Computers

[sydem]

http://jokes.christiansunite.com/images/letters/l.gifast May a man living in Newton, Massachusetts received a bill on his as yet unused credit card stating that he owed $0.00. He threw it away. In April he received another and tossed that one, too. The following month the credit card company sent him a nasty note stating they were going to cancel his card if he didn't send them $0.00.

In retrospect, he probably should have let them do that. Instead he called the company and was informed that (are you ready for this?) the problem was the result of a computer error. They told him they'd take care of it.

The following month he reasoned that, if other charges appeared on the card, then it would put an end to his ridiculous predicament. Besides, they assured him the problem would be resolved. So he presented his card for a purchase. It was declined.

Once again he called. He learned that the credit card had been cancelled for lack of payment. They apologized for (here it is again) another computer error and promised they would rectify the situation. The next day he got a bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue. Assuming that this bill was yet another mistake, he ignored it. But the following month he received yet another bill for $0.00 stating that he had ten days to pay his account in full or the company would take necessary steps to recover the debt. He gave in. He mailed in a check for $0.00.

The computer duly processed it and returned a statement to the effect that his account was paid in full. A week later, the man's bank called him asking him why he wrote a check for $0.00. He explained the problem at length. The bank replied that the $0.00 check had caused their check processing software to fail.

The bank could not process ANY checks from ANY of their customers that day because the check for $0.00 caused a computer crash. The following month the man received a letter from the credit card company claiming that his check had bounced, that he still owed $0.00 and, unless payment was sent immediately, they would institute procedures to collect his debt.

This man, who had been considering buying his wife a computer for her birthday, bought her a typewriter instead.

[Freebird]

LOL....that is great. Gotta love technology.

[SilvrT]

It's probably true!

 

Every month I get a paper statement from one of my CCs showing a $0.00 balance. I haven't used that CC for several months. What a waste of paper, processing, and postage, not to mention staff time.

[camos]

It's probably true!

 

Every month I get a paper statement from one of my CCs showing a $0.00 balance. I haven't used that CC for several months. What a waste of paper, processing, and postage, not to mention staff time.

Could just be part of the general banking rules. About ten years ago I got into a dispute with Visa over some triviality and told them I would never use their card again. Totally unplanned, I had a balance of -$0.52. Visa has been sending me a statement every month telling me I have a credit of 52 cents. I don't think they can close the account without paying me the $0.52 and I have the intention of never using that account or of closing it.

Every month it costs Visa far more than the value owing in the account to send me a statement.

[ChiefCass]

Here's a letter I wrote, eons ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, to Citibank. I thought it was such a great letter that I maintained it in my archives. I NEED to share it here:

 

CitibankReady Credit

P.O.Box769006

SanAntonio TX 78245-9006

 

 

Sunday,September 18, 1999

Sirs

 

 

I Paid-off my loan with you in April of 1998 at which time I destroyed my Line-of-Credit drafts.

 

 

Subsequently I attempted to closeout my account over the phone on two different occasions – with no success.

 

 

I receive a statement each and every month saying you owe me $7.41 and informing me that I may write a Ready-Credit Draft for this amount. I no longer have any drafts / checks so that is not a possibility.

 

 

I am quite sure that, by now, you have spent far more than you owe me by maintaining my account and sending me statements. I am quite content to continue to line my birdcage with your paper sent with your postage.

 

 

If you are interested in saving your company some money please forward this to someone who can take action... specifically: send me a check for $7.41 and close my account.

 

 

If you like subsidizing the US Postal Service for no good reason, continue tosend me statements on an account I do not intend to use.

 

 

I take pleasure in informing you that this is the last correspondence I intend to have with your company.

 

 

Finally, Sincerely

 

Final downshot - they sent me a $7.41 check with no comment. I haven't had any correspondence with them since a month after my letter. I believe it was a stamp well spent.

Edited March 25, 2017 by ChiefCass