“If you don’t act now the account will be closed.” “What do you mean? You will close my account?” “No I meant to say ‘the meeting will be adjourned.’ “ It’s a proxy meeting and I won’t bore you with specifics.
Explain please how a person would say the first sentence when she meant the “meeting will be adjourned.” I have been continually harassed by a company hired by a fund company. Continually as in three calls in the past two days all saying the sentences in the above paragraph. There were more calls but I hung up. Why am I the one person in America both to answer her phone and not hang up immediately? Why?
It’s not that I thought they were going to abscond with my money. It’s that they use the same verbiage in repeated calls. And there is a second of fear. I’m an idiot. I admit it.
I’m beyond angry. I try to let anger fly away. Unless used for a greater purpose it only serves to give people heart attacks and strokes–as my stock broker could attest to. He had massive heart failure a few months ago after having lost most of his money and much of his clients money. I felt sorry for him. I know. I know. But the world changed and it wasn’t his fault.
Most of us have had our lives changed in the past few years. These calls were directly made to play on fear. “Single woman, lives in South Carolina. Call her until she breaks.” Most women I have met here are very strong. They do have that steel magnolia thing going.
I’m a New Yorker and we yell. And yell. And yell. I refuse to fall into that though maybe it would be healthy for me.
I’m going to file formal complaints with both the SEC and the FCC. My brokerage house doesn’t want me to. I have to ask: why? Is there something beyond minor harassment in those calls?
Though I have made good friends and can’t complain about my life here, I’m feeling very alone. I would probably feel that way in New York right now. Having bag lady fears is normal, I know, though I have less to worry about in that area than many women, I do. It isn’t a giant amount of money but it will pay my expenses for many months or a great trip. I would like to keep it.
Those phone calls were designed to play on my fears. I had asked them not to call me. I specifically said, “I don’t want anybody from First Widget Trust calling me anymore.” Once you say that legally they can’t call. They ignored that. I feel violated. I feel as if somebody peered into my soul and decided that I’m somebody who can be screwed with. (According to my brokerage company, nobody else who has this fund–my one fund, I hate them–has been getting more than one call from First Widget Trust, and none have had that script read to them. It’s a script you’ll remember.) When a man called at 8:55 last night I said “I told you not to call me anymore.” He said “you didn’t tell me.” “You’re right. I said “….from First Widget…” He hung up. The law is that specific and I respect that.
I need winter to end. I didn’t move to the beach for endless freezing weather. My heating broke last week. Fortunately I can keep it on “emergency.” Unfortunately that’s very expensive. Unfortunately Trane is back ordered at least a month. Fortunately it’s under warranty.
My health insurance premium went up 37.6% a month. Nobody has ordered a moratorium on my increase, as President Obama did in California for 1.4% more. Is California superior to South Carolina? Are we going to be punished because South Carolina didn’t go Democrat? (I have given up on caring about any political party in this country. I have always liked Obama, and thought at first his conciliatory politics marked a new era. Now I think he needs to develop some cajones.
These are all minor things but they add up.
Sometimes I need to blog things to get over the feeling. I hate this need.
