We've got a competitive culture of money. Oddly as I complain about nickel and dime schemes, someone else comes out to defend the peddlers. Because taking people's money is so damn respected.

Pay-to-Pee.

Now here's an airline proposing that they charge patrons to use the toilet. It's funny at first, but then someone is bound to realize that if they're there, on that plane, they'll pay it. And then they'll say it wasn't so bad, the airline has to make money after all.

What's so fun about spending in small increments for things that should be included? Especially when the increments add up to large numbers quickly. Maybe that's even more respected: Stealthily taking as much money as possible. That's clever right? They're great for being so clever and taking our money so much. Love the con man for the artistry of his con.

Why do we put up with this? Isn't it theft to be charged again for part of something you've already purchased? And shouldn't we expect maintenance, updates and improvements on services we're paying subscription fees for? We're already paying.

What's next, paying for the barf bag, or the lifejacket or oxygen mask? They'll call it insurance of course. Hell, isn't there already insurance for losing your luggage? Shouldn't that be a responsible part of the service in the first place? A little disclaimer takes that out, so you don't have much recourse when they lose something valuable. It was your fault, even though they lost it, you should have known better than to trust people you paid to transport you and your things. So get the insurance. More nickels. More dimes.

Pay for a Service twice?

Services within other services are treated like the new revenue stream. Is this really the future, whether we like it or not?

Why am I charged a system access fee for my cell phone? I already paid a startup fee, a connection fee and I pay for each and every individual feature my phone uses. What the hell is the system access fee for exactly? That's not a real actual thing, it's mumbo jumbo for let's charge you something extra so your $40 plan comes as a $50 billing.

Have we just gotten used to being double-dipped?

Why should MMOs start micro-charging for individual in-game features and items? Because it's the quickest way to bigger profits? Seriously, are they struggling? We pay a monthly fee for a game that's updated and maintained, including features and content that we patiently wait for that should have been in the release. Charging more should be a breach of trust, so why does it seem like players are ready to take that in stride? Taking more of our money is respected. Too damn respected.

Except I don't.

I don't respect it.

It pisses me off. I end up using the same product, paying more, but looking for a competitor that doesn't piss me off. If all of the competitors do it, I get pissed at that entire industry, for being corrupt. I'm not the only one.

The carrot and the bait-and-switch. The handling fees but no guarantees for how it's handled. The micro-you-won't-notice-if-its-in-small-payments-transactions on top of a subscription I'm already paying.

Charge me up front or charge me per service, but don't recurse and reiterate those charges.

Game Payment Models.

Microtransactions? Maybe if that's the only revenue you're tapping, but I'm probably not your market because I expect I'd get overcharged that way. Even the name for it: 'Free 2 Play' is a bit of a marketing scam. You pay as you go, it's not really free. You may start with a small trial at first, but should we label every game that has a corresponding demo as 'Free'?

Boxed? Great. I almost referred to it as the old-fashioned way. Pay for a game, there you go.

Boxed + Subscription? Fine, I'll even gladly pay for expansions if they're significant. I'm happy to pay fair prices for good services. I'm even thrilled by ongoing content updates (if they actually include content, after all, I'm paying). But I loathe being tricked into paying more (or getting less) than I expected. Don't bullshit me that my subscription pays for playing online, I can do that without paying monthly. My subscription pays for you to update your game to a reasonable degree. In exchange, you get to launch while still missing a feature or two. I accept that, even though I almost shouldn't.

Boxed + Subscription + Expansions + Microtransactions / DLC + Promotional Extras? C'mon, seriously?

I'm a self-confessed consumer whore. I am happy when you're making an honest buck, but stop ripping me off with all this extra dinging. Pick one revenue model, don't try to sneak all of them in.

I don't want to order a Steak and get charged when the waiter uses the pepper mill, but sadly I expect that'll probably happen eventually too. And someone will happily explain that pepper costs money too. Maybe we'll even get charged for every ingredient in our meal, after paying for the meal itself of course. That's all perfectly reasonable to someone, just so long as it's a clever way to make money.