Sunday, September 11, 2011

I can't wait until the DMV takes credit/debit cards so I can find out how much extra they will charge us

Online Licensing
You may purchase your new or renewal dog license online through our secure site.

Note: Our secure site accepts Visa and MasterCard. There is a convenience fee of $2.49 that is charged to you for using the online service. There is no fee for a payment by check or cash made in our office or by mail. Using this online system is voluntary.

I should drive my V8 truck down to the animal shelter and pay by paper check. The entire private sector is pushing "paperless billing" and online payment, not because it is "green" but because it is so much cheaper, easier and efficient to take electronic payments.

But government has decided that since something is more convenient for the consumer there is money to be made. How much does it cost the county to have me hand a check to a PERS recipient, get a paper receipt and then have the same PERS recipient make record of the transaction and then put the check in a pouch so that another PERS recipient can take it to the bank?

I'm guessing that it's slightly more than having a website record a few 1's and 0's to have money direct deposited into their account. But since it's more convenient for me I guess I have to pay extra.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Daniel, I read Obama has deported more illegals than Bush did in two terms. How about some praise for Obama?

MAX Redline said...

DMV accepts Visa/Mastercard (credit or debit). Moreover, you can pay your enhanced renewal fees online. It appears that they do not impose a "service fee".

Anonymous said...

Can we actually believe that ANON 4:54? I would caution you to believe nothing that comes out of this administration. I can count on one hand the times the truth has come out from obama and company.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:42 Did you check? What did you find out?

Anonymous said...

Daniel, I hate to break this to you, but the charging of service fees for using credit/debit cards online is not some conspiracy of the government.

The banks charge for each transaction completed through their networks, and someone has to pay those charges. In this case, this government agency is merely doing the same thing commonly done in the private sector...passing their costs onto consumers.

I pay my homeowners/car insurance with Traveler's through an electronic debit each month. And they charge me $1 each month to do that. If I was willing to write a check, buy a stamp, and then drive to the post office, I could save that dollar. But would I really be saving a dollar? Probably not.

Moreover, as a "gun guy", you of all people should know that charging a debit/credit card service fee is a fairly common practice these days. Many companies in the gun industry charge 3% if you pay by credit card, as I'm certain you well know. Even at the Expo Center gun show, if you buy a crate of ammo in-person, they will charge you an extra 3% if you use a credit card.

In other words Daniel, this posts is yet more evidence that your real motive is simply bashing government, no matter how ridiculous the underlying argument might be. Needless to say, this doesn't exactly help out your credibility. Not that you've ever shown yourself to be concerned with credibility.

Anonymous said...

9:43
you drive to the post office to mail a letter? i walk out my front door and drop it in the mailbox.

Anonymous said...

Hey Miglavs, they (Big Bad Government) recently restriped my road and I'm not entirely happy with the shade of yellow they used for the lines. It's just a bit too yellow, if you know what I'm saying. Could you devote a post to this? It's very important! The people have a right to know!!!

Anonymous said...

1129 ARE YOU THAT STUPID you would be giving the government areason to study the shades of yellow paint. we dont need more steenking union government employees

Anonymous said...

did you check the stripe on your back, you sure its not the same

Anonymous said...

Miglavs writes, “But government has decided that since something is more convenient for the consumer there is money to be made.”

Where to even begin…

First Migalvs, can you tell us how you KNOW that “money is being made” here, and that the fees don’t simply offset the bank charges and costs of maintaining the website? Have you actually seen their balance sheet, or are you just asserting things as true, that you don’t actually know to be true?

Second, are you aware that the concept of paying a service charge with online payments didn’t originate with the government, but rather, with private industry? Aren’t you always arguing that government should be run more like private business? So why do you whine when they do?

Third, would you rather they abandon the service charge, and just jack-up rates someplace else so that everyone can pay for a service that not everyone uses? If this service charge is presumably a bad thing, what is your solution for them paying for the ability to accept online payments?

Forth, how come I’ve never seen you whine about service charges when they are applied by private industry? In your statement above, and elsewhere in your post, you imply that the very notion of making money by making something more convenient is inherently wrong (notwithstanding the fact that you haven’t shown that any money is actually being “made” in this situation.) To you, they’re just moving around a bunch of 1’s and 0’s. So are you suggesting private industry should stop this practice too?

I have a few more questions, but I won't bother because I know you won't answer those questions anyway. You remain the only blogger I know who regularly posts a bunch of crap, and then runs off when any of it is challenged. Did you learn that cowardly technique during your gangbanging years?

We should hold a fundraiser for you so that you can finally afford that spine implant you badly need.

Anonymous said...

Obama has done more about illegals than any republican since Eisenhower.

Anonymous said...

sure he did, he gave a lot of them amensty, like his drunken uncle lol are you telling us that he's working diligently for us. lol

dhughes609 said...

Dear MAX Redline: I had to respond to your note about DMV online payments. DEQ data for August was never transfered properly to the ODOT system and I played phone tag for two weeks. I drove to the DMV and waited aggonizingly for 40 minutes to get a new tag. Here is an excerpt from tech support:
"I have spoken with the department that handles online system issues and they are not able to pull up a log for last months DEQ certificates. The only certificate verifications are for this month. Unfortunately you will need to mail in the DEQ certificate, fee for the registration renewal and form 268, which I am including for your convenience."