Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Bought myself a tomato plant!
Yes, just one--after all, there are only two of us. Planted, fed, and watered it, and will get a cage for it today.*
My perm looks good, soft and natural-seeming. Must wait a few days to color it, then I'll be satisfied for another few months.
Spent some annoying time on the phone with Allstate. When I called in my claim, the idiot at their claim office (or outer space, who knows) erroneously put down that the accident was on May, not June, 23rd. That means there has to be a new claim number and although I can still get it fixed, I have to wait to send in the police report. Aagh!
I told the guy I was afraid the bumper would fall off--it's actually just tied on with shoe laces--so he said he'd put it down as "undrivable" and I'll have to have it towed to the shop. He told me they'd pay for a rental for 30 days and I'm picking that up this morning. I found that, damn, we do have a $500 deductible for collision; it's $100 for other stuff, like the windshield. I have to pay the $500 up front, then Allstate will "try" to collect it from the the kid's New Jersey Manufacturers. He said it could take up to six months!
When did insurance companies take over the country? Dealing with the medical, auto, house, and every other kind of insurance is so frustrating, it drives me crazy. I'm no longer polite and conciliatory to their reps--I try not to be rude unless they're rude first, but believe me, I'm as cold and businesslike as I can be. I hate them all, especially the sweet, chirpy, babykin ones who talk like Betty Boop.
Tomorrow is Joely's fifth birthday, but with Alison in New Mexico, Jen said they won't have his party until next weekend. This Saturday, I'll pick him up to go with Leslie and her granddaughters to "Peter Pan" at the Surflight Theatre.
Cleaners will come today, at my request. After, they'll resume their twice- a-month-on-Fridays visits, so that, at least, is back to normal.
*Goes to show what a blah day it was when the featured news is that I bought a tomato plant.

3 comments:

iloveac said...

I know the feeling with customer service reps and their Betty Boop chirpiness.
Similarly, a few days ago, I had to talk with a rep from a lab which said I was responsible for a lab test for $127. I told her I was not, and explained it was a coding error.

I thought I was speaking with Frances McDormand from Fargo as she told me she "didn't blame me for not wanting to pay it". What? I don't need her approval or counseling when it was the MDs office that sent in the wrong code. After several phone calls to operators who were "busy with other customers for 10 minutes" I got the ofc nurse's voice mail. She called back and said she would give them the proper code....she was nice, but never admitted she made the error requiring me to hang around waiting for a return phone call for several hours in case she needed additional info.

Rosemary, I too am just like you now. I am not rude, but I am all business and often repeat their dumb statements back to them e.g. when Miss Chirpy says "Will you be filin?"....I say...."filin?"...I don't know what you mean. Then she'll say "I mean what kind of insurance do you have"...oh, OK, pretending I hadn't understood her slang. I hate it when so many people in the south and even business people dealing with the public drop the 'ing' from words. Bugs the heck out of me. OK at home, but in business.....speak properly.

EBJ said...

I agree that the insurance companies are taking over. I hate dealing with them. It is hard to believe that little Joel will be 5!

Dee's Blog said...

Rosemary I think it's a crying shame that you should have to pay 500.00 for something that was not your fault. In a way I can see why they wanted to pay under the table rather then go through your insurance Co. Then to make matters worse, is this going to effect your insurance rates?
You mentioned 100.00 deductable on windshields. Here in Mass there is no deductable on glass. I thought this was a nationwide ruling.
My problem is that I need anger management sessions. By the time I get on the phone I am already angry, When they start telling me I was wrong, especially when I know I am right. I do all my homework before calling especially with medical reps, I give them dates and everything else they need and still I have to be on hold until they decide I was right.
I remember some 40 yrs ago I had X-Rays done and my paperwork came from the insurance co say they paid. Right after I get a bill from the Radiologist for the exact amt. I tried several time to get through to the billing dept with no success. Finally wrote a nasty letter to the radiologist (who I knew from the hospital). Shortly after I received a check, I had paid him as I didn't want my credit to be ruined.

Wednesday

It was quite an enjoyable day after all the must-do-this, can't-find-that of the last few.  Changed the bed, washed the sheets, and jump...