New Service

The Bank of Haroldson is pleased to offer a new service to Travance.
Beginning 1 May 1217, The Drawing Account will be introduced. Its mechanics are simple. One can deposit up to 200 Gold in an account, said deposit may be in specie, gems of any sort, or trade bars. At any time I am available (see posted hours below, which are the minimum times) one can withdraw any or all of one's account. Withdrawals are limited to what was deposited, i.e., if one deposited only 50 gold, one can only remove gold from the account, unless special arrangements have been made.

No longer will one be required to go to Bank of Travance to pay for a meal.

Hours:
Friday: by appointment or happenstance
Saturday: 9AM to noon (at the Inn) or happenstance
Sunday: 830AM to 11 (at the Inn). Between 1 and 2 PM at the Pendarvin Statehouse or Library.

Fees: To set up an account up to 10G - 5 silver
To set up an account from 11G to 50 G - 1G
To set up an account over 50G - 2G

If one desires to keep non specie in a safe place, special arrangements can be made.

Fees will be charged every 6 months
No interest will be paid.

Initially the number of depositors will be limited to 25 people.

If interested please send me a private message.

I believe he is trying to imply he is more convenient than just walking to the bank... This may be a good way of how you say, doing harm to the current economy. Haroldson I am fond of you, but do not think me a fool. Even Van Kainen is smart enough to see this awry; I would suggest a better business venture my friend.

[Not Faila]

My dear boys,

I know you all mean well, but your age, energy and good health make it difficult for you to appreciate that there could be a person who, due to infirmity, age, or just plain laziness would appreciate paying a small fee in order to avoid the walk from the Inn to the Bank of Travance. Certainly my own youthful vigor makes it unlikely I would ever make use of this service, however one could imagine a circumstance where Master Haroldson's services would be useful. For example, what if one had just acquired a new fancy chapeau and wanted to protect it from the elements?

As I always say, what harm could possibly come from making it easier for those who want money to acquire more of it.

Gigi

So you would trust an individual to control large amounts of gold and items? There is no insurance that he won't be robbed, nothing guarantee your funds would be safe in his hands. What permission from the Baron, from the Count does he have to run a business such as this, to bypass the Bank established by our nobility? Yes, lets give this man control over the currency of our realm, a position that was not granted to him but that he elected to establish. Now he controls precisely when and how you can access your funds. Do you only want access to your money for 8 hours a month? That seems far more inconvenient than a 2 minute walk to the bank.

But if you choose to trust him and he gets robbed, I hope I don't hear any of you crying that you've been scammed.

If I had a gold for each time someone had to go to the bank in order to pay for breakfast (recall the bank does not open until 9 or 10 AM, depending on the day) I would be even wealthier than I am. The Inn is constantly bombarded by people desiring to pay for their meals with various commodities, most of which consist of food of which there is a glut on the market. People have tried to pay with potions, salves, even holy water. It makes my life more difficult, as the Bank of Travance does not accept such. From here forth, either will the Kitchen during breakfast.

Moostrav - do not presume to tell me about business. I wrote the book on this, literally.

Van Kainen posted:
Wasn't this declared illegal? No, I am not permitted to mint coins

It sounds like extortion to me. Common is a language rich in nuance. The best definitions of extortion are:
1 the act or practice of extorting especially money or other property; especially : the offense committed by an official engaging in such practice
2 something extorted; especially : a gross overcharge

It should be apparent even to one so lacking in vocabulary as yourself that it is not extortion.

What do I know though. Clearly nothing as regards this undertaking.

In reply to Kara Freeman:

The money I have in the BoT is more than sufficient to cover the deposits I am offering to store as a convenience for others. The pittance I am charging to provide this service, even if all 25 clients deposited the maximum allow, is less than 1/4 of the monthly interest I earn on my account in the BoT. The total I would be accepting is 4000G. I minted 3000 in bars last month. Do not insult me by stating I seek to control the wealth of Travance.

As to being scammed, Freeman, I challenge you to find a single instance of my not having promptly paid any and all debts I have incurred. Also for your education:
Happenstance = Coincidence. My stated hours are the minimum. I believe almost the entire town knows where to find me at almost any moment.

Oh are we playing the scholar game? Excellent. Extortion. Gouging. Swindling. All of those are synonymous with Overcharging for a service that the barony offers for free.

Oh, you minted bars? Didn't you acknowledge above minting currency in travance is illegal?

I think this is a great idea! Often times I'm out of gold (on hand) and very hungry for lunch or need to buy lunch for a friend. I assume that with permission this would also allow us to get lunch for someone who is not at the inn and put it on their tab instead of spending our own money? I love it!

This will make it convenient. If anyone doesn't want to pay the fee, I suggest they simply...don't? Seems simple enough to me.

While I can appreciate the idea of opening a tab for the convenience, charging for this service doesn't sit right with me. Aren't you satisfied with getting those sums of gold up front? While my experience with banking is limited (last banker I met outside the proper I held over a bridge by his ankles, but that's a different story) I thought the idea is once you have access to someone's money you can use it as you see fit so long you can pay out withdrawals as requested?

In the end it's someone's choice to participate in this service. I wish you luck, Haroldson.

****Not Caelvan****

Perhaps a solution to the issue of people not having coin for breakfast due to the banks hours, is to take orders later?

It seems to me that you are effectively forcing people to use your bank if you refuse to barter with them on items that have a set price in the Barony for food if they do not have gold. Would you have people starve just because you can't make the equivalence of 3 steel daggers in gold?

-Merikh Tazam

---

Really Freeman, gouging - look at the percentages for the convenience offered.
If you are accusing me of swindling, I propose you offer some evidence, else you are merely a slanderer.
I will not stand for my reputation to be attacked groundlessly by an those ignorant of the facts. It was decided that gold and silver trade bars are not specie, but then, I would not expect one of the ignorati to be able to make the distinction.

Truly, if the service offered by the BoT is so superior, my venture will not take off. Time will tell.

Tobias - I understand your concern, but I call it a Drawing Account with deliberation. It can only be drawn down with the owner's permission. That means, Sasha, that unless I have such by the account holder, or the account holder's permission, no others may draw upon the account.

Merikh - the solution most certainly is not to take orders later. Breakfast starts serving at 9, with orders being taken from around quarter of the hour. As to starving, you presume too much. The kitchen has always offered sustenance to those in hunger, usually yogurt or some other food. I challenge you to find a single instance where a person in hunger, assuming they did not have special dietary requirements, was turned away while food was available. As to bartering, please explain the imperative that you endorse to have me spend the time to redeem their "pledge."

*****Not Caelvan******
Could I ask for a reason why it can't be pushed back an hour?

The only response was "the solution most certainly is not to take orders later". I don't see a problem with pushing it to 10 if you are concerned about turning people away since the bank isn't open yet.
Or is it because you worry about competing with Marketfaire which potentially could steal customers?

As to bartering, you listed very useful things. Why would you not use them if people wish to pay with them? That is how trading works is it not? I have something you could use, you have something I can use. Why do you need to redeem their "pledge" in gold?

-Merikh Tazam

---

Merikh,

I do not presume to support the business, or get involved in this discussion of it, but we cannot push back to 10, if we wish to continue preparing feast on time for Saturday night.

Caldor

Merikh - I am concerned with assuring people can get three healthy and filling meals a day in the inn.
You suggest I accept goods in trade, which will require me to spend more time ridding myself of them, as the BoT does not accept them for deposit. Why not ask them, rather than attempting to shift the burden to me.

Getting up both mornings is sufficient so far as I am concerned, but if you do not think so, perhaps you could join me and advance the coin for all those you are championing? If you prefer another method, demonstrate your ability to prepare Sunday's breakfast and I will be delighted to turn it over to you. At that time, you can institute your own method of being paid.

***NOT ANNORA***

I have a question. How is this not a gross conflict of interest?
Mr. Haroldson's claim is that this service ensures that you have coin available during breakfast hours, in order to purchase your greasy meats and dry pancakes. Yet he is the one who sets the rules for the breakfast service.
As he has stated above, at Haroldson's direction, the Dragon's Claw will no longer be accepting trade goods for breakfast. Of course, this is intended to force people into utilizing his private banking service.
Using a public service he provides under the direction of Mr. Kane, using the Dragon's Claw kitchen facilities, to market his own private "bank" seems to be a violation of good faith and misuse of assets.
Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

~Ravani

***Not Caelvan***

Caldor,
Thank you for that clarification. That makes quite a good bit of sense.

-Merikh Tazam

Ravani - let me address your concerns.
The Kitchen never had a policy of accepting anything but specie for meals. The servers started accepting them, on their own initiative, as keeping track of who paid was made more difficult if they had to wait on the bank opening to close out the order, which made their work more difficult, particularly as our order taking/server staff often changes during a meal.

As to forcing people to utilize my banking service, such is not the case. After all, how big an imposition is it for individuals to carry 5 gold on their person? If it is such a great deal for them, they can resolve it by waiting until the BoT opens if they do not want to pursue another means.

Misuse of assets - hardly. As to being a violation of good faith, you do not know anything of which you write.

It seems Edwin Haraldson is not breaking any of the Laws of Travance. He is not unlawful in providing this service. This service does not fall within racketeering, extortion, nor blackmail. All are free to purchase this service or not; as are all free to point out its flaws or benefits.
Personally I would either enter into the Proper with my own prepared food, be prepared with coin the night before, or wait until the bank opens. However, there is no injustice that I see in having this service available, despite it being imprudent to use it regularly.

As another matter, if there is anyone who is destitute and cannot purchase any food at all, I will be glad to share whatever little food or coin that I possess.

Father Ephrem of the Holy Light

((NOT ANGELIANA))

Open ye a bar tab -- always
Take coin out yer tab in t'morn'n
Pay fer yer meal with coin
Don't forget t'also drink -- always
Problem be solved.
Yer welcome.

~ D