Thursday, August 23, 2007

Another Small Pity Party in Honor of Myself

Well, here I go again. When I lived in Spartanburg, the library we borrowed from had a maximum charge for all overdue items of $10.00 per card. That is PER CARD. Only $10.00. So, the most I ever had to pay for keeping anything out for however long I wanted it, couldn't find it, etc., was, yup, you guessed, ONLY $10.00. Well, this Lexington County library is quite a bit more greedy. See, they don't have any cap on fines and fees at all. In fact, I just learned today that they will (and have done so!) turn your account over to collections w/out ever even notifying you of such activities!!!! They just keep charging and charging and charging, then finally they will call you (er, I mean they will have an automated machine call you, cause even though I have paid them hundreds of dollars to date, I guess I am not important enough for a real human to call me!!!) and tell you that you have charges due for overdue items that are, of course, still out and still being charged by the milisecond! And am I even using these overdue items? NO! Most have been turned back in, (fees unpaid) others are in a bag, completely and entirely and utterly alone and unused simply because I know they are due back and I would feel guilty reading them or watching them until I have renewed them or turned them in and rechecked them out. And that's only the first half of my pity party.

The other: WACHOVIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That bank absolutely sucks. Yes, of course I realize that in order to be charged "insufficient funds fees" my account must first have insufficient funds. BUT my GOSH, does a huge institution really have to take out $35.00 PER ITEM, totally NONEOFYOURBUSINESS amounts, that we could have freaking made car or mortgage payments with??? OK, only partial of either of those, but at least two weeks worth of groceries. I mean, if a person is obviously already overbudget, is it really helpful to charge them even more money? The bank and the library are just GREEDY! And don't ask my why I think they should
be helpful! I know better, but still. So, for the final time I am saying this, and this time I'm actually doing it: I am closing our bank account. We obviously are not responsible enough to have one, and I am done paying our hard earned money away to a big institution that doesn't need it just because we are not good at handling our finances. Saying vulgar words and making vulgar gestures at Wachovia!!!!! And the same to the neverending late fees of the Lexington County Public Library!!

3 comments:

Jenny said...

I had to stop taking books out of the library altogether b/c they turned CLAIRE over to a collection agency, at age 4! LOL!! I'm definitely NOT responsible enough for a library card. ;)

Hannah said...

Trace, I feel your pain, esp. on the library thing. Would you believe the Austin Libraries only let you keep videos for 7 days, then they charge you a DOLLAR A DAY for overdue? And, here's the kicker; I learned this the hard way (a couple times): If you lose a book, they not only charge you the replacement cost, but also a TEN DOLLAR PROCESSING FEE!!!! GRRRR!!!!!!!!

Tracee said...

Yes, it was Philip's account that is about to be turned over to collections, ha! And Hannah, it is the same here, except the videos are 1.50 a day!