You know you're in a small town when....

[Daren Todd]

RCW, need to be careful with situations like you describe. We had the same mom/pop/family trash haulers for over 30 years for two different locations. At some point the small co. was bought out by the trash mafia WM. They send a picture on my email showing some trash outside the tote and the lid not able to shut down and charged $90 each event.

When I told them to cancel my service they said I had to pay to release me from their contract. Didn't know I had a contract and asked for evidence. Turns out I have to pay the average monthly fee of the last year for 12 months to be released from the contract.

The lesson to learn, the contract was in very small writing on one of the monthly invoices for the mom/pop/family business, at the very bottom for one month and had never been there before. My wife pays a bill just before it's a bill and she just paid the amount since we'd been doing it for years. They do that so when they go to sell the business they have evidence and contracts for x amount of accounts which nets them more money!!!!

We had similar luck with waste management here. It was paid quarterly and they would mail the invoice out in such a way that you were past due 2 days after the invoice showed up.

They would then miss the next week's pickup wince your were past due on your payment.

I finally got fed up and canceled. They said I owed xxx.

I had already counted up all the missed weeks of trash removal. I pointed out to the lady on the phone, that based off all the missed pickups, they owed me 2 months of trash collection.

She said they wouldn't be giving me two months trash pick up.

I told her then it sounds like we are even and good luck collecting on what they say they owe.

I actually told her I hoped they would take me to court over it since I have documentation of all the weeks they neglected to pick up my trash.

 

[RCW]

RCW, need to be careful with situations like you describe. We had the same mom/pop/family trash haulers for over 30 years for two different locations. At some point the small co. was bought out by the trash mafia WM. They send a picture on my email showing some trash outside the tote and the lid not able to shut down and charged $90 each event.

When I told them to cancel my service they said I had to pay to release me from their contract. Didn't know I had a contract and asked for evidence. Turns out I have to pay the average monthly fee of the last year for 12 months to be released from the contract.

The lesson to learn, the contract was in very small writing on one of the monthly invoices for the mom/pop/family business, at the very bottom for one month and had never been there before. My wife pays a bill just before it's a bill and she just paid the amount since we'd been doing it for years. They do that so when they go to sell the business they have evidence and contracts for x amount of accounts which nets them more money!!!!

Thanks for the heads up.

WM operates in our area a little, but we’re too rural for them to be interested except for some large commercial customers.

We do have some regional haulers that would fit the spot/role same as WM.

I’ll have to watch for that if/when our family outfit transfers/sells their business

 

[ctfjr]

You get local mail in your mailbox with just your name on it, no address.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My wife used to write to her college roommate with the letter addressed as:

Debbie XXX
Kent, CT

 

[D2Cat]

post incomplete.

 

[D2Cat]

The caution is the small company never made any customers aware of their interest in selling out, it just happened and instantly we were under WM. They (WM) got to their present size by purchasing smaller companies all over and combining them. I'd say the best precaution is to read the small print on your invoice each month. The change is so subtle you won't notice it unless you're looking for it!!!

 

[RCW]

D2Cat - guess it fits in the small town theme…. I haven’t gotten an invoice from our hauler in years. I just send them a check and pre-pay every quarter.

 

[RCW]

While it burned down years ago - - the Post Office was in the back corner of Hoffmann's General Store and was part of the General Store.

We got the mail and a Nutty Buddy Ice Cream cone (15 cents?) after making the milk can route.

My grandfather and I picked up full cans from dairy farmers in our area, took them to the milk plant 15 miles away, then returned the washed cans to the farmers. Was done 365 days a year. Was probably a 40-50 mile route each day.

I think my Dad said the cans were 124 pounds each when full.

 

[Biker1mike]

Another big firm buying little firms and you get screwed.
A little known medivac helicopter company has purchased many of the smaller companies. During an emergency you do not think twice about transport by helicopter to a hospital. For the rural population this is a real life saver. Now the new down size. If you are uninsured or under insured they will put a lien on your house in a heart beat. They are large enough to wait until you die and collect when the home is sold.

Wife had a ride 60 miles to major trauma center. The bill was 60 grand ! Thanks to a great medicare advantage policy I paid a very small portion. If you have marginal insurance you had best read the small print before you sign off on that trip. I know I signed without reading the form. They take advantage of the fact that you are not thinking about cost in that situation.

As to small town. K - 12 take the same bus and go to the same school here ! One building and not one stop light for the entire hour bus ride from here.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Another big firm buying little firms and you get screwed.
A little known medivac helicopter company has purchased many of the smaller companies. During an emergency you do not think twice about transport by helicopter to a hospital. For the rural population this is a real life saver. Now the new down size. If you are uninsured or under insured they will put a lien on your house in a heart beat. They are large enough to wait until you die and collect when the home is sold.

Wife had a ride 60 miles to major trauma center. The bill was 60 grand ! Thanks to a great medicare advantage policy I paid a very small portion. If you have marginal insurance you had best read the small print before you sign off on that trip. I know I signed without reading the form. They take advantage of the fact that you are not thinking about cost in that situation.

As to small town. K - 12 take the same bus and go to the same school here ! One building and not one stop light for the entire hour bus ride from here.

We are over hour drive (In good weather) from any larger hospital with a good trauma center.
We ended up buying a lifetime Flight For Life policy, best money I've ever spent but hope to never use!

 

[RCW]

Helicopter rides here are about $25-30,000. Scary numbers.

As much as we have issues with primary care, OB/GYN care has gotten worse. Many Maternity Care services are no longer existent.

While we're no longer in the child-bearing years, folks are having to travel an hour or two to birth a child.

 

[Kurtee]

Small town USA is disappearing. Having lived in a few I have come to realize that ya gotta watch who you gripe about as you could easily be talking to their kin.

 

[cthomas]

Remember visiting the grandparents as a kid and was surprised that the phone number used were only 4 digits. Later I figured it out, everyone had the same first three, therefore were never given out. Also remember the story about my grandma taking her drivers test. Was my grandpa driving with the four kids in the back at the town hall/police/fire/library station the town police officer asked everyone to get out of the vehicle and for my grandma to drive around the block, while the police officer and my grandpa chatted. My grandma drove around the block and passed her test.

 

[Daren Todd]

We are over hour drive (In good weather) from any larger hospital with a good trauma center.
We ended up buying a lifetime Flight For Life policy, best money I've ever spent but hope to never use!

Local trauma center is 45 minutes to sn hour away from us. The two local hospitals are decent for the majority of issues.

But if it's severe like when our son in law wrecked his motorcycle, the university hospitals trauma center is the place to be.