SCs in the "news" again...

[edible_hat]

This morning, the poor excuse for a news program known as Sunrise had a story about a woman who was refused service for trying to spend $15 of 5 cent coins. It was part of a segment where they get two or three people who work in radio and ask them about various things, and as usual they proved themselves to be dumber than the average bear. Some of the dialog, with my comments in brackets.

"Apparently there's a rule that they only have to take five dollars." (actually the law is that we can refuse service to any person for any reason)
"Well that's ridiculous, I've never heard of that rule." (that doesn't somehow negate it)
"Yeah it's all money they should take it. It takes, what, thirty seconds to count change?" (in thirty seconds you might count $3-$4 of 5 cent coins, not the whole $15 worth)
"Yeah that person was just being slack." (why the emphasis on person? Did you nearly say robot?)
"Also the customer was a pensioner, how many pensioners keep all their change and spend it all in one go?" (apparently, out of all the pensioners in Australia, there is one who does that - the one in the story)
"Well I'm never going to that shop." (you were never going there anyway, it's in a small town far from a paved road, where you can't take your BMW SUV because you can't drive it over rough terrain)


A miracle did occur though, none of them claimed "the customer is always right".

[Jack Doe]

That's funny, because there is a law here in South Carolina that no business is required to take more than 1 "Standard Roll" of unrolled coins (eg, pennies, no more than 50, nickles, no more than $2 worth, dimes, no more than $5 worth, and quarters, no more than $10 worth.) Some places still will, and some even encourage it, but gah, if you've got more than a buck in coins, it had better have three quarters in it.

[Pedersen]

if you've got more than a buck in coins, it had better have three quarters in it.

As a mild side note, it's possible to have more than one dollar in change, but be unable to change out one dollar for your change. Specifically, you can have up $1.19, and unable to give someone a full dollar in coins.

3 quarters, 4 dimes, 4 pennies. You can't get any higher than that $1.19 and still be unable to break the dollar, though.

Just a stupid little side note I thought people might find amusing.

[Nyoibo]

This morning, the poor excuse for a news program known as Sunrise

I demand you remove the part of the post that infers Sunrise has anything to do with news.

I say call them up and challenge them to count $15 in 5c coins in 30 seconds.

[Chromatix]

Fortunately, the "quarter" is only used in North America. Every sane coin system I've seen uses .20 and .50 coins instead. There is no way to "miss" the full denomination that way, though you can still "miss" .50 by having many .20s (and .05 by having .02s).

[pacman]

You can miss the full denomination by having 1 0,50 coin and three 0,20 coins. However, I use to collect my coins to a box (though I hardly ever have paper or metal money on me, usually it's plastic) and when the box/tin is full I take it to the bank. That way I never have the change to bother me and my wallet

[LadyAndreca]

You can miss the full denomination by having 1 0,50 coin and three 0,20 coins. However, I use to collect my coins to a box (though I hardly ever have paper or metal money on me, usually it's plastic) and when the box/tin is full I take it to the bank. That way I never have the change to bother me and my wallet

This is what we do, but we've developed our own little system about it.

Quarters get saved out for laundry.
Coins from 2008 (our wedding year) are saved out separately.
Pennies are separated from the other coins - a habit from college, still useful because we need non-penny change for tolls.

When the penny and loose change jars get filled, they get taken to the bank. Our bank actually doesn't have a change counter, but there's another local bank that has one in their lobby which doesn't take a percentage fee like a Coinstar. Last time we turned in our change, we had about $50.

The wedding year coins are going to be saved up, and we're going to treat ourselves to something special when the jar is full. It's a large one--held something like $35 worth of pennies last time we filled it.

[fireheart]

"Apparently there's a rule that they only have to take five dollars." (actually the law is that we can refuse service to any person for any reason)

Actually, the law does state that retailers can only take up to $5 in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c pieces and up to $20 in $1 and $2 coins. Notes there is no limit. We've had a few of them...they've generally been OK.

"Well that's ridiculous, I've never heard of that rule." (that doesn't somehow negate it)

I can partially relate on this one...they don't really signpost it.

"Yeah it's all money they should take it. It takes, what, thirty seconds to count change?" (in thirty seconds you might count $3-$4 of 5 cent coins, not the whole $15 worth)

OK, edible, Nyoibo, anyone here have Sunrise's number? We can get them to count $15 in 5c pieces and see how long it takes. And hey, it's not ALL money....what about cheques, gift cards, credit cards????

"Yeah that person was just being slack." (why the emphasis on person? Did you nearly say robot?)

Anyone here got some robotic parts we can implant into them?

"Also the customer was a pensioner, how many pensioners keep all their change and spend it all in one go?" (apparently, out of all the pensioners in Australia, there is one who does that - the one in the story)

OK....

"Well I'm never going to that shop." (you were never going there anyway, it's in a small town far from a paved road, where you can't take your BMW SUV because you can't drive it over rough terrain)

Next time you should say "See you next week"

[Chromatix]

There's actually a funny rule in Finland. Coins below €0.05 are not used. If the total comes to an odd value where 1-cent or 2-cent coins would be needed, the retailer must charge you the exact price for a card transaction, but round it to the nearest 5 cents (which is unambiguous) for cash.

The small coins are still used in Britain (though it's pence there, not cents) and in some Euro countries such as France.

[Calud]

Change is stupid anyhow. They should just round all the prices to be 1,00 or 90 etc...

I hate change...

The money kind not the other kind.

[Kiarna]

Just for reference in Australia the following are the coins we have:

$0.05
$0.10
$0.20
$0.50
$1
$2

we do not have 1 or 2 cent pieces any more, and our 1 and 2 dollars are coins.

Also Sunrise......I can not STAND that show!!! Damn Network 7!

As a side note a friend and I wanted to go through Maccas drive thru (the one that treated her sooooooo bad) and buy soft serve cones ($0.30 each) and pay for $5 worth in $0.05.

But yes crazy lady pensioner and down with Sunrise.

[FenigDurak]

<snip>
Coins from 2008 (our wedding year) are saved out separately.
<snip>
The wedding year coins are going to be saved up, and we're going to treat ourselves to something special when the jar is full. It's a large one--held something like $35 worth of pennies last time we filled it.

I love this idea! LadyAndreca, I hope you don't mind if I steal that once FH and I actually tie the knot.

[Geek King]

Here's an idea:

Maybe the next time an advertiser on Sunrise pays for advertising time, they can pay in loose .05 cent coins. After all, they should be allowed since it is real money and all...

[LadyAndreca]

I love this idea! LadyAndreca, I hope you don't mind if I steal that once FH and I actually tie the knot.

Go for it! I thought it was a really cool idea when it was suggested. $35 in pennies...if that had been dimes, it would have been $350. >_>

Granted, it'll probably take years to fill the jar, and even longer to do it again. But it's fun.

[Becks]

Change is stupid anyhow. They should just round all the prices to be 1,00 or 90 etc...

Says you.

I like change. Even pennies. Hell, pennies add up, and I can find a few at work and in the parking lot.