DH makes $400k/year and is on the phone arguing with the gas company over $50

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP.
We only have a finite number of hours before life is over.
There is an opportunity cost to spending an hour on the phone haggling over $50.

+1. Time is money. If OP’s husband is making 400k, let’s just say he is making $300 for an hour of his time. So he spends an hour trying to get $50 back which is a net loss of $250.

For above, OP says he is giving up an hour of family time on a nice day.

Yes, forget about the $50 and spend quality time with family.

Surely he can spend quality time with the family AND solve a billing problem?!!! I mean, this is life. We are adults. What a strange notion that we shouldn’t call utility companies when we’ve been billed incorrectly. OP should appreciate her DH.

OP said he is calling instead of spending time with family. So yes, the $50 is more important to him than time with his family.

If he wants to do it during his lunch hour or free time in the office, fine but the whole point of OP’s exasperation is that he is giving up family time for $50 especially since it’s nothing compared to his salary.

OP is being silly, she said he was doing trying to fix the billing problem on a Friday afternoon. Not a weekend or in the evening. Truly ridiculous complaint!

[Anonymous]

My wealthy grandfather says “that’s how the rich get richer.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a non-complaining free-rider, I say God bless people like your DH, OP. And I mean that truthfully. They make my life better by keeping these companies honest.

Right? How much does the CEO of the gas company make? They should be getting it right or suffering the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Here's how I resolve these issues. Would the gas company let you out of paying $50, because, well you just don't feel they deserve it? It's a two way street. Then I want what's mine.

[Anonymous]

If this is OP's attitude towards money, then I understand why her DH feels the need to prevent waste when he can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes it’s not about the money, it’s being taken advantage of. Let me him do what he wants

this, plus I doubt if Op works at any managerial job because it makes sense what he is doing.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what state your in but next time after one call and it not being resolved you just file a complaint.

https://www.psc.state.md.us

You file a complaint and it gets results. Their are utility staff that can make things happen that answer to the state.

I had an issue with Verizon, I called them, the low level staff couldn’t resolve it. Filed a complaint the next day and 24 hours later the state responded that a Verizon specialist was assigned and the state would check in daily till fixed.

It was fixed by the next day. The commissions don’t fool around.

Always just make a formal complaint.

[Anonymous]

I made 1.2M last year and just drove down to Williams sonoma for a $55 billing error. Probably not worth my time but I would rather get that $55 and give it to a person on the side of the road that WS. Good for OPs husband.

[Anonymous]

Calling to complain about my cell or cable service was, for a while, almost better than any other form of entertainment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's technically in the right (we sold a rental property and they screwed up the final gas meter reading, we even got them to admit this but they still haven't fixed the bill) but its not rational for him to spend 30-60 minutes on a beautiful Friday afternoon being pissed about this, right? It doesn't seem healthy. I say pay the bill and forget it.

What say you?

I don't make quite as much money as your husband, but I would do this. It's the principle. Plus, some of this stuff can screw up your credit. It's probably not healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admire people who do this. They are such an annoyance to the company, they provide a spur to make companies put in controls to prevent such poor billing.

But I'm a free rider of their efforts. I would say I got off cheap for $50 and would let it go.

I wish this were the case. Companies will continue to overcharge because they know that most people are too lazy to call and wait on hold and escalate. They are counting on more OPs and fewer of the DH types. It is better for their bottom line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make as much as your DH and once spent about 5 hours reporting Chase to the consumer finance protection bureau for $7 in interest charges that should not have been charged. Reported the way they swindle their customers and reprehensible practices. That $7 would’ve become hundreds if I didn’t read my bills every month. It’s the principle.

+1 I once cancelled a service over a $1 'fee' that shouldn't have been charged and the service initially refused to remove it from the bill. It's not about the money or the time on the phone. It's keeping companies honest.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, let me tell you a story. One time we went on a vacation DH was in charge of car rental.

Say the car rental for a week was $700 and then DH extended it for 1 day for $400 extra and didn’t blink an eye, although we could have taken an Uber.

Anyway, when we got home, soon after that I found him sitting rolling coins into paper sleeves to deposit at the bank.

I asked him why he was doing it, why not take the coins to the machine at the bank that will count them?

He said it was to save money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's technically in the right (we sold a rental property and they screwed up the final gas meter reading, we even got them to admit this but they still haven't fixed the bill) but its not rational for him to spend 30-60 minutes on a beautiful Friday afternoon being pissed about this, right? It doesn't seem healthy. I say pay the bill and forget it.

What say you?

I don't make quite as much money as your husband, but I would do this. It's the principle. Plus, some of this stuff can screw up your credit. It's probably not healthy.

It doesn't screw up your credit if you just pay the bill.

[Anonymous]

Because we don't like being ripped off and we have a duty to make the lives of swindlers as hard as possible, otherwise they'll take advantage even more tomorrow, OP.