Further Proof My Bank is Evil

I love the internet. Without it we wouldn't have videos of lions reuniting with their human friends (*sob*) or be able to look up our houses on Google Earth. (Or, of course, read the wide world of blogs.)

However, paying my bills online has become one giant headache. I honestly think I should return to writing checks and sending them snail mail. As I type this, I am on hold with AT&T's customer service because their website suddenly won't process my debit card. The first person I spoke with tried inputting the information again and their system still wouldn't take it. So I'm being transferred to someone in receivables.

Do do do... This hold info that they keep repeating incessantly is really starting to chap my ass.

Oh wait, a human. I wonder which hemisphere he's located in. He just informed me that there's a $5 charge for making a payment over the phone, but he's going to "waive" it because this is a special case. Yeah whatever. He tries to input the info again. No luck and now I'm being told I need to contact my bank, but not before he reads one long-ass script about how my payment schedule ends on such date, my payment's due on such date and there'd be a $35 reconnect fee if I were to get cut off for nonpayment. What the hell ever.

I have to look up my bank's phone number. Evidently they really don't want their customers to call them, because the only link I could find on the home page was a tiny little "Contact Us" at the bottom of the right-hand corner. Several minutes of hold advertising and assurances that my call really is important to them.....

I'm told that my card is expired. Never mind the fact that I am in possession of a new card that--yes, I activated when I received it in MARCH--has an expire date of 2011. Or that I have been using this card all over town since MARCH, and paying bills online with it. And strangely it's affecting only some of my automatic payments. Which explains the problems I've been having with Big Fish.

So this can all be laid at my bank's evil doorstep. I love how they made me repeat my name, last four digits of my social, my first pet's name, mom's maiden name, dad's middle name, rank and serial number multiple times as well as email a photo of the mole above my eye just to prove it really is me they're talking to. (that was a joke, for those of you who can't grasp sarcasm)

I've really got to get my money out of that bank. Preferably transferred and not just spent at Home Depot.