A Shopping Headache
Posted: Monday, July 19, 2010
by Patricia Barbee
http://www.patriciabarbee.com
For years I'd shopped a special catalogue company. When I found them on the internet, I was happy to be able to shop on line, pop in the plastic and in days receive my material treat. No catalogues to dispose.
As years passed and the free airline miles built up, the company called me and made me an offer I could not refuse. Their bonuses beat the airline miles. I would use their factor bank.
Where I nest the US Postal Service has not delivered mail in well over twenty years. "It is not economically feasible." I've found it a double edge sword. I never have to worry about being away from home and how much mail is stacking up in the rural mailbox. My mail stays clean and dry at the post office.
Recently I placed an order that had a bonus and what I ordered became nine dollars plus shipping. Fine. Days later I get an e-mail that the bank has closed my account. "What?" was followed by a few gutter words.
Over seven days the company sent me some seventeen e-mails about my account and I did not bother to read the others of "sales" during this time. I was busy trying to find out how I had a ZERO balance and my bank transfers the money when due.
About the fifth time I called the company, I got a literate man. He checked my account and told me I had a two dollar credit not posted by the bank from December. He got his supervisor on the line with us and discovered I had another six dollar and ninety five cent credit for the only item I ever returned that I had not been credited for by the bank.
I did not know of the two dollar credit. It was a bonus for "bad service". It was my fault for missing the second credit. At the time of our conversation my unposted credits were seven months old, yet my account was closed.
The supervisor gave me their "inside" number to call their factor bank. I got a woman and we rehashed the calls I'd made since I learned they had canceled my account.
This woman added her supervisor to the conversation. Hold on dear readers. Here is their problem. Their records did not have my physical address. They knew it before the USPS stopped delivering mail to this forest. At no time was I asked in any manner for my physical address.
The catalogue company was more than happy to re-instate me and my order. They are shipping it free.
Here is my question....My item is nine dollars; I have a eight dollar, ninety five cent credit. How should I pay them the nickel that will be due after the item arrives?
My bank will have a hissy-fit. I don't plan shopping again for a long time. It will cost me about a dollar to write a custom printed check, envelope and overpriced stamp.
Yes, we need banking reform!
Patricia Barbee
SearchWarp.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I find banks to be utterly terrifying no real humans work there any more! Yes to bank reform.
The post office will be history soon because it doesn't line the pockets of wealthy stockholders, only serves poor folk like us. You know, socialism.
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