Thank You, Beth 1979

Yesterday I received a call from Beth 1979 with Citibank. I explained to her that I had tried to get Chuck Prince's email address or fax number, but no one would let me know it. I had spoken with a supervisor who had arranged for a manager to call me back. When I told Beth 1979 about what I wanted, she asked if she could help with the original problem. I explained my entire story about the high interest rate, and she offered to lower my rate.

That sounded good to me, so I asked her what that would make my minimum payment. When she told me that it would come to $227.06 this month, I accepted the offer. I had already mailed my letter to Mr. Prince, so her intervention didn't prevent upper management from finding out, but it did stop my efforts to contact Mr. Prince.

I asked her why no one had offered me that same deal the night before, and she speculated that they didn't know about this possibility. Well, I sure don't know, but I reckon that the reason they didn't has more to do with job title than lack of knowledge. Nevertheless, I appreciate what she did for me. Just as the conversation came to an end, I asked her to give me her name again. She said, "My name is Beth, and my badge number is 1979."

Does This Shirt Make Me Look Fat?

I can hear you saying, no, of course not! It makes you look sexy. Well, okay, so you didn't say sexy.

Fighting the Good Fight?

I don't know if you can call this fighting the good fight, but I will carry on fighting anyway. I have a dispute with Citibank/Citigroup that has run off and on for over a year now. My latest step involves a letter to the President of Citibank/Citigroup, Chuck Prince. I have attached the body of the letter below:

This letter confirms a telephone conversation of 02/15/2007 between the approximate hours of 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm CST. I spoke with three representatives and offered to continue making payments on my account as I have been doing for over two years. I explained that I would continue making payments as I have, or that I would make none at all. That offer still stands, however, your manager refused it.

I believe you have dealt with me in bad faith. I telephoned your customer service number to ask about the difference in my minimum payment for the February bill from the January bill. I learned that after having completed my agreement to make payments of $223 per month for 12 months, my interest rate has gone up to roughly 32%. You have rewarded me for meeting my 12 month commitment to you by more than tripling my interest rate from 9% to 32%. Now you want me to pay $307 per month. I don’t approve of that treatment

Last year I had a dispute with you about your treatment of me when you raised my minimum payment according to some new Federal law that allowed you to do so. At that time I offered to pay $223 per month, but everyone I spoke with refused my offer. Not until I had missed a payment did someone call to make arrangements. I told her that my offer still stood, and she accepted it right away. We agreed that I would pay $223 per month, and that you would draft my checking each month on the 25th. She also agreed to lower my interest rate to 9% which I much appreciated. Why did you have to wait until I had missed a payment to accept my offer?

In January of 2007, I called your customer service department to request that we extend our agreement for another 12 months, because I felt it had gone very well. The person I spoke with refused saying that I had met my commitment, and I couldn’t extend it, because my account had a good standing status. My minimum payment last month came to $158. I went ahead and made a payment of $223 instead, because I intended to continue my payments as I had offered to do.

Tonight, I prepared to make another payment for $223, when I discovered what you had done to me. I called again to attempt to continue my payments of $223 per month, but each person I spoke with consistently refused my offer. Why would you do this to a customer who has always met agreements with you? I also learned that “the bank” had closed my account unilaterally in June 2006 without informing me. Why would you do that to someone who had met every commitment made to you? A manager told me that I could request that Customer Service re-open my account. He said that if I did that, you would lower my interest rate, but the minimum payment would remain larger than what I have paid for so long. Why can’t you continue the agreement from last year? You closed the account, I didn’t.

I am confident that you have notes in your account record that will reflect what transpired. My offer still stands. If you would like to accept it, I will need a response from you accepting said offer. If you do not want to accept it, I will make no further payments on this account.

Thank you dear readers for indulging me on this. I hope to count on your support.

No Child Left Behind?

The United Nations agency concerned with children, Unicef, has named the best countries for children to live in. The study used 40 different parameters to rank children's standard of living. The ranking includes 21 developed countries. So, who came in first? The Netherlands finished first followed by Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Spain. Where do we rank? Well...how about next to last? Penultimate. Yep, number 20 out of 21! So, who did we beat? The United Kingdom. Don't that just make ya proud?

Sorry, I Don't Understand You

A new study has determined that men who undergo vasectomies have a higher incidence of Progressive Primary Aphasia. This affliction can lead to loss of memory and a loss of understanding of one's native language. Uh...what did you say? It sounds like English, but I don't understand what you said.

Those of us who've had a vasectomy may wonder just what that will bring about. I suppose the choices range from not understanding your language to not understanding your kids. Either way, you have a lack of understanding.

Gay No More

A few months ago Ted Haggard, former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, resigned his pastorate and his presidency, because he had to admit his homosexuality. Remember, this particular group says that Jesus can change gay people into straight ones. Now, just why Ted had to struggle with his "urges" most of his life remains a mystery to me. I mean, if Jesus would help anyone, surely he would help Ted.

Don't worry. He did help Ted, sadly it came a little late, but better late than never, right? Ted underwent "intensive therapy" , and now has become completely heterosexual. His transformation may not rank up there with raising the dead, but it sure proves the power of...uh...Jesus? Maybe it proves the power of Ted's ego instead.