Random Thought of the Day

Quote: Nareed

Peanut butter makes everything better :)

No truer words have ever been spoken.

Quote: rxwine

Shopping RVs with special features.

At a music festival I had my small popup camper parked near one of those bus sized RV's
Was talking to the owner
He was complaining about gas mileage
He was asking me what I had in my small popup I tow
2005 Fleetwood Timberlake popup
Toilet, hot shower, 3 burner stove, 3 beds, fridge, sink, table with bench seats for 4.
All the comforts of home but a lot smaller
He was amazed, said he needed to downsize due to gasoline

Quote: DRich

No truer words have ever been spoken.

I mixed some into my oatmeal this morning.

Yum!

Quote: Nareed

I mixed some into my oatmeal this morning.

Yum!

I don't know why but peanut butter is the only product that I can think of that I am brand loyal to. I only buy JIF. In many products I buy the store brand because of value but JIF peanut butter makes me accept the possibility of a deity.

Quote: DRich

I don't know why but peanut butter is the only product that I can think of that I am brand loyal to. I only buy JIF. In many products I buy the store brand because of value but JIF peanut butter makes me accept the possibility of a deity.

Jiff is good, but I make my own now. No sugar at all, no salt, either. And despite dire predictions, it doesn't need mixing before serving for some reason. I do keep it in the fridge after making it.

Y'all remember my ER bill?

Quote: Face

Stiff? No. I won't win that game.

The first guy did very little and I was TOLD, by one of their nurses, to come back at 7p to see the other doc.

I knew I was gonna get dinged for the ER. I had NO IDEA it would've been $700 for something that required nothing more involved than a lightbulb and a f#$%ing cotton swab. That pisses me off. But to be told by THEM to come back because the first guy was useless without any idea of the price OR that I was gonna be charged a full round AGAIN, for another GD procedure that amounted to no more than another lightbulb and another f#$%ing cotton swab... ain't no f#$%ing way.

No. Way.

I'll talk first.

Then I'll fight.

Then I'll either go there for my remaining $1,200 in goods and services that I didn't receive and am owed, or send them micro payments made in Prussian francs for the next 473 years.

$1,400USD? Lol, they got the wrong guy. This one has nothing to lose.

I ended up calling the hospital. Got the accounts manager on the line. Explained the whole situation. She began by wondering how in hell I got billed from this co. as the account hadn't even been processed on their end. She then went on to very nearly agree with me that the first visit should have never been closed and that I shouldn't have had two bills. She then stated she was literally walking out the door to start her vacay and if would be terribly bothersome to pick this up when she returned. I, of course, obliged. She told me to ignore the previous 2 bills and she'll get it sorted upon her return.

Her return date found me with no phone call. I called her, no answer. Left a message. Couple days, did it again. A week and a bit, left another. Straight up refused to call me back.

Eventually I got bills directly from the hospital. Yes, still billS. These were for $308 and $330. Why still 2? Why for less than half of what I got previously? And why for different amounts when I had the exact same service? All good questions, no? And before I got to wrap my head around them, I got yet TWO MORE from the first people, again for $708 AND $730 (or whatever it was). So "shouldn't have had to pay twice" mysteriously blossomed into "NOW YOU PAY FOUR TIME!"

So,... I forgot about it. *poof*, out of mind. If you don't want to talk to me, then YOU are going to spend YOUR resources typing letters, and mailing them, and paying someone to do it all. Now YOU work. Now YOU spend. A$$#%^$s.

Last Friday I get a really weird phone call asking for me. I confirm it is me to whom they are speaking. The call went something like this...

PE: This is (so-and-so) from People Express, we're calling about a personal matter. Can you supply (requests personal information)
F: Uh... who is this again?
PE: So-and-so from People Express, calling about a personal matter.
F: What is People Express?
PE: We are a firm contacting you about a personal matter
F: (no s#$%) Uhh... and what is this "personal matter"?
PE: It's personal. Can you supply (personal information)
F: But... I don't know who you are, what you are, or what this is about.
PE: We are People Express contacting you about a personal matter.
F: (I DON'T HAVE ANY F#$%ING PERSONAL MATTERS) But who... what's it ABOUT? Who sent...
PE: It's about a personal matter.
F: I Don't Have Any Personal Matters.
PE: Yes, you do.
F: Well, look... you won't tell me who you are or what it's about. I'm not giving you any personal info.
PE: OK, expect a letter, it's addressed to bleh, PO from blah. Goodbye.

WTF?

So today, I get a letter. Collections for my medical bill. Seriously? That F#$%ING hard to say or at least hint towards that? But anyway...

Now it's just one, and it's for $730 or so. No $708, no sum of the $308 and $330. Obviously, I still have questions. And Lo! they just happen to call not an hour later. I explain to her the situation. She obviously does not care, understand, or care to understand, but she gets the gist that I'm neither refusing nor unable to pay, I just need details cleared up and questions answered first. She transfers me to her supervisor.

Hooray, right? Finally, someone in power who will listen. NOPE!

She just goes into her schpiel, and I have to communicate in IndiEnglish for the attempt, and the minute she responds I can tell with 100% certainty she's reading a script and has engaged 0% of her brain for this ordeal. And about the time I think she gets that I have FOUR F#$%ING BILLS and just need THAT PART straightened out for her to get 100% of her money easy as can be, we get disconnected.

Are there any adults here? Can someone help me to adult?

Never under any circumstances talk to
a collection agency. All they want is
your money and anything you say
to them can be used against you
when they sue you. Go back and talk
talk to the hospital, if they'll talk to
you at all. Your mistake was ignoring
this, now it's on your credit report
that you don't pay your medical bills.

You're stuck now, either pay or go to
court eventually and it'll go
against you and if you don't pay they'll
garnish yours wages at the PO and
it could effect your job. I would do a
payment plan with just how much you
think you owe. The collection agency
will be glad to get anything, too many
people never pay a thing.

I'll gladly allow them to use anything I said, as all I said was "No one will return my calls, I ONLY want to get this straightened out, and as soon as it is, I will gladly pay". And I will. I need no payment plan, no court, no garnish. I've had the cash set aside just about since it happened. I am ready to have this the f#$% out of my life. But, understandably, I am not paying four GD bills totaling in excess of $2,000 for a GD cotton swab.

And of course it's my mistake. I made calls, left messages, worked and sacrificed to have the money ready. How dare I =p

Quote: Face

I'll gladly allow them to use anything I said, as all I said was "No one will return my calls, I ONLY want to get this straightened out, and as soon as it is, I will gladly pay".

Nolo is a pretty good site for various common legal situations. For info

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/top-five-debt-collector-phone-tactics.html

Quote: Face

, I am not paying four GD bills totaling in excess of $2,000 for a GD cotton swab.

If you go to the medical facility, they'll
tell you it's out of their hands, they
sold the debt to the collection agency.
The agency might settle for what you
really owe because they paid next to
nothing for the debt. They don't like
going to court, it costs them time and
money. Send them a letter, make them
send a letter back to you. Use their
email if they have one.

Saying F you to bill collectors sounds
good, but they always have more ways
of F'ing you than you have ways of F'ing
them.