if you're getting screwed, they'll be polite to you at least. When I badly broke an appliance, they replaced it no questions asked. Going through the same with my current individual-owner landlord would definitely be an event.

ramses0 6y ago

"Cashless" is full of fees, especially for credit (not debit) transactions. https://www.google.com/search?q=rent+on+credit+card+points https://www.google.com/search?q=rent+on+credit+card+points """thepointsguy.com › guide › paying-rent-credit-card Mar 9, 2020 - There is no publicly available, fee-free way to pay your rent or mortgage with a credit card. Due to bank interchange fees, accepting credit cards..."""