I went to the Sams Club web site and placed my sentiments on a message to their Customer Service department.
Imagine my surprise when I received this message back from them a little while ago...
Dear Online Customer,
Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding your Sam's Club® account, and the opportunity to be of service to you.
In the interest of customer service and goodwill, we are crediting your account for late charges assessed in the amount of $20.00. This credit will appear on your next billing statement.
I guess it sometimes does pay to be a cranky old curmudgeon. Don't be afraid to speak up for what you think is right. Once in a while it does pay off.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Bend over and grab your wallet
I have Sams Club ID card (they are part of the Walmart group). I never used it for charges before, although I could have. Recently, I allowed my son to use it to charge his gas, and this has worked out fine. He paid the bill on time and there was never a problem.
The April billing cycle was $60.65. He paid it, but it was due on April 1, so by the time it was credited to the account (April 3), it was two days late. Not a big deal, so I expected to get hit with a finance charge for a couple days. Imagine my surprise when the next bill came with a late charge of $20. I couldn't believe it. $20 for being two days late. Now they can charge whatever they want, but this amounts to a 33% penalty fee (or basically $10 a day). Outrageous wouldn't you say?
I called them to discuss the issue, but of course I got some customer service girl, who couldn't do anything except say she wasn't authorized to make adjustments. Whoopee! I told her I would pay the fee, but this would be the last time I ever use their card for charges again. She gave me the impression like she could care less.
I find it incredible that they can assess fees to their customers as they please, and then put up barriers for disputing the charges such that all you can do is just give up and pay the fee, because fighting anything like this is a major time expense, and probably resulting in no resolution, because you can never reach anyone that can actually do anything.
I have never liked Walmart, so I'll still avoid the place, but now I find that Sams Club has joined the list of businesses that takes advantage of the small print (which is nebulous on the back of their statements on their fees and charges) and has perpetuated the definition of "Customer Service" as an oxymoron. Aargghhh!
The April billing cycle was $60.65. He paid it, but it was due on April 1, so by the time it was credited to the account (April 3), it was two days late. Not a big deal, so I expected to get hit with a finance charge for a couple days. Imagine my surprise when the next bill came with a late charge of $20. I couldn't believe it. $20 for being two days late. Now they can charge whatever they want, but this amounts to a 33% penalty fee (or basically $10 a day). Outrageous wouldn't you say?
I called them to discuss the issue, but of course I got some customer service girl, who couldn't do anything except say she wasn't authorized to make adjustments. Whoopee! I told her I would pay the fee, but this would be the last time I ever use their card for charges again. She gave me the impression like she could care less.
I find it incredible that they can assess fees to their customers as they please, and then put up barriers for disputing the charges such that all you can do is just give up and pay the fee, because fighting anything like this is a major time expense, and probably resulting in no resolution, because you can never reach anyone that can actually do anything.
I have never liked Walmart, so I'll still avoid the place, but now I find that Sams Club has joined the list of businesses that takes advantage of the small print (which is nebulous on the back of their statements on their fees and charges) and has perpetuated the definition of "Customer Service" as an oxymoron. Aargghhh!
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Last Picture Show
Well, if you can't tell, let me say that I'm pretty excited. April 30 is when I begin my last 5 day chemo treatment, and I couldn't be more pleased. It's been 13 months since this whole GBM thing entered my life, and I'm glad to see this chapter pass into history. It'll be another month before I begin to see the effects of the chemo finally leave, and I'll know what it feels to be normal again. I've been working out, bike riding, and playing racquetball, but I always seem to be doing it at some reduced level. I hope I can finally get back to the business of pushing my limits the way I did before this all started. I still have some weight to lose and redistribute, and once I do, maybe some other things will fall into place. I'm anxious to get back to the business of being just plain old me. Let's get to it. I'm ready!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Pandora's box
I’m in shock by what I have been reading lately about the latest shootings going on in this country. It’s really no surprise that we continue to allow this to happen, but it’s horribly tragic nonetheless. What’s the most lamentable about this situation is that we bring it on ourselves by doing nothing substantial to control it. This troubles me greatly.
Every time something like this happens, it only accentuates a problem that we have created and are in denial about. It may not be as hyped by the media, depending on the news worthy value, but it happens to some degree every day in nearly every city in this country, large or small. Drive by shootings, murders, robberies, and assorted accidental deaths all seem to involve a gun type of weapon with unbelievable regularity.
Our illustrious politicians, for all their rhetoric and expressions of commendation and desire to do something, really end up doing nothing except doing whatever they need to do to assure their own survival as a politician. They are held hostage by one of the largest and well-organized lobbies in the USA. I’m talking about the NRA. I believe the NRA serves a good purpose, but its lobbyists do not. They regularly find ways to block important and necessary legislation, that our (seemingly) spineless politicians will not push through, for fear of upsetting the NRA, or creating a row with their NRA loving constituents.
The common sentiment is something like, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” They are correct in this simple statement, but solving the solving the problem of needless deaths is going to require a complicated and radical solution.
I view a simple mathematical formula to state the situation like this:
Hu + Gn + Lc + X = Dt
Hu = a person
Gn = a gun
Lc = Legislation and control
X(y) = the unknown factor (I‘ll explain in a moment)
Dt = dead things (other humans, animals, etc.)
The math is really simple when you think about it. To control one side of the equation, you must balance out the equation by modifying the other side. To have fewer dead things, you must reduce something on the other side of the equation. As the population increases (Hu), doing nothing to other factors increases Dt.
The X(y) element included above are things we have no control over. Education, love of the sport, responsibility for our own actions, complying with existing laws, racial bigotry, religious radicalism, mental stability, narcissist ideals, criminal predilection, are just a sample of the unpredictable factors. Try as we might, we will never get a handle on these. "Need" does not calculate. With everything else in proper stability, need should not be a factor. That’s why we have law enforcement (however, see factors of X(y) for extenuating factors).
I am not against the ownership of guns. I have owned several. I also feel that guns for hunting for food is one thing. Gun ownership for any other reason is a questionable activity for anyone other than sport or the historical collector. Handguns are only made for one purpose, period.
The 2nd amendment was created at a time in this country’s history when we needed it. It doesn’t carry the same meaning as it did when it was first written, and is subject to every interpretation possible that will justify any given purpose. It’s a Pandora’s box we can never close again.
I’m no more a fan of increased legislation than I am of the NRA lobbyists, but politicians will have to grow some and create a workable and sustainable foundation to enable us to live free of the existing situation, but allow each of us to keep our individual freedoms.
Every time something like this happens, it only accentuates a problem that we have created and are in denial about. It may not be as hyped by the media, depending on the news worthy value, but it happens to some degree every day in nearly every city in this country, large or small. Drive by shootings, murders, robberies, and assorted accidental deaths all seem to involve a gun type of weapon with unbelievable regularity.
Our illustrious politicians, for all their rhetoric and expressions of commendation and desire to do something, really end up doing nothing except doing whatever they need to do to assure their own survival as a politician. They are held hostage by one of the largest and well-organized lobbies in the USA. I’m talking about the NRA. I believe the NRA serves a good purpose, but its lobbyists do not. They regularly find ways to block important and necessary legislation, that our (seemingly) spineless politicians will not push through, for fear of upsetting the NRA, or creating a row with their NRA loving constituents.
The common sentiment is something like, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” They are correct in this simple statement, but solving the solving the problem of needless deaths is going to require a complicated and radical solution.
I view a simple mathematical formula to state the situation like this:
Hu + Gn + Lc + X = Dt
Hu = a person
Gn = a gun
Lc = Legislation and control
X(y) = the unknown factor (I‘ll explain in a moment)
Dt = dead things (other humans, animals, etc.)
The math is really simple when you think about it. To control one side of the equation, you must balance out the equation by modifying the other side. To have fewer dead things, you must reduce something on the other side of the equation. As the population increases (Hu), doing nothing to other factors increases Dt.
The X(y) element included above are things we have no control over. Education, love of the sport, responsibility for our own actions, complying with existing laws, racial bigotry, religious radicalism, mental stability, narcissist ideals, criminal predilection, are just a sample of the unpredictable factors. Try as we might, we will never get a handle on these. "Need" does not calculate. With everything else in proper stability, need should not be a factor. That’s why we have law enforcement (however, see factors of X(y) for extenuating factors).
I am not against the ownership of guns. I have owned several. I also feel that guns for hunting for food is one thing. Gun ownership for any other reason is a questionable activity for anyone other than sport or the historical collector. Handguns are only made for one purpose, period.
The 2nd amendment was created at a time in this country’s history when we needed it. It doesn’t carry the same meaning as it did when it was first written, and is subject to every interpretation possible that will justify any given purpose. It’s a Pandora’s box we can never close again.
I’m no more a fan of increased legislation than I am of the NRA lobbyists, but politicians will have to grow some and create a workable and sustainable foundation to enable us to live free of the existing situation, but allow each of us to keep our individual freedoms.
Friday, April 13, 2007
I need a new plan... or two!
It's been almost three weeks since my last notes. Dispiriting. I actually haven't been that busy, but time certainly gets away from you when you have lots of little things happening in a short time. Just like everyone else, you pack in as much as possible during the day, and when it's time to hit the sack, you feel like you didn't make a dent in anything. On the contrary, you feel like you are more behind now than when you first woke up that day. We each have our daily delemmas to deal with, so I don't even feel unique with mine.
Block out the best part during the week for the ever present work-a-day type job, and there isn't much time left in the evening to make up for what there is left to do. Sue and I are working hard at making out greenhouse prosper and produce something worthwhile one of these days. We give it some daily attention to make sure it's still doing it's thing and not getting anything it shouldn't. Sue is also growing lots of flowers in both the front and back yard, so we also was to monitor these. Then it's onto dinner, dishes, blah, blah, blah.
Three nights are also relegated to working out with my son, Aaron. Twice a week, it's bowflex time after he gets off work. The other evening is reserved for racquetball; an evening I know we both look forward to. It doesn't matter what kind of day either of us has had, two minutes after we start playing, it's all cancelled out by the need to stay focused on the game and not let the other clean your clock on the court. It's the most physical either of us gets during the week, and we both love it.
In spite of this, I don't seem to be making any progress in my quest to get back to my old physical condition. I definitly need a new plan for this. I put out a few inquiries on the Men's Health, but disappointingly, those inquiries have provided zero help. Men's Health seems to be focused primarily on arketing to those younger than myself, and efforts to solicit real help has only produced a few personal opinions, and nothing more. For someone sincere in their search for help, this is not the place to go. The thing that annoys me the most these days is anything that wastes my personal time.
Regardless, I still want to lose the gained excess, regain my lost conditioning, and even strengthen myself better than before. I know it's possible. The will is there, I just need a plan I can work at and stick with. I have a piece of Windows software I'm adapting to my Mac. I hope this provides some additional insight.
I just finished my 11th series of chemo, with one left to go, so I know I'm still a couple months away from feeling normal. But I'm not going to wait. I've waited long enough. Sue and I got ourselves a tandem bike and will start using this as much as time allows. I also have been trying to working a little jogging into my schedule, but trying to fit more stuff into the week isn't easy. I just need to get busy.
Block out the best part during the week for the ever present work-a-day type job, and there isn't much time left in the evening to make up for what there is left to do. Sue and I are working hard at making out greenhouse prosper and produce something worthwhile one of these days. We give it some daily attention to make sure it's still doing it's thing and not getting anything it shouldn't. Sue is also growing lots of flowers in both the front and back yard, so we also was to monitor these. Then it's onto dinner, dishes, blah, blah, blah.
Three nights are also relegated to working out with my son, Aaron. Twice a week, it's bowflex time after he gets off work. The other evening is reserved for racquetball; an evening I know we both look forward to. It doesn't matter what kind of day either of us has had, two minutes after we start playing, it's all cancelled out by the need to stay focused on the game and not let the other clean your clock on the court. It's the most physical either of us gets during the week, and we both love it.
In spite of this, I don't seem to be making any progress in my quest to get back to my old physical condition. I definitly need a new plan for this. I put out a few inquiries on the Men's Health, but disappointingly, those inquiries have provided zero help. Men's Health seems to be focused primarily on arketing to those younger than myself, and efforts to solicit real help has only produced a few personal opinions, and nothing more. For someone sincere in their search for help, this is not the place to go. The thing that annoys me the most these days is anything that wastes my personal time.
Regardless, I still want to lose the gained excess, regain my lost conditioning, and even strengthen myself better than before. I know it's possible. The will is there, I just need a plan I can work at and stick with. I have a piece of Windows software I'm adapting to my Mac. I hope this provides some additional insight.
I just finished my 11th series of chemo, with one left to go, so I know I'm still a couple months away from feeling normal. But I'm not going to wait. I've waited long enough. Sue and I got ourselves a tandem bike and will start using this as much as time allows. I also have been trying to working a little jogging into my schedule, but trying to fit more stuff into the week isn't easy. I just need to get busy.
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