art institute

Crap squared

The days since last Thursday have been trying ones indeed. 

Thursday

While the day started off okay, it took a downhill turn.  I got home and a reminder went off on my cell phone that for some reason killed the display.  I called the phone folks and they had me try some things to fix it but it was a no go.  So they transferred me over to the insurance folks to get a replacement. 

I don't quite understand why I pay 5 dollars a month for each of our phones for insurance when, if something happens to the phones, I still have to pay $50 to get a new one.  Whatever.  I'll probably drop the insurance on all the phones and save fifteen bucks.  So they tell me that they're going to send out the phone and I should have it either Friday or Monday.  I can deal with that as it's only the display that's dead and the actual phone part still works.  My phone usage is pretty much limited to family anyways.

Good note: Filed my taxes and am getting a nice chunk of change.

Friday

My head is so clogged that I can't quite rememeber Friday.  I don't think that anything bad happened, but I'll amend this if it did.

Saturday

In the morning, I had to go see a lady about a dog.   I thought that the dog was pretty cool but I wouldn't find out until later if I could have it.  No worries.

I came home to a message on the machine from the Art Institute.  Avoid this place at all costs.  You may recall in a previous post that I had to deal with these boneheads.  Well, here we are a couple months later and I get a call from a new person trying to once again get me to pay this money.  He promptly got a return phone call saying to kiss the crack of my black ass, go talk to the lady that I was dealing with before.  He doesn't like me and I don't care.  These people are the shadiest of the shady.  First lady, of course, is not in the office, so I've got to deal with her on Monday.

Good point: I like red wine.  It doesn't make me fat like beer.  It does give me gas. HAHAHAHAHA!

Another good point: I was able to test out of my stupid classes for school.  More on that in a bit.

Sunday

The Patriots lost.  The Patriots lost.  The Patriots lost.  The Patriots lost.  Did I mention that the Patriots lost and I'm in heaven?  Thank you Plaxico for putting the nail in their coffin.  Sorry that you couldn't get to the ring in the black and gold but happy to see you get one nonetheless.  GOOD DAY!

Monday

Most important: I got my ring back!!  Hooray!  They resized it and it looks awesome and I'm happy to have it back.

Hmmm, let me check the tracking number on my phone.  It looks as though it's sorta out for delivery.  Maybe I'll just call real quick to check.  Hi, DHL, could you tell me where my package is?  This lady had the nerve to tell me it was delayed because of weather.  Do I sound like an idiot?  Do I sound like I've never tracked a package?  Do I sound like I can't go to weather.com and see what the weather is like in Ohio even though your website says that the package is in Florida?  Hmmm, your website says that my package is in Florida.  She says, get this, that the scan is for the truck and not the package.  WHAT?!?!  Okay lady, whatever. 

Call number two to DHL: Hi, DHL, could you tell me where my package is?  New lady says that DHL has two facilities here: one international and one domestic.  Somehow, my package got sent over to the international facility, but fortunately, they were able to "catch it" before it went out.  Where the hell was it going?!?!  Is there a Miami, Florida somewhere overseas that I don't know about?  Okay, whatever.  When is it going to be delivered?  DHL lady says it'll get back to the domestic facility today and go out for delivery tomorrow.  Schweet.  New phone tomorrow.

Now, for those AI bastards.  A call to the same woman gets me nowhere.  She says she has to talk to accounting.  Really?  What have you been doing for the last 2 months?  She says she's gonna do it.  I say okay.  Towards the end of the day I get annoyed that I haven't heard from her since she said she would call back.  I send her an email saying that this has to be resolved today.  Guess what?  No response.  Go figure.

Bah, good school bumps up my AA graduation date since I tested out of classes. Unfortunately that means I have to pay more money out of pocket.  Grrrr.  I'm gonna be poor forever.

Tuesday

Woo hoo!!  New phone day!  Let's see where it is.  Funny, the tracking page is the same as yesterday.  Another call to DHL: Hi, DHL, could you tell me where my package is?  Umm, it appears to be in transit.  Well, golly, thanks for that.  So basically, you're telling me that you don't know where it is?  No, it's in transit.  Uh, yeah, whatever.

Good morning AT&T, look, I know I told you yesterday that DHL sucks but today they suck even more.  They lost my phone.  Please call them.  And nice lady called them.  She said that the idiots would call me before ten to let me know the status of the package and then she'd call me back.  Okay then.

Hi, this is pompous ass from DHL.  We lost your package.  YOU SUCK BALLS! Okay, then can you call AT&T and let them know that?  No, we don't do that.  Can I help you with anything else?  No, but you're gonna need someone to help you remove my foot from your anus.  CLICK!

Hi AT&T, DHL says they lost my phone, can you send me a new one?  Sure, we'll get that out to you in two to three business days.  I'm sorry, how long?  DHL screws up and I have to suffer?  I'm full of fake sincerity when I tell you that I'm sorry but that's just the way it is.  HA!  That might be the way it is with you, but that's not good enough for me.  Supervisor!  I can't even go through how many people I had to talk to and couldn't keep the story straight so I had to re-explain it every time I got someone new.  Give me a supervisor before I shrink myself down, come through the phone and throttle your ass!  Got a supervisor.  She hung up on me.  Um, can you say IRATE?  I wasn't even nasty to her.  Yet.  Called again, had to explain my story, again, at least 3 more times.  I finally got to someone who said that they'd overnight my phone.  Hooray.  It's coming DHL.  GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK PEOPLE!  That phone better show up tomorrow or there's gonna be one very angry black girl storming around.

Hi, first lady from AI, I'd like to talk to you but your phone ONLY rings busy.  I guess I'll have to talk to your boss.  Oh, right, she's not answering her phone either.  Welcome to my nasty voicemail.  You better call me back today or it's ON!  You know what, I don't trust you to call me back so I'm gonna call you again.  Hi, boss lady, it's me.  Are you gonna fix this?  You have to wait for the director of accounting?  Okay, whatever.  Send me an email right this second acknowledging the holdup.

Needless to say, I need a glass of wine and it's only 12:
30.  I'm figuring that things can only get better from here.  Even though I never heard back from the lady about the dog.  Oh well, I guess the dog I have is good enough for now.

I hope that everyone's day is better than mine has been so far.  And oh, by the way, please let me know if you're in my hood and living in Baltimore, Maryland.  Statcounter says someone is visiting from there and the only folks that I know from there don't have the privilege to be privvy to what goes on in my life.  Yes, you.

Have a great day all!

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Shady business dealings

I wanted to learn website design.  I did a little research and decided to go to the Art Institute Online.  To be honest, I can't say that I would recommend it to anyone.  I don't feel that I came away with anything more than I would have if I had simply bought the textbooks and went through them myself (besides a huge student loan).

The point of it is that back in June, I got an email from them stating that their "final record" showed that I owed them $xxx.xx dollars.  I called them and arranged a payment plan that was suitable.  I made the final payment last month.  Riddle me this, then, Batman, why did I receive from them another bill in the mail stating that I still owed them another $130?

Well, I did what anyone would do – I called to see what the story was.  I spoke to a lady who wasn't pleasant and thought that I was just trying to get out of paying my bill.  Nope, not this time.  I've grown up.  I take responsibility for my actions.  Well, most of them anyways, but I digress.  I told her who I had spoken to before and she told me that he no longer worked there.  While I don't see what that has to do with the price of bananas, I let her continue.  She told me the last payment they had for me and I asked her what happened to the payment of $xx.xx that cleared out of my bank on November 13, 2007?  She said she didn't know but she would look into it and call me back.  That was 9 days ago.  Had I heard from her?  Not a peep.

Today, I am sick.  You know those Mucinex commercials with the nasty guys that live inside you?  They're living inside me right now.  TMI? Yes.  Sorry.  I am in no mood for people and their bullpoop.  I once again called AI and asked to speak with Student Accounts.  The poor guy that answered the phone.  I'm sorry dude.  I shouldn't have been mean to you but you can't transfer me to the same lady who hasn't answered my emails or phone calls for the last 8 days.  He was, however, kind enough to TELL ME that he was going to transfer me to her supervisor.  Hooray!  Before you transfer me though, could you please tell me what my balance is?  Insert sound of jaw hitting floor.  Really?  Because that is DOUBLE what the incorrect paper bill said.  Yeah, go ahead and transfer me.

Transfer goes through and guess who picks up?  Yes, the original lady.  I guess she only works when there's the threat of discipline.  She obviously has no recollection of our conversation of over a week ago because she goes into her same snotty routine of 'why do you think you don't have a balance' and 'he doesn't work for the company anymore'.

Round and round we go.  Have you found my payment?  No.  So what have you been doing for me for the last week?  Obviously, not much.  I know I get long winded so here's the bottom line.  I am a pack rat and keep everything and for once it came in handy.  I politely told Miss Stick-Up-Her-Ass that I had an email in front of me from Mr-Doesn't-Work-For-The-Company-Anymore stating that my "final balance" was $xxx.xx and I would be more than happy to go through my bank records and show her that I paid exactly that, and guess what?

MAGIC!

"Oh, I see, this is an accounting error.  You don't have a balance."

WHAT

THE

FUCK?!?!

Right, send me a final bill showing my zero balance and then burn in hell!  I hate you AI.  You're possibly the only thing to ever come out of Pittsburgh that I hate. (Except RMS, but he's just a douchebag.)  So there you have it.  My glowing endorsement of AI Online.

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