Grhh!

It's my grumbling time.

 INTERNET (and other) purchases.
1.   
I used them for one short ride in Austin, Texas.   The driver took me to the wrong address, miles from my destination.

She tried to correct the error, by concluding the first (erroneous address), and booking herself for the correct address.

UBER then charged me for six rides.  But of course I could not correct this with a simple 'phone call.  Instead I had to make a complicated series of internet communications.  UBER canceled four of the six charges, but since I could not figure out their complicated hieroglyphics I am still $11+  out of pocket.

I gave up trying to correct this $11 error for the sake of my blood pressure.

----------------------------------------------

2.  


I rarely use Amazon  but I did so today to purchase a nylon/fabric watch band, which seems to be unavailable in local stores.

 (I cannot wear leather or metal bands).

Since my Amazon registered credit card has a new expiry date, not the one on Amazon's files, I have to await Amazon's pleasure to correct this  -  and they'll take only twelve hours to assist me.  Blah to Amazon.

------------------------------------------------------------

3.


I rented a car in Texas from a company which shall be nameless (but the photo' above will give you a clue!)

The young male clerk was very aggressive as he tried to make me take out CDW Insurance @ $33 per day.  

My resistance was as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar as my AMEX credit card covers this.

I asked about renting a portable GPS/SatNav and the young man told me that I could upgrade my car to one with a built in navigation system at no additional charge.

Then I made a mistake.  He presented a document with the instructions to "sign here, and initial in about 9,500 other places (I exaggerate).

I did not read every jot and tittle of the document - who does? - because I trusted that the clerk had got it right.  BIG MISTAKE!

Back at home I checked the bill only to find that I had been overcharged by $210 for the CDW and for the vehicle upgrade.

I had a long conversation with a rep. of the Company who reminded me that though the San Antonio clerk had made errors I had accepted these errors by my signature and initials.

"It was" she said, "a legal document". 

I countered that it was indeed a legal document,  but that there was another consideration:  "should I not have been able to trust the word of the San Antonio clerk as a matter of good business practice by his company?"  

I was gentle and polite.

Point half well taken.  The rental company refunded $127 of the $210 "overcharge".

This conclusion was (as we say in the U.K.)  "better than a slap in the face with a wet fish!"





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more