Last night when we went out for dinner, a black cat ran across the road right in front of us!! This after OUR cat finally captured the small furry creature who had been appearing only to B for two days. Kevin put the poor little thing outside in the cold, better then the fate it was about to have met. Hopefully it took up residence in a tree or a shed, anywhere but back in our house!
So the news on college may be well known by now, and M is going to go to school in Boston. Of course, she finally heard back from the coach of the small superior school yesterday, he told her that he was sorry that she wouldn't be swimming for them because she "really impressed" them while she was there. This may have been the case, but then why did he ignore her thank you email and her coach's call and email? But it's done now anyway as she's made the verbal commitment. The school will send official papers to be signed the week of November 8 (NCAA early signing period) and then we wait for the acceptance to come, hopefully with a nice merit award attached!
As for B, the first marking period is about to end so we're anxiously awaiting a couple of test scores. He's surprisingly off on Monday, I don't think about things like All Saints Day normally, and since it's the first day of the new month, I hadn't looked ahead on the calendar. He just found out yesterday in school. He'll have some time to sleep a little, and do a little work. Of course let's hope it's more work than sleep but I suspect this might not be.
Rusty is sick! He sneezes all the time. I have never heard a cat have this kind of cold. I was trying to wait it out but then I found a youtube video of a cat with the same sneeze, and that cat went to the vet and got antibiotics and got better, so I'm hoping for the same for the Rust. We're going today at 10:45. All three cats are behind on their shots and I have to get them in for those, but not while he's sick, so I guess it will have to wait.
The other news is that M was a 'school winner' in the Wendy's scholarship program. They were supposed to post the state finalists yesterday at 5, but they didn't. In fact, they still haven't. So we keep checking but now it's starting to look like they might have left for the weekend without knowing their site didn't update :/ So far she has gotten a $10 card to Wendy's and another of unknown value (you find out when you get to the store, that was the 'thanks for playing' card). The big prize is much more, but it's also much more competitive, obviously.
And in other news, we're now cleaning lady-less, as I went and told the cash-only, wash-rags-for-me, buy-me-a-broom lady that I was just going to do the house myself. So it looks like now that's what I'll have to do. Also, I have 'won' the Bookrags case in that they refunded money for two of my orders, gave me a credit for the third, and reactivated my account, but they tried to make it sound as if I was making up stories, or at least stretching the truth, because *they* would never do this to a customer! Anyway, I won't use their services again unless I use that credit. I don't think I'll have any such luck in the case of the Target VISA so I'll probably just pay that off and close it. I can't believe the interest rate is so high! With college real and on the horizon now, I'm trying to sock away as much as I can, which will be a tad easier without having cleaning people to pay every two weeks, and without so much available credit.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
friday follies
The Eagle has landed in Boston! So let the last and long awaited college visit commence! M was on a flight out at 10 and was on the ground by 11. Not a bad way to travel, if you discount the two hours she probably spent sitting around due to Kevin's hyper-reliability when it comes to airport arrivals. So stay tuned. Nothing from the school last weekend yet, we don't know if that means they're not interested or just overwhelmed with the job of choosing from the pool (no pun intended).
I'm weary of work because it isn't getting any better. I am tired of the implication that I'm not performing up to par, I take pride in my work and think I've worked pretty hard. And my paychecks are still pretty paltry and when I say I have to leave at a certain time for an appointment, I don't appreciate being kept until five minutes past that time. I find it rude. The problem is that I can't do the work of another person, I can only do my work. If that other person wants to give me more work, then I will be happy to do it. But I can't be responsible for some of these things. I think 90% of people would have walked off this job months ago. Many did. Although not always by their own choice, amazingly. I now understand the pitied looks I got in my first few weeks.
Anyway onto some better news, the bookrags case has resurfaced. I think at last update I had been stonewalled through my own efforts, the PayPal refusal to help me, and more recently the LL Bean VISA's reported inability to help because I had 'accepted the service rendered.' So I went to other levels, notified the Better Business Bureau, as well as reported my story to consumeraffairs.com (although I have yet to find it posted there, as a matter of fact).
So this morning, all of a sudden out of the blue appear two credits, two of the three charges were reversed! I was happy to see that but I don't know what brought it about - was it the Better Business Bureau? I will have to wait and see. And what of the third study guide to which I no longer have access? I had that one for about two weeks instead of just one, as the others. Does that mean I have to pay for it? At any rate, two refunds are better than none. But I should never have had to go to such extremes to gain resolution.
And I'm on a new crusade. A month or two ago, I was looking at my Target VISA statement (and I know, this makes me a terrible consumer not to have known this) and noticed my interest rate on purchases is over 20%! On my LL Bean VISA, it is less than 10%. After reading all the articles on how to streamline your debt and reduce expenses, I thought I would give it a shot and call to see if I could get it lowered. Well, guess what? I can't.
The woman on the phone informed me that not only could they not offer me a better interest rate, but they would respect my decision to close the card! Not even, we are very sorry to hear that after ten years you are going to close this account, let us send you some Target coupons to offset the fact that we can't work with you. Just, "Ok. See ya!"
I had been considering keeping it only to use at Target to get the 5% off. I may be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but they can keep their 5%. That new store is weird anyway. I can't find anything anymore, and I cannot come to terms with eating meat bought at Target.
And in other news, B is doing better in school!! :::knock wood:: He now has a 75 in English and a 77 in chemistry, and all the other grades are 80 and above!! Let's just hope he can hold steady and let's see what the PSATs show. This math tutoring center, though expensive, I think was necessary and is going to help him in a lot of ways. So I feel pretty good about that, at least. And he enjoys going and his grade has come up considerably in just two weeks. He's also planning to try the swim team this year so he's been doing their dry land workouts and coming home sore and happy. I hope he likes it. It will be good for him to be part of a group activity at school.
So this weekend I plan to spend cleaning the house tomorrow, to see if I can do it. I'm really having strong reservations about using the woman who wants me to pay her in cash and always have a bag of clean rags for her, along with about $100 in cleaning supplies each week. And she won't clean under anything, so it all has to be picked up and put away. I'll see how well I do and then maybe cancel her before she starts. I might anyway, because at this point in my life I resent being told that I have to wash rags and go to the bank for cash so my cleaning lady doesn't have to. If I had all this spare time I wouldn't need a cleaning lady! I can barely keep up on my own laundry!
I'm weary of work because it isn't getting any better. I am tired of the implication that I'm not performing up to par, I take pride in my work and think I've worked pretty hard. And my paychecks are still pretty paltry and when I say I have to leave at a certain time for an appointment, I don't appreciate being kept until five minutes past that time. I find it rude. The problem is that I can't do the work of another person, I can only do my work. If that other person wants to give me more work, then I will be happy to do it. But I can't be responsible for some of these things. I think 90% of people would have walked off this job months ago. Many did. Although not always by their own choice, amazingly. I now understand the pitied looks I got in my first few weeks.
Anyway onto some better news, the bookrags case has resurfaced. I think at last update I had been stonewalled through my own efforts, the PayPal refusal to help me, and more recently the LL Bean VISA's reported inability to help because I had 'accepted the service rendered.' So I went to other levels, notified the Better Business Bureau, as well as reported my story to consumeraffairs.com (although I have yet to find it posted there, as a matter of fact).
So this morning, all of a sudden out of the blue appear two credits, two of the three charges were reversed! I was happy to see that but I don't know what brought it about - was it the Better Business Bureau? I will have to wait and see. And what of the third study guide to which I no longer have access? I had that one for about two weeks instead of just one, as the others. Does that mean I have to pay for it? At any rate, two refunds are better than none. But I should never have had to go to such extremes to gain resolution.
And I'm on a new crusade. A month or two ago, I was looking at my Target VISA statement (and I know, this makes me a terrible consumer not to have known this) and noticed my interest rate on purchases is over 20%! On my LL Bean VISA, it is less than 10%. After reading all the articles on how to streamline your debt and reduce expenses, I thought I would give it a shot and call to see if I could get it lowered. Well, guess what? I can't.
The woman on the phone informed me that not only could they not offer me a better interest rate, but they would respect my decision to close the card! Not even, we are very sorry to hear that after ten years you are going to close this account, let us send you some Target coupons to offset the fact that we can't work with you. Just, "Ok. See ya!"
I had been considering keeping it only to use at Target to get the 5% off. I may be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but they can keep their 5%. That new store is weird anyway. I can't find anything anymore, and I cannot come to terms with eating meat bought at Target.
And in other news, B is doing better in school!! :::knock wood:: He now has a 75 in English and a 77 in chemistry, and all the other grades are 80 and above!! Let's just hope he can hold steady and let's see what the PSATs show. This math tutoring center, though expensive, I think was necessary and is going to help him in a lot of ways. So I feel pretty good about that, at least. And he enjoys going and his grade has come up considerably in just two weeks. He's also planning to try the swim team this year so he's been doing their dry land workouts and coming home sore and happy. I hope he likes it. It will be good for him to be part of a group activity at school.
So this weekend I plan to spend cleaning the house tomorrow, to see if I can do it. I'm really having strong reservations about using the woman who wants me to pay her in cash and always have a bag of clean rags for her, along with about $100 in cleaning supplies each week. And she won't clean under anything, so it all has to be picked up and put away. I'll see how well I do and then maybe cancel her before she starts. I might anyway, because at this point in my life I resent being told that I have to wash rags and go to the bank for cash so my cleaning lady doesn't have to. If I had all this spare time I wouldn't need a cleaning lady! I can barely keep up on my own laundry!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
weekend in review
The weather sure is nicer here in NJ than it was up there in Central NY! But amazingly, for a weekend where everything seemed to be stacked against the school (the storm and their broken down pool, for example) it was a huge success, and M loved it there, as it seemed did the rest of the visitors.
So now next weekend she has her one more visit up in Boston, and then we'll see what everyone has to say as far as scholarship offers or not. I think both schools have an equal amount to divvy up but it depends on where the competition is greater, and how badly they want her, and just their general policies. This school this weekend seemed to be telling her that they have to cover the financial need of the athletes with their scholarship money, which means that we won't qualify unless nobody else does either, and then it can be split up as they see fit.
Anyway, we should know within a couple of weeks. The third school she applied to is having an open house today but she can't make it because she has a walk for the National Honor Society. B is going too, but he's just working the table for his school. Usually our church sends a small constituency, I guess they are again this year, but M&B will be representing other interests. It doesn't matter, all of the money goes to the same charity. But back to the college open house, since this is just a back-up, I guess we'll have to schedule it on our own time later on.
My plan for today is to try to clean the house. The new cleaning lady came last week, but she called when she was on the block, so I had to leave work in a hurry, luckily B was home to navigate her, and then, after telling me, "don't worry," in response to my query about what she might require, she came empty-handed and expected Brian to produce everything.
Then she said it was too late (2pm) for her to start the house, informed me that she doesn't pick things up off the floor, so if the kids leave their rooms cluttered, they won't get vacuumed well, and she gave me a list of items that will likely cost me $100 just to get her started! And demanded cash each time she comes so she won't have to go to the bank! I've paid cash for things like that before and it just doesn't work well for me. I don't pass a bank on the way to or from work, and although I can go to the grocery store and take cash back, I can't get enough. I never carry more than $40 or so in cash.
So I'm considering calling her and just telling her never mind. At this rate I have to do so much legwork for her to just come in and clean and vacuum that I might as well just do it myself. and save the badly needed money. How can I cry poverty and pay someone to clean my bathrooms? It doesn't really compute. No wonder all the schools are rejecting out applications for aid.
Well, really that appears to be my rant of the day. I have to work up the nerve to call her. The thing is, I never asked her to put us on the schedule. I asked her to come and see the house. And if she had come and seen it, then we would have taken it from there. She also made a comment about how big it was. I asked if she changed sheets and she said it didn't matter. Which to me means no. I have a feeling she'll be relieved. Our house is big and it's usually cluttered. I think she wanted a nice small easy one. And why pay someone if I know I won't be able to have the whole house impeccable? She'll end up just cleaning around everything we have left out, and it will never really get cleaned. Because she is "old." That's why she said she doesn't move things around.
And in other news, back to the workplace tomorrow. I'm not off any more days, at least I have none planned. Tomorrow we are supposed to 'discuss' my deficiencies, which basically means my inability to monitor things of which I have not been made aware. It's starting to wear on me. I was trying to think of ways to make myself more tolerant of the whole thing - like actively sending out resumes, or setting goal dates like through the holidays for things to take a turn for the better. Everyone in the office is nice, the boss included, and I do like him. But sometimes he can be downright rude, and when he forgets something and goofs, always tries to make it as if it happened because of something I did, or didn't do. I'm getting a little tired of it.
So now next weekend she has her one more visit up in Boston, and then we'll see what everyone has to say as far as scholarship offers or not. I think both schools have an equal amount to divvy up but it depends on where the competition is greater, and how badly they want her, and just their general policies. This school this weekend seemed to be telling her that they have to cover the financial need of the athletes with their scholarship money, which means that we won't qualify unless nobody else does either, and then it can be split up as they see fit.
Anyway, we should know within a couple of weeks. The third school she applied to is having an open house today but she can't make it because she has a walk for the National Honor Society. B is going too, but he's just working the table for his school. Usually our church sends a small constituency, I guess they are again this year, but M&B will be representing other interests. It doesn't matter, all of the money goes to the same charity. But back to the college open house, since this is just a back-up, I guess we'll have to schedule it on our own time later on.
My plan for today is to try to clean the house. The new cleaning lady came last week, but she called when she was on the block, so I had to leave work in a hurry, luckily B was home to navigate her, and then, after telling me, "don't worry," in response to my query about what she might require, she came empty-handed and expected Brian to produce everything.
Then she said it was too late (2pm) for her to start the house, informed me that she doesn't pick things up off the floor, so if the kids leave their rooms cluttered, they won't get vacuumed well, and she gave me a list of items that will likely cost me $100 just to get her started! And demanded cash each time she comes so she won't have to go to the bank! I've paid cash for things like that before and it just doesn't work well for me. I don't pass a bank on the way to or from work, and although I can go to the grocery store and take cash back, I can't get enough. I never carry more than $40 or so in cash.
So I'm considering calling her and just telling her never mind. At this rate I have to do so much legwork for her to just come in and clean and vacuum that I might as well just do it myself. and save the badly needed money. How can I cry poverty and pay someone to clean my bathrooms? It doesn't really compute. No wonder all the schools are rejecting out applications for aid.
Well, really that appears to be my rant of the day. I have to work up the nerve to call her. The thing is, I never asked her to put us on the schedule. I asked her to come and see the house. And if she had come and seen it, then we would have taken it from there. She also made a comment about how big it was. I asked if she changed sheets and she said it didn't matter. Which to me means no. I have a feeling she'll be relieved. Our house is big and it's usually cluttered. I think she wanted a nice small easy one. And why pay someone if I know I won't be able to have the whole house impeccable? She'll end up just cleaning around everything we have left out, and it will never really get cleaned. Because she is "old." That's why she said she doesn't move things around.
And in other news, back to the workplace tomorrow. I'm not off any more days, at least I have none planned. Tomorrow we are supposed to 'discuss' my deficiencies, which basically means my inability to monitor things of which I have not been made aware. It's starting to wear on me. I was trying to think of ways to make myself more tolerant of the whole thing - like actively sending out resumes, or setting goal dates like through the holidays for things to take a turn for the better. Everyone in the office is nice, the boss included, and I do like him. But sometimes he can be downright rude, and when he forgets something and goofs, always tries to make it as if it happened because of something I did, or didn't do. I'm getting a little tired of it.
Friday, October 15, 2010
hello from the boondocks
Here I am. I’m in the casino hotel in upstate New York, and there’s live horse racing at night out my window, poor things, running with chariots behind them in the pouring rain last night, and perhaps again tonight. I booked the first night for a great price through Expedia, but only booked the second room when I arrived (thinking if it was a dump I’d find another hotel but it’s quite cozy here in my room.) They may make me check out and back into a different room, but I am hoping they won't. I'm all settled into this one.
Yesterday morning I worked, put up with the usual scapegoating where it’s implied that I should have done things I was never told to do (such as add someone’s phone number to the database when only ‘call Tim’ was written on the calendar and not by me), then came home for a hurried packing job, and we were on the road by 2:30. We got to the college just after 7, and I meandered through dark scary wet country roads for half an hour to find this beacon in the darkness. It was almost bizarre to see the huge expanse of bright lights in a circle around the track in the middle of the wet, dark night.
So my plans for today involve: nothing. I guess I’ll just read my Shopaholic book, go to the gym, eat lunch, and shower. Then maybe I’ll venture out for a drive if the rain isn’t too bad. I have to pick up M at 10 tomorrow. It’s supposed to be windy but I think the rain is supposed to be done.
As for the bookrags debacle, I did indeed lose the case, they’re not going to (a) give me a refund (b) acknowledge that they have disabled my account although they guaranteed it for a year or (c) even respond to my complaint at all. So I also sent it in to consumeraffairs.com and I reported it to the Better Business Bureau. At least people should know that if they want to do business with Bookrags, they’re likely to lose their money and their access, and then be cast out in the cold by their nonexistent customer service.
And in other news, yesterday I left Wilbur out all morning while I was at work and he didn’t eat a thing! (not even his breakfast). M got home first and she said he cried the whole time she was walking around before I got home. I told her that was because he was so excited and proud of himself. As for B, I didn’t talk to him yesterday on the harrowing drive, so I texted him at 8 and received no response. So I called his cell, called at home, had Kevin check with the guy he works with to see if he was on xbox, and he wasn’t on Facebook. I panicked for 45 minutes and was about to call a neighbor when I tried one more time and a very groggy voice answered on the second ring, saying, “it was cold. I fell asleep.” Buy stock in L’Oreal, folks. The grays are winning the war.
Yesterday morning I worked, put up with the usual scapegoating where it’s implied that I should have done things I was never told to do (such as add someone’s phone number to the database when only ‘call Tim’ was written on the calendar and not by me), then came home for a hurried packing job, and we were on the road by 2:30. We got to the college just after 7, and I meandered through dark scary wet country roads for half an hour to find this beacon in the darkness. It was almost bizarre to see the huge expanse of bright lights in a circle around the track in the middle of the wet, dark night.
So my plans for today involve: nothing. I guess I’ll just read my Shopaholic book, go to the gym, eat lunch, and shower. Then maybe I’ll venture out for a drive if the rain isn’t too bad. I have to pick up M at 10 tomorrow. It’s supposed to be windy but I think the rain is supposed to be done.
As for the bookrags debacle, I did indeed lose the case, they’re not going to (a) give me a refund (b) acknowledge that they have disabled my account although they guaranteed it for a year or (c) even respond to my complaint at all. So I also sent it in to consumeraffairs.com and I reported it to the Better Business Bureau. At least people should know that if they want to do business with Bookrags, they’re likely to lose their money and their access, and then be cast out in the cold by their nonexistent customer service.
And in other news, yesterday I left Wilbur out all morning while I was at work and he didn’t eat a thing! (not even his breakfast). M got home first and she said he cried the whole time she was walking around before I got home. I told her that was because he was so excited and proud of himself. As for B, I didn’t talk to him yesterday on the harrowing drive, so I texted him at 8 and received no response. So I called his cell, called at home, had Kevin check with the guy he works with to see if he was on xbox, and he wasn’t on Facebook. I panicked for 45 minutes and was about to call a neighbor when I tried one more time and a very groggy voice answered on the second ring, saying, “it was cold. I fell asleep.” Buy stock in L’Oreal, folks. The grays are winning the war.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Oktoberfest!
Fall is finally here. The leaves are all over, the air is cool, and the stink bugs are trying to invade the house. They have been a little better this week than they were, but I think that is just because we had that little heatwave over the weekend. I expect they will grow in numbers in negative correlation to the mercury in the thermometer.
But at least they are not bedbugs! What a terrible plague! I have read accounts of them in local movie theaters, schools, police stations, shops...!!! There is this ominous invisible threat of them everywhere you go. And what can you do about it? Nothing. Yuck.
Anyway, as for life goes on. It does. The good news is that B is no longer failing any classes, at least not for the time being, and the general trend is upward. So we are hopeful. Math is looking a little shaky but we've embarked on a major investment and signed him up for one of those math tutoring centers, at fairly high expense, but I don't see that there are many options.
He's taking the PSATs on Wednesday and I'm just afraid his basic math skills are not where they should be. He had an evaluation yesterday but I haven't seen the results yet. His sessions will start on Monday and he'll go twice a week. Hopefully, it will help. He comes home from tests saying they were easy and then fails them, which is worse because it means he doesn't even know enough to know that he doesn't know what he's doing!
M is status quo. Tensions are high, and applications are starting to amble out. She submitted one, to her top choice school in Boston, but the high school's parts (recommendations and transcripts) will probably hold up the process for a week or two. Then another school, in NYC, sent her a free application online so she did that, and those final components are also pending from the high school. So, two applications so far. Next week, she goes up to the little college in upstate NY, and then up to Boston the following weekend, and back to Philadelphia (is the plan) for Halloween weekend. But that one might not happen.
My job also limps along. I'm a little disappointed in that it's failed to take shape as an actual role-playing job, rather I am more of a lackey and I heard my boss refer to me the other day as "my secretary." But, whatever. As long as I am not abused and I am paid I can stand it for a while. I really hope it takes on a more meaningful shape soon, though.
Well, another thought. I'm in the middle of what seems to be a losing battle with the website bookrags, which I thought at first was going to be the answer to our high school English problems. I ordered three online lesson plans at the end of summer. I was supposed to have access to them for one year. Two or so weeks later, they blew up my account and I couldn't get to them. The tests for which I needed them came and went, and they stopped answering my emails.
I tried to dispute the charge in PayPal but they wouldn't do it because it was electronically purchased. So I disputed it with my LL Bean Visa. Without notifying me, they have 'resolved' it ... and since my balance didn't go down, it looks as if I have lost again. So, they get to keep my money, and they don't have to provide the service in return. Apparently their language, to the effect of: customers can download and print everything on the entire study guide, is enough to release them from any liability should they fail to provide the service for a year, as their site says they will do.
I got two emails back from them (ever, in response to my 7 or 8), and the first explained that they had had some sort of technical problems, and the second said that they had not been resolved. I am just appalled that they are allowed to get away with this, and that they are as seemingly successful as they are with the level of customer service that they (don't) provide. I'll never darken their web-step again, that's for sure. And my next step is the Better Business Bureau, if I can ever figure out what their operating address is. They have absolutely no contact information on their site at all, and now I can see why. Whew. They have me so mad. Good thing it's over only $50 but the ethical principle is more irritating. They are completely inconsiderate, and if the law supports them, that's completely unfair.
And in other news, Molly's birthday is coming up in two weeks. With the wet weather last week and her leg weakness, she had some trouble getting up the back steps, and she hurt her leg a couple of times when she slipped. But she seems to have recovered and she's back to her old farting and sleeping self. And as for this weekend, no major plans, just an open house at M's only in-state college choice on Sunday, so that will be a short trip for a change!
But at least they are not bedbugs! What a terrible plague! I have read accounts of them in local movie theaters, schools, police stations, shops...!!! There is this ominous invisible threat of them everywhere you go. And what can you do about it? Nothing. Yuck.
Anyway, as for life goes on. It does. The good news is that B is no longer failing any classes, at least not for the time being, and the general trend is upward. So we are hopeful. Math is looking a little shaky but we've embarked on a major investment and signed him up for one of those math tutoring centers, at fairly high expense, but I don't see that there are many options.
He's taking the PSATs on Wednesday and I'm just afraid his basic math skills are not where they should be. He had an evaluation yesterday but I haven't seen the results yet. His sessions will start on Monday and he'll go twice a week. Hopefully, it will help. He comes home from tests saying they were easy and then fails them, which is worse because it means he doesn't even know enough to know that he doesn't know what he's doing!
M is status quo. Tensions are high, and applications are starting to amble out. She submitted one, to her top choice school in Boston, but the high school's parts (recommendations and transcripts) will probably hold up the process for a week or two. Then another school, in NYC, sent her a free application online so she did that, and those final components are also pending from the high school. So, two applications so far. Next week, she goes up to the little college in upstate NY, and then up to Boston the following weekend, and back to Philadelphia (is the plan) for Halloween weekend. But that one might not happen.
My job also limps along. I'm a little disappointed in that it's failed to take shape as an actual role-playing job, rather I am more of a lackey and I heard my boss refer to me the other day as "my secretary." But, whatever. As long as I am not abused and I am paid I can stand it for a while. I really hope it takes on a more meaningful shape soon, though.
Well, another thought. I'm in the middle of what seems to be a losing battle with the website bookrags, which I thought at first was going to be the answer to our high school English problems. I ordered three online lesson plans at the end of summer. I was supposed to have access to them for one year. Two or so weeks later, they blew up my account and I couldn't get to them. The tests for which I needed them came and went, and they stopped answering my emails.
I tried to dispute the charge in PayPal but they wouldn't do it because it was electronically purchased. So I disputed it with my LL Bean Visa. Without notifying me, they have 'resolved' it ... and since my balance didn't go down, it looks as if I have lost again. So, they get to keep my money, and they don't have to provide the service in return. Apparently their language, to the effect of: customers can download and print everything on the entire study guide, is enough to release them from any liability should they fail to provide the service for a year, as their site says they will do.
I got two emails back from them (ever, in response to my 7 or 8), and the first explained that they had had some sort of technical problems, and the second said that they had not been resolved. I am just appalled that they are allowed to get away with this, and that they are as seemingly successful as they are with the level of customer service that they (don't) provide. I'll never darken their web-step again, that's for sure. And my next step is the Better Business Bureau, if I can ever figure out what their operating address is. They have absolutely no contact information on their site at all, and now I can see why. Whew. They have me so mad. Good thing it's over only $50 but the ethical principle is more irritating. They are completely inconsiderate, and if the law supports them, that's completely unfair.
And in other news, Molly's birthday is coming up in two weeks. With the wet weather last week and her leg weakness, she had some trouble getting up the back steps, and she hurt her leg a couple of times when she slipped. But she seems to have recovered and she's back to her old farting and sleeping self. And as for this weekend, no major plans, just an open house at M's only in-state college choice on Sunday, so that will be a short trip for a change!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)