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!!!!!
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)
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.
check this out. I thought that you might be interested.
I was in Iowa last month and bought Camel Lights for $2.65/ pack. They're close to $4.00/ pack here in the Twin Cities. Next time I go down there I'm going to bring 2 grand in cash and fill the trunk of my car with smokes. I figure I can mark them up 75 cents a pack and sell them to people at work.
rollyourown.com and stuffyourown.com
Used them for well over a year. Never a problem.
Roll your own for a buck a pack.
ping
Would like to apologize to all Freepers for NYS again screwing it up for the rest of the country!
I believe it all started in New York with that wacko attorney general/Govenor-want-to-be.
Hey all you non-smokers who want to offer advice like "quit smoking," and are saying boohoo, too bad, because you don't smoke?
Just wait!
Today, its smokes--tomorrow, its your printer cartridge; your camera; your jewelry; whatever.
ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY---TAXES!!!!
Elliot Spitzer did it.
UPS JOINS EFFORT TO REDUCE YOUTH SMOKING
In addition to UPS, DHL agreed in July not to deliver cigarettes for these illegal Internet sellers. "UPS's cooperation reinforces its commitment to ...
www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2005/oct/oct24a_05.html
FEDEX TO STRENGTHEN POLICIES RESTRICTING CIGARETTE SHIPMENTS
In 2005, both DHL and UPS agreed to cease delivery of cigarettes to consumers throughout the United States. In addition, in March 2005, the major credit ...
www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2006/feb/feb07a_06.html
By then, it's already too late.