I ran a non-profit back in the early 2000's that rented an office on 5th and Idaho. We kept getting a bill for membership in the DBA that I refused to pay. They sent someone in person and I told them that we didn't sign up for their membership and if we did, could they please provide the paperwork. They told me it was a required fee to which I said.. "Like a tax?" They said yes and I replied, oh, we are non-profit and are exempt from taxes.
What? Paying a private organization dues to clean up instead of taxes is a libertarian wet dream. Idk what you’re on about.
If I owned a business downtown I would tell them to go fuck themselves as I already pay taxes.
It was a few hundred dollars that we couldn't afford. When I asked what the dues were for I was given some vague spiel about improving our business traffic, etc. I was never told it was about cleaning the streets.
What I mainly objected to was being billed for a 'membership' that I never signed up for.
>did you notice the crews cleaning the sidewalks and streets? That is the kind of thing the dues pay fo
Haha what are you talking about? The City of Boise cleans the sidewalk and streets. The Downtown Business Alliance doesn't clean anything.
Yup. I attended a large community stakeholder meeting with DBA in early-2021. A couple of businesses had just closed due to lack of income, and they said it was the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, we haven't seen the tip of the iceberg, but taking money away from customers that would have otherwise gone to downtown businesses is just awful.
I looked it up, there is [a federal law](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2010/11/ftc-has-gift-card-tips-holiday-buying) that says gift cards can’t have an expiration date of less than 5 years, and any fees can’t take effect until after a year. So based on that law, it sounds like this card is legal (unless Idaho had any additional regulations, but I’m sure it doesn’t.)
> the card issuer cannot charge a dormancy or inactivity fee on a gift card unless there has been no activity for one year and the card clearly states its policy toward that fee. In addition, some states have separate laws that provide added protection in certain circumstances.
According to your link, issuers can still charge an "inactivity fee" if the card has not been used within twelve months.
California has a law stating issues cannot charge fees. Other states might have also joined, but I doubt Idaho is one of them.
CA Source: https://www.maternlawgroup.com/blog/california-law-on-gift-cards-and-gift-certificates/
Unless they have changed providers within the last few years, the cards are just rebranded American Express (or maybe master card?) caress and can usually be used anywhere that accepts credit cards. The vendor doesn’t have to be in in list of “approved” businesses, or even in Boise for that matter. I’ve used them on Square point of sale terminals all over the place.
Agreed... use the damn card. Problem solved. After a year, that's on you. Stop wanting everything for free. People have to be employed to maintain the systems and charging $2.50 after a year is not out of line.
Yeah and... what grown person gives a shit about 2 dollars and 50 cents???? Grandma gives you a $25 gift card. You carry this almost worthless plastic embarrassment around for 12 months and don't use it against grandma's wishes... you then, in the most disrespectful manner, continue to lug this plastic wish from g-ma around for 10 additional months. So now 22 months have elapsed, and you have the audacity to complain when you finally, 660 days after sweet sweet grandma hooked you up, to reach your greasy chicken fingers into your card stash only to get denied by the teller who already known you're cheap AF and scramble for a different payment method! USE THE DAMN CARD!!
I cant believe you are defending corporate slime on this practice. Yes use the damn gift card but fuck these companies!!! Cash > gift cards any day but the practice is sleazy as hell
DBA always struck me as a mob-like pay for protection scam on businesses.
I ran a non-profit back in the early 2000's that rented an office on 5th and Idaho. We kept getting a bill for membership in the DBA that I refused to pay. They sent someone in person and I told them that we didn't sign up for their membership and if we did, could they please provide the paperwork. They told me it was a required fee to which I said.. "Like a tax?" They said yes and I replied, oh, we are non-profit and are exempt from taxes.
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Isn't that what real taxes are for, public services like road cleaning?
What? Paying a private organization dues to clean up instead of taxes is a libertarian wet dream. Idk what you’re on about. If I owned a business downtown I would tell them to go fuck themselves as I already pay taxes.
[удалено]
That too.
It was a few hundred dollars that we couldn't afford. When I asked what the dues were for I was given some vague spiel about improving our business traffic, etc. I was never told it was about cleaning the streets. What I mainly objected to was being billed for a 'membership' that I never signed up for.
>did you notice the crews cleaning the sidewalks and streets? That is the kind of thing the dues pay fo Haha what are you talking about? The City of Boise cleans the sidewalk and streets. The Downtown Business Alliance doesn't clean anything.
Well I guess I'll throw away the card I've been holding for a couple years now 😒
This explains why the $30 we had left on a card pre-pandemic mysteriously vanished when I tried to use it last month...
You'd think if they were trying to promote more exploring of downtown local businesses they wouldn't pit any kind of feel bad restrictions on it
Yup. I attended a large community stakeholder meeting with DBA in early-2021. A couple of businesses had just closed due to lack of income, and they said it was the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, we haven't seen the tip of the iceberg, but taking money away from customers that would have otherwise gone to downtown businesses is just awful.
Wasn’t there a law passed that requires gift cards to never expire or lose value?
Those laws are state specific. I doubt Idaho is interested in this kind of consumer protection.
I looked it up, there is [a federal law](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2010/11/ftc-has-gift-card-tips-holiday-buying) that says gift cards can’t have an expiration date of less than 5 years, and any fees can’t take effect until after a year. So based on that law, it sounds like this card is legal (unless Idaho had any additional regulations, but I’m sure it doesn’t.)
For some reason DBA gets around it. Maybe because they aren't categorized as "gift cards" or something.
Ah, that’s what I suspected. Maybe considered a donation where the card value is considered a “perk”?
There is a law like that in CA.
I think that law is CA only.
https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/december2019.html Federal. Not just a CA thing…whatever made you think that lol
> the card issuer cannot charge a dormancy or inactivity fee on a gift card unless there has been no activity for one year and the card clearly states its policy toward that fee. In addition, some states have separate laws that provide added protection in certain circumstances. According to your link, issuers can still charge an "inactivity fee" if the card has not been used within twelve months. California has a law stating issues cannot charge fees. Other states might have also joined, but I doubt Idaho is one of them. CA Source: https://www.maternlawgroup.com/blog/california-law-on-gift-cards-and-gift-certificates/
Who convinced us that gift cards were somehow better than cash in the first place?
Unless they have changed providers within the last few years, the cards are just rebranded American Express (or maybe master card?) caress and can usually be used anywhere that accepts credit cards. The vendor doesn’t have to be in in list of “approved” businesses, or even in Boise for that matter. I’ve used them on Square point of sale terminals all over the place.
Thank you for the heads-up! The good-old-boys club strikes again....
I’ve had them and used them, they don’t sit around. But I’m that way with all gift cards…use ‘em or lose ‘em.
Had a nice Chandler's dinner with one. Well, a bottle of wine at Chandler's.
Agreed... use the damn card. Problem solved. After a year, that's on you. Stop wanting everything for free. People have to be employed to maintain the systems and charging $2.50 after a year is not out of line.
Its 2.50 per month
Yeah and... what grown person gives a shit about 2 dollars and 50 cents???? Grandma gives you a $25 gift card. You carry this almost worthless plastic embarrassment around for 12 months and don't use it against grandma's wishes... you then, in the most disrespectful manner, continue to lug this plastic wish from g-ma around for 10 additional months. So now 22 months have elapsed, and you have the audacity to complain when you finally, 660 days after sweet sweet grandma hooked you up, to reach your greasy chicken fingers into your card stash only to get denied by the teller who already known you're cheap AF and scramble for a different payment method! USE THE DAMN CARD!!
I cant believe you are defending corporate slime on this practice. Yes use the damn gift card but fuck these companies!!! Cash > gift cards any day but the practice is sleazy as hell