Credit Card Conundrum

Here's a story about a credit card. Not my credit card, but I was, sort of, drug into the situation.

My mom was paying her bills online and came across a problem. She could not remember how she'd paid her Victoria's Secret (VS) bill online. So she called me in to help her figure it out.

We went to the VS Web site and sought out information on paying the bill. Not easy to find, but it's there at the bottom of the page listed as 'Angel Card'. Still, paying online was not easy enough. We decided to call in the payment. Problem was, it was Sunday and that department is not open on Sunday. I was give a number to call back on Monday. My mom put me in charge of making the payment on Monday and she gave me her bank card to make the payment.

On Monday, I called the number that I was given. Of course I get a menu. I start to push through the prompts only to get stuck at 'enter the last 4 digits of your social security number'. Well, since it was not my account, I did not have that information. I waited for the system to default back to the previous menu. That did not happen. The system continued to ask for the SSN. I hung up and called back. I tried to 'zero' out to get a person only to get returned to the same prompt for the SSN. This went on for some time.

Finally, I decided to call another number on the bill that my mom had left with me. After a few prompts, I did get a human being on the phone and explained the situation: I'm paying the bill for my mom, I do not have her SSN. I just want to make a payment. She assures me that she will connect me to another human being and ... she does.

Here's where it gets tricky. They don't accept bank cards for payment. You can only use a checking account. What? Who does that? Is it still 1990 and not 2010? I am peeved. I do not have my mother's bank account info, just the bank card. I decide, what the heck, I'll just pay using my personal bank account. I proceed to provide the cs rep w/the necessary info: bank routing number and checking account number. After he takes the info, he goes into what sounded like a pre-recorded message, but apparently it is him doing the reading. I hear something about a $10 processing fee ... blah, blah ... do you agree? I don't respond because I don't believe I heard what I just heard. So instead, I say "hello" ... because again, I thought that it might be a recording. The cs rep says, yes and I say "did you just say there would be a $10 processing fee?" He says, "yes". I ask why. He says the payment is late.

Okay, here's a part of the story that I left out. We tried to make the payment when it was due on Friday, but got frustrated. The next business day is Monday. Wow, it's been complicated trying to get them their money, right?

The cs rep also makes a comment about the $10 processing fee being less than a $25 late fee. Well, damn. How about no fee at all? After all of the inconveniences, still the bill has not been paid. I tell him to cancel the checking account payment. My only other option is to physically go to a VS store to make the payment. Really? Really. And so, I throw on the snow gear because of course, the snow machine is on ... but no matter, I am going to get this bill done ... and I trounce out to the mall.

At the counter in VS, I present the VS billing statement and my bank card to make the payment. The young lady informs me that they only take cash or a check. What? Who does that? Is it still 1990 and not 2010? Although the payment was only $30, I don't carry much cash. I almost did not take my check book either. I tried not to glare at her (it's not her fault), but what is w/all this ridiculousness already.

Victoria's Secret, where is the convenience for the customer in this process?

• the phone number and Web site info is not easy to find on the VS billing statement
  
• it was difficult to get through the VS menu and get a human being
• it was difficult to make a payment on the Web site
  
• it was difficult to make a payment over the phone
• it was difficult to make a payment in store

So the easiest way to pay this bill is in store w/cash or a check or in the mail via check? If they are going to do business like it's 1990, then I'd like their products to be priced at 1990 prices.

Also, to be fair, VS outsources their credit card and billing to another company. Still, who does this? You shouldn't be nickle and diming people. Period. It's wrong and should be outlawed.

VS has just taken a dive in my book. I won't be shopping there anytime soon. But now that my mom's VS credit card has been paid, I'm sure that she will be shopping there enough for the both of us.

Economic Stimulus

Yes, I am waiting impatiently for my economic stimulus check. Crazy thing is, I filed for an extension to file my taxes. I know, but technology is on my side. I finally filed my taxes - electronically - this past weekend so I am hopeful that the additional dollars are on the way.

What about you all ... is the cash from the govt. flowing for you yet?

My Life - A Pseudo Reality TV Show

Crazy thing happened last wknd, I volunteered to participate in a clinical study - it was a paid study. I'd never done one before, don't know if I'll do one again, but quick and easy money it was.

But it went from nearly all day Friday until about 1 p.m. on Sunday. Not much contact w/the outside world and thrown into scrubs and footies w/about 30 other women - i.e. pseudo reality TV show.

Of course there was a clash of personalities. Ghettoism ruled; young women freely slinging profanity and a brand of ebonics that was even unfamiliar to me.

And talk about nasty ... I can not go into detail about what happened in the women's restroom. I will only say that they had to phone in assistance for clean up because the staff on hand could not handle it.

Rude too; if you are walking by someone and you want to get by, but they can't see you, a proper 'excuse me' will do. But you should not just bump into them and keep walking. Rude and uncompromising. Playing dvd players w/no headphones loudly and then getting an attitude when someone asks for it to be turned down.

But some were reading books, which gives me hope; Oh, and we had a pretty wide movie selection. I sat down for "August Rush". It was beyond predictable, but not a total time waster. They also watched "Why Did I Get Married?" and some other mystical, prince/princess type movie and that I quietly made an exit from.

Oh, and there was another group that was stuck on Jerry Springer and what seemed like a Maury Povich "Daddy DNA Test" marathon; along w/reruns of Flavor of Love - season 1 (could that be what sent someone to the bathroom ...?).

The food was okay. Though there was a chef salad that was riddled w/ham. I passed on it and was told that I could pick the ham out. Thanks, but no thanks. Someone finally retrieved a tre lettuce salad from the previous night, which was fine by me.

Oh, the sleeping arrangements - you guessed it: bunk beds and lots of them. I did not bring blanket and I could have surely used one. But we weren't permitted to bring much. Actually, the list of what we could not bring was extensive. For example:

• no toiletries
• no lip stick, balm, gloss or other lip enhancing products
• no lotions
  

I did manage to conjure up a helluva headache, but it subsided soon after I arrived home and was able to take some medication for it.

Would I do it again, depends. I really had nothing else to do that weekend and it was better to make money than to spend it. the payout was $250 which came as a check as we left the facility. Yeah!

More Mosaics

Love, love, love this! I produced one of these a few weeks back. I think that I am addicted.

I'm feeling green these days; as in environmentally friendly; as in I should be rollin in the dough; and green w/envy at those who are rollin in the dough - do you feel me?

**photos from Flickr