Money Matters

For the past month or so, I've been coping quietly with a stressful money situation. The wonderful company that is supposed to take some money out of my bank account every month to pay for my tuition has messed up in a big, big way. This, of course, has eaten up a lot of time, gasoline, and, as of today, the last of my patience.

This company, a subsidiary of a national bank and finance company, is demanding fees for what they claim is a late payment; the bank says the company never asked for the funds. The company also wants a fee for allowing a live person at their call center to talk with a representative of my bank. Now they want a fee for closing out my account because, according to their letter, I have dropped out of school and don't need to pay tuition anymore. This last bit of information was a complete surprise to me, and, as it turns out, the university, too.

By this time tomorrow, this whole problem will be resolved, and I will be back to my usual level of serenity. Student Accounts and I are on the same page, and the company in question will be left on their own page, where they can increase their own stress level. I no longer want to play with them.

What have I learned?

• Look at the online comments about any company you are considering doing business with. Such comments may be prejudiced or inaccurate, but those comments about management, software, or hardware problems may give you areas to watch.
• Know who the parent companies are, and look at the most recent occasions on which they were in the news or published their own news releases.
• Calculate how much interest your tuition money will realize if you leave it in the bank for monthly withdrawal by a similar company. At today's interest rates, you may be better off, and happier, paying tuition in one lump sum when you register for classes.
• Be aware of hidden fees. More and more companies now ding customers for the privilege of talking to someone in a call center who can't answer questions or enter agreements with consumers.
• If you do terminate a business relationship with a similar company, make sure that the company no longer has access to your bank accounts.
• Do something therapeutic after these time leeches have destroyed your afternoon, as they so enjoy.

Once I had made yet another trip to the bank today, I found cooking Chicken Normandy was enormously helpful. This particular recipe calls for browning chicken in bacon fat, and then sprinkling crispy bacon on top of the finished dish. The instructions also call for cream, Calvados, cider, butter, and apple slices. It tastes delicious, and what could be more therapeutic than that?