Foie Gras
AdAsia Magazine, Singapore, June 2004 issue
The other day I walked into my regular pub. I had a beer or two, said hi to a few people and signalled to pay. ‘Yessir,’ the bartender said. ‘That’ll be $105.’ ‘What?!’ I said. ‘For two beers? Are you kidding?’
‘Oh no, Sir. Ten bucks for the beers, it being happy hour and all. And $95 for this month’s subscription.’ ‘What subscription? I have no idea what you’re talking about!’ ‘Oh, but with all due respect Sir, then you didn’t pay attention. It’s the Happy Hour Special subscription, as many deluxe beer nuts as you want every time you’re coming in for Happy Hour. A fortnight ago we asked all our customers to raise their hand if they didn’t want it and I don’t recall you being one of them.’ ‘But maybe I wasn’t there! Or maybe I was there and I didn’t pay attention!’ ‘Well, that’s basically your problem, sir. But we did ask.’
I looked at the bowl of nuts next to my empty beer glass. ‘Are these your “deluxe beer nuts”?’ I asked. ‘Because if they are, they’re the same ones you’ve been throwing at me for months!’ ‘That’s correct, Sir. Courtesy of the house, we started out with giving them away for free, to get our clientele used to them. Only started charging this month, Sir. And I do notice you’ve been eating them, Sir.’
‘Of course I did,’ I shouted, getting quite annoyed now. ‘How the Hell could I’ve known that you’d start charging me a hundred bucks a month for some stupid nuts!’ ‘Oh but you could’ve, Sir. Just look at the underside of your beer mat.’
I turned over my dripping beer mat. There, in very small print, was a notice that said I owed the bar $95 per month unless I opted out before the first of the previous month. It specified quite clear that in case of opt-out I would not be entitled to any more nuts.
Far-fetched? No. This novel method, which I call the Foie Gras approach after the way they feed the poor geese whose liver it is, is increasingly being stuffed down the throats of Singaporean consumers. Last year it was Pacific Internet, starting to charge for an unsolicited spamfilter, after applying that filter automatically to everyone’s mailbox for the few months before. Spamfilters are useful, no doubt. But maybe I want to take a conscious decision before buying one. Or maybe I’d already bought one elsewhere. But why making it my problem to prevent unnecessary payments?
More recently M1 and SingTel did both exactly the same with a missed-call service for roaming subscribers. This was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back for Case. Last March they slapped SingTel on the wrist, denouncing the practice. Didn’t work, though. Now Starhub has caught on to the trick, telling me that I’m going to pay for some new Disney Channel. Don’t want to pay? Then send a letter or place a phone call and tell us not to do it. But wouldn’t a link on the website be easier? Oh yes, way too easy! And free, too! So no website, we want you to call or phone. Or else pay.
This practice has to stop. I’m not a goose, and I don’t want to be stuffed. Not with beer nuts, spamfilters, or Disney Channels. Wonder when someone will start to sue these guys under the Fair Trading Act..
The other day I walked into my regular pub. I had a beer or two, said hi to a few people and signalled to pay. ‘Yessir,’ the bartender said. ‘That’ll be $105.’ ‘What?!’ I said. ‘For two beers? Are you kidding?’
‘Oh no, Sir. Ten bucks for the beers, it being happy hour and all. And $95 for this month’s subscription.’ ‘What subscription? I have no idea what you’re talking about!’ ‘Oh, but with all due respect Sir, then you didn’t pay attention. It’s the Happy Hour Special subscription, as many deluxe beer nuts as you want every time you’re coming in for Happy Hour. A fortnight ago we asked all our customers to raise their hand if they didn’t want it and I don’t recall you being one of them.’ ‘But maybe I wasn’t there! Or maybe I was there and I didn’t pay attention!’ ‘Well, that’s basically your problem, sir. But we did ask.’
I looked at the bowl of nuts next to my empty beer glass. ‘Are these your “deluxe beer nuts”?’ I asked. ‘Because if they are, they’re the same ones you’ve been throwing at me for months!’ ‘That’s correct, Sir. Courtesy of the house, we started out with giving them away for free, to get our clientele used to them. Only started charging this month, Sir. And I do notice you’ve been eating them, Sir.’
‘Of course I did,’ I shouted, getting quite annoyed now. ‘How the Hell could I’ve known that you’d start charging me a hundred bucks a month for some stupid nuts!’ ‘Oh but you could’ve, Sir. Just look at the underside of your beer mat.’
I turned over my dripping beer mat. There, in very small print, was a notice that said I owed the bar $95 per month unless I opted out before the first of the previous month. It specified quite clear that in case of opt-out I would not be entitled to any more nuts.
Far-fetched? No. This novel method, which I call the Foie Gras approach after the way they feed the poor geese whose liver it is, is increasingly being stuffed down the throats of Singaporean consumers. Last year it was Pacific Internet, starting to charge for an unsolicited spamfilter, after applying that filter automatically to everyone’s mailbox for the few months before. Spamfilters are useful, no doubt. But maybe I want to take a conscious decision before buying one. Or maybe I’d already bought one elsewhere. But why making it my problem to prevent unnecessary payments?
More recently M1 and SingTel did both exactly the same with a missed-call service for roaming subscribers. This was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back for Case. Last March they slapped SingTel on the wrist, denouncing the practice. Didn’t work, though. Now Starhub has caught on to the trick, telling me that I’m going to pay for some new Disney Channel. Don’t want to pay? Then send a letter or place a phone call and tell us not to do it. But wouldn’t a link on the website be easier? Oh yes, way too easy! And free, too! So no website, we want you to call or phone. Or else pay.
This practice has to stop. I’m not a goose, and I don’t want to be stuffed. Not with beer nuts, spamfilters, or Disney Channels. Wonder when someone will start to sue these guys under the Fair Trading Act..
posted by Jos. at Tuesday, June 01, 2004
