The Carrier Man Can.

Yesterday I am screwed. By the plumber. Who was also the air-con serviceman.

The same toilet which I paid RM100 for a repair was to be repaired again, since I had left enough dripping into the toilet bowl for months. It needs to stop. It only made sense. It's my home. I should have things moving on tip-top shape. So, there went RM110 for repair, which interestingly, a sum that I did not even try to negotiate for. Why??? Was I blur in the morning when he quoted me the price?

And then, he said that he does air-con service too, which is another way to say that his hired help does air-con service too. Well, since moving into this place at the end of 2000, I have never let my air-cons be serviced. Each air-con service is RM90. I am stating this down for record-keeping. If there is any other serviceman charging me cheaper, screw this handyman.

And to move my 2nd room's air con to my sauna-ish living room, it costed RM110. I'd better not be ripped off badly. And now I have a hole between my living room and my second room.

Damn, I'm gonna eat grass for days.

That said, I had a fun experience bargaining in Kek Loh Si (Pagoda) Temple recently. I was seeking for some decors to place in my room, and bumped into these Mandarin ducklings. From a RM18.50, by the time I was done walking away, I was offered by a friendly old man at the price of RM5. The same goes for my new windchime. He said RM7 but I told him I would take both the ducks and the windwhime for RM10. Take it or leave it. Okay.. so I did not exactly say that, but I did get my stuff for a tenner.

Malaysia Credit Card Service Charges

Malaysia government is starting to charge 'service charge' on credit cards. I don't have any supplementary cards under me, but boy, do I have principal cards!! I blame all those credit card salespersons who stalk all around shopping malls.

Take this credit card. Take that credit card.

And when I apply for one, the banks give me two. I apply for Visa Free-for-Life, and I get Mastercard too.

So, since that the government wants to charge RM50 per card, I bet most cardholders would be going to the banks in these two months to get rid of their cards. My friends have already pledged their devotion to one or two banks. I am stuck. I like 4 banks - Citibank, HSBC, Maybank and CIMB. So, I have to pay RM200?? Damn.

Dato' Seri Najib said something funny today. He said that he offered more tax reliefs but people are upset about the RM50 service charge on the credit cards. He said among all, he reduced the income tax rate from 27% to 26%.

Like duh..

I am not affected by that reduction, but I am surely affected by the service charge. Who is to be thankful for that reduction? Dato' Tony Fernandez? Astro owner, Ananda? What? These people need credit cards??

I told my friend who works for CIMB that I am canceling most credit cards, but not CIMB. He jokingly thanked me. I told him, not because of loyalty. I am stuck with installments. I cannot escape. ;p