This was one of my worst ever consumer moments. I canceled my account with CLEAR Internet b/c it turned out they did not have 4G coverage on my street. Clear was okay with telling me at time of purchase that my address was covered, but later clarified I was “on the border.” The lady on the phone actually said “Do you know where Clement Park is? You could go there to get 4G…” I had seen enough to realize I was dealing with a Mickey Mouse operation. Fortunately I was within the 2-week hassle free cancellation, so I ended things and obtained a Free UPS Shipping Label.

Today, I went to the UPS Store to ship the device. Here’s where I learned that even stalwart companies like UPS can screw you over. Indeed, the firmly established monopoly is even more likely… I told the clerk I had a ship label and showed him it on my IPOD, and asked him what I should do with it. He said I could print it there, at the cost of THREE DOLLARS. I was totally blind sighted by this. I thought I could email it to the store’s machine, or direct print it…

I decided to bite the bullet just to get this CLEAR chapter checked off my list. But then I learned an even sadder reality: UPS charges for boxes, too. Again, I was comparing it to an inappropriate example, in this case USPS which provides boxes for Priority / etc shipping.

My lessons: call ahead and find out the rules. Buy a printer. Stop depending on some notion that companies are reasonable and want a win-win. Any company that charges $3 per print, esp. for a ship label, is NOT interested in you winning anything. Such a company just wants your money, any way it can get it.

So now I will go on Amazon and buy a printer, using my Prime Membership FREE shipping with UPS…I think the UPS Delivery Team is different than ‘Retail’ aka UPS Store. Retail usually means ‘the customer is stupid / or scared / or in need ‘ .. what can we get out of him? How much is she willing to spend? ‘

The majority of Brick & Mortars are operating like convenience stores; whereas the actual grandfather of convenience stores, 7-11,offers many fine values.Try getting 2 donuts at UPS for less than ten bucks!