Banking Woes

Do problems come in threes?

One:

I followed the instructions.  I kept copies of everything.  I sent documents via certified mail.  I was told it might take as much as 12 weeks for the problem to be resolved.  I was told to ignore future requests for payment.  

The bills and warnings kept coming, but I was confident that I was doing the right thing.  Apparently, the company has a different idea.  They still have the account as OPEN.  

After waiting in the queue, hearing the same two sentences repeated over and over and over and over again, I explained my problem, spent more time on hold, hearing the same two sentences again and again and again, and was told that another department was in charge of my issue.

The agent gave me the new phone number and transferred my call.  After reentering all my information, including an 11 digit account number with several zeroes in a row that are really hard to count, a recorded voice told me that they were celebrating MLK Day and would be back tomorrow.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Two:

I've sent the documentation three times.  The insurance agent sent the documents twice.

Saturday, I received a second and final notice warning me that if I didn't send the documents there would be serious consequences.

I checked the situation on line.  There is no problem that the computer can find.  There is no outstanding balance, no letters to me, no warning labels or instructions to do something right away or else.

I called the phone number on the notice.  I wound my way through the voice mail system, hearing recorded information that had no relevance to my issue, finding no choices that met my needs.  Thinking that I may have missed something along the way I redialed, reentered all the information, listened carefully, and found nothing helpful.

I went back to the website, clicked on CONTACT US, looked for an email address, and found nothing at all.  There's the same useless phone number and a physical address but no way to communicate electronically.

It may be that the system is set up for a vacation day.  It may be that they just don't care.

I'll try again tomorrow before I write it all out (in long hand since they appear to be technophobes?), copy it all, and, once again, send it certified mail.

Meanwhile, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Three:

A closed credit card has an outstanding balance. 

It's been a closed account for months.  It couldn't be closed until the outstanding balance was paid. Nevertheless, I received a letter chastising me for my negligence and offering to help.

I called India or Pakistan or someplace far away, where the workers sit so close to one another that distinguishing my helper's voice from his colleagues' was nearly impossible.  He agreed that the account was closed.  He had no idea why the system thought otherwise.

That problem is escalated to another level, to be dealt with sometime after today, which is a bank holiday.  I was told not to worry.

I'm not sure I'm in a non-worrying space right now.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.