this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
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I have recently started a new position and am required to use an app that has three Facebook trackers, one of them being a Facebook location tracker according to Exodus App Privacy in order to get your food when it would literally work perfectly fine ordering to a real cashier or shit even a website rather than having to download an app.

I have also read many stories of people that live in apartments that require them to use a mobile app for god damn LAUNDRY. All you need, is a card reader, and it will work perfectly fine like it has been for the longest time.

Privacy concerns aside, it is just annoying that you need this app and that app and this app and that app and it just clutters space on your phone. Security concerns too as now they have all of this additional info on you online, such as your phone number your email your real name, instead of just your credit card info like a card reader would have. And I am willing to guarantee that their security model is absolute horseshit because they have such a small team of engineers working on the app and the servers.

Literal enshitification

Magne

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I went to Buffalo Wild Wings the other day and they tried to have me download an app to pay my bill. I almost had my first Karen moment when I saw that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I can understand refusing to accept cash (to an extent) but holy shit that's insane.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah I was flabbergasted. They said "scan this QR code to pay your bill" and then the website said I needed the app. I'd be fine with online pay but not a fucking app.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

My buddy works as a software engineer at a ace that develops parking apps. He's a pretty vocal advocate for allowing people to pay through the website. They do allow it thank goodness. The last thing anyone wants to do after parking is get an app running they'll probably never touch again.

[–] SlothMama 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No, cash is legal tender. Refusing legal tender for services rendered should be considered insane by everyone.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure, but at the same time paying some amounts in cash is immediate red flag.

In particular, when I worked cash register in a business where people often made transactions that expensive (but usually with cards), whenever anyone wanted to pay more than equivalent of around $700 cash I had to ask an extra employee to do the recount after me and the customer had to sign a paper that they are not using illegal obtained money. It went to a separate register and had to be deposited the following morning. They didn't fuck around but at least never got in trouble for money laundering

[–] SlothMama 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You make me want to go out, withdraw 29k in cash and buy a car just out of spite for that. Do people launder money? Sure, but it's usually gift card scams, and very rarely done in cash at point of sale.

The only thing a card does is make something more traceable, so that if a crime were committed, you could theoretically tie it back to a person, but I don't know that it prevents these things from happening, just makes them easier to investigate?

I live in an area where I come upon cashless businesses with shocking frequency and I hate it even though I usually pay with a card. I see it as a way to hurt people without cards or bank accounts, and I'm old enough to remember pumping gas and paying a cashier in cash afterwards and people weren't constantly stealing gas.

Maybe I'm just an idealistic person, but your comment makes me sad.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

let me put on a freedomite hat and say: they are a private business and are free to dictate how they do their business regarding bill-settling methods; if a customer doesn't comply they can simply go someplace else

really though, I have never EVER seen a business which would not take cash. sure, I have seen businesses encouraging card payments and there are plenty of reasons to: one is money laundering I mentioned in the previous comment; cash is fucking expensive to handle (where I live it's 0.25% markup on card transactions vs 3 to 5% markup of a cash convoy); cash can be stolen by employees or simply misplaced. I know all this varies in different countries but where I live every single shop has cashless options, even farmers' markets stalls take cards because it costs them close to nothing and they save time and money not gathering cash.

I see it as a way to hurt people without cards or bank accounts

well if a business should accept cash or not make a transaction at all then they are not acting rationally by refusing business. why do you they would intentionally hurt people with no bank accounts?

[–] wanderingmagus 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One Starbucks I went to in California wouldn't, they were "fully cashless" and proud of it. I tried, they just wouldn't accept it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Lol that's absurd