Customer service

spunkygirl · Jun 10, 2004

:roll Uh that sounds about right.

:roll :roll :roll :roll

Chad_KY_SRNA · Jun 10, 2004

Please tell me it didn't. I would believe it. Just can't get over how crazy some of these companies are.

BRANDY LPN · Jun 10, 2004

Please tell me it didn't. I would believe it. Just can't get over how crazy some of these companies are.

I dunno, I got it in an email. But it probally did happen.

Dialyzin' Dar · Jun 10, 2004

My friend Lori experienced a similar problem with her oil company. She kept getting a bill for " 0 dollars and 0 cents." The fifth one came, and it threatened her with shutoff! She called the company and was told, "It's a computer error, and the only way to fix it is to send us a check for zero dollars and zero cents."

So to fix THEIR mistake, it ended up costing her 25 cents for the check, and 28 cents for the stamp... neither of which was applied to the next month's bill! Nice! (I told her she should have gone after them for threatening to shut off her oil, since she had just had a baby and was on Welfare at the time-- that company would have looked like the biggest jerks in Massachusetts for letting a woman and her baby freeze in January!)

kids · Jun 10, 2004

I agree, it probably did happen.

My mom passed away 2/28/03 at 73.

My siblings wanted nothing, mom had divied up all of the "good" stuff 20 years ago when she made a long move to "start a new life". Their feeling was that since I took care of Mom I got everything (gee, thanks).

To sum it up, she died penniless. Besides family photos her "estate" consisted of 2 dressers, a 6 yo 32" TV, a 4yo VCR, a few kitchen items and a closet full of clothes (everything else was so worn the Goodwill turned it down). Mom didn't leave a will and I didn't bother with Probate as the fair market value on her belongings was maybe $300.

The utility companies wrote off their bills when shown the death certificate as did the hospital. I am still getting nasty calls and letters regarding her ONE credit card. The original account holder, when provided with a certified copy of the death certificate and infoormed that there was no estate, apparently charged it off and sold it into collections. When she died the bill was

Me: "I received a letter regarding my mothers Visa account."

Them: "Yes, this account is seriously past due and *I* need to get a commitment to pay today"

Me: "My mother passed away on Feb. 28, 2003"

Them: "So you will be paying her bill?"

Me: "um, NO!"

Them: "But Mrs. Hxxx, our records indicate that you are her POA."

Me: "Yes, I was, the POA ceased to be in effect when she died, regardless, POA does not make me personally responsable for the debt."

Them: "So is it my understanding Mrs. Hxxx that you refuse to cooperate with collection and pay this debt on your mothers behalf?"

Me: "That is correct"

Them: "But Mrs. Hxxx, don't you feel you have a moral obligation to pay this?"

Me: "um, NO."

Them: "But Mrs.Hxxx, don't care about preserving your dead mother's good name?"

Me: *click*

kids · Jun 10, 2004

I can't resist griping aout one other piece of the poop that happened following my mom's death.

Mom only income was her SS retirement, she was still living in her own apartment when her check came on 2/1/03 and it used to pay her living expenses for the month February. She took a bad turn on 2/15, was admitted to the hospital and on 2/27 was transfered to the NH she had worked at for >10 years (at her request).

On the morning of Feb 28 it was apparent her time was very near.

At her request and knowing my POA was void following her death I wrote a check on her account against the SS check she was to receive the next day, to pay for her cremation (the mortuary was aware they needed to hold the checks until the next day when her SS check electronicly deposited).

She passed away at 11:30 PM on 2/28/03.

On 3/1 her SS check was electronicly deposited.

In mid April I was served with papers from her bank. They had received a demand from the SSA for return of the funds deposited to her account on 3/1. The bank in turn came after ME for the money.

Social Security (retirement) pays after the month it is owed, for example: January is paid on February 1st, February on March 1st, etc.

The reason the SSA wanted their money back: she was not alive at 11:59pm on the last day of the month (2/28) therefore she was not entitled to (any) benefits for the month of February.

I paid to avoid being sued.

nursebedlam · Jun 11, 2004

My friend Lori experienced a similar problem with her oil company. She kept getting a bill for " 0 dollars and 0 cents." The fifth one came, and it threatened her with shutoff! She called the company and was told, "It's a computer error, and the only way to fix it is to send us a check for zero dollars and zero cents."
So to fix THEIR mistake, it ended up costing her 25 cents for the check, and 28 cents for the stamp... neither of which was applied to the next month's bill! Nice! (I told her she should have gone after them for threatening to shut off her oil, since she had just had a baby and was on Welfare at the time-- that company would have looked like the biggest jerks in Massachusetts for letting a woman and her baby freeze in January!)

totally crazy :lol2:

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jun 13, 2004

When I was in the hospital I gave them all the information, they copied all my cards, and in front of the admission clerk I called and got approval for admission from the insurance company. All that was in May 2002.

Starting Jan. of 2003 I started getting bills for $00.00. The hospital was submitting the bills to the wrong company. When the company did pay it paid the wrong hospital. January of 2004 I got a bill for $30,000 and did I want to put it on my mastercard or visa? I called the hospital and asked for the supervisor. Now got this here's the good part.

She said "Since it was our fault that we did not timely bill the insurance company, I have been authorized to write the bill off."

The next day I received confirmation of our conversation." May of 2004 I finally got letters from Medicare and Blue Cross that they had paid $xx.xx and my portion of the bill was $00.00

Sometimes the good guys win.