(photo via flickr)A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I would join the 21st century and pay our water bill online. I know. People have been doing this since like 1998, but I'm just catching on. Go ahead and laugh. So I got an online account all set up with our local water company, and made my payment. Happy day, I'm now officially in this century!
Now, back to the present day. The kids came in from school this afternoon carrying a pink slip of paper that had been stuck in the door. It was a lovely note from our friendly city folks informing us that our water had been SHUT OFF and if we wanted it turned back on we had to pay X amount of dollars. What?? They shut off my water?!! I even ran to the sink to see if this was just some kind of a joke. Nope, those water dudes mean business! There was not a drip of water to be found in those pipes!
I ran upstairs to the computer and checked the Xpress Pay account that I had set up, and sure enough there it was, 'Account Delinquent'! As I scrolled down the page, I read that my payment had not even gone through because they couldn't locate my bank account based on the information I had given them. So I then clicked onto my information page and realized that I had made a mistake and missed typing in a number in our bank routing number. Okay, so the mistake was completely mine, but seriously? Couldn't the water company at least send a little notice saying something like...oh I don't know...."Hey, we're gonna shut your water off if ya don't pay up" That would have been extremely helpful!!
I hurried over to the city office to pay the stupid bill and when I got to the counter, the guy informed me that I had to pay it in Cash Only. Are you kidding me? He said that because their computer showed that my payment had been "returned" that they couldn't take a check or a debit card from me at this time. I tried explaining to him that the payment was not "returned", and it wasn't an NSF, but I had just made a mistake in my online payment. He looked at me with a look of "Uh-huh lady. Like I haven't heard that one before." Let me just say that I felt like such an idiot.
So, off I went to find a stupid ATM, because I NEVER carry cash. Cash...what's that? I went back, paid the bill and he said that my water would be turned back on by 6pm. I felt so stupid about this whole thing, but by the time I got home I was laughing about it, and thankfully so was Spencer! Now my kids can shower tonight. Woo-Hoo!!!
This is what happens when I try to join the 21st Century. I think I'm going to just stick with the cave man way of paying my water bill. With a good old check!
18 Thoughts:
That is awesome!!!! I think you are the only person that I have ever heard of this happening to. LOL :)
Awesome. Totally awesome. I can just hear Jakey telling his preschool class all about it...
oh how sad! whoever said water is free hasn't met YOUR water guys...
LOL! I just started paying my water bill online a few months ago...I better beware. :)
Wow!
That is crazy! Really why would'nt they at least give you a warning notice.
Some sort of notice prior to the shut-off would have been extremely helpful! I do the payments online too, but I always wonder how fast they get processed since it's through another company. What a shananigan you had to go through!
Seriously. WOW!! That just seems rude. I am glad you have such a positive otlook on things and can laugh about it now:)
This is hilarious. I'm glad you could laugh about it by the time you got home. I think I'd still be fuming! I love my online payments, but if a check works for you, then I'd keep doing that! Great story.
After years of telling you to do online bill paying, you finally do it, and look what happens. Ok, sure, you had a few bugs to work out. But apparently typing in the routing number is the hardest part and it's smooth sailing from here on out. Don't go back to your blasted check writing!
I guess that I'm not with it yet, I still write my monthly check for most of our bills.
Yeh, a little notification would have been nice. At least you have a smile.
That's why I do billpay. I take care of all my bills in one place. I bet they love overdue accounts. Can't you just see the guy who's job it is to turn off the water? "Ha ha, here's another one off!"
Way to crazy!
And that my friend is why I never pay bills online if I can help it.
BTW Tiffani, this has given me a great idea for my next post. I've been suffering with such a case of writer's block.
I shall definitely give you the credit!
I made a mistake like that with my insurance payment-- typed a wrong number, but they sent me an email the next day saying that the payment hadn't gone through. I'd been watching my bank account, too, wondering why the money hadn't gone out. If I were you, I'd write a letter to their customer service explaining what happened and asking why some sort of warning notice was not sent. They owe you that much, at least.
I'm with Lindsey, don't give up. It was one little error but with most of these things they save your info so once you have it right no worries. It is so much better than writing a check every month. I love on-line bill pay. I get so ticked when I deal with a company that won't accept online payments.
That is a great story though, but sorry about the water, that would be annoying. You are a better person than I, I would definitely still be ticked by the time I got home.
Not even a warning? That is crazy and annoying.
Talk about funny, That sounds like some I would do Not you....You always seem to have it together, as for me i'm swimming with my barely up.
Thanks for the laughs.
Sun
Post a Comment