Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Mercury Strikes - AGAIN! (or is it just My life..?)

So, like most of the population, my vehicle is financed. The company that I am financed through is still stuck firmly in thr 18th century. If you pay by phone, using a check only, they charge you $9.95. They have no internet payment option, and no credit/debit card payment option. Who doesn't offer internet payment, by credit/debit card in today's world..? I mean seriously, if you had millions of people owing you millions of dollars, wouldn't you want to make it as easy as possible for them to pay you what you owe..? But noooooo, I can only mail my payment (like that'll happen...) or I can go to the actual office and pay by check. Well, since we all know that the chance of me mailing something are slim to none. Put it in an envelope, sure. Address it, no problem. Remember to take it with me, yeah, eventually. But actually mail it..? It'll be months!
So I take the payment to the office. Eventually. I put it in the checkbook program before it's due. But then I have to get to the office. it's not on the way to work, 'cuz that would be too easy, wouldn't it..? Not even close. It's about a 30 minute detour.
And, much as I hate to admit that my hunny might be right about this, I am a bit time-management challenged...just a bit. Well, ok maybe a lot. I have a "thing" about being late. If I'm not at least 15 minutes early, in the world inside my head, I'm late, and I start to freak out. And when it gets to the point where I am late according to the rest of the world, my blood pressure jumps, my tolerence disappears, and well, let's just say it's bad for everyone involved.
So, it's late, and they called. My hunny. Who in turn called me while I was in the midst of unloading & putting away groceries - my favorite thing to do (note the sarcasm). Dammmmmm!
I told him I would drop it on my way to work. Needless to say, that didn't happen either. So I went down there on my luch hour.
They're usually pretty nice in there, but the woman at the front desk today was, at first impression, a bit less that "nice."
I handed her the check, and she started doing the computer thing.
Her: *snobbily* "This check is dated for June 6."
Me: "Well yes, that's today's date..."
Her: "No it's not! Today is the fourth..."
Then in an ill-advised attempt to be "chummy": "The reason I know that is that I'm getting married on the 7th and that's Saturday!"
How nice. Like I really care about the fact that your getting married on the 7 th. I don't know you. You're not my friend, my buddy, or even my acquaintance...I'm on my lunch hour, time is short, just take the blasted payment and give me my f*cking receipt. I'm not big on chit chat with strangers...can you tell..?
So I smiled, and said "That's nice." and fixed the date on the check. She gave me my receipt and out the door I went. About three steps. Because there on the bottom of my receipt was a notation that said
*$80.00 unapplied NSF fees.
Huh? $80 In NSF fees..? But I haven't bounced any checks...and even if I'm short, my bank pays it and charges me...so I turned around and went back in.
Me: "Uh...what's this $80 NSF fees for..? I haven't bounced any checks, at least not according to my bank..."
Her: "Well, that prints up anytime it's on the account."
Me: "It's never been on any of my other receipts..."
Her: "Well you have several returned checks on the account..."
Me: "No I don't."
Her: " Well, I show several on here..."
Me: "Really..? When..?"
Her: "Well, I show the first one was July 31."
Me: "That's a month from now..."
Her: "...of last year"
Me: "I don't think so! And even if I did bounce a check in July of last year, why are you just now notifying me..? That was almost a year ago!"
Her: "We have notified you."
Me: "Really? When was that? It's never been on a receipt, no mention of it on monthly statements, no phone calls..."
Her: *getting snottier & snottier with each comment*"We did call you."
Me: "Who did you talk to? It wasn't me."
Her: "I called you."
Me: "Really..? When might that have been?"
**I'd like to note here that in all fairness, I wasn't exactly being polite by this point, but seriously, would you be..? Miss Bitch started on the wrong foot, then proceeded to keep walking that path...
Her: "I talked to you on May 19th, and you said you'd have to call me back to let me know when you could pay it."
Me: "Really..? You talked to me..? On May 19th..? And what number did you call me at..?
Her: "765...."
Me: "I don't think so! I've been in Indy for over 15 years, my area code has been 317 for over 15 years...What's the name on that account..?"
Her: "Yours, Jill Williams."
Me: *Huh..? "Uhhh, you better look again, you're not even close.."
Apparently, in addition to being first overly chummy and then as arrogant as all get out, the bitch can't read. I wrote the account number in the memo section of the check like I always do, just because, but she preferred to enter it by name - someone else's I might add - and so applied my $450 payment to the account of someone who, it seems, makes a habit of writing bad checks.
She finally got my payment applied to my account, but not before making the comment "Let me just check the notes and history here to see if there were any NSFs..." Totally uncalled for. But totally satisfying to me, because, as I had said repeatedly, and as she had clearly indicated she felt was lying through my teeth (ok, my gums...), there has never been an NSF on that account.
But you know, after all that hatefulness & arrogance from her, and despite the fact that it was her error, I never got so much as an apology...Hunny said I should have went off on her, but badly as I wanted to, I was on my lunch hour, and I just didn't have time. But I'm sure it would have felt really, really good.
I may just have to save it up and make a special trip for that reason alone...*evil laughter*
Have I ever mentioned that my hunny's co-workers - fellow redneck truck drivers - have dubbed me his "Pitbull in lipstick"? There's a reason for that...(and I take it as a compliment, therefore, shouldn't let them down...)
Ok, gotta go now.
See ya laterzzzzzzzzz!

3 comments:

Nogard's Lair said...

Due to what Providian has done to its victims...er customers, I refuse to do any business with anyone that won't take credit/debit card payments on the Internet.

Never, ever, ever pay by check or money order. For why if you have Showtime on demand look up "Maxed Out". I also have the documentary on my blog, but it's like 80+ mins long.

Anonymous said...

just think...some poor sap walked down the aisle with that bitch just a few days later....

Dawtch said...

Poor Guy! And people wonder why I so despise 98% of my fellow females....
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dawtch