Things that make you go, "Huh?"

[CSR Kim]

I don't know if this guy was really a sucky customer. Maybe just a dumb customer. I don't know. Anyway...

I received this call yesterday from a gentlemen wondering where his refund check was. Him and his wife bought some furniture in December, and paid cash up front in the amount of $11k+. They also had a couple of other separate saleschecks for smaller amounts. What happened? They lost their house, and so they had to cancel all the saleschecks that they had paid for. They'd already gotten the smaller refund checks, but were still waiting for the largest one (which was actually coming in the form of 2 smaller checks, because it is such a large amount).

I am explaining to the customer that the check was processed on 2/15, and that it can take up to 10 days for it to arrive. Well, that's not good enough, because they've already waited almost 2 months for this money (salescheck as cancelled 12/29, but it takes a while to process because it is such a large amount of money). He starts going on and on about how he "should have known better" than to trust BlahBlahCompany, and that he even thought he'd trust us again and went out and spent ANOTHER $8k on furniture before their refund check. At this point, I'm like, what? These people must be nuts. Eventually I transferred this guy to a supervisor...but these are the questions I kept asking myself throughout this call:

-- Don't you usually know if you are in danger of losing your home? And if you knew this, why go out and buy over $11k worth of furniture (paying CASH mind you)?

-- If you have lost your home, and you are still waiting to get your $11k back...why go out and spend another exorbitant amount of money (in cash, once again) on furniture?

-- Is it really possible to get "back on your feet" again after only 2 months, when it seems like things were bad enough that you LOST YOUR FREAKING HOUSE?

[Witch of Endor]

I can totally believe that someone could be that ignorant about his own finances, not knowing how much he can afford to spend or how much trouble he's in.

There's a great TV show on Canadian cable TV called "'Til Debt Do Us Part". A financial advisor talks to couples who have been irresponsible with their money and landed themselves in a lot of debt. Usually they've just been using their credit cards to spend money that they don't actually have. She scares them by telling them how much they'll be in debt in five years if they keep living this way (it's usually something to the tune of a quarter million or half million dollars). Then she helps them turn it around by teaching them to live a lifestyle that doesn't cost more than they make (or in some cases kicking an unemployed spouse who is not a full-time parent into getting a second income for the household).

'Getting back on his feet' might simply mean getting to a place where he can stop spiraling downward and start paying off what he owes. He might not own another house for years, but right now he needs to be able to make enough money to make his minimum bill/debt payments and pay rent on an apartment.

I can understand why he might be irrational, but it's not your company's responsibility to babysit his finances. If you can't stop or refund the cheque he sent, you can't do it, simple as that.

[CSR Kim]

I can understand why he might be irrational, but it's not your company's responsibility to babysit his finances. If you can't stop or refund the cheque he sent, you can't do it, simple as that.

He even asked if there was a way to cancel the check, and wire transfer the funds into a bank account. Um...no. I even asked the supervisor, she also said no. You pay cash, you get a check. You pay with a credit card you get credit back onto your account.

[chainedbarista]

he's sucky, stupid, irrational and irresponsible, rolled into one big huge ball of annoyance.

since when is it a company's fault that a 'customer' is too irresponsible to keep track of their finances, let alone refund them money because 'they're having problems (self created?' this guy needs a class in financial management and a whack to the head with a school of salmon.

oy!

[protege]

People like that piss me off. It's always the bank's fault that their account is overdrawn, or the credit card company's fault that they spent $4,000 on porn. Give me a freaking break. It's all about personal responsibility, people!

For example, as much as I'd like a fleet of expensive locomotive models, or even a few 1/8 scale model cars, I have more important things to spend the cash on. Things like the mortgage payment, insurance, heat, electricity, water, food, etc. You know, things I need to *survive.* Will my world come crashing down because I don't get the latest toys when they come out? Hell no.

When I moved out, I decided that I wouldn't be getting any more kits unless it was something I *really* wanted. No more kits until I get my present stash finished. The only hobby expenses I allow for now, are for paint, brushes, various parts to keep my locomotives running, and the railroad convention in the fall.

It's up to the individual to take care of their finances. Banks and other lenders are *not* babysitting services, and shouldn't be treated as such. They do not care if you get into trouble, and nor should they. It's *not* their problem.

I've been taking care of my own finances nearly 20 years. Do I write checks I can't cash? No; I always make sure I have enough to cover it before the pen touches the paper. 20 years on, I haven't gotten into trouble. Not once. Too bad more people can't do that. Even with the credit card, very few things go on it--only food, gas, and maybe a haircut or two. Everything else goes on the debit card, or with cash.

[JustaCashier]

This stinks heavily, to me, as a money laundering, or some other scam.

The "losing of the house" within two months of the initial furniture purchase, plus the addtionial 8K purchase, especially if that was in cash as well?

Mike

[Arachne]

Mr. Fly is a lot like the guy in the OP -- or would be, if he wasn't with me. When we first got together, he'd spend his money on whatever toys came along that he fancied, and we had a lot of arguments about how I was having to go without to cover bills because he never had enough money. Let me tell you, there is no relationship argument uglier than one about money.

It took a while, but he eventually started to get the message. He still has no self control, however -- if there is money in his bank account, he will spend it, either piddling it away on incidentals he doesn't need like fast food, or else blowing it on computer games and new computer parts. He's started just putting what money he needs for immediate bills into his bank account and then depositing everything else into mine, since I don't spend money on anything. I'm not very happy with the situation as it stands, but it's a good start, at least.

I think his attitude has a lot to do with the way that he was raised. His father is -really- self-absorbed, and when he was growing up, his father would buy all number of expensive things for himself, regardless of whether the family could afford it. And then the kids would not be allowed to touch the expensive toys. The attitude seems to be one of resenting not having something he wants. He saw his father stomp his foot enough times and say 'It's not FAIR! It's MY MONEY! I EARNED IT! I can do WHATEVER I WANT with it!', and I think he internalized that this is the way that a grownup behaves. That's a lot of history for Mr. Fly to overcome, which is why I'm being patient. I know he still feels deprived whenever he has to deny himself anything he wants, and I admit that I'd probably have a much harder time saving money if I approached it with an attitude like the one his father taught him. I tend to figure that whatever it is, I can always buy it with birthday or Christmas money if it's still important to me in a few months.

Anyway, I could see that if Mr. Fly had ended up with someone who had spending habits similar to his own, the two of them might end up feeding off of and encouraging each other, and wind up similar to the guy in the OP. Some people have a hard time stopping and critically examining whether they actually have to have whatever it is that they 'have to have'. I don't think it's really a weakness of character, just something where they've just never really put two and two together.

[digilight]

I found it odd to that the SC paid cash for 11 grand worth of furniture. Who the hell pays cash for a purchase that large. Almost all debit/ATM cards now-a-days have the capability to be used as a VISA or a MC (as long as they have the logo). This would have still counted as a CC sale and would have put the money back on the card. And as far as I know it would have also provided protection on the purchase if there was a problem (please chime in if I am wrong on this). But 11 grand in cash and he loses his house in 2 months. By that point in time he allready knew that he was in danger of forclosure, he would have gotten the letters giving him the date.

Like Judge Judy would say...."If it doesn't make sense, then it probably isn't true"

[protege]

I found it odd to that the SC paid cash for 11 grand worth of furniture. Who the hell pays cash for a purchase that large. Almost all debit/ATM cards now-a-days have the capability to be used as a VISA or a MC (as long as they have the logo).

Some older folks don't trust ATM or credit cards.

My grandparents never had credit cards until recently. Whenever they needed something, it was paid for with cash. Grandpa was raised that way, and thought that if it was good enough for his parents, he couldn't see why he should change. Needless to say, their credit rating was nonexistant. Even though he's been dead nearly 20 years, Grandma still does things the same way--when she bought her last car (after the accident in '94) she paid cash for it. One of her CDs came due, and she cashed it.

Some of that has rubbed off on me--I don't like putting large things on credit cards either. Too many finance charges (and 20%+ interest rates!) to do that.

[CSR Kim]

I could be wrong, but I don't think this guy was any older than 40-something. Another thing...him and his wife wrote checks, they didn't just pay outright in cash. I'm just amazed that any store anywhere would accept a check for such a substantial amount. The whole situation seemed bizarre.

[Gurndigarn]

I found it odd to that the SC paid cash for 11 grand worth of furniture. Who the hell pays cash for a purchase that large.

While I generally prefer cards to carrying that much cash, having a cash-only mentality would keep a lot of people out of financial trouble.

[Banrion]

Alot of CC's have transaction limits. When I bought my bedroom set, I made sure to call ahead and warn them that I was going to be making a substantially large purchase. The CSR had to go in an up my transaction limit, she said it was only valid for 24 hours. Wouldn't ya know it, I still got a call from the fraud unit to verify the charge.

[BookstoreEscapee]

And as far as I know it would have also provided protection on the purchase if there was a problem (please chime in if I am wrong on this).

I think you are right. Major credit cards generally have some kind of protection in case something happens to your merchandise, though if it's a debit card it may not be as much.

protege - I have never carried a balance on a credit card. If I make a large purchase it is planned and I pay it off when the bill comes. The credit card people probably hate me cuz they make no interest money off me. When I bought my car I had insurance $$ from my accident and then borrowed half of the balance I needed from my dad. The other half came from my savings. My dad only charged me the same interest that the bank was paying on his savings. Don't think the bank would have been so nice

[protege]

protege - I have never carried a balance on a credit card. If I make a large purchase it is planned and I pay it off when the bill comes. The credit card people probably hate me cuz they make no interest money off me.

I try not to carry a balance either. Usually, my credit card bills get paid in full. However, sometimes that's not possible--lately my other bills have been eating into my reserves

[CRXPanda]

This stinks heavily, to me, as a money laundering, or some other scam.

The "losing of the house" within two months of the initial furniture purchase, plus the addtionial 8K purchase, especially if that was in cash as well?

Mike

I'm RIGHT THERE with ya pal....stinky, really stinky...