Back to the original topic, I am often shocked at how being educated, well-spoken, and, yes, rich allows me to benefit in ways that leave poorer and less-educated people at an unfair disadvantage.
For example we are renegotiating our mortgage for a better deal. Even ignoring that I have the time to put into this, I had to get certain identity documents certified. The legal firm handling the remortgage told me any solicitor could do it - I could walk in off the street, pay a fee, and they would certify a copy of my passport.
I didn't really want to pay a solicitor for that. I did some research online. I found that the post office would do it for a fixed fee of about £8. This was not mentioned in the letter I received, but when I called to check (again, time and access to a phone and the ability to withstand call charges from being put on hold etc) I was told, yes, that was fine.
I also asked if there was anywhere else it could be done. My education was telling me if there was one cheaper method they hadn't mentioned in the letter, perhaps there were more. Well, apparently I could just walk into my local bank and get them to do it for free! Why wasn't this or the post office mentioned in the letter? Cheaper, easier and widely available.
So I go to my local bank branch, where they know me because I use it for business banking. They say they only offer that service now if I'm buying one of their mortgages. Sorry. Most people would say, okthnksbye.
But again, my well-spoken and articulate self is given a privilege because I immediately say, "I find that rather ridiculous given the amount of business I do with this bank". I leave a silence. The lady I'm dealing with says she'll look into the rules again, maybe there is something they can do, let her get a supervisor etc.
Eventually I get exactly what I want done, for free, because I pulled the, "Excuse me, don't you know who I am" card. I did nothing to earn that card (the business banking I do is not my money, I just execute if for the company I work for), I just was brought up by people with money who got their own way by being unfailingly polite but firm.
I will save £100s a month on this mortgage. Home-ownership is a rich person's privilege in it's own right, but even so, by being a rich person with time to look into better deals, internet access to check what they are telling me, the gumption to ask for a different way and to object when I feel I am not getting the service I should, I get the whole thing cheaper again. The game is rigged.
I know this is only tangentially related to bulk-buying, but it just reminded me that things I take for granted - being able to call a number that is charged at a higher rate, or getting to a bank in business hours - all allow me to keep getting richer, while that option is not available to those who don't have my resources in the first place.