Sailor Thanks Consumerist For Helping His Family
Romeo is 22, in the Navy, and says he really appreciates what Consumerist has done for him and his family. Read his heartfelt letter, inside...
Romeo writes:
To the Consumerist.com,
First, my deepest thanks, your site has has played an unbelievable part in my family's financial success, even in these tough times. I am proud to the say that at 22, as a father/husband with two young boys, I am not only a new homeowner (30yr Fixed), but I'm well on my way to paying off the last of my families consumer debt. (>$9k Total including 2 Used Cars & a low APR Visa).I am currently enlisted as a Personnel Specialist 3rd Class in the U.S. Navy, and for all intents and purposes "Customer Service" has been my bread and butter for the last 4 years. Needless to say, CS is pretty stressful on anybody, much less with Deployments, Military Duties, and The Global War on Terrorism constantly on the forefront of your mind. To say my fellow service members have all become "accustomed" to high levels of stress is quite an understatement. Sad as it is to say, many of us simply don't always have the energy to focus on important financial matters while we are at home or abroad. While the Navy does it best to provide financial management training and resources, I wish more of my shipmates would take a few minutes to browse your articles. The untold tales of abuse many of my brothers have suffered due to shifty lease contracts, abusive business practices, cellphone ETFs, ARM Foreclosures....etc., is truly disheartening, and, worse yet: preventable.
But through it all, I wish was eloquent enough to express just how much we appreciate everyone involved with publishing the Consumerist. You have become an invaluable resource for many of my shipmates, many of whom I direct to you when a relevant issue arises. Whether intentional or not, your efforts have helped countless military members forge a safe financial path through these strenuous times, and have there by played a huge role in keeping our war fighters' mind focused on our mission: The safety and security of the United States of America at home and abroad.
From the bottom of my Heart,
Thank You.
Romeo E. PS3(SW/AW), USN
Thanks Romeo! It always makes us feel good to hear that we're helping people out. Certainly makes getting up in the morning easier. If you agree with Romeo and think Consumerist has made a difference in your life, consider visiting donatetoconsumerist.com.
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Comments:
"If you agree with Romeo and think Consumerist has made a difference in your life, consider visiting donatetoconsumerist.com."
Or failing that, the 2nd-best thing would be to write a nice thank-you letter to Consumerist so that they can post it and plug donatetoconsumerist.com again.
I agree, I have learned alot about being more vigilant when dealing with business. Being around military posts with your guard down can be dangrous. Everyone (salesman especially) know exactly what you make, and do everything in their power to convince you that buying a car for, in my case, $5000 above retail, is a good buy. And this is the norm, it's expected, and for some reason, tolerated. (BTW, i didn't buy the car, I went home and did the research on it, and decided I will never shop there for a car again)
i'm also pleased with consumerist. as a 5 year active duty Operations Specialist 2nd class, i like this site. i would donate, however thanks to this prick obama, my yearly militarywide flat rate raise did not take much of an effect this year. well, for the next 4 more years for a matter of fact. I didnt care much for Bush either (thats why i ended up in Iraq), but a least he gave us a little bit of money so we can buy stuff to clean ourselves off after being pissed on by the pentagon!
-dave
It's sad that one must now "forge a safe financial path."
While I can't say "I remember the day when..." I feel like when you went to your local bank for a loan, they would help you out or say "this isn't a good idea." They cared more about having your business than about stiffing you with various fees and sticking you with an adjustable rate.
This applies to all financial industries where I feel like for a long time they cared about your interest as well as theirs, b/c they knew that caring about your interests would benefit them in the long run.
@militarydave: There are lots of people who aren't getting raises this year, next year or maybe the year after that due to the shaky economy
@Chantillian: Why not? Consumerist can't run on sheer principals and consumer angst.
They are merely pointing out how much this website impacts a broader following than we usually think about. Many people take the time to say thank you when their story is posted and an issue resolved, but not many take the time to say thank you, just because they can.
THANK YOU BEN, MEG, CHRIS, CAREY, LAURA, ALEX- AND EVEN MISS MODERATOR ROZ.
(fervently looking for my debit card....)
Yay, Romeo!
His two kids and his loving wife must be very happy indeed!
PS: Are you a shellback yet?
"...I wish was eloquent enough to express..."
Romeo is pretty eloquent already. He writes better than most people his age and older.
As they say in the Navy (I'm a vet), "Bravo Zulu" for your efforts, Consumerist!
@militarydave: militarydave, you might want to consider rejoining the civilian sector. I'm on four days a week with the expected 20% pay cut, and my wife is out of work and hasn't had healthcare in at least three years. If I was young enough, I'd be back in the Navy in a heartbeat.
@verucalise: As much as I luuuuv my Consumerist, I'm holding on steadily until I see Captain Duvel Moneycats.
My card can't make a beeline
Until I see that darn feline.
I haven't had any major impacts from reading consumerist personally... but even though I considered myself a savvy consumer, I've learned a lot of lessons/tips/tricks from this site. And even though there is a little too much snark in some of the comments for my taste, I've learned a great deal just by interacting with other commenteres on here from their personal experiences/knowledge.
Romeo! If you're reading this, thanks for your service. My grandfather was a sailor and the Navy's close to my heart.
Good on you for being so vigilant about your finances, especially for the sake of your family. Consumerist has helped many of us navigate the sometimes tough world of personal finance and consumer issues. But you deserve credit too, for having the foresight and determination to handle your finances so responsibly. The best to you and yours.
@skizsrodt: It's amazing this day in age salesmen will still try and pull that on you. With all the tools available to know exactly how much dealers pay for their cars, and then to have them dick you around and pay $5000 over MSRP? What a joke.
@PunditGuy: lol.
Seriously, that was a great letter from Romeo and I'm a huge fan of Consumerist. But I hope Consumerist doesn't go over the top with their mentions of donatetoconsumerist.com. There comes a point where it's counterproductive. ...Kinda like PBS using half of their air time for their pledge drives.
I've always believed that company policies are for the most part, arbitrary and open to debate. But the consumerist really validates this and helps me speak up.
Oh, and to give the ATM slot a jiggle now before inserting my card. :)
ill donate 5$ to consumerist right now if you ever post my linksys issue that caused me to spend 4+ hours on the phone and still isnt resolved
That was an exceptionally well-written letter. I can see why Ben chose to post it.
@militarydave: Being in the service, you should know enough not to engage in discussions of politics as a representative of the military.
@MyPetFly:
And to counterbalance Romeo's command of written language, we have Militarydave's lack of capitalization and apostrophes.
Sorry if I seem peeved, but the guy's got it a lot better than he realizes, and the Navy can probably do a bit better than him.
I was an Operations Specialist 2nd Class (OS2) stationed in Norfolk aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) during the 80's. Too many of my shipmates feel victim to predatory lending, leases and time-shares. I wish the Consumerist was around then.
@skizsrodt: Yeah... Isn't it verboten to criticize the Commander-in-Chief during your term of active duty?
@verucalise: Um, how about that big corporate sponsor they just sold out to? Doesn't Consumer Reports have any money to fund this site? I thought that was the point of selling out to them, plugging their magazine and website every day, etc? If it wasn't, then someone running this site doesn't understand how selling out is supposed to work. :)
I wish there was more that could be done to prevent some of the shady lending that happens around military bases. These are people that risk their lives for relatively low pay compared to the private sector, having them get caught up in predatory lending really makes me mad.
I guess the fixes that could help prevent people in the military from being screwed over would apply to civilians that happen to be young and just learning the ropes of finances.
Maybe some decent regulation and forced disclosures would make things better for everyone. I would rather see more people putting money into things that improve their lives than into the pockets of bottom feeding loan sharks.
Militarydave's in the Navy for the wrong reasons apparently. He's what's known as a shitbird.
I would donate but I need that money to pay off debt so...
maybe I can just click on an ad?
@downwithmonstercable: It was a used car, to be fair, but they wanted 27,000 for it. When I checked it online, most sites said it was worth less than 22,000. He tried to tell me it was a great deal etc. Glad I don't make impulse buys on major purchases. And I will make it a point to travel outside the sphere of my post's influence when I buy my next car.
@skizsrodt: Bah, even still. Dealers have to know what a used car is worth. Plus, dealers double or triple what they pay for trade in value depending on the car. Good for you for not falling for it!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Well deserved compliment to the Consumerist. Keep up the good work. Oh and more Cats!
I can haz Tax Cat Mug now?
@skizsrodt: I had a close friend who did 2 tours in Iraq and was killed on his 3rd last year. I knew he disliked nearly every decision Bush made but he would never say anything about it in public. In fact he would barely mention it in private unless he had a couple of drinks. He always said when he decided to put on the uniform he agreed to serve those above him regardless of his feelings.
His tremendous amount of character is just one of the the many things about him I miss.
Another poster saying Thank You for your service Romeo.
And that goes out to everyone in uniform.
It is a hard time for a lot of people but it's good to always remember that we have our country men out there looking out for us.
We'll all get through this mess together.
@edwardso: Being a non-profit doesn't mean you don't have to pay the rent and your employees. I tried that and everyone got pissed off.
@militarydave: I haven't ever had a job where I was guaranteed to get a pay raise every year just for keeping my job. The only people I know who get anything like that work for the government or are teachers (also kind of working for the government). Everyone else gets a raise when the company can afford it and when they are doing well at work. I'm sorry, but our government can't afford to give raises right now. I wish that they would stop raises for EVERYONE who works in ANY branch of the government until our country is back on track with its finances. I'm sorry that you won't be getting a raise. It's been two years since I've had one, and will probably be at least one, but more likely two years before I get another. My husband hasn't gotten a raise in about two years either, but it's looking hopeful that he might get one a little sooner than I will. However, both of our raises will depend on how hard we work and how well our companies are doing financially.
@Barrister76: i was referring to "big corporate sponsor" I work in a non-profit and know how strapped we can get for money
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou"...stationed?
@skizsrodt: Um, what? "Very much so?"
Unless he's a commissioned officer (which he clearly is not), he's within his legal right to criticize.
That doesn't excuse his poor choice of words, of course.
@SybilDisobedience: Agreed! My father was a sailor as well, and I have nothing but respect for anyone lending his or her life to protect me and my family.
Way to go Consumerist!
Protects us from those terrorists!