The Peevery

Use Your Own Damn Email Address!

I have a fairly basic email address at one of the largest free email providers. I am constantly inundated with email that is meant for someone else but that someone else has entered my email address instead of theirs because either (a) they don't want spam or (b) they are idiots. This has manifested itself in many annoying ways, such ways as random emails to a group of people I've never heard of, to multiple insurance quotes from some comparison website, to subscriptions to e-newsletters.

This latest one took the cake, though: one email received welcoming me to a tax-filing website with "my" username and security question, followed shortly thereafter by a password reminder email with the password right in it. Yep - I was given the login details for someone else's tax return. Naturally, the email came from a no-reply address and had no unsubscribe option. I had to login to this idiot's tax return account (which had financial information already entered in it) and take out my email address from the profile! He's just lucky that I'm not an identity thief. Seriously, how stupid can you be?

That's just fine.

I should just walk into a library, pay a fine and leave instead of bothering to search for a book, check it out, take it home, neglect to read it, and keep it past its due date. It would be more efficient.

The misadventures of my Chase credit card

I have a credit card that I use for business expenses and to pay for my Hyatt hotel stays.  It's great, and I earn a ton of extra Hyatt points for using it. 

Early this week, I noticed two crazy charges - one for about $350 and another for $2300.  Apparently, some automated system keeps charging me over and over again for random stays throughout the month of September. I'm trying to get it handled but it seems to be taking longer than it should.  And this morning, there is another $1200 charge on the card.  I now have about three bucks left with my credit limit.

Unjust

Somehow, I was the recipient of an email today at work, telling me that a coworker, who is about 7 years younger than I am and 924052 times more whiny, entitled, lazy, and bitchy, accepted a position in a new department making $6500 less than I'm making.

I know there will always be (a lot of) people who make (a lot) more than I do, but having it thrown in my face pisses me off to no end.

Unintentional Enrollment

Somehow I got on some list for a credit consolidation service. They've sent me a letter every other week for the past two months.  After receiving the THIRD "Final Notice" I called to get off the list. Apparently this is a common issue because the guy I spoke with seemed to understand exactly why I was calling.  The funniest part, I'll probably get two or three more mailings since they're pre-printed.

I was looking over my new cell phone bill and I have a $10 charge for "premium services."  Apparently it is a ringtone/wallpaper service. I have no idea how I got on that list but a quick phone call to T-Mobile got it taken care of.

Class Action Lawsuits are Usually Stupid

I got a notice that I MAY be part of a class action lawsuit. I have no records from the time so I am declining to participate but what I noticed that particularly bothered me was that the respondents will share $450 million and the attorneys will get $90 million. The last time I got an actual settlement from a class action lawsuit I got 37 cents. It took more to mail me that check than I received. I wonder how much the attorneys got then.

Celebrating the Art of Shovelling BS

I received in the mail yesterday some real estate agent's glossy magazine touting some million dollar houses.  The caption or slogan or whatever is Celebrating the Art of Living. 

Whoa, that's a whole lot of pretentious crammed into a few words.  I don't think there's much art involved in breathing, as even an uncultured bounder as myself has pretty much mastered that task.

Peeve on Nicor, Peeve on Me

Did you know that on Nicor's "contact us" page, they don't list their phone number? 

I tried to call Nicor (my old gas company) a billion times today (seriously, like a dozen) and got the busy signal all but one of those times. How's that for customer service?

I did finally get ahold of someone who talked superfast and repeated the same information three times to me, all superfast. She told me told me that despite sending me my last bill in mid-May, they didn't pull the total amount until June 8th. Which seems like a crazy-long timeframe, but I suppose that's actually normal when it comes to auto-pay, right? So now I am annoyed I was annoyed because there was no need to be annoyed. 

Sour Grapes - Rodeo Edition

I have finished my first semester of grad school and wanted to spend this weekend doing a ton of fun things. At the Stockyards here in Fort Worth they have rodeos every Friday and Saturday night. Fun and maybe an opportunity to meet available men, right? Paypal, their payment method, will not accept any of my debit cards. Good thing I didn't want to go anyway. It's probably lame and the whole thing will be full of tourists and buckle bunnies anyway.

Does Sonny Crockett Work Here?

It irritates me when people at my office say "fifty grand" when they mean "fifty thousand dollars".

The Price of Fat

So my new lease got me a free membership to the local Gold's Gym. There's a fitness room on the floor of my apt building, but I've had luck with personal trainers in the past and was hoping to find one here. Since the membership was already free I figured I'd see what their deal was.

Turns out, their deal was EXPENSIVE. The cheapest personal training option at Gold's was $260. Per month. And that only gets you FOUR training sessions within that month.

Are you effing kidding me? The guy tried hard, talking about priorities and the cost of medicines and health issues down the road, and I get that, but sheesh.

I thought things were supposed to cost LESS in the sticks, not more!

If the IRS had a groin, I'd kick them in it.

I will try to keep this short (only because I have a short attention span and PM tells us to):

Bought a house in 2008. Took the First-time Homebuyer Credit in 2009. (Mind you, we closed on December 30, 2008 - just two days later and we would not have to repay the credit.) This year we have to start repaying the loan. Okay, no problem.

Filed out the correct form TurboTax told us to. Because of new tax laws, couldn't file until Feb. 14. It was accepted Feb. 16 and we were told money would be deposited March 1.

Today is March 31, and still no refund. Apparently the computers can't figure it out and the IRS says these returns are now being processed by people. Yet, the IRS website still says my refund is being processed, with no date of when a direct deposit will occur.

I get it, shit happens. But don't give me a date a nice chunk of change is going into my account and then not deliver. Fool me once...

Silver Spoons

I know it's petty of me to begrudge someone their good fortune but it chaps my ass to see seventeen-year-olds driving $80,000 cars. I live near some fancy private schools and these rich kids are all over my neighbourhood.

Stop Hitting Me Up!

Our company has several charity initiatives going on this year.  Most are one-offs, and the one that isn't, I'm organizing the company-wide fundraising team for.  I've already put in hard-earned money whenever I've been asked and have paid out-of-pocket for some fundraising costs.  Why do people keep hitting me up?  I'm one of the lowest-paid people in the company.  It always seems that those of us on the admin/marketing/HR teams are the most generous while the associates, directors and partners with their company-owned BMWs can't be bothered to throw in £5 for anything.  Go make them feel guilty instead of me!

You do not like green eggs and ham? Errr...No.

Asking a waitress to have the chef make me another lunch entree because she openly sneezed all over it as she served it, is pretty reasonable. Right? Apparently not at this new self-proclaimed "urban chic" establishment. Instead of getting a re-make, I got myself an ear full of the chef going ape shit on me about how it's "cold and flu season" and what does he want me to do, "buy everyone's meal for the five months while we wait for this season to pass?" Eventually, I received a "new" meal. However, I did find it odd that the top of the strawberry I ate from my salad, and placed on my plate when she took it away, was still there.

1. Lunch entree I didn't eat, yet still paid for: $16.99 (not including tip)

2. Salad from the deli on my walk back to the office: $8.99

3. The fact that my lunch date is the new Food Critic from a very well know magazine in town: Mother F-ing Priceless

It's 3am, I'm awake in bed. Terrible thoughts running through my head.

Insomnia blows.

Tax Refund Fail

I bought my first condo in September, but missed the $8,000 federal tax credit by less than 30 days (and also the state credit available last spring) due to a drawn-out short sale nightmare I won't describe in detail. Nonetheless, everyone who's ever bought a first home in the last few years tells me they get back THOUSANDS when they file their taxes as a new homeowner so I thought I could at least expect a few grand. My actual total? Same as last year, about $1,000. Hmmmm, how to now pay back my parents the down payment I borrowed from them that I had planned to pay back with my fat refund??? I foresee some moonlighting in my future. And I probably shouldn't have booked a mini-vacation. Toooooo laaaaate.

The Saga of My Bank Account

October 28: We arrive in England.  Soon after, we attempt to add me as a joint account holder on my husband's UK bank account.  We are denied, as I do not have a utility bill in my name at our UK address (hubby's parents' house).

December 10: We move into our own flat.  Shortly thereafter, I receive a council tax bill in my name. We march to the bank with bill in-hand and get me added to the account.

January 7: PIN arrives in the mail for my new debit card.  The little box where the PIN is supposed to be is blank.  We call and ask them to send another one.

January 16: Still no new PIN in the mail, so we call again.  The rep says that there are no notes from our alleged call the week before.  He promises to send a new PIN.

January 24: New PIN arrives in the mail... for my husband's debit card.

January 28: We finally get PIN sorted, I can get cash from machines and register for online banking.

The past week: Errors every time we try to get me signed up for online banking.  We call the bank to sort it out and their response is that we should restart our computer, as if restarting my computer will fix their server issues.

I'm trying to laugh about it, because I've already tried the crying and the yelling and neither worked.  Interestingly, this bank's commercial goes on about how they're "The Helpful Bank".  I'm not sure how "no access to your money" equals helpful.

Nickels and Dimes

I feel that once you reach a certain price point in a hotel, parking should be included.  Motel 6 in a downtown area charging for parking, fine. A Four Seasons in a downtown location charging for parking, petty and peeving.

(It fascinates me that the more expensive a place is the less likely they are to have complimentary anything. I've found more fancy pants restaurants that don't do free refills on soda than cheapass joints.)

You got your money, let me out!

I pay any bill I can online for sheer convenience and speed. I'm also very diligent about logging out of each website after paying the bill, and closing the brower window.

Why do so many websites make it so hard to to find the link to log out? Sometimes I have to go back to the homepage to do this. They should make it easier.

I have a leaky...

...roof, that is.

There goes my bonus, damn it!

I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly?

I had my one year anniversary last month at work. I usually don't care much about events like this. However, I was looking forward to the renewal of my vacation days. I typically don't use up all of my allotted vacation days, however, this year things came up. No biggie. That was until I sent in my vacation days for the holiday (2 days), and was met with a response I was definitely not expecting. One word: UNPAID.

Apparently, unknown to me, everyone on staff signed a new contract in March. This contract, which I've never seen, was an attempt to get all employees on the same "vacation renewal date." First of all, I believe anniversary date or 1st of the year are the two most widely used approaches. Secondly, why March? Third, if I would have known my vacation days would need to be spread out between 16 months versus 12, I probably would have rethought the few I actually took for real vacation. Lastly, according to both my contract, and now this other contract I should have signed in March, no where does it say the new vacation renewal date is March!

So, hear me, I will not lose this battle!

Charity Muggers Can Suck It

Being solicited for charitable donations by the bell ringers outside the store, the table of high schoolers inside the store, and by the clerk at the register has the opposite effect of putting me in the Christmas spirit. This has got to be the least effective way to raise money for charity. Don't they know that civilized people make charitable contributions by online payment on December 31st when they start to panic about reducing their tax bills?

Mini Settlement

Dear Settlement Administrator,

Please do not send me anymore 3 x 5 postcards with miniature print.  I have perfect vision, yet I can't read the information related to your class action lawsuit of which I may end up getting a $1 check in the mail two years from now.  Do you really think that I want to read my options, who is affected, etc. under a magnifying glass?  Think again.

Sincerely,

Peeved Class Member

 

Save the animals! Forget the kids...

Is it strange that I hurl myself at the remote control to change the channel when the SPCA commercials come on with Sarah McLachlan singing in the background. They're just so sad. But, when Laurie Metcalf is pitching her shit at us about the children in less fortunate countries, I just get annoyed?

I Guess Cell Phone =/= Brain Cell

Dear Rogers Wireless,

If you have an automated directory with a specific option for canceling my service and I select that option, I should not be put on hold for 29 minutes before getting through to a live person only to be told that the cancellations department is closed for the day.  Further, when I call back the next day, I should be able to give you 29 days notice instead of 30 since you wasted my time.  So thanks for wasting my time AND charging me for an extra day of service.

You suck and I'm so glad I won't be dealing with you again.

Sincerely,

Nickled-and-dimed-and-pissed

Gamblers Semi-Anonymous

We've decided to exchange our Canadian dollars for British Pounds today as, for some reason, the up-to-the-minute exchange rate suddenly got 2 cents better a few hours ago.  This isn't some rinky-dink exchange transaction, either - it involves the full equity that we had in our house since it closed last week.  Every cent difference in the exchange rate is a difference of about 1,000 GBP to us.  Now the hubby is on lunch and I have the live exchange rate updating minutely, and my stomach is doing flip-flops as the rate changes by the tenth of a cent and I watch 100 pounds go down the toilet.  Get back from lunch and do the damn exchange, husband!  This is driving me crazy!

I'd never survive in Vegas.

One Number = A Major Headache

I took my son to a walk-in medical clinic on Feb. 8. We are billed through my husband's Social Security Number, and whoever put in the numbers did it wrong by just one number.

Since this time, my insurance company keeps sending me an explanation of benefits because it hasn't been paid. I've spent so much time speaking to both the insurance company and the clinic's billing people just to try to get $147 paid to the dumbasses. What gets my goat is being told it's all taken care of, then two months later getting another letter from my insurance company. How hard is it to submit a claim with the correct numbers? They obviously don't want the money that bad.

Bite Me

My (now previous) dentist didn't know what they were doing and seriously messed up one of my molars.  I'm now in the process of getting a root canal and crown to the tune of $1800, all out-of-pocket since sucky dentist sucked my insurance dry.  This in the middle of a $15,000 move.  Also, it hurts like hell.

A Drama of My Own Creating

I am changing car insurance carriers effective today.  Like an idiot I called yesterday and cancelled old policy before I had everything done for new policy that is supposed to start today. Now I'm freaking out because I haven't heard from new policy lady yet. 

You're So Vain

In my personal opinion vanity plates are stupid, a waste of money, and sometimes quite ridiculous.  I have to admit, I imagine the person at the DMV telling the lady at the counter, "I want it to say BIGGR, or EMYWNR, MRBENZ," and I laugh knowing the lady is thinking, "another jackass." What I want to see is a clunker with a license plate that says, "PZOFSHT." (piece of shit), now that is truth in advertising.

Spam In Real Life

It's annoying enough to have to filter through ads for male enhancement and fictitious lottery wins when checking my email.  Being accosted by no less than five eager beavers within my three block walk to lunch asking for charitable donations for multiple charities is especially uncool.   I can't delete them and I can't hang up on them.  So unfair.  Also, why would I donate through these fundraisers who take 25% off the top?  If I want to give, I'll give straight to the charity.

Peeve Wrapped in a Cheer

My organization did an audit of our short-term disability plan, and made some very positive changes (including signficantly improved payouts and direct deposits). Yeah! Too bad they did this after I stopped having a signficant chance of using the plan, what with maternity leave being the only time I ever needed to go on short-term disability. Where was this great plan seven years ago, when the insurance company decided that I wouldn't get paid for those last two weeks that my doctor said I needed for recovery?

Craigslist Cheapos and Creepos

The hubs and I are getting rid of a bevy of articles which we either no longer need or don't want to move with us.  Thus, I have several Craigslist ads currently running.

One of these ads is for a nearly-new cool mist humidifier that we purchased 2 years ago for $30 and have used maybe three times ever.  I'm asking $10 for it.  Got a response asking if the price was negotiable.  What, are you going to talk me down to $9?  $8.50?

A couple of items are scheduled to be picked up today - one we're leaving on the porch for someone who could only come by during the day to get it, and one is getting taken tonight but the guy already has the address and the note that "I'm available from 6pm onwards."  I wonder if I'm being burgled right at this moment.

Maybe we should just leave all our stuff by the side of the road.

Bank Robbers

I went to XYZ Bank to cash a check. Grandma Scrooge behind the counter informed me that there is a $5 fee since I do not have an account there. My response, in a raised voice, "Are you kidding me?" I asked Ms. Scrooge if they have a branch in my home state, and she said she wasn't sure. She followed up with, "I'd be happy to waive the fee this one time only."

What the hell is the $5 fee for, you bank robbers!

Audition post #3 from Irishchick.

Citibank, You Are Pissing Me Off

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Citibank because I was three days late with the payment, for the first time in YEARS.  But I had made the payment before the phone call, so already I was pissy they called.  Today I get a call from the fraud department.  I call in like they say to.  They can't figure out why they called since I haven't used the card in months, but thanks for being such a great 15 year customer. 

Budget Cuts

Last night I spent four hours on the family budget.  It was tight, but I got all the bills paid, and eked out enough for me to attend a local social media event that was tonight. 

So, my significant other, you'll have to pardon me if I get a little upset at your request, today, for a hundred or so bucks that you desperately need for tomorrow.  Especially since that totally blew up the budget and I am now sitting home fuming because that was the money I had allocated for my social media event that I have now missed due to lack of funds.

Good Thing I'm Independently Wealthy

Considering how often I make stupid money mistakes that end up costing me a lot more than it should.  Case in point, my car insurance.  I got it through the 800 number instead of working with my agent.  The 800 number put me in the high risk group.  My agent said he would have given underwriting an explanation about how I haven't owned a car and I shouldn't have ended up there.  He's going to try to get me out of it now, but I could be stuck until my renewal at which time he can get me out of it. 

Hypothetically Dumb

Hypothetically, if I read something about a substantial sum of money and understood it to mean that I would get 90% of that sum, but then I was told that I had misread it and would only get 10% of that sum, I would be sad.

Paying for Procrastination

For Christmas I got a new computer.  Ordinarily I purchase the most expensive style warranty - the one where if I do something stupid it will still be fixed for me.  My mother did not.  I meant to upgrade my warranty but to do so required me to go to a local staples and bring the computer and I just ran out of time.  Sadly for my own stupidity, yesterday the laptop took a header off a box and now the screen is messed up.  I won't be able to get it fixed until I move...Maybe this means I'll get the last of my stuff done.

That's Not A Deposit

I went to book the rooms for my Scouts for their end of year party at a local big water park/resort.  We're only booking 1 night.  The rate for 1 night is $360.  The deposit is 1 night's lodging, so basically I'm putting the entire thing on my credit card.  I'm not pleased. 

New York State of Time

This is the first year since I've been married that I did my own Federal And State tax returns.  It was fairly easy, since I qualified for one of those free e-file services.  My returns were completed, submitted, and acknowledged on February 21st.  My Federal refund was in my account on March 5th.  My New York State tax refund will not be deposited until April 2nd.  That's almost six weeks later!  Exactly why did I e-file again?  Get your shit together, fuckers!  If I mailed my return, I probably would have gotten the refund just in time to do my Christmas shopping.

With any luck New York State will go under this year, and I won't have to pay them any more.

Back in my day

I know I sound like a crotchety old woman but I seriously can't believe how expensive life is these days.

"Easy" Button My Ass

For Christmas my mom gave me a laptop.  She bought one type of warranty for it but I prefer the fancier 'doingsomethingdumb' warranty.  Upgrading this warranty apparently called for multi level steps.

1. Call 800 number on warranty information.
        a. Enter in my info. 
        b. Have no idea what my contract # is so keep pressing 0
        c. There is no issue this is not a previously called about problem. 
        d. Keep pressing 0
        e. Eventually get a real person
2. Re-register product because apparently online product registration didn't take.
3. Explain all I want is a warranty upgrade. 
        a. Get told I can do it online
4. Go online
        a. Can't find info do a search
        b. End up on Customer Service Chat
        c. Answer same questions about product registration
        d. She can't do it for me I have to do it online
        e. Ask where
        d. She gives me link back to number I called in the first place
5. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 with marked difference - told can't do it online must go to store
6. Give up in a huff

Bait and Switch

I was at my local city's parks website recently looking into booking a room for use for a meeting.  According to the website it is only $10/hr for non-profits and $30/hr for everyone else.  I call to make my appointment and get told "Oh, no, that information is wrong.  We've been trying to get them to change that for months.  It is $30 for everyone now."  Well, there goes that idea.  I'm not paying $60 for 2 hours* plus a $20 non-refundable fee for my Girl Scout meeting.  My troop doesn't have that kind of money and even if we did there are much better things for us to squander it on. 

I did email the city to let them know I was dismayed about this change in policy and the subsequent incorrect information on their website.  Given that all of their flyers and what not says "Check us out on the web!" it should at least be correct.

*Minimum 2 hour booking no matter what.

How Does This Make Sense?

A friend is working on her taxes.  She's mostly a poor college student so she didn't pay a lot in taxes and she didn't earn a lot in income.  It would make sense to me that she would get the entire amount she paid in taxes back this year.  How is it, then, that due to all sorts of credits she actually gets tax refund in an amount that is more than twice what she actually paid in taxes?  And through the power of google, we discover she is not the only one?  How does this make sense when the government is a bajillion dollars in the hole?

Is It Her Money or Isn't It?

There's a radio ad in the morning for Chase.  A teenageish girl calls her dad to say she's at the movies and she has her debit card.  The next message is her calling to say they're going to the mall.  Then he gets a message from Chase saying that someone has charged more than $20.00 to that account and so he calls the daughter to ask her about her charge.  I have many many issues with this commercial.

1. She seems to check in a lot.  I know times are different but I don't think teenagers need to call when they've arrived at the movies to say they made it.  That's a bit excessive. 
2. Is this money in her account HER money or her parents'?  If it is her money, he shouldn't care how she is spending it.  Let her learn the responsibility to spend it wisely.
3. If it is her parents' money, why does she have a card linked to their account?  And, why not let her make the mistake and work out how to fix it when she gets home.  Calling instantly to correct her behavior doesn't give her the opportunity to accept responsibility for her actions.
4. If it is money she is not supposed to have access to (like a college fund) see #3.
5. If it is "emergency" money, why would she need emergency money?  Clearly she's got a cell phone and can call a parent if she needed cash in an emergency.  Otherwise I still say let her make the mistake and have the opportunity to accept the responsibility for the actions.   

All in all the commercial seems to define helicopter parents in a fairly clear way. 

Can I Have THAT Severance Package?

Dammit! I was going to peeve about Conan getting $45 million from NBC.  I don't think ANYBODY is worth $45 million, but then I also read he is supplementing the severance package his staff received out of his own pocket and so now I can't peeve about it.

January is the Cruelest Month

We only get paid monthly.  For December, we get paid on the 23rd.  Our next paycheck is not until January 29th (this year).  You'd think after 6 years I would be used to this.  I am not and will undoubtedly run out of money before the end of the month.

Glad to know we mean so much to you.

I forget if I mentioned it here or not, but my husband was laid off a few weeks ago. There is a good chance he will get an offer for a job tomorrow, but if he doesn't, we are going to have to quit daycare. We can't afford to keep paying that bill while he looks for a job. We had hoped to keep going, but it's ridiculous to keep paying that much when we don't really need it.

So, my husband told the daycare provider today that if he doesn't get the job tomorrow, this is our two week's notice. Did she express concern for our circumstances? Did she lament the job market and the economy? Did she say she's sorry to see us go but she understands that we have to do what we have to do? No. She made sure my husband knew that we would lose our spot on the list.

UPDATE

Apparently, she did say all those nice things. My husband neglected to mention them in the retelling of the story.