Is there a boundary for greed???

Today I read in The Star Biz section that Astro is increasing the subscription rate for the Sports Package by RM12 effective today... Just a couple of days back, my friend was telling me about having to pay extra RM12 for her Astro bill which included the Sports Package. Customers have actually started paying the RM12. The news report is not accurate! Last increase was not too long... They gave some the usual 'blah-blah' reasons for the increase. As usual.

Sports Package is popular! Sports is something that people want to see there and then. With people like my friend above who must have her ever so often fix of sports visual and audio, it's not difficult to see why Astro chose to increase the subscription rate for this particular package. And since it's an addiction they're dealing with, they're not likely to lose their customers. They are taking a cue from cigarette companies.

Increasing the subscription rate is the easiest way to increase their profit for the coming year. So yeah! If I am the stock analyst, I'd also give a favourable report of this company for next year! It doesn't need rocket science to figure that one out. They've way too many sports addicts out there! Just look at the mamak stalls on 'any' football nights.

As for me... I may be a sports fan but I am not an addict. I think the subscribers should just cancel their subscriptions for a few months... less demand, less profit. Maybe it'll jolt them into not raising subscriptions arbitrarily! If there is a concerted effort, then maybe they won't be so free with their increases! Long term... we benefit! I won't be subscribing to it any time soon!

And a few days ago too, I received a letter from the Loan Department of the bank which I took my housing loan.... they stated... in the light of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslip, they've incorporated an additional coverage to our house insurance. And the amount will be reflected in our next premium. Should we decide that we don't want the coverage then, we'll have to fill in the forms and send it to them... I have one word to describe them! Unscrupulous! Thousands (maybe more) houseowners will be paying for coverage whcih they don't need and the insurers literally make money out of nothing. My house is located on a flat piece of land. Unless a limestone hill kilometres away suddenly decide to 'slip' I think we don't need that sort of insurance. This particular bank stands to make money out of nothing... actually they're making money out of something - our ignorance.

Anyway, we've faxed and sent our refusal by snail mail... I am going to wait and see whether they charge the 'unwanted' premium in my next renewal....

It should have been the other way round... if we want the additional coverage, then ask houseowners send in the application. I am tempted to throw expletives at such lowhanded practice! Big corporations milking the small people.... a time immemorial plague! And how did it get past the Bank Negara? What is our watchdog doing?

This is how we, the small people are often made to pay so that corporations can continue to report rise in profits... so is there a boundary for greed?? I guess not!