Late morning, I stumbled over an unread statement for my Bankwest Mastercard. Which was closed last September. Which I no longer possessed either a card or access online. So, how could I still have an outstanding balance and been charged three late fees? Sigh. A reason to travel to the Big Smoke.
A mystery. Along with the Medicare rebate that couldn't be processed at Doctor Daram's rooms on 23 December. I had tried ringing Medicare. Laughable. "We are experiencing long delays. Don't bother hanging on." Then, there was the cryptic computer generated letter, also from Medicare, alluding to the Safety Net. With no other details. So we added a trip to Medicare as well. Horrible.
And Michael needed a CT of his teeth. Now we finally had some money, he wanted his front implant inserted. Pronto. Our dentist, Vincent, referred Michael to obtain up to date information as to the state of Michael's jaw before he proceeded. We booked an appointment at the radiologists' rooms for early afternoon.
Finally, I added shopping to the list. The dogs were nearly out of their dinner log. There were other groceries to purchase. Suddenly, we had a full afternoon of activities, whether we like it or not.
I dropped Michael at the radiologists for his appointment and headed for Medicare. Sharing premises with Centrelink always makes for a sobering experience. There are not many happy souls (clients or staff) in a Centrelink office.
For the first time, I thanked the universe for my smartphone. I had something to do whilst I was waiting. A cheery whiteboard reminded us that the staff was taking industrial action, so we needed to be patient. Oh goody.
Presently, I was called in. I gave the very pleasant Medicare staffer my receipt. She needed to speak to Doctor Daram's rooms. Hang on a minute. Doctor Daram's receptionists hadn't been able to process the payment to Medicare. Now Medicare wanted to talk to the doctor's rooms. Which will not be open until next Monday. So, my Medicare claim is in limbo.
Visiting the bank was worse. Yes, my Mastercard had been closed in September. Except more debits had dribbled in. And I had been charged $25 a month for late payment on an account I believed was null and void. This had added up to a total of $250. I presented my case. The "welcome" reception went to confer Out The Back. After an hour or so, I couldn't cope arguing anymore. I paid the balance and fled out of Bankwest. I was most unhappy with their customer service.
Whilst I was shopping at Coles, Michael was at Telstra, again, to sort out his phone. An hour later, he was much happier, his phone was behaving itself and we had another new plan. For the NBN. I sincerely pray this isn't a disaster!
We left Perth in the very late afternoon. Dusk was falling as we arrived home. We were absolutely spent. I could not help thinking about my experiences with the government and corporate world.
Surely, surely, we all deserve better than this.
Trying to phone Medicare.
How large organisations appear to operate.
How I feel.
And an explanation provided by the Peter Principle.
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