I’m chronically ill. I understand and am full of compassion, but too many people are out there trying to take advantage of businesses and so I can understand the fact that most businesses can’t be ‘compassionate’. Unfortunately more signs of how our society is degrading.

It’s not just big faceless corporations out there - the ones who really suffer are the small businesses where one lost sale can mean no income for that week…

If you are worried about things happening outside of your control - then insurance is the best thing you can do for yourself and the merchant - insurance companies make big money to assume that risk.

I can’t afford to.

I worked in retail, and there is a paper trail for everything. Sometimes computers leave you locked in. Everything is accountable to some entity you don’t even know.

I’d be willing to bet the people you spoke with wanted to provide a refund, but didn’t have the power to do it.

It’s all part of the curse of big business. You get lower prices, but there is always a cost.

For example, I often eat at a particular restaurant often enough that when I lost my wallet … that’s okay, next time. Next time I paid.

Remember in the Millionaire Next Door, more than likely said millionaire ran a business, and established a personal relationship with other business owners. The roofer knew the exterminator knew the car salesman knew the insurance guy. They established links, gave each other business, knew each other’s character and often would give each other that leeway.

Things happen - everyone knows that. But if you are one consumer with money blinking in and out, its hard to pick out the unfortunate from the fraud.

I think Jodi’s example illustrates why going for the cheapest is not always the best “deal”. A B&B is no beholden to strict company policy like a Hilton or Mariott. As for personal examplesm my credit union has waved VISA late fees on two occasions now when I was on a trip and the cheque was forgotten. I have returned new goods beyond the 30-day policy at various small retailers without penalty. Even with large corps, such as airlines, thre is flexibility so long as you pay full price. It is when you get a “deal” that the perks are often lost. Good service is worth sacrificing any small monetary benefit to me in many ways.

The same analysis applies to vacations. Tickets for hotels are essentially short-term leasehold interests for a specific time frame. If I attempt to move my reservation from one date to another, then I’m costing the hotel a sale. This is why hotels have 72 hour deadlines to change or cancel reservations. They know that they will be unable to rent your room past a certain date.

The bottom line is that a hotel is in business to make money, and must protect itself against risks that are not its own (or of its own making).

However, I don’t expect companies to go, “Oh, I’m so sorry about your loss! Take our money!” And the fact is, once you buy something, it is their money, not yours.

Sure, sometimes things can be resold and so the company isn’t completely out, but that doesn’t mean that companies should always refund our money. In the U.S. we’ve been spoiled by good (and even great) return policies enough that we expect them — or even think that we are entitled to them. As a society, we’ve chosen low cost over good service too many times, even if it’s often out of personal necessity.

So, buy travel insurance, or better yet, only buy tickets from companies that still have a heart — if you can find them.

For those with true emergencies, however, companies would benefit financially by bending the rules a bit and showing compassion — for the very reason Jodi just pointed out. No one wants to patronize companies that have treated their friends badly.