Corporations

I wanted to cancel my American Express card. They had pissed me off, charge a foreign transaction fee, and an annual fee. I made sure the balance was zero and called them up. I had tried that a week before, but a web company put a yearly renewal charge on it, after I told them I don't want their services anymore. They apologized and reverted the charge.
On the phone, the Amex sales rep told me I had been a good customer for nine years and started adding incentives for me to keep the card. When I kept insisting to cancel it, he started to tell me how this would hurt my credit rating. But, after a while, he reluctantly canceled my card after having me say loud and clearly into the recording that this was indeed what I wanted to do; and realized what wonderful benefits I was giving up; and that it wasn't the fault of the sales rep.

A few years ago this would have infuriated me. Now that I have dealt with Irish companies, I wish they all worked like Amex.

I'm trying to cancel the phone and Internet service I had at the apartment. I have a different service provider now, but the old company insists on still billing me. I called them in June, but they said I cannot cancel due to a twelve-month contract. I wrote them a letter in July, and I sent them an email after being told to do that on their bulleting board. They do not respond to me at all. On the web page where I can view my outstanding balance, it is like a jo-jo. Last week it was 90 euro, then down to 33 euro. Today it is 370 euro.
Looking back at an old blog entry, I did know at one point that I had signed up for twelve months. I had forgotten that. However, there was a trial period and I canceled the new service before that deadline. Since I didn't keep that add-on, I certainly didn't want to keep the 12-month extension. They were sneaky, but now at least it would be nice for them to answer my letters.

I don't have my account at Ulster Bank, but a couple of month ago, their computer system went off-line after a software upgrade. Employers could not put salaries into their employees' accounts, people could not access their money or pay bills. For three weeks!
Ulster Bank belongs to the Bank of Scotland. While the computer crisis was going on, a radio host asked the CEO of the Bankf of Scotland whether he would forfait his year-end bonus. The CEO replied that he didn't think that would be necessary. The uproar was enormous and a few days later he said he would reconsider.

On to my bank... Once or twice a month I transfer money to the States. I use xe.com to do that. I'll transfer the euros to a local bank of theirs and they then transfer US Dollars into my account in the States. Last month this didn't work. My bank's online tool said I cannot make that transfer. After some back and forth I learned that my bank's computer system has a bank-wide limit of ten transfers to any one account at another bank. (Actually it is more complicated than that, but that would require another whole blog entry.) Anyway, xe.com, through their bank, must give my bank permission to send them money.
As far as I know this has not been resolved yet, but at least I know what is going on. But it cost hours on the computer and on the phone to get this far.

Fruitfellas.ie

Each household in Ireland has a black, a green, and a brown bin for trash, recyclables, and compost. You sign up with a private company to come empty those once in a while. My black one hasn't been emptied in more than five weeks.
I signed up with one online. They sent me a bill and I payed it. Nothing. I sent an email and Sinead said she needs the serial numbers off the bins. Sent those. She said someone would come and scan the bins (I think they have RFID tags) since the serial numbers were not in her system. Next trash collection day and nobody touches my bin. Complained again. Sinead asked whether I had attached a bin tag. No, what is that?
It turns out that the yearly fee is for compost and recyclable collection. For trash you pay by volume. You go to the corner store and buy a bin tag, attach it to your trash bin and leave it out. The trash collector empties the bin and rips off the tag. Repeat.
It took more than four weeks to learn that...
And why is there a tag and a serial number/RFID tag? Why not scan it when you empty it and charge me for usage?

Today, the only Irish company I like is Fruitfellas.ie. On Saturday mornings, at the crack of dawn, they go to the local food markets in Dublin and buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Then they come out to your house and bring you a crate full of good stuff.