Valid Complaint?

[jayandstacey]

The really stupid thing is that there's six pages for pure crap about a total
non event........of course on the Dis boards, that's par for the course..JMHO

No way dude! This is important stuff. The fate of the free world hangs in the balance.

The OP was clearly the Rosa Parks of the dollar coin movement.

 

[bradk]

point being lost: Disney distributes $1 coins. although i'd personally probably not make a big deal of it, it seems pretty funny that they would tell the world they distribute $1 coins in select areas of the parks and not the CMs. although it's not surprising either.

do they have to accept all currency? no. but the reported fact is that only non-US currency was refused here except for the fact that it wasn't non-US. fact is, they don't have to accept anyone's business at all. fact is, the CM could have had the guest removed from the park for even suggesting they accept a $1 coin. wouldn't be the smartest move though.

also, although it's 'easier' to counterfeit bills over coins, $100 isn't really all that suspect. $20 bills are the most likely ones to be faked.

$2 bills are still in circulation and being printed, but not on a regular basis. of course, there's the famous internet story of a man being arrested for trying to use a $2 bill.

bottom line, it could have been worse. OP could have had to have broken the $100 bill in Liberty Square and end up spending the rest of the day trying to offload $97 in coins.

 

[jayandstacey]

p.s. And NEVER did any hotel cast members refuse to take the dollar coins...

)
They pose a challenge in the strip club, however

 

[yankeeGLEEgirl]

this would have really aggravated the crap outa me.
this is a very valid complaint.
there is no excuse that the CM did not accept this money.
____________________

p.s. i hate coins and want them phased out. SERIOUSLY!
yeah, I am in the minority.

 

[jayandstacey]

point being lost: Disney distributes $1 coins. although i'd personally probably not make a big deal of it, it seems pretty funny that they would tell the world they distribute $1 coins in select areas of the parks and not the CMs. although it's not surprising either.

Naw, we get that. It is kinda funny.

I bet that some CM, at some point along the way, denied disney dollars from a guest. I'd bet...um....one dollar!

 

[maxie]

And who would choose to carry heavy coins over light paper? I understand having them as some sort of collectible, but they're just not practical for everyday use.

Not practical for everyday use? Then how have countries like Canada and the UK survived? That's kind of a silly statement to make.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Lots of people on this board talk about the CP like that...Now I am scared because I got accepted for spring! LOL

And I wish more people used the $1 coins! They were great when I went to Canada!

If you're happy to be an overworked, underpaid starving student living on not much more than minimum wage and loving making magic for a living, the College Program is GREAT.

No, I mean that seriously. I did it, I loved it, I treasure the memories. The ones I felt sorry for were employees in the same position as me who were married and/or had kids, but hadn't been with the company long enough to have a real position that paid real money--there aren't many of those. It's fine for a college student and I don't know a single person who didn't absolutely love it, so don't feel sorry for the CP kids. It's not the life someone who's older and has more responsibilities would choose (which is probably why people say they feel sorry for people doing it), but it's a blast if you're a student.

 

[zordude]

$1 coins have been part of American currency since well before Disney, and the only reason I can think of why the CM might not have known the coins were legal US currency is that she's from some other country.

Or maybe from your neighborhood...

I know they exist, and I know about the presidential coins, but I have never seen one that an acquaintance had, or personally received one as change.

Z

 

[TillyMarigold]

A few thoughts here:

1. Mandating that coins be used for vending machines won't ever happen. The coins have their use and the treasury presses them to meet demand. The demand may not be high, but for places like toll booths and stamp vending machines (where large amounts of change can be accurately given) the coins are important.

The suggestion wasn't to mandate that $1 coins be used for vending machines (i.e. force customers to use coins). It was to mandate that vending machines take $1 coins (i.e. force manufacturers to make the slots big enough and program the machines accordingly).

I have seen some vending machines that take $1 coins, but most don't. And if you live anywhere with any sort of automatic ticket machines, you get them a lot and it's a lot easier to put them in a vending machine that counts it automatically than to convince a cashier (assuming your vending machine can take them).

I'm from New Jersey and I was used to using them all the time before I left, they were really common and most cashiers accepted them routinely. I haven't seen one in the four years since I left, except for a couple times when I've been in DC on business and gotten them as change from the Metro.

I wonder why the person who uses them "every day" on the Turnpike doesn't get an EZ-Pass that would deduct the tolls automatically at a reduced rate?

 

[Princess Sleepy]

FYI, the sayings are "queer as a two-dollar bill" because they are unusual and "phony as a three-dollar bill" because they do not exist. Just my two cents (in legal American cash!).

 

[brittanyherndon]

I would have said, "ma'am, this is American money", and if she still refused, I would have her get her manager. She probably never seen the dollar coin before. I worked with a girl once at a resturant, a guest asked her for a "rum and coke", and she asked "what is in that?". Also, someone asked my co-worker for a "shirley temple", and he asked to see her ID. It isn't that they aren't bright, they just don't know.

that is funny consider I have been drinking shirly temples seens elementry school there is no achool sprit and chery joice that is it

Does anyone realize that most countries used $1 coins? The United States is a rare country that doesn't. England and Canada retired their lowest denomination of paper money. They only use $1 coins.

We in the United States just cannot accept any change (no pun intended) in our money. Canada also uses different colors for their paper money so they can see the denominations easier. If we tried that, people would have a very difficult time with a blue $5 bill.

$1 coins are not uncommon in the world. Just uncommon here because we can't accept new things.

we are most diffently behind

 

[ProgressCity]

The fact that it says USA on it means nothing. I know a guy who makes his living doing collectible coins. You want a coin with your face on it and the words USA? He does that. You want to commemorate an idol of yours on a coin? He does that. Now of course he can't do a coin that looks deceptively like legal tender, but other than that he'll do anything you can dream up.

Now, when I went through merchandise pos training at Disney they show you a video showing you what you can accept. If I remember correctly I think a Sakagewea (sp?) coin was on the video, but it's been awhile. Maybe a more recent merchandise CM could chime in? If she had never seen one before it is not an out of this world thing to think that it would throw her for a loop. However, even if she had accepted it and it wasn't legal tender, she really wouldn't have gotten in trouble for it, just told not to do it again so she really had nothing to lose, but I can't get upset with someone for being thrown off balance by something new in the middle of a busy shift. When I worked merchandise a little over 2 years ago I never came across any $1 coins.

The OP's situation wouldn't upset me, but after getting done I might have found a manager and just let them know about it and they would probably post a picture of it backstage so CMs know what it looks like. I know they did this with traveler's checks and a few other things that people might not be familiar with.

Oh, and btw CMs are required (at least when I was there) to accept bills that they know are counterfeit and not mention it to the guest. Disney's assumption is that the guest doesn't know it's counterfeit and they don't want you to make them uncomfortable. You're supposed to just keep the bill out, show it to a manager, and if it is counterfeit security is notified and they will be on the lookout for it happening again.

 

[Macca1111]

I think the U.S. has done a horrible job of producing and distributing $1 coins. We've had them forever, although the old "silver dollars" were impractically sized. Then we had the Susan B. Anthony Dollar in 1979 - but they screwed up the original design (it was not supposed to be perfectly round) and ended up producing a coin easily mistaken for a quarter. Years later, they want to produce a new $1 coin - lessons learned, right? Nope. The 2000 Sacagawea Dollar was the same size - but they changed the color and the rim to distinguish it more. The Presidential Dollars are basically the same. Both are in production.

This is exactly the problem with America having a dollar coin - not that we can't or that it's impractical, but that the designers can't seem to manage a coin that's distinguishable from the quarter.

 

[mmtska]

FYI, the sayings are "queer as a two-dollar bill" because they are unusual and "phony as a three-dollar bill" because they do not exist. Just my two cents (in legal American cash!).

Oh good-someone else caught that. I was about to mention something about the phrase that was used.

Andplusalso, Japan uses a LOT of coinage. 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen coins are all used. The only paper bills that I've ever even seen are the 1000, 5000 and 10000 yen bills. There might be higher denominations, but I haven't seen them yet. I do have a huge collection of yen that I need to spend.....

 

[1971DBday]

I don't mean to minimize anyones complaint....but we are getting into a controvery about a few dollars and making a large issue over something so small (in total currency). Life could be worse, see the thread below and lets start focusing all of our energy on the more important things in life! (Sorry - having trouble sleeping - to much stress on my mind, but come on folks!)

Instead lets bless this child with many prayers and happy thoughts!!!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2332789

 

[jayandstacey]

The suggestion wasn't to mandate that $1 coins be used for vending machines (i.e. force customers to use coins). It was to mandate that vending machines take $1 coins (i.e. force manufacturers to make the slots big enough and program the machines accordingly). ....

I wonder why the person who uses them "every day" on the Turnpike doesn't get an EZ-Pass that would deduct the tolls automatically at a reduced rate?

Agreed, and I was thinking the same way but said it too broadly. The problem is still three-fold:

1. Vending machines have long lives, probably 20 years on average. It will be a long time before enough new machines (with $1 bill slots) make much of a dent in the overall vending machine landscape

2. Vending machines in general, and ones that take coins, are a fading breed anyway. Most take bills and the really progressive ones (that, for instance, rent movies) take credit cards.

3. It would be the first time the govt has dictated how an otherwise unregulated merchant must take a certain money (that I know of). Who has jurisdiction? The feds? Treasury? Oversight of vending machines is usually done at the state or maybe large county level, in their "weights and measures" or equivalent compliance dept - getting all 50 to do the same thing would be impossible.


As for EZ Pass - that's indicative of the biggest reason a dollar coin won't ever completely catch on - its because the population HAS changed their money - and converted it to derivative instruments like credit cards, EZ Pass, automatic transfers and the like. Of all the money you (or I, or anyone) cycle through, a VERY small (and declining) percentage is in actual cash. So any change will be met with a large dose of indifference.

 

[JPN4265]

This would bother me too. But, on the other hand, now you had change

This will probably cost you.

 

[JPN4265]

I'm not going to lie, I think this complaint is beyond silly.

$1 coins aren't common and she may geniunely have no idea it's real. To her, you could have made that coin and then why would she accept it?

Not only that, you got the $100 broken which is always a good thing in my book and it's not like you were greatly inconvienced.

You really said this?

 

[doconeill]

Agreed, and I was thinking the same way but said it too broadly. The problem is still three-fold:

1. Vending machines have long lives, probably 20 years on average. It will be a long time before enough new machines (with $1 bill slots) make much of a dent in the overall vending machine landscape

2. Vending machines in general, and ones that take coins, are a fading breed anyway. Most take bills and the really progressive ones (that, for instance, rent movies) take credit cards.

3. It would be the first time the govt has dictated how an otherwise unregulated merchant must take a certain money (that I know of). Who has jurisdiction? The feds? Treasury? Oversight of vending machines is usually done at the state or maybe large county level, in their "weights and measures" or equivalent compliance dept - getting all 50 to do the same thing would be impossible.

But reason 1 (I assume you mean $1 coin slots) is precisely the reason that the requirement should be made. #2 is precisely BECAUSE they won't take $1 coins when most of the products cost well above $1. Taking the coins would in fact be mechanically easier than taking the bills, but they aren't putting them in precisely because the coins are too rare to care about, and since as you say the machines can last as-is for 20 years or more, we are at least that far away from even moderate adoption of a $1 coin.

Of course, there are rumors that in Canada the speed of adoption of the loonies and toonies was helped by the exotic dancing industry

 

[WDSearcher]

Not practical for everyday use? Then how have countries like Canada and the UK survived? That's kind of a silly statement to make.

Well ... to you. But the poster who made the statement clearly wouldn't find the use of $1 coins to be practical. Just an opinion, KWIM?

I know plenty of UK and Canada folks who would love to not have to deal with $1 or pound coins. They think US money is relatively uninspiring from a design standpoint, but really like what they call our "lighter and easier" dollar bills.

Just because people use something every day doesn't mean it's practical.