Posted on 06/09/2006 3:55:08 PM PDT by Danette
Can you believe this? I just got a letter in the mail from Allnative about my tobacco products that I order.
"Effective immediately, AllNative.com, as well as many other cigarette retailers around the country, is being forced by the major credit card companies (Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express) to eliminate credit and debit card purchases for cigarettes and other tobacco products. We were notified on Friday, May 19th that they were "pulling the plug" immediately with no time for us to notify our customers."
When did this country go communist? This is freaking nuts. I called AllNative and they said something about the Attorney General putting pressure on the credit card companies not to allow internet based tobacco companies to allow credit or debit cards. My credit card company thought I was out of my mind when I asked about this...they had no clue what I was talking about.
So, who is blowing smoke?
It is pretty silly. It's not about the tobacco, of course, it's about the various states wanting to make you pay an assload of taxes on your cigarettes. They are literally forcing you off the reservation.
Stop smoking?
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2005/ags-credit-card-firms-crack.html
The Associated Press reported March 18 that the credit-card firms agreed not to process payments from online cigarette companies, cooperating in a crackdown on websites that allow customers to buy cigarettes without paying state taxes.
The e-store I was using did this about a year or more ago. Since then they have accepted personal checks throught the mail. About 3 months ago they closed their doors saying they couldn't get supplied any longer by their wholesalers!!
Ciganazis!!!!!
Almost there. Down to 3 ciggs a day. A year ago was a pack.
I shop at JRCigars.com and found no notice about this. Is it just with allnative? Have you checked other online retailers? I wonder if only certain online retailers are taking action.
The one we buy from, it started almost a year ago. First Mastercard wouldn't allow charges, then Visa about 3 months later and since then we pay for them with an online check. The only problem is that they don't get shipped until the bank releases the funds to them which is usually 4-5 days. The bank has to collect those 4 or 5 days free interest!
BTW, there was several articles in the paper about it when it happened.
This is bleepin' ridiculous.
The whole purpose of making out-of-state purchases on the internet is to avoid paying sales tax in your home state. Now they are only going after smokes?
Do they take paypal? In the electronic world, I would think this will quickly have a work around.
Just wait...the Tribes will start filing lawsuits for deprivation of income and will be suing them in Federal Court and the states will cry like lil whipped bitches when they lose Federal civil rights suits and have to pay most of their tobacco settlements to the injuns!! (maybe)
The federal courts have been siding with the states on this-- nontax sales are only supposed to be made on the reservation.
Me too. :(
Yea, but we lowly common folk are not entitled to partake in the cheaper product. That is reserved for business only and government. They want their taxes or usary fees. Most states have laws that even if you avoid taxes they get em via usary at tax time. And don't put it past the Attorney General's office to check your charges via credit card. Can't remember the name of the law the Attorneys General are using but it has been on the books for many years. Seems to me a Representative in Wisconsin brought it to the surface a couple of years back. The law requires anyone who sells Cigarettes to an individual to report the sales to the Agent of the State of the individual. On-line websites were not doing it (many simply closed up shop) but New York and Michigan for a couple of states began forcing the issue via subpoenas for a listing which included address of who they sold to. From there it is only a matter of checking a person's credit card for past purchases. Isn't it crap that only the common citizen is required to pay the high price?
Could credit card companies be held liable in smoking related illnesses because they enabled smoking?
It's a long shot - but makes sense to me.
one way to hit back at them is closing off all credit cards related to them... go with a Credit Card that is on your side.
God I hope you're right. Go-o-o-o-o-o Indians!
check this out. I thought that you might be interested.
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