Posted on 03/18/2005 8:37:43 AM PST by JusticeTalion
If you buy smokes online you may just be screwed. All major credit card companies in the United States have voluntarilly agreed to ban all internet transactions concerning cigarettes regardless of the customer. And they kept it extremely quiet until today.
I found exactly two articles on it and both were regional papers requiring subscription. The move is ostensibly shaded with the "Let's keep tobacco out of kid's hands" malarkey but the real reason is stated later. States are tired of losing tax revenue to out-of-state buyers so they completely banned all cigarette purchases.
What does this mean? I am writing to my credit card companies to find out. What if I want to buy a humidor for my Uncle's pipe collection. What about cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco? Are these banned too?
How this got arranged with not one peep about it in the news is amazing. No protests, no dissension, not one word from anyone. I am not real thrilled by being banned from buying a legal product with a recognized legal tender in the United States. And this is not just a business move. It has the full backing of state officials and the federal government in the form of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That makes it something that our representatives can fight against.
Fascism, in any form, SUCKS!
Further, how is the credit card company going to know that it's for smokes if the company name doesn't say "tobacco" of "cigarettes" or some such thing?
This just doesn't sound right to me.
I'm not finding anything on Google.
Is this an official government declaration of war on Native American businesses?
PayPal has the MasterCard logo on it's bankcard.
Has would this affect that type of purchase?
MasterCard is one of the companies that is banning the sales.
I see a business opportunity.
why is this NOT a violation of the Interstate Commerce Clause of the 10th ammendment? Almost anything else can be!!
I guess so.
If I were an online cig store owner, I would change the name of my store to "No Cigs For Sale Here!" or some such name. Much the same way that certain gentlemen's entertainers use fictitious names to fool expense report monitors.
They are using the 1954 Jenkins Act which only covers tobacco (or cigarettes) sales across state lines.
Color me skeptical. I just don't see how it can be enforced.
http://buydiscountcigarettes.com/advanced/default.asp
So...maybe I should live my life as a NJ Politician.
I'll rip out my vegetables and plant tobacco. Learn to roll my own.
THEN apply for some farm grants and live of the gov teet.
After all, many of our politicians collect farm grants and they don't have legitmate working farms.....
Live corrupt! That is the answer.
If so, you'd better get some NOW.
Hmmm. I havent heard this, but I'll assume it's true. Wonder if it has anything to do with the bill in congress to get credit cards protected from bankruptcy laws. Quid pro quo?
You are correct. This credit card collusion will be circumvented. Americans will do their darnedest to avoid TAXES. It's in our BLOOD...and rightfully so...
Apparently this hasn't been implemented yet, or it doesn't apply to pipe tobacco. I just purchased some using a credit card. I'll wait and see before I panic.
Tobacco sellers will quite easily get past this through blinds, or their own cards. No problema, just a PITA.
-Eric
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