Toronto Hydro has pissed me off. Anyone else?
When I called to open an account with them last May, they insisted that I give them a deposit of almost $100, because I didn't have a history with the company. I was quite taken aback, especially since they could have just run a credit check on me and found out I pay my bills on time, but felt reassured when the woman explained that after about 9 months of being a good customer, I would get the money back.
So, 9 months go by and I get a bill that doesn't reflect a repayment of my deposit. So I call.
No, no, I have to wait a full year.
So I wait. I get one bill just after the year mark, but I figure that since I am paying for months within the first year that the next bill will reflect a reimbursement.
Not so. I got a bill this past week. It's been well over a year. I call them back and explain the situation. They're very pleasant and agree that it's time I get my deposit back, so they're sending a note to the billing department right away. But they recommend that I call next week to make sure it's gone through, so that I'm not penalized if I miss paying my current bill.
WERE THEY NEVER GOING TO TELL ME!?
I'm pretty organized and on top of things that concern money, because I need every little bit I can get. But what about the people that forget that they've put down a deposit? Does Toronto Hydro just hang on to the money, praising themselves for stealing from unorganized customers? And why do I have to follow up?
Where has my money been? Where would it go if I didn't call to complain? In fact, shouldn't my bill reflect the fact that I've made a deposit with them? And shouldn't their billing system be designed to automatically factor in a deposit after 12 months?
Seriously. When it comes to essential services, there's no one you can trust in this world and that makes me sad.
On a much happier note, a couple of my most recent freelance articles just went live, so I thought I'd share them with you. If you've been thinking about adding fresh figs to your diet, read this one and if you want some tips on negotiating a salary, try this one.
Total debt: $3564 and a bit (LAST DAY FOR THIS NUMBER!)
Spent today: $6.36
Weekly total: $86.37 (I feel like I must have missed something here, but I only have a twoonie left in my wallet!)
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2 comments:
I'm actually reading your blog! Very funny (well, for a girl).
I am newly inspired to start a blog of my own, so I'm just going to watch TV until the moment passes.
Love,
Wonder Woman
I was one of those people who forgot about the deposit - eventually you get a bill where it lists it as them owing you money (well that's if it's a summer month and your bill is low). Then you get confused, and have to phone Hydro because you can't fathom why that's happened ... since when did they start wanting to pay your bills for you. Then they calmly explain that once upon a time there was a deposit and now they've given it back to you. That part confused me because it seems silly to only want a deposit for a year. I figured it was for the term of my account and that maybe this meant they were closing my account. All in all, whether you do or don't get your deposit, it ends up in a call to Hydro. Eesh!
Care :-)
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