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This is unbelievably generous, I'm happy. I feel like people forget Hotmail et al. circa 2001 when 60 days passed and you lost everything. Sometimes you could

This is unbelievably generous, I'm happy. I feel like people forget Hotmail et al. circa 2001 when 60 days passed and you lost everything. Sometimes you could keep your account and just the data was wiped out. This was ABSOLUTELY THE NORM on the internet. Google overturned it single-handedly. In Texas my automatic payment for my storage garage where I have $10,000s of my designer clothing collection didn't go through because my bank removed overdraft payments and I missed the email. They made very little attempt to contact me, pathetically little in my opinion, and when I finally caught it barely 30 some days later they said my possessions were all days away from going to auction. It really disgusted me. My whole life is stored there since going nomadic. They don't have a prepay option otherwise I'd gladly pay annually or biannually to play it safe. Based on the US culture, I believe it is their actual goal to take possession of all my things. My only copy of school yearbooks and college degrees are also there. I really doubt any other country is as hostile and would love to move it all to my storage in Thai or France if not for customs and import taxes complications. I didn't use my Hong Kong subway card for 9 years and the balance was still there, in America at almost 0 cost to them to keep it active, the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money. I fundamentally HATE whan the culture tolerates as normal. Google ain't bad at all.

woodruffw 3y ago
> in America at almost 0 cost to them to keep it active, the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money. MetroCards expire every 12 months, but every MVM in the city (and every subway station has 2-50 of them) will take an expired one and exchange it for an active one for free. My understanding of the expiry window is that it's meant to correspond roughly to how long a MetroCard survives in a wallet, not to steal your money. (None of this will matter in a few years anyways, the replacement system integrates with existing contactless payment systems.)
- silverpepsi 3y ago
  Very interesting, so perhaps a poor example. I'm used to aggressive policies in the US to take you balance or similarly clean themselves of any financial obligation to you, but off the top of my head I don't have examples handy. Guess I'll document them in the future to see if I have a legitimate argument comparing countries here
kortilla 3y ago
Find a different storage provider. Seizing possessions is a pain in the ass and only shady ones would try to make that the business model.
- mike_d 3y ago
  Storage units are a strange business. Most of them are just ways to hold property long term while extracting value from it, the same as if you just grew hay on your farmland. Auctioning off unpaid units is both a liability thing (there is a clear process for the eviction so units can be turned over) and a bonus revenue source. Literally every storage place has it buried in their terms somewhere.
  - silverpepsi 3y ago
    When I had a unit in Paris I was really impressed with their efforts to contact me for small things, I feel they'd have tried every last resort if I was at risk of losing my things but I can't be sure. (Like for freaks sake at least one notification to my postal address I think should be a professional minimum for these types of businesses. It would have worked since I have mail scanning at my postal address)
    - earthling8118 3y ago
      Mail scanning? Are you implying that you have automated mail scanning, or do you mean there's someone there that will scan it for you. I am really intrigued. I don't do well with physical mail.
      - silverpepsi 3y ago
        It's the most wonderful thing ever, I left the US and did a change of address to a Travelingmailbox.com address. They only scan the envelopes and on demand open and scan the contents. Sometimes I get credit cards and pay the nominal fee to get them physically forwarded. Oddly enough, when I get checks I just blow them up on my screen, sign in Paint with my mouse, and take a photo in my bank app of my screen to deposit. It actually freaking works
culturestate 3y ago
> I didn't use my Hong Kong subway card for 9 years and the balance was still there … the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money FWIW, most Octopus cards do expire eventually. If you don’t use it for three years, it’ll be deactivated and they’ll deduct a $15-per-year admin fee until either your balance is gone or you reactivate the card. The only way to avoid this is to have a special concession card (seniors, kids, etc) or to buy an Octopus outright[1], which most people don’t do. The tourist Octopus, notably, can only be bought outright. 1. https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/get-your-octopus/octopus-types.html https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/...
TheSpiceIsLife 3y ago
General improvement, if you have important documents and possession considered storing them with a safety deposit box provider. In my neck of the woods these are typically big banks and security services companies.
- silverpepsi 3y ago
  Honestly after the FBI cleaned out all those safety deposit boxes in California and didn't even have to explain themselves in any meaningful way, I wouldn't even consider one for the normal purposes. Maybe I can get one in Singapore.....
  - culturestate 3y ago
    If you're concerned about a scenario in which the government can do what it likes and doesn't need to explain itself in any meaningful way, I'm not sure Singapore is the place you're looking for...
    - silverpepsi 3y ago
      Singapore tarnishing its actual financial reputation though? That's their lifeblood, I don't see that happening. Maybe I'm dumbbut I don't Wontonly executing people for non crimes related to drugs yeah.

woodruffw 3y ago

> in America at almost 0 cost to them to keep it active, the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money. MetroCards expire every 12 months, but every MVM in the city (and every subway station has 2-50 of them) will take an expired one and exchange it for an active one for free. My understanding of the expiry window is that it's meant to correspond roughly to how long a MetroCard survives in a wallet, not to steal your money. (None of this will matter in a few years anyways, the replacement system integrates with existing contactless payment systems.)

silverpepsi 3y ago
Very interesting, so perhaps a poor example. I'm used to aggressive policies in the US to take you balance or similarly clean themselves of any financial obligation to you, but off the top of my head I don't have examples handy. Guess I'll document them in the future to see if I have a legitimate argument comparing countries here

kortilla 3y ago

Find a different storage provider. Seizing possessions is a pain in the ass and only shady ones would try to make that the business model.

mike_d 3y ago
Storage units are a strange business. Most of them are just ways to hold property long term while extracting value from it, the same as if you just grew hay on your farmland. Auctioning off unpaid units is both a liability thing (there is a clear process for the eviction so units can be turned over) and a bonus revenue source. Literally every storage place has it buried in their terms somewhere.
- silverpepsi 3y ago
  When I had a unit in Paris I was really impressed with their efforts to contact me for small things, I feel they'd have tried every last resort if I was at risk of losing my things but I can't be sure. (Like for freaks sake at least one notification to my postal address I think should be a professional minimum for these types of businesses. It would have worked since I have mail scanning at my postal address)
  - earthling8118 3y ago
    Mail scanning? Are you implying that you have automated mail scanning, or do you mean there's someone there that will scan it for you. I am really intrigued. I don't do well with physical mail.
    - silverpepsi 3y ago
      It's the most wonderful thing ever, I left the US and did a change of address to a Travelingmailbox.com address. They only scan the envelopes and on demand open and scan the contents. Sometimes I get credit cards and pay the nominal fee to get them physically forwarded. Oddly enough, when I get checks I just blow them up on my screen, sign in Paint with my mouse, and take a photo in my bank app of my screen to deposit. It actually freaking works

culturestate 3y ago

> I didn't use my Hong Kong subway card for 9 years and the balance was still there … the NY subway system 100% would have stolen my money FWIW, most Octopus cards do expire eventually. If you don’t use it for three years, it’ll be deactivated and they’ll deduct a $15-per-year admin fee until either your balance is gone or you reactivate the card. The only way to avoid this is to have a special concession card (seniors, kids, etc) or to buy an Octopus outright[1], which most people don’t do. The tourist Octopus, notably, can only be bought outright. 1. https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/get-your-octopus/octopus-types.html https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/consumer/customer-service/faq/...

TheSpiceIsLife 3y ago

General improvement, if you have important documents and possession considered storing them with a safety deposit box provider. In my neck of the woods these are typically big banks and security services companies.

silverpepsi 3y ago
Honestly after the FBI cleaned out all those safety deposit boxes in California and didn't even have to explain themselves in any meaningful way, I wouldn't even consider one for the normal purposes. Maybe I can get one in Singapore.....
- culturestate 3y ago
  If you're concerned about a scenario in which the government can do what it likes and doesn't need to explain itself in any meaningful way, I'm not sure Singapore is the place you're looking for...
  - silverpepsi 3y ago
    Singapore tarnishing its actual financial reputation though? That's their lifeblood, I don't see that happening. Maybe I'm dumbbut I don't Wontonly executing people for non crimes related to drugs yeah.