11/21/06 College Rip Offs

This week both boys will be coming home for Thanksgiving break armed with stories and exhausted by university mid-terms. Given the fact each son has attended three different colleges I have become an authority of sorts on the fact that students are sitting ducks for savvy marketers. Yes, there are some business's in a college towns that take advantage our kids. My boys have paid too much for computer repairs, oil changes, and of course the notorious great, text book rip off. Tell me how a paper back can be worth $150 before the class and $10 when it's over? The latest college episode involved spaying a dog. The vet near campus charged a whopping 20 percent more than our vet or any other vet in that college town. Fortunately my son hails from a family of dog lovers with great vets, thus immediately questioned the exorbitant fee, but most kids wouldn't, instead they will learn the wrong lesson when attempting to be a responsible pet owner. Unscrupulous practices must be exposed, if only so they don't take away from the many college town businesses that go out on a limb for students by sponsoring events and discounting services.