You're charging me what??
I almost got robbed yesterday. Almost.
The cable company tried to take some extra money from me, and I put up quite a fight.
Here's what happened. I pay my cable bill automatically every month with my credit card. I don't even have to think about it. The payment goes through, and I get a monthly statement. It has worked beautifully like this for years.
Last November, my credit card expired and I received a new one, so I logged on to my account at the cable company's web site to update my credit card info. All I really needed to change was the expiration date.
Apparently, the update didn't "take", so in December, I went online and did it again. I was doing this with no prompting from the cable company. They just brought the balance forward to the next month without contacting me. My services remained active.
In January, I noticed the payment still wasn't appearing on my card, so I called the cable company. They took my new card info, thanked me, and said all should be well now.
I went forward with my life, secure in the knowledge that all was well with my cable account.
Yesterday, I received an automated phone message, asking me to contact the cable company immediately regarding a most urgent matter. Yikes, I thought. A most urgent matter. My, this does sound serious.
It was 5:42pm. Luckily, they were open until 6pm. I called right away. The very nice woman who took my call was difficult to understand through her accent, but she managed to convey to me that my account was now seriously delinquent, and I needed to make arrangements to pay this immediately, or my services could be disrupted.
Oh, I see. Well, I said, here's my story... and I repeated to her everything I've just told you. I even said that there must be a note on my account, indicating that I called last month and spoke with someone. No, she said. You haven't contacted us since March 2006.
Um, no, I said, starting to feel defensive. I called last month and spoke to some guy... just like I told you. I told her I gave the guy my new card expiration date, which was 03/2010. I asked her what card information she had. She gave me a date of 10/2003. Well there you go, I said. The guy made an error.
Once we had that all figured out, I asked her what my total was. Wow. It was pretty high. Were there any penalty fees included in this, I asked? Of course, she said, and repeated, your account is seriously delinquent.
Okay. I see where this is headed, I thought. So I explained... Let's make this clear. YOU are charging ME, for YOUR error, is this correct? She hesitated, and then put me on hold. By now, it's almost 5:55pm.
She returns and acts as though we had just met, repeating the total amount to me and asking if I'm ready to pay. Wtf? The following conversation ensued:
(5:56pm)
Me: I'm happy to pay what I owe, but I'm not paying any penalty fees. What's my total without the penalty fees?
Her: You are responsible for these, mum.
Me: No, no I'm not. Will you remove these?
Her: I can try. I can fill out a form and see if you can get a credit.
(5:57pm)
Me: A form? For a credit? No, no, no. I'm not making myself very clear, here. I'm not paying any penalty fees, period. Not now, not later. I absolutely refuse to be charged for this. This is unbelievable! This was your company's mistake. If you can't remove these from my account, then let me speak with someone who can.
Her: (sigh) Hold please.
(5:58pm)
(6:00pm)
(6:02pm)
(6:05pm)
I shit you not.
(6:08pm)
I'm SO not hanging up on this bitch.
(6:10pm)
There's no way they've gone home and left me there. If I have to call back tomorrow, I'm gonna....
Her: Mum? Yes, so sorry to make you wait.
I'll bet.
Her: Yes, we will remove the penalties from the total. Are you ready to pay the balance of the amount right away?
Me, indignant: Of course! That's what I've been trying to do for months! (sigh) Now, exactly how much were the penalties?
Her: $2.55, mum.
Silence.
Me: Two dollars and fifty-five cents?
Her: Yes mum.
Silence.
Me, sheepishly: I see. Well, thank you very much for your help, and you have yourself a wonderful evening. Thank you. Again. Thank you. Yes. Bye now.
The cable company tried to take some extra money from me, and I put up quite a fight.
Here's what happened. I pay my cable bill automatically every month with my credit card. I don't even have to think about it. The payment goes through, and I get a monthly statement. It has worked beautifully like this for years.
Last November, my credit card expired and I received a new one, so I logged on to my account at the cable company's web site to update my credit card info. All I really needed to change was the expiration date.
Apparently, the update didn't "take", so in December, I went online and did it again. I was doing this with no prompting from the cable company. They just brought the balance forward to the next month without contacting me. My services remained active.
In January, I noticed the payment still wasn't appearing on my card, so I called the cable company. They took my new card info, thanked me, and said all should be well now.
I went forward with my life, secure in the knowledge that all was well with my cable account.
Yesterday, I received an automated phone message, asking me to contact the cable company immediately regarding a most urgent matter. Yikes, I thought. A most urgent matter. My, this does sound serious.
It was 5:42pm. Luckily, they were open until 6pm. I called right away. The very nice woman who took my call was difficult to understand through her accent, but she managed to convey to me that my account was now seriously delinquent, and I needed to make arrangements to pay this immediately, or my services could be disrupted.
Oh, I see. Well, I said, here's my story... and I repeated to her everything I've just told you. I even said that there must be a note on my account, indicating that I called last month and spoke with someone. No, she said. You haven't contacted us since March 2006.
Um, no, I said, starting to feel defensive. I called last month and spoke to some guy... just like I told you. I told her I gave the guy my new card expiration date, which was 03/2010. I asked her what card information she had. She gave me a date of 10/2003. Well there you go, I said. The guy made an error.
Once we had that all figured out, I asked her what my total was. Wow. It was pretty high. Were there any penalty fees included in this, I asked? Of course, she said, and repeated, your account is seriously delinquent.
Okay. I see where this is headed, I thought. So I explained... Let's make this clear. YOU are charging ME, for YOUR error, is this correct? She hesitated, and then put me on hold. By now, it's almost 5:55pm.
She returns and acts as though we had just met, repeating the total amount to me and asking if I'm ready to pay. Wtf? The following conversation ensued:
(5:56pm)
Me: I'm happy to pay what I owe, but I'm not paying any penalty fees. What's my total without the penalty fees?
Her: You are responsible for these, mum.
Me: No, no I'm not. Will you remove these?
Her: I can try. I can fill out a form and see if you can get a credit.
(5:57pm)
Me: A form? For a credit? No, no, no. I'm not making myself very clear, here. I'm not paying any penalty fees, period. Not now, not later. I absolutely refuse to be charged for this. This is unbelievable! This was your company's mistake. If you can't remove these from my account, then let me speak with someone who can.
Her: (sigh) Hold please.
(5:58pm)
(6:00pm)
(6:02pm)
(6:05pm)
I shit you not.
(6:08pm)
I'm SO not hanging up on this bitch.
(6:10pm)
There's no way they've gone home and left me there. If I have to call back tomorrow, I'm gonna....
Her: Mum? Yes, so sorry to make you wait.
I'll bet.
Her: Yes, we will remove the penalties from the total. Are you ready to pay the balance of the amount right away?
Me, indignant: Of course! That's what I've been trying to do for months! (sigh) Now, exactly how much were the penalties?
Her: $2.55, mum.
Silence.
Me: Two dollars and fifty-five cents?
Her: Yes mum.
Silence.
Me, sheepishly: I see. Well, thank you very much for your help, and you have yourself a wonderful evening. Thank you. Again. Thank you. Yes. Bye now.
posted by Berry at 8:08 AM
2 Comments:
ahhahahahaa....well, $2.55 can buy a lot you know.
that's hilarious.
that drives me crazy. maybe it was an issue with the credit card company. which company was it? it's just wild to think about all the time wasted on inefficiency. gets my goat.
and, oh yeah! what was the number on your credit card also?
(new home entertainment system, here I come!)
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