Famous last words: "We'll get back to you"

  In January 2005, Chloe took her teenage daughter to the eye department of a major department store to buy a new pair of glasses. There was no way that she could know that the transaction would  become her "own Kafka moment" and change forever how she feels about a respected department store, her insurance company, and consumer rights.

Since her health insurance picked up a portion of the cost of eyeglasses, Chloe innocently asked the clerk to call the insurance company to find out what amount they would cover. She waited while the clerk found out that information and then immediately paid the balance.

As Chloe says, " I have a superior credit rating. I pay my bills on time, I don't carry a credit on my credit cards. My husband and I are good money managers."

That's why she was surprised, when two or three months later she received a bill for the eyeglasses.And thus began the insanity of the bill that just wouldn't go away--even though Chloe had already paid for the glasses.

Being a rational human being, Chloe thought that a call to the vision department would clear up the confusion. It was not to be. " Every time I called the person answering the phone would say, " You have to talk to the manager."

Chloe called again. And again. And again. Finally after several weeks she managed to talk to the manager person to person.

It was not a great conversation. " She said she would have to do some research and she would get back to me."

When the manager finally did get back to her, she quoted a different payment arrangement than the insurance company had quoted on that day back in January. Chloe had now called the vision center about 10 times. Their final response, " You'll have to call the insurance company."

When Chloe called the insurance company they read to her directly from their CRM ( customer information service)  quoting what they ( the insurance company) had paid the vision center  and when they had paid the vision center.

Did I mention that Chloe is an executive who manages a multi million dollar budget and is used to working with invoices? Of course the numbers the insurance company quoted Chloe did not match the numbers that the vision center had on Chloe's bill.

Eventually, out of frustration, Chloe  decided it was time to write a letter to the store's customer service department.However, when she tried to look up that address, it was no where to be found. "I called the main number of the department store and no one there could give me that information either."

Chloe decided to send her letter to the president's office. In that letter explaining the entire situation. "I told them I was willing to pay any remaining balance but I needed to understand exactly what I owed and why I owed it."

Turns out that office couldn't help her but they gave her an address and phone number of the department to contact. Chloe once again sent the letter.

Once again she heard nothing. She called. Their response, " We never got the letter."

"No problem, " said Chloe, " I'll send it again.

"Before I got the letter in the mail, they called" said Chloe.  " They  said they had suddenly found my letter."
Not surprisingly, they said " We'll get back to you."

After several weeks, Chloe contacted them. She was delighted when they said, " We've got good news. We've got it resolved."

Chloe, relieved, said, " That's wonderful. I would like it in writing."

A week or so later Chloe gets the letter. It states, " Contact the Vision Center directly to resolve this issue."

It's now over a year. Chloe continues to get calls from the collection agency for $130.

Chloe says she's deflated. She wants to write the Better Business Bureau but says she doesn't have the energy.
Just to make matter worse, during the same time Chloe received a  different bill from her insurance company for $375 for surgery she did not have. After lots of calls back and forth, the insurance company said they had cleared the matter up and  she only owed a $10 co-pay.

A week or so ago, Chloe got a bill from her insurance company. For $375.
As to her daughter 's glasses. She lost them.

Note: Chloe is a pseudonym.

Image Credit: Flickr member Daily Pic