It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

Sorry I can't do that, the system is automatic.

page: 1
13
<<   2  3 >>

log in

join
share:

posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 05:55 PM
link   
I'm not sure how many people have covered this conspiracy before, but I'm sure everyone has had experience with it... (well those of us who are poorer than others anyway)

Have you ever been behind in bills?

Called in to get an extension or explain your circumstances?

Only to be told, well I'm sorry.. I understand your position, but there's NOTHING I can do, because the system does everything automatically, ..

So in essence even though they empathize with your situation you are still screwed, meaning your power / internet / heat will be shut off, despite extenuating circumstances.

It seems to me that more and more companies are taking this route [perhaps saving themselves money] by having less employees, by using the "system" as an excuse.

On the receiving end, it feels very cold to be told that.... inhuman and as if some weird system has overtaken the world and humans are at it's mercy.

Before long, everything will be automated...

Will this increase our humanity?
or
Will this increase our slavery to the already infinite systems that control our lives negatively and occasionally postively.
Because they sure don't "automatically" turn your stuff back on after receiving payment, .. most times you have to hassle the people who "run" the system to figure out why it hasn't resumed your services.

I don't think this is a good use for computers, it might make things easier for the large companies to keep tabs on things, but it removes much of the human element.

Any thoughts?



posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 06:36 PM
link   
your a hundred percent right we are now becoming an enslaved society!


Starred and flagged



posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 06:44 PM
link   
I have never had that problem here.
Within reason.
It depends how long it goes on I guess.
But here they have never said that to me.
Come to think of it there is times ive been behind in things, and ive never had anything cut off.
Although I have had automatic things sent to me from time to time and on calling them was told don't worry about it the stupid computers just send them.



posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 07:46 PM
link   
reply to post by PuRe EnErGy
 


Exactly. My bank did this to me just a week ago. I needed to speak to a manager before 5pm and they told me all managers work on the basis of ringing people back within 48hrs and under no circumstances would I get to speak to someone before 5pm today, no matter what my situation was.

Makes me angry.




posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 07:56 PM
link   
technically speaking as for bills. if you call in and ask like that, that is the response you will get.

1. because they actually do not want to say no i cannot do that bc im a lowly phone agent and that would require me to talk to my supervisor and i dont want to do that

2. i cannot do that by phone and that is my standard response.

3. you have had many extensions before and i cannot do that for you again so im going to say this. (happened to me before, bad time in my life lol)

it is better to ask for a manager and explain the situation to them as well. they sometimes can just go ahead and do it.

i have found that if you go to one of their collection centers that you have a better chance of extending your cutoff date.

as for banks. it all depends what bank you are dealing with. i know all major banks have it that if you ask for a manager you have to get one that busness day not in 48hours. barring the weekend of course. but that should be standard pratice in all banks minor or major but seems only major do it.

personal exprience i have witnessed is my mom walking into her bank and asking for the manager, when they told her no, she immediatly got on her phone and called the main branch office and asked to speak to their manager and explained that bank #12345 did not want to provide a manager for her and that someone has to come here immediatly. sure enough in 2 min a call was made and the manager opened his office and helped her out.

thats an extreme case but hey it worked.



posted on Nov, 24 2008 @ 07:57 PM
link   
It happened to me in a relatively serious situation, where I could have had my posessions taken from me.

'Sorry the form has already been processed, their is nothing we can do'...

TIP: ALWAYS ASK FOR THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOU ARE TALKING TO.

I can't stress how many times, the person on the other end of the phone either hangs up or becomes cooperative.

Behind the machine lurks a consciousness wrapped in red tape.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 08:36 AM
link   
I once had an error in my billing(their error) that ended up with me owing
monies that I was not aware I owed. I found I did owe this sum.
I called to make arrangements and was told that Payment in Full was the only option I had.
Well, I ask them "Do you Want some Money or No Money ?"
again the response was We can not accept less than Payment in Full.
So I said "Well I'm going to send you $100.00 Today and the balance to you in 3 weeks. If you don't want the money I send, Fine With Me ! Send
it Back or Rip the Check up and throw it in the trash !!!" and I hung up.
Ya know what They Cashed the Cheque !! Surprise..Surprise !



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 10:25 AM
link   
reply to post by PuRe EnErGy
 


Yes, I have had this sort of thing said to me on numerous occasions about a variety of different things, an overdraft application stands out in my mind but I can assure you its been said to me regarding things other than bank related.

What you need to remeber is IT'S A LIE!!! They can control certain elements but alot of the time they just fob the customer off with the old "I have no control, its all automatic excuse"

Take my overdraft application for example, it hadn't come through and I was away with work and needed the money, I phoned to ask what the problem was (which turned out to be an administrative error on their behalf) and then was told I would recieve the money in 3 working days.

I told them this wasn't acceptable, that I needed the money and it was their error not mine which resulted in the overdraft not being set up. I also told them that I knew they could give me the overdraft straight away, ten minutes later I was happily walking away from the cash machine with £100 in my hands!

ASK PEOPLE! Be prepared to be a bit cheeky and reap the rewards!



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:00 PM
link   
Here's how it usually works.

1.) You receive a bill which is too much, and you'll call "tomorrow". Well, that "tomorrow" turns up to be a day or a week, month after the bill has gone due.

2.) You then call up, oh, let's say Verizon and say, "Hey, gotta bill here which is overdue, can you set the due date a week in advance? I'm having a bit of trouble trying to pay it..."

3.) The customer service rep for Verizon then says, "I'm sorry, I'd like to help, but it's all automatic now." Which, unfortunately, is true.

The now overdue bill, has been sent automatically over to the "unpaid bills department" (gah, forgot the name) and there's really not much he can do, at least not without getting A.) Bitched at or B.) Lose his job.

I've worked as both a callcenter employee and a team leader for a callcenter team. And the fact is, the Customer databases are pretty square. It's all "mechanical" to put it that way. Once something goes through, it's either impossible to change it, like lets say a date on a bill that's past due because the system just won't allow it, or you'll have the team leaders that STRICTLY prohibits any changes in due dates and give huge reprimands for not following the procedure.

Trust me, I've not only been there and have had it done to me, I've also been on the other end saying that I'm sorry and I can't do anything. And it puts customer service reps right in the middle of a rock and a hard place.
(And it makes most of us feel like crap.)

But as companies grow, the "personal touch" gets lost. In which I mean the personal service you get, like how a customer service rep will go that extra mile to really help you out. Now he can't because some database system is putting a stop to all that.


Peace,
FK



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:03 PM
link   
I have experienced this as well. My theory is that there is no actual way
for the agent on the phone to change anything. When I speak to the supervisor it's the same thing, he/she says there is nothing they can do.

I believe them when they say this.
Why?
Because I spent an hour, an hour, one time literally yelling at a manager.
Without using foul language, I made this person feel like they were the lowest thing on this earth. At the end of it all, they talked to their manager and still, nothing could be done.
So I apologized and hung up. But I haven't had any problems since.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:03 PM
link   
I think that much of the problem can be avoided by simply keeping up with when your bills are due and simply paying them on time.


It works for me quite well, and has done so for over 40 years, dispite the "automated response" on the telephone at the bank.



Cheers!!!!



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:10 PM
link   

Originally posted by azureskys
I once had an error in my billing(their error) that ended up with me owing
monies that I was not aware I owed. I found I did owe this sum.
I called to make arrangements and was told that Payment in Full was the only option I had.
Well, I ask them "Do you Want some Money or No Money ?"
again the response was We can not accept less than Payment in Full.
So I said "Well I'm going to send you $100.00 Today and the balance to you in 3 weeks. If you don't want the money I send, Fine With Me ! Send
it Back or Rip the Check up and throw it in the trash !!!" and I hung up.
Ya know what They Cashed the Cheque !! Surprise..Surprise !


I am in a similar boat right now......
My new baby daughter was born 3 weeks ago. I have no insurance at the moment and make too much money to qualify for any assistance. Dont get me wrong, I tried to get insurance but due to a stupid texas law you cannot individually or self-insure the pregnant. So we checked ahead of time to see how much things would cost and gathered more than the estimate for the "just in case" scenario. Well, "just in case" turned into "Most definitely and then some". I've managed to pay most of the hospital bill. There is the matter of her stay in the NICU though. It turned out if I paid it all at once the bill is $8,0000 . . . . Not bad right? well if you don't pay the full sum within 30days the bill will turn into $32,000 and go on a payment plan. . . wait, whut??? Yea. So I paid half of the 8k up front and have about a week to come up with another 4k that I don't have. I've been ebayin my arse off but so far am still short almost 2k. This is outright extortion. Oh and dont get me started on what the bill would have been with insurance! It's no freeeekin wonder insurance is so damn expensive. They charge 4 times the amount!! ARGGGHHHH

/rant


[edit on 25-11-2008 by wazar]



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:16 PM
link   

Originally posted by RFBurns
I think that much of the problem can be avoided by simply keeping up with when your bills are due and simply paying them on time.


It works for me quite well, and has done so for over 40 years, dispite the "automated response" on the telephone at the bank.



Cheers!!!!


but I'm sure everyone has had experience with it... (well those of us who are poorer than others anyway)

yeh, sorry to waste your time...

but you usually require the $money$ at the time to pay bills on-time right?



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:19 PM
link   
reply to post by PuRe EnErGy
 


Cancelled DirecTV a month ago, no issues.
Called Oil company to renogotiate contract for oil.. no issues.
Called CC company last week to bitch about the recent raise in rate.. they lowered it back. No issues.


Guess they are afraid of me. Then again, I don't take no for an answer.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:53 PM
link   
Enslavement- absolutely, but that plan has been in process sine "The New Deal" and perhaps even before.

Greed- our whole country is based in greed and this will probably never change.

But the biggest problem we face here in my opinion is control through monopoly. Do you have another choice for your gas or electric service? I don't, nor do I have a choice for sewage or water, I cannot even dig a well or use a septic tank because there are ordinances preventing it. So what you have here is a "Rape the people permit", issued by the governments to big business. Want it to change? Start sending your representatives your paychecks and tax returns. Then perhaps they MIGHT and I emphasis the word might, even hear what you said. The simple fact is that you do not have enough money to buy off your representatives, the way the big business does. It's actually quite simple and too easy to see, I cannot believe the entire population hasn't seen it yet. I will tell you this, I do not want to lose my house, car, or job; however, I am excited that our economy is crashing and I hope it completely collapses because that is the ONLY thing that will wake up the people. We have already witnessed that lies, internal terrorist acts, foreclosures on a massive scale, wars, and conspiracies against the population will not do the job, the only thing that is on a grand enough scale to wake up the population is a total and complete economic collapse. And although we will all get hurt with this, I welcome it, because the alternative is far worse.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 01:53 PM
link   
I just had a good conversation with my ISP, ...
I guess something got through to them because I'm still online, .. waiting for my stupid check to cash.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 02:03 PM
link   
mmm, about two years ago out of the blue I received an electric bill for a HUGE amount of money. In confusion I called the electric company to find out what was going on.

In the end I found out that someone had called in and changed our electric to another persons name AND address, who never paid it. I own my home and have been here for years. I was never sent a notice in regards to this, or even a "final bill", I never received a paper notice or an email notice from the electric company.

Well as my bills are on automatic pay I did not even think about it or realize that the electric bill was not getting paid for six months (my bad really for not being more on top of it, you can bet I pay more attention now), but the electric company wanted all the money immediately and refused to work with me (close to $1300) .

I asked them, you changed my bill to another person as well as sending the bill to another address, without my permission and expect me to jump through your hoops because of your mistake?

How do I even know that this is just my bill? How do I know it is not a combination of two homes? I never did figure this out for sure, but the amount has always had me wondering if I ended up paying another person's electric bill on top of mine.

The electric company refused to assist with this, telling me that it was my responsibility 100% because I should have called them immediately when I did not receive a bill. Uhm, how about NO you guys were the ones who changed it over to a different person's name AND address without contacting this address for verification.

Well, they supposedly tried, and the phone number was disconnected. So I asked, what number do you have for me? Yep, that's it, has been for years and has never been disconnected so try again. Did you guys send me an email like you are supposed to? We tried, it bounced back. Well, what email do you have for me? Yep, that's it, has been for years. Did you try to send me a paper notice? Yep they said, sorry I said, I never got one, which address did you send it too? Uhm, the one it was changed to. Well, then you did NOT notify me, you notified someone else.

That is a simple version of the situation, but needless to say after speaking to manager after manager they were finally willing to work something out with me.

I was told in the end that it was "standard procedure" to tell anyone who calls in asking for assistance with bill pay for them to say "they cannot do anything to assist you and they require full payment". So, basically that is how they are trained, those that get assistance are those that say, let me speak with your manager, when you finally reach a high enough point in the company, then they are allowed to assist you, though the least amount possible.

Basically in the end I had to say, I can pay >> you accept that, or you don't, your choice. The problem is, their is not another electric company in this area to use if you have problems with one. So they knew they had me cornered here. Can we say MONOPOLY? In the end they accepted the amount that I could pay.

Many people do not realize this, so the company is more likely to get their money right away. So, if you reach someone that cannot assist you, ask for their manager and so on. If they refuse tell them you plan on sending a complaint to the better business bureau, that usually does the trick, but not always.

Anyway, I know, my bad as I did not pay attention enough to realize that I was not receiving my bill from the electric company. But basically I feel they messed up the whole way, allowing another person to change the billing name and address without verifying with me about this taking place.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 02:23 PM
link   
well I am for one a proponent of spend with in your needs.

You mention-

Quote -"So in essence even though they empathize with your situation you are still screwed, meaning your power / internet / heat will be shut off, despite extenuating circumstances. " -unquote

Heat (I assume GAS) and power can generally only be turned off during certain months of the year, and you need to be well behind, usually 2 to 3 months, and most companies will work with you if you are paying something. The Internet- Funny that's in there- that's a luxury like cable, and those companies also usually give you 30 days or so before they turn you off. If you ca not pay for power or heat- why do you have internet? And I'm guessing we are not talking about a cheap monthly dial up account, but probably something like DSL or Cable that's driving your phone or cable prices higher.

I am not trying to single out the OP- I have no idea if this is the case or not- all I am saying is that certain things can and will be allowed to be worked out on payment plans - power, phone and water come to mind.
Internet ? why should it...



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 02:33 PM
link   
Yes mate, you`ve hit a nerve with me there.
I`ll give you one of the many examples I have experienced.
I had a fault on my phone line, sometimes I pick up the receiver an all I get is a noise like you would hear from a road workers drill, used to break up the road.
I often have to put the call off untill it goes away and it can be embarrassing when someone calls and its impossible to talk. Now the BT fault line is completely automated you cant get to speak to anyone, it runs a check on the line and tells me theres nothing wrong with it even when its in it full pneumatic flow.
So I try to take a different route though the automated maze to try and get someone to speak to and after 45 minutes I eventually get told that "we cant deal with that problem you have to call the fault line". ARRRRH.
I ended up having to pay a callout charge to get someone to come and have a look because their automated line check reported no problem.



posted on Nov, 25 2008 @ 02:50 PM
link   
I always, and I mean always, take people to task when they blame the computer, and say there's nothing they can do. There's always something that can be done. It's gotten to the point where I have main corporate numbers on my speed dial.



new topics

top topics



 
13
<<   2  3 >>

log in

join