18th September 2008

Shortly after this date I received a window envelope from the 407-ETR.

“URGENT” it said on the envelope.

“PLEASE READ NOTICE”

I opened it and found to my surprise a bill for $697.75.

Huh?

I telephoned the 407-ETR and learned from them that I still had a transponder, and that the sum of $ represented the monthly lease, unpaid, with interest compounded.

A protest that I had returned the transponder got me nowhere. The clerk at 407-ETR maintained that since their computer said I had a transponder, I had one.

No ifs, ands or buts!

It is over 40 years that I’ve been telling computers what to do, and I grow impatient with people who tell me that “It’s the computer’s fault”, or that “The computer says so” and by implication it must be so.

Arguing gets me nowhere with menial clerks.

At 15:10 on the 1st of October 2008 I telephoned the office of my Member of Provincial Parliament, Donna Cansfield MPP Etobicoke Center. The office advised me to contact the Ombudsman of the 407-ETR by email as Ombudsman@407ETR.com , which I did not; instead I elected to telephone from the 407-ETR web site http://407etr.com/ I obtained the telephone number of Denise Peltier 905-264-4485.

At 15:18 I left a message on Denise Peltier’s voice mail, giving my name, account number and telephone number.

At 15:25 I optimistically tried logging in through the automated system 1-888-407-0407 press “1”, press …

While trying to create a PIN I offered my telephone number and was told that it did not correspond to my postal code.

Huh?

I tried pressing zero, to reach an operator and ultimately, with Joel, was asked for my license plate number. Not surprisingly, it does not appear on the statement, presumably because I don’t own a car.

At 15:32 I managed to get my call upgraded to a “Resolution Specialist”, but reality set in as I realized I was put on hold.

At 15:37 my notes indicate that I was talking now with Sophia, who had an address on file that was, I am almost ashamed to say, my fourth-last address.

At 15:38 Sophia told me “I’m going to fill out a form …”, but that, unhappily, my account was in “advocacy”. What that? “It is in a status where I can’t touch it”.

Shades of John Grisham’s The Client began to snuggle into my consciousness.

18th October 2008

Search