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Post by gifted on Apr 14, 2010 13:26:44 GMT -5
I am very proud and smug today. I am hoping that maybe I can inspire someone else to pick up the phone and find some "lost" money.
A bank statement from a little used account came in the mail yesterday. I put it aside, but I opened it and looked at it today. I noticed a $20 fee.
This account was offered to me when I closed on my home equity line of credit, and I would never have opened it, if I had thought I would be paying fees on it. Since I did not know how long I had been paying the fees, I felt ill at the idea that I have been paying them over many months, and almost put the letter aside.
But no, I grabbed a pen, (happened to be a red pen.) I circled the fee and called the bank. I was told that they had started the fee in March, and that I would be refunded the $20 fee for March and April. I also switched to an account with a $6 fee, and I can have that waived, if I set up an auto-pay for my home loan.
I asked what I would be losing by switching to another account type, and I was told that I would lose the free paper checks, so I ordered a box of checks, while I was at it.
The phone call was much more pleasant than I had anticipated, and I told the person that, and I even asked to leave a commendation for him to his supervisor, which I did.
I am challenging everyone to make that phone call you have been dreading.
It could be:
Canceling a service you don't use.
Canceling a magazine subscription.
Sending in that stupid rebate.
Maybe you can recover some lost money, too!
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Post by Butterfly on Apr 14, 2010 13:43:26 GMT -5
Very inspiring; thanks for your post! I am horrible about procrastinating in regards to dreaded phone calls. I, too, received a bank statement in the mail today and it contained some good and bad news. Good that I have more money (not a lot) in an account I thought was empty. Very bad in that I owe more on my car than I thought. I thought it would be paid off in June but, according to the statement, I still have 6 more months to go. Still it had info I need to fill out a financial aid application for non-covered medical costs and I had been dreading calling the bank. And, I need to call regarding a magazine subscription that I renewed in November yet am receiving statements telling me that my subscription is up. So, good call on that advice, too.  |
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Post by sparkle on Apr 14, 2010 14:46:58 GMT -5
Hey, great work. Nicely done!
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Apr 14, 2010 14:47:38 GMT -5
I hate sending in rebates. The last 2 I sent in were for cell phones and both got denied. I think I sent them in too late. Gotta do things right away!
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Post by puppybox on Apr 14, 2010 14:48:20 GMT -5
What a coincidence, my bank called me to tell my call aweek ago to change (delay) the date of my autmatic trasnfer of money into a registered savings thing (which I can't take money out of without major difficulty and fees) didn't get done, though they said "no problem!".
and now its too late for this month. so I stopped the whole thing altogether. I will have to make myself do it online, I will need self dicipline but at least they will stop messing things up
(this is the 3rd time they have messed me up, 1 time cost me $42.50 in bank fees)
great challenge! I'll see what else I can do....
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Post by Script on Apr 14, 2010 15:27:55 GMT -5
I am challenging everyone to make that phone call you have been dreading. I made my dreaded phone call MONDAY so I am exempt for today.  HOWEVER, in the spirit of this challenge, I just saved myself $40 AT LEAST, by putting 'holds' on two books at the library: books I want to read, and now don't have to BUY. Cost in time: less than 5 minutes, as follows: *walk downstairs *get library card *walk back upstairs  to office where computer lives *access public library site, saved in favourites *key in a few things *ha ha and thanks!  |
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Post by CaringFriend on Apr 15, 2010 14:48:04 GMT -5
I hate sending in rebates. The last 2 I sent in were for cell phones and both got denied. I think I sent them in too late. Gotta do things right away! Ah, yes. I learned that lesson the hard way. Now I have to prepare the rebate the same day - while I still have access to the UPC and the register receipt. Rebates lately have been for tidy sums of $. Companies count on people letting it all go and not bothering.  |
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Post by StuffNoMore on Apr 16, 2010 13:46:44 GMT -5
Thank you for this thread! When I get back from the party store with my DD I'm going to look for the $100 rebate from my cell phone and put it in tomorrows mail.  SNM |
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Post by StuffNoMore on Apr 17, 2010 12:27:50 GMT -5
I went to print out the form for my Blackberry rebate and it had to be postmarked by 4/10/10 so my procrastination cost me $100.... Lesson learned!
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