Silver Lining’sDark Cloud, 2
Great deal found, no way to pay?
As Spring will soon be here, though with snow forecast for all of today and tomorrow it seems far off yet, my mind is beginning to plan for a camping trip. Doing so, I recall that I lack both a ground cloth and floor pad for my tent. Durning breaks from grading, I have been searching online for these. My tent is no longer in production but the current version’s ground cloth and pad are the same size. Easily available new, but expensive. I found a used set for the older version of the tent that I have for a very good price, a third of what the lowest price I found for a new set and about the cost of a modest evening meal out, and am trying to buy it.
The site the seller posted it to accepts two payment methods, PayPay, an online payment system which I refuse to set up and use and payment through a convenience store. Ordered, I went to a convenience store to pay for it. Paying for it requires the use of an ATM like machine that will print out a barcode to take to the register to pay. However, the system the sellers site uses requires what the system calls a “Hiragana ID”. I have no idea what this is and neither did the clerk helping me.
I emailed the seller and asked if I could use any of the many long standing methods of payment available in Japan to pay for it. These include; credit card, money transfer to their account (easily performed at an ATM) or cash in the mail, Japan Post has a special delivery service for cash.
They replied that due to the heavily discounted price, they cannot accept credit cards. I emailed again asking about the other two methods and am awaiting a reply.
Prior to the US Civil War, 1861-1865, the US government did not issue bills. Banks did, thus “banknote” is often used for our “folding money”, and some States had their own. The US did mint its own coinage but the Spanish Real remained the dominant coinage through out but more so in certain regions. This necessitated rather complex transactions for travelers as they may have various currencies that the exchange rate for each had to be determined to pay for anything. Not a major issue for most as few traveled far from the farm but burdensome for those who did travel.
We have seemingly returned to such a system in Japan. There are now an unknown to myself number of online payment services, all of which cost more than using cash, and no one business accepts them all. Worse, the old methods of payment are being replaced. In another violation of the “If it aint’t broke, don’t fix it”, way of life, the furikomu system where by one is emailed the destination information and can either transfer money from one’s account to the recipient’s or pay with cash through an ATM, is being replaced by other systems that add a whole new step and possibly more than one to making payments. How is this ‘progress”?
I'm watching you closely, as this disease is spreading. Checks are gone, no longer accepted anywhere in Australia. Instead we have a thing called PayID, which is an ID verified app on phone - so that if I want to buy your car - I have to have PayID to make the transfer, because nobody will give me $$,$$$ in cash to pay for the car. You cannot withdraw your cash without making arrangements - and you can only do it a little at a time. The days of handshake, cashier's check, and turning the keys over are done. And that's just selling/buying a used car. In a PRIVATE sale!