AN UNPAYABLE BILL

Pookie had to laugh too !

A few weeks ago I found an invoice in my mailbox from the hospital where I had had a check up. That's nothing special because invoices are usually the only mail most of people get. The invoice showed an amount to pay : 0,00 €. I started to doubt about the mental health of this hospital, this was ridiculous, even the paper was worth more plus the stamps ! That's more than one € isn't it ? I am not a genious in math have never been, but that I could figure out. I dropped it in the wastepaper basket, told it to my friends as it was quite funny and then forgot about it.

One week later or so, I got a reminder to please pay the outstaning invoice of € 0,00. Again by mail and with stamps. I shaked my head thought they are crazy and threw it away.

After a while I got another reminder telling me that I had already had one reminder but still not payed the invoice and I should do this right away. Now I had a real problem how can I pay 0,00 € ? The bank will take me for mad and I didn't intend to spend the rest of my life in a mad house. Sighing I threw it away.

Then I got another letter, this time encircled with red and a menacing text, all in red, that I still had not payed and that this was the last payment invitation. I got scared and threw it away.

Another week went by and another letter arrived. This time with registred mail ! The postman looked suspiciously at me ... did I commit a crime ?

The letter was quite rude informing me that this would be the last (underlined, red, exclamation mark) reminder before taking juridical steps ! My Godness I thought, should I take a lawyer ? I saw myself already sitting in a nicely decorated cell with computer and flowers around me (but sadly without cats) and my husband bringing me oranges.

Now, I thought, I should call them and ask for an explanation because very honestly I did not have a 0 € coin or bill. That really was a big problem. Otherwise I would have driven over there and paid it.

I called the accounting department and wanted to explain my problem. From service to service to service who all were not responsible finally I ended up with a person who seemed to at least know something. I explained for the X time my problem. The female voice on the phone declared me that this is the fault of the computer, he was the culprit ! And the best thing I could do was to send 0,00 € per bank transfer.

On my timid statement that this would be absurd, she told me, no not at all, as the computer only understands when he gets a transfer. Then I could live in peace again. But, I dared to oppose, the computer does only things which people had told it to do, she looked at me with a pityful glance, not saying loud but what she thought deep inside, that I was again one of these stupid people who really don't understand anything about computers ! To assure this oh so clever woman I promised her to make a transfer of 0,00 € right away. I hang up the phone and .... did it.

Since today I haven't got any mail anymore except other invoices of course. That the hospital spend at least 10 € for stamps and registred mail was apparently normal. And they always complain about lack of money.