Before you die; be sure to cancel you credit cards!

[Bigjohn]

Note to self: 'cancel credit cards prior to death!'



Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die!

This is so priceless and so easy to see happening - customer service, being what it is today!



A lady died this past January, and ANZ bank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now is somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to ANZ:

Family Member: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

ANZ: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."
Family Member: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections."

ANZ: "Since it is two months past due, it already has been."

Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

ANZ: "Either report her account to the frauds division or report her to the credit bureau, maybe both!"

Family Member: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

ANZ: "Excuse me?"

Family Member: "Did you just get what I was telling you . . . the part about her being dead?"

ANZ: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor."

Supervisor gets on the phone:

Family Member: "I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

ANZ: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Family Member: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

ANZ: (Stammer) "Are you her lawyer?"

Family Member: "No, I'm her great nephew."

(Lawyer info given)

ANZ: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Family Member: "Sure."

(fax number is given)

After they get the fax:

ANZ: "Our system just isn't set up for death. I don't know what more I can do to help."
Family Member: "Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don't think she will care."

ANZ: "Well, the late fees and charges do still apply."

Family Member: "Would you like her new billing address?"

ANZ: "That might help."

Family Member:

"Rookwood Memorial Cemetery,

1249 Centenary Rd, Sydney

Plot Number 69."

ANZ: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Family Member: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?"

[smilie=1:
John

[JeffinNZ]

This reminds me of a story my friend in Alabama told me.

His friend's wife died and when the friend asked the telephone company to remove reference to her from the billing account the telephone company wanted a copy of the death certificate and all manner of things.

He was well pissed with them and so when it came time for the same telephone company to renew the lease for THEIR cell tower on HIS property he refused. Cost them hundreds of thousands to relocate it.

:brokenima

[Jim]

Sometimes I read things like this and think "this can't be!" And then I realize "these guys wouldn't lie about this for no reason." I guess what really amazes me is that some people are actually that dense. I like the story about the guy refusing to renew contract for a tower. I watched a company erect a cell phone tower on the propertyof a company I used to work for. That ain't no small project! Most people have no concept of what it takes to take one down, nevermind moving it and puting it back up. Boy, I betcha that cost 'em a ton of money!

[imashooter2]

I had a similar conversation after the death of my FIL. They asked for all sorts of proof of death, etc.. I told them I had called them as a favor and any further mail I got from them was going in the trash unopened. Never received another letter.

Free advice:
Giving unsecured credit to an 84 year old guy without a pot to piss in is bad business practice...

[fatnhappy]

when my mother died she apparently had a whole rash of unpaid traffic tickets. (she apparently parked illegally a couple times so she'd have better access to the hospital)

If you think dealing with the banks is fun, deal with an entrenched bureaucrat.

[Junior1942]

Try dealing with collection agencies when your Alzheimer's-stricken dad abused credit cards and died broke and had the same name and address as you. I finally got tired of telling them that I never in my life had a (fill-in-the-blank) credit card, so I started telling them, Sue me!

Moral: don't name a child "Junior."

[Scrounger]

I thought "Junior" was your name...

[Junior1942]

It's John L Doughty Junior vs John L Doughty Senior for my dead father. Collection mail comes as plain John L Doughty.

[454PB]

I went through the Alzheimers tragedy with my Dad. It was the worst torture I can imagine. You have my sympathy, Junior.

[Scrounger]

A joke, Junior. At least it's not BillyBob or JimEd or something like that. Junior was common where I grew up.

[NVcurmudgeon]

The most satisfying experience I ever had with a bank was when I sold my service station. The buyer had given me a cashier's check, which I deposited in my bank. A few days later he gave me a personal check for some $8000 to cover the value of the stock I was leaving. His bank, a branch of the biggest American bank, was on my way home so I dropped in there to exchange George's personal check for a cashier's check. (I knew my bank would keep the ball rollng for a couple of weeks, otherwise.) They said they would have to charge me $2.50 for the cashier's check. I protested that it was chicken to charge me to cash George's check. After five minutes of fruitless argument, I got a sudden inspiration
and told them to cash the check. They said that they didn't advise me to walk around with that much money. I told them that if I am stubborn enough to refuse to pay for a cashier's check, it isn't likely that anyone will take the money away from me. A few minutes later I walked out with ALL of their hundred dollar bills, a considerable number of their fifties, a big smile, and my concealed and not mentioned .45. Oh yes, it was Friday afternoon!

[onceabull]

NvC--------'s banking story inspires me to offer some advice(surely worth at least what it's costing !!)to those still building a financial base: Find a small public held bank or three to focus your research on, after due diligence,start buying some stock,put your accounts there(at least something worthwhile) and let it out to the people serving you that you are a shareholder...over the course of time this will prove of enduring value to you,and you should make some profits,too, which isn't alway the way it works when you buy the latest tout from your broker or lawyer..The bigger multiState banks normally won't care enough about your status to make that aspect important,even though fttt one or more might be an appealing investment. Enjoy..8-) Onceabull 8-)