Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    moonbi nsw Aus
    Age
    70
    Posts
    228

    Default This Is Rediculous

    Is This Ridiculous or What



    A man living in Kandos (near Mudgee in NSW, Australia )
    received a bill in March for his as yet unused gas line stating that he
    owed
    $0.00.

    He ignored it and threw it away. In April he received another bill and
    threw that one away too.

    The following month the gas company sent him a very nasty note stating
    that they were going to cancel his gas line if he didn't send them
    $0.00 by return mail.

    He called them, talked to them, and they said it was a computer error
    and they would take care of it.

    The following month he decided that it was about time that he tried
    out the troublesome gas line figuring that if there was usage on the
    account it would put an end to this ridiculous predicament.

    However, when he went to use the gas, it had been cut off..

    He called the gas company who apologized for the computer error once
    again and said that they would take care of it. The next day he got a
    bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue.

    Assuming that having spoken to them the previous day the latest bill
    was yet another mistake, he ignored it, trusting that the company
    would be as good as their word and sort the problem out.

    The next month he got a bill for $0.00. This bill also stated that he
    had 10 days to pay his account or the company would have to take steps
    to recover the debt.

    Finally, giving in, he thought he would beat the gas company at their
    own game and mailed them a cheque for $0.00. The computer duly
    processed his account and returned a statement to the effect that he
    now owed the gas company nothing at all.

    A week later, the manager of the Mudgee branch of the Westpac Banking
    Corporation called our hapless friend and asked him what he was doing
    writing cheque for $0.00.

    After a lengthy explanation the bank manager replied that the $0.00
    cheque had caused their cheque processing software to fail. The bank
    could therefore not process ANY cheques they had received from ANY of
    their customers that day because the cheque for $0.00 had caused the
    computer to crash.

    The following month the man received a letter from the gas company
    claiming that his cheque had bounced and that he now owed them $ 0.00 and unless he sent a cheque by return mail they would take immediate
    steps to recover the debt.

    At this point, the man decided to file a debt harassment claim against
    the gas company. It took him nearly two hours to convince the clerks
    at the local courthouse that he was not joking.

    They subsequently helped him in the drafting of statements which were
    considered substantive evidence of the aggravation and difficulties he
    had been forced to endure during this debacle.

    The matter was heard in the Magistrate's Court in Mudgee and the
    outcome was this:

    The gas company was ordered to:

    [1] Immediately rectify their computerized accounts system or Show
    Cause, within 10 days, why the matter should not be referred to a
    higher court for consideration under Company Law.
    [2] Pay the bank dishonour fees incurred by the man.
    [3] Pay the bank dishonour fees incurred by all the Westpac clients
    whose cheques had been bounced on the day our friend's had been
    processed.
    [4] Pay the claimant's court costs; and

    [5] Pay the claimant a total of $1500 per month for the 5 month period
    March to July inclusive as compensation for the aggravation they had
    caused their client to suffer.

    And all this over $0.00

    This story can also be viewed on the ABC website - Who employs these
    idiots??

    Remember, these "people" walk among us and breathe the same air we do.
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Port Huon
    Posts
    373

    Default

    Got a link to this?

    Sounds a bit 'urban legendish' to me

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Ormeau, Gold Coast, Australia
    Posts
    203

    Default

    That is gold

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Age
    64
    Posts
    8

    Default

    snopes.com: Zero Dollars Charge

    The snopes website is a must-read for everyone.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Dabbler beat me to it, nice hoax that's been going around for a while.
    -Scott

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    ACT
    Age
    85
    Posts
    546

    Default

    Not as far fetched as you think.
    When trying to settle my late father in law's Telstra account after many months of toing and froing we eventually arrived at a bill of $2.60 credit. The next month we got a bill for $15.00 late payment less the $2.60 credit.
    This is genuine I can produce the papers.
    Regards
    Hugh

    Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Springfield NSW
    Age
    71
    Posts
    0

    Default

    It always amazes me when apparently intelligent people regurgitate this sort of stuff as if it were true.

    It amazes me further when others read it , believe it and respond .


    I guess it is much like those that listen to current affairs and talk back radio on stations like 2GB.


    It is all so very sad really.
    ____________________________________________________________
    there are only 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary arithmetic and those that don't.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    ACT
    Age
    85
    Posts
    546

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Avery View Post
    It always amazes me when apparently intelligent people regurgitate this sort of stuff as if it were true.

    It amazes me further when others read it , believe it and respond .


    I guess it is much like those that listen to current affairs and talk back radio on stations like 2GB.


    It is all so very sad really.
    I can remember that original story doing the rounds in the early 60s when computers were first sneaking into banks and big buissiness but the reson people believe, is cases like the one I quoted, proving that those worries have come to pass and worse, because when you get on the phone to solve it you get a call centre,which had not been thought of then.
    Hugh

    Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Dundowran Beach
    Age
    77
    Posts
    0

    Exclamation

    Such cretinous activity is priceless!!

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •