Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

We tend to allow others to use us freely. A simple example.

About every ten years I buy a new automobile. Yes, I am “cheap,” and yes, today’s automobiles are built well enough to drive efficiently for ten years or more. After buying my last automobile, I arrived at home and noticed a sticker permanently adhered to the rear end of the car. How did that happen?

What I should have done: noticed the sticker on my car advertising the dealership before driving away in the car. Then had a conversation:

Me: Excuse me, please remove your advertisement sticker from my car.

Dealer: Oh, we put that on all the vehicles we sell.

Me: Excuse me, I looked at the bill of sale, our contract. I don’t see anything in the contract where I agree to advertise your dealership.

Dealer: (silence)

Me: Now, if you would like me to be a rolling advertisement for you, let’s have that discussion as I am interested in you paying me, let’s start the discussion at, $100 a month for the years I drive this car.

Dealer: (more silence)

We use social media—no cost. Then we are surprised to learn that the social media company monitors our viewing to sell ads. We buy products, at low prices, that sit in our homes and listen and watch what happens. That collected information is sold. We are surprised. We have a newspaper subscription. We are surprised to learn that the newspaper sells our information to … the stories continue.

Let’s look at the contract—all of it, especially the little print in the user’s agreement. We don’t have to let others use us at no charge. We can sell, or not, our services.