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Pay up......or else !

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  • Pay up......or else !

    On Thursday, 24th January 2002 , Derek Guille broadcast this story on
    His afternoon program on ABC radio.

    In March 1999 a man living in Kandos (near Mudgee in NSW, Australia )
    Received a bill for his as yet unused gas line stating that he owed
    $0.00.

    He ignored it and threw it away. In April he received another bill and
    Threw that one away too.

    The following month the gas company sent him a very nasty note stating
    That they were going to cancel his gas line if he didn't send them
    $0..00 by return mail.

    He called them, talked to them, and they said it was a computer error
    And they would take care of it.

    The following month he decided that it was about time that he tried out
    The troublesome gas line figuring that if there was usage on the account
    It would put an end to this ridiculous predicament.

    However, when he went to use the gas, it had been cut off.

    He called the gas company who apologised for the computer error once
    Again and said that they would take care of it. The next day he got a
    Bill for $0.00 stating that payment was now overdue.

    Assuming that having spoken to them the previous day the latest bill was
    Yet another mistake, he ignored it, trusting that the company would be
    As good as their word and sort the problem out.

    The next month he got a bill for $0.00. This bill also stated that he
    Had 10 days to pay his account or the company would have to take steps
    To recover the debt.

    Finally, giving in, he thought he would beat the gas company at their
    Own game and mailed them a cheque for $0.00. The computer duly processed
    His account and returned a statement to the effect that he now owed the
    Gas company nothing at all.

    A week later, the manager of the Mudgee branch of the Westpac Banking
    Corporation called our hapless friend and asked him what he was doing
    Writing cheque for $0.00.

    After a lengthy explanation the bank manager replied that the $0.00
    Cheque had caused their cheque processing software to fail. The bank
    Could therefore not process ANY cheques they had received from ANY of
    Their customers that day because the cheque for $0.00 had caused the
    Computer to crash.

    The following month the man received a letter from the gas company
    Claiming that his cheque had bounced and that he now owed them $0.00 and
    Unless he sent a cheque by return mail they would take immediate steps
    To recover the debt.

    At this point, the man decided to file a debt harassment claim against
    The gas company. It took him nearly two hours to convince the clerks at
    The local courthouse that he was not joking.

    They subsequently helped him in the drafting of statements which were
    Considered substantive evidence of the aggravation and difficulties he
    Had been forced to endure during this debacle.

    The matter was heard in the Magistrate's Court in Mudgee and the
    Outcome was this:

    The gas company was ordered to:

    [1] Immediately rectify their computerised accounts system or Show
    Cause, within 10 days, why the matter should not be referred to a higher
    Court for consideration under Company Law.

    [2] Pay the bank dishonour fees incurred by the man.

    [3] Pay the bank dishonour fees incurred by all the Westpac clients
    Whose cheques had been bounced on the day our friend's had been
    Processed.

    [4] Pay the claimant's court costs; and

    [5] Pay the claimant a total of $1500 per month for the 5 month period
    March to July inclusive as compensation for the aggravation they had
    Caused their client to suffer.

    And all this over $0.00.

    This story can also be viewed on the ABC website.

    Who employs these idiots??

    Remember, these "people" walk among us and breathe the same air we do.

  • #2
    How strange.
    :snooker:
    High break: 117
    2013 Midlands University Snooker Champion

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally Posted by ashbash View Post
      Who employs these idiots??
      I'm sure HMRC now employ these people.

      Comment


      • #4
        Appreciate time taken to write this out. Nice 1.
        I can see the table, but lost my ....ive lost my balls

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally Posted by heera2009 View Post
          Appreciate time taken to write this out. Nice 1.
          http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/zerobill.html

          Copy & paste?

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally Posted by ashbash View Post
            Remember, these "people" walk among us and breathe the same air we do.

            oops........

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally Posted by CoolBlue View Post
              Thanks for link coolblue
              I can see the table, but lost my ....ive lost my balls

              Comment


              • #8
                You mean that wasn't a joke???

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally Posted by CoolBlue View Post
                  your right it was a copy and paste job. i got this as a email. i thought it might be as it says a "true story" but i cant find anything on the abc website ????? still a bit of a strange one all the same.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    There is no reason to believe any variation of this story is true. Unfortunately, as with most urban legends, it provides no verifiable details (like the person's name, the company name, etc.), so we can prove it neither true nor false.

                    It may be true that Derek Guille read the chain letter above on his radio show, but that wouldn't be the first time a radio entertainer related an urban legend over the air and called it fact. I have not, however, been able to confirm that he did. Break this chain.
                    There's your answer. It's onloy the same trick the coens employed on Fargo, when they said it was a true story, and they'd made it all up.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Maybe the mythica bill for $0.00 could have been sorted by paying $0.01.???

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally Posted by dantuck_7 View Post
                        Maybe the mythica bill for $0.00 could have been sorted by paying $0.01.???
                        In Australia there is a rumor that if you get a fine for speeding and the fine is lets say $200 and you loose two demerit points, if you pay the fine with a check for $201 then the Department of Transport will issue a refund check of $1 and untill you deposite that check into your bank and it clears, then your points dont get deducted from your licence. So you could just hold onto the check and your points for as long as you like. Or something like that.

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