Taking Advantage

I choose to focus on making this world a better place, but that never occurs when someone or some thing takes advantage of another. Unfortunately today, I experienced that situation.

The Bible is very clear about taking advantage of your fellow man. Leviticus 25:17 states: "Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God." And there are other admonishments warning about taking advantage of widows or hired workers who are poor and needy, etc. Perhaps, just like individuals, some companies would do well to heed that admonishment.


Since the '90s I have used Turbo Tax software and even participated in their inner circle with beta research. Today my sister forwarded an email that she received, but I did not. It stated that the company had messed up - "We made a change this year to TurboTax desktop software and we didn't do enough to communicate this change to you as proactively and broadly as we could or should have." I can't recall sticking my head in the sand, so I don't how they "communicated" this at all. 

Having been a corporate director of the department that served as customer service for a national childcare company, I don't for one moment believe that this was a simple error in not communicating enough. It reeks of "wait until they buy it" (Turbo Tax Deluxe) and can't do anything about it.

In order to continue to use Turbo Tax to submit my Income Tax for 2014, I now have to upgrade from a retail cost of $59.99 to $99.99. I can still file my federal for free, but I must pay $19.99 (or maybe more this year, I haven't checked) to file my state on-line. I am also offered $25 this year toward the upgrade to assist with their omission, but that really isn't the most important issue.

What they removed that affected me was a stock sale which involved 200 shares of a stock I and my son purchased a few years ago at 99 cents per share. We made a whopping $500 profit.

I also have business income which results in less than $1000 net. No more Schedule C either to list my business expenses and deductions.

Why am I angry? Because I know this affects many others just like me. While I have abundant blessings, they aren't necessarily financial and I'm guessing there are plenty of others who feel taken advantage of, too, regardless of their income. Can I afford the extra $40, yes, but maybe there are those who can't. You don't have to be destitute to be affected by unexpected and deceptive increases.

Most people who know me realize I am extremely patient except for incompetence and people who are not nice to others. The latter is the most significant of the two. Turbo Tax should be called on this, and I did by way of email reply.

I think it's important, if not crucial to live life by focusing on the positives and giving praise where due. We are all called to share our blessings. But I also believe that it's my and everyone's responsibility to make sure that no one, including big companies and corporations, take advantage.

Unintentional Giving

Luke 3:11 states: "In reply he said to them, 'Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”" You might say I almost obeyed unintentionally, but with a special pair of gloves.

Yesterday I braved the 23 degree temperature to make a trip to Hy-Vee. When I entered the store, I removed my gloves and placed them on my lap while I mailed a letter before shopping. Of course, it never occurred to me to put them back in my coat pocket, so I didn't realize until checking out that they had fallen off my lap. Searching every aisle and checking with lost and found, they were still missing so I left my name and phone number, and returned home.

What concerned me was these were not only really nice gloves, but they were a gift from one of my sons 23 years ago. Yes, some things do last. But it was the thought that someone might have taken them without regard for the person who then had no gloves in the extreme cold. My only prayer was that someone needed them more than I. After all, I do own a second pair of nice gloves, but they are safely stored in my other coat.

The funny thing is that if someone needed gloves, I would gladly have bought them a pair and kept mine because of the sentimental value. Normally, this is something I usually do anyway since my church requests these donations. It was very disappointing not to have that option, but that is my choosing when to give, and maybe not God's will to help the needy.

As it turned out, I called Hy-Vee today and they do have my gloves. Someone was kind enough to take them to lost and found. I can't tell you how happy that makes me! While I didn't want to make an unintentional gift of them, a lesson was learned because I could only pray that if someone took them, they supplied a need rather than a want.

In any case, I can now retrieve them. But that can't be the end of the lesson. I'm going to purchase some more gloves to donate in addition to what I normally do. I'm fortunate to have two nice pairs to keep me warm, and I know there are others who have none.

Thanks for the lesson and reminder, God.