Brands that were once popular....
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
I wouldn't even know these "chip and PIN" things existed without hearing about them on the TrekBBS.
Well you can get Chip N Sign cards in the UK though they aren't that common and you have to request them, . As it's basically a matter of priority the default position for a card with a chip on it is to ask for a PIN, if for whatever reason there is a problem it can fall back to the old fashioned sign method.
But the UK switched to Chip N PIN what must be over a decade ago, though it did take a few years for all cards to move over as the old swipe and sign cards where just replaced with Chip N PIN when they needed replacing (due to loss, theft or expiring). It just seems as if America is behind the times on this, sure you can argue size etc.. but no one expects the change to happen over night just phased in over a period of years. Contacless tech came in a few years ago but not many places took it, fast forward to today and many places take it. And yes I suspect many of the same arguments being used in the USA about CnP cards where used when the tech was being adopted in the UK (and other countries). We can sometimes be resistant to change
But we are moving off topic.
But the UK switched to Chip N PIN what must be over a decade ago, though it did take a few years for all cards to move over as the old swipe and sign cards where just replaced with Chip N PIN when they needed replacing (due to loss, theft or expiring). It just seems as if America is behind the times on this, sure you can argue size etc.. but no one expects the change to happen over night just phased in over a period of years. Contacless tech came in a few years ago but not many places took it, fast forward to today and many places take it. And yes I suspect many of the same arguments being used in the USA about CnP cards where used when the tech was being adopted in the UK (and other countries). We can sometimes be resistant to change
But we are moving off topic.
I do wish we had Chip and PIN in the US. It's inexcusable that we don't. 
We are starting to get Chip and Sign but that doesn't go far enough.
We are starting to get Chip and Sign but that doesn't go far enough.
Swiping seems to still show up every now and then, but Chip & Pin does seem to be the default system now with the option on some devices to simply tap the card (often only up to a certain amount).
In one of the most unfortunate brand name events ever: AYDS diet pills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBkVuT5pw1g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjmxmHpBj4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBkVuT5pw1g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjmxmHpBj4E
Yeah, contactless is great, not everywhere does it here and the maximum is £25 at the moment I think.
£20 as far as I am aware, and a lot more places take it than a couple of years back. Just takes a few years for retailers to replace their card terminals. I suspect it'll be another couple of years beofer the rollout is complete, with maybe smaller independants not taking Contactless.
I'd forgotten about those. Lose weight with Ayds. According to Wiki, increased Aids awareness during the '80s led the maker to seek an alternative product name. The effort failed, and Ayds was gone by 1988. Unfortunate, indeed.
Around here the limit on tapping your card seems to be $50 CAN (like at gas stations) or maybe even $100 at other places. Other retailers might have different limits.
Amazingly a retail giant like our local Walmart doesn't have the tap option on their terminals and they updated to Chip & Scan not long ago while other retailers and even small ones are already ahead with the option.
Although it's only been a short time I already miss Future Shop. Not only do I miss it as a former employee, but I also miss the fact that you could find knowledgable people there. Buying a television (for example) at Leon's, The Brick, Walmart or Sears or any furniture outlet with electronics on the side just isn't the same. Sometimes I feel I know more than the sales reps and find I can learn more online than talking to them.
Banks and issuers in the U.S. only started issuing chip cards in the past twelve months, for what it's worth.
It's not even really a brands issue, but rather a standards issue. Apple Pay uses an open standard both used by Apple and Android phones. CurrentC on the other hand is a closed-platform created by an alliance of companies who want more direct control over where the money goes and who refuse to support that open standard. It's fighting an uphill battle at this point and it's doomed just by existing.
I do miss the old airlines. There are basically only four left now (United, American, Southwest and Delta) and so fliers have precious little choice.
Very true..and they are sticking it to the ol consumer again and again..
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/01/politics/doj-subpoenas-airlines-unlawful-coordination/
I never shopped there.
This may be regional, but Snapple used to own an entire section of shelving; now it's reduced to a couple of shelves.
We are blessed to have Hendricks BBQ in our region. Then again, North Carolina is famous for our BBQ! A good friend supplies all their firewood for their smokers.
Sears bought Kmart, not the other way around. My mother worked for Sam Walton personally and my (then) roommate's dad, Jerry, supplied shoes (Hoops & Oak Harbor) to Walmart. Sam & Jerry were on a plane when two Kmart executives could be overheard behind them. They kept talking about this stupid hick Sam Walton and how he'd never compete with Kmart. Sam turned to Jerry and said, "I've come up with a new business plan. We build a Walmart near every Kmart and run them out of business."
Several years later, Kmart filed for bankruptcy and Sears bought them. It seems Sam's plan worked! I miss him. Sam Walton gave me some valuable advice: "never get too big for your britches" and "people are more important than money". It took many years before I appreciated the value of his words.
We had Musicland & Camelot (became FYI, which sucks).
Camelot was about the only chain music store that ever had imports (at least in the 90's).
I miss cdnow.com (late 90's), which was absorbed by Amazon. At the time cdnow.com had an amazing selection and Amazon couldn't fill orders for items they had listed.
Even after they took over cdnow.com, Amazon still had major problems for years in the music CD area.
Um, no.
source:
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/17/news/fortune500/sears_kmart/
K-Mart Holdings did rebrand itself as Sears Holdings, though, so maybe that confused you...
Tower Records..
From the late 70s until the early 2000s, I spend many an hour there..in the early days with my friends going through the music, in the later days with my family looking for videos for purchase... Was the only store where one could get New Wave record imports in the Sacramento area.. And the most popular local radio station KZAP often partnered with them for prizes and ticket sales..
At least the station is making a comeback..
http://www.sactownmag.com/Blog/2015/Legendary-Sacramento-radio-station-KZAP-set-for-comeback/
From the late 70s until the early 2000s, I spend many an hour there..in the early days with my friends going through the music, in the later days with my family looking for videos for purchase... Was the only store where one could get New Wave record imports in the Sacramento area.. And the most popular local radio station KZAP often partnered with them for prizes and ticket sales..
At least the station is making a comeback..
http://www.sactownmag.com/Blog/2015/Legendary-Sacramento-radio-station-KZAP-set-for-comeback/