First, you should know that my mom never fully paid my tuition for last term. Term started yesterday, I still can't register. She wrote out a check for the full amount - but addressed it to the wrong person. Apparently, AMS won't cover this, I have to go through the bursar and the check needs to be addressed to Fleet. So the check was essentially worthless.
So here I am in Brooklyn with a worthless check and no cash (my money went to buy pads, because I just got my period) and I'm in pain. Because of my period-related constipation/back pain. I don't get cramps, as near as I can tell, but I constipate. And get back pain. And boils, but that's irrelevant. No money. Wait! I have my ATM card!
The ATM machine ate my card. In Brooklyn. I've lost/ruined so many ATM cards, it's not even funny, but this isn't my fault at least. Yay. So I run into the bank to ask for them to help me get my card back. But then they can't give it to me because it's really my mom's card, and I could be a thief or something. I understand this, I really do, but I WANT MONEY TO BUY SOME MIDOL! So I call my mom, just to explain the situation. I honestly don't expect anything to come of this, but she needs to know that she has to come down to Brooklyn if she wants this card again. Personally, I think she should just get a new card, but whatever.
Apparently, my mom had been having a really bad day, and hadn't eaten yet. This probably explains why she flipped out at me. Eventually, the whole situation was settled with the bank cutting up the card, giving it back to me, and hanging up on my mom. My mom, of course, is going to order a new card. I didn't mind, I was crying at this point, and just wanted to go home.
Two hours. By the end of it, I'm done crying, but I'm in massive pain. I walk home because walking is marginally less painful than standing around waiting for the bus, only to find that I have no midol. So I take an aspirin and a hot bath. This helps, but not much, and I keep choking on the "second" aspirin (I toss them out after I choke, because dissolved aspirin is nasty). And there's no money in the house.
I eventually borrowed money from Mr. Winston, got me some advil and some liquidy food like grapes and tangerines. The worst thing for me to eat right now is starchy stuff like bread and pasta. Alas, that had been the only thing I'd eaten in the morning - two doughnuts.
So here I am in Brooklyn with a worthless check and no cash (my money went to buy pads, because I just got my period) and I'm in pain. Because of my period-related constipation/back pain. I don't get cramps, as near as I can tell, but I constipate. And get back pain. And boils, but that's irrelevant. No money. Wait! I have my ATM card!
The ATM machine ate my card. In Brooklyn. I've lost/ruined so many ATM cards, it's not even funny, but this isn't my fault at least. Yay. So I run into the bank to ask for them to help me get my card back. But then they can't give it to me because it's really my mom's card, and I could be a thief or something. I understand this, I really do, but I WANT MONEY TO BUY SOME MIDOL! So I call my mom, just to explain the situation. I honestly don't expect anything to come of this, but she needs to know that she has to come down to Brooklyn if she wants this card again. Personally, I think she should just get a new card, but whatever.
Apparently, my mom had been having a really bad day, and hadn't eaten yet. This probably explains why she flipped out at me. Eventually, the whole situation was settled with the bank cutting up the card, giving it back to me, and hanging up on my mom. My mom, of course, is going to order a new card. I didn't mind, I was crying at this point, and just wanted to go home.
Two hours. By the end of it, I'm done crying, but I'm in massive pain. I walk home because walking is marginally less painful than standing around waiting for the bus, only to find that I have no midol. So I take an aspirin and a hot bath. This helps, but not much, and I keep choking on the "second" aspirin (I toss them out after I choke, because dissolved aspirin is nasty). And there's no money in the house.
I eventually borrowed money from Mr. Winston, got me some advil and some liquidy food like grapes and tangerines. The worst thing for me to eat right now is starchy stuff like bread and pasta. Alas, that had been the only thing I'd eaten in the morning - two doughnuts.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-28 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-29 08:32 am (UTC)Well, then I can understand them not giving you the card or any money, at least not without independent verification from your mother. But chopping the card into pieces and then giving you said pieces rather than sending the card back to the holder of record (which would be faster for the account holder, your mother, than issuing a new card)? That sounds like a deliberate insult to both of you.
In the late '80s I worked at a computer store in Belleville, Illinois. One day a customer accidentally left us his MasterCard after a purchase. I tried to telephone him at his home but got no answer. Since the h.q. branch of the issuing bank was literally only one block away, I walked over and hand-delivered it to their MasterCard dept. so they could return it to him -- to their immense surprise that someone would make that personal effort; I thought I was doing something normal and appropriate to safeguard the customer's money.
Ironically enough, the customer came back about two hours after that, so I directed him to which floor of the bank building he should go to pick up his card, which I presume he was able to do.
There's a reason they call it customer service, dammit. You and your mother should have received the same level of effort and consideration.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-29 10:19 am (UTC)And yes, they should've mailed it back to her, but I or she should've suggested this to them. It honestly occured to neither of us until after the fact.