Well, my hubby’s laptop has been pronounced dead. After a thorough cleaning and drying for 24 hours, not even charging light would come on.
But hubby’s not too unhappy, as I handed over mine this morning. He was actually quite pleased, as mine is newer and much faster. Hmm… Maybe he’ll just have to keep that one and I’ll get the new one…
He was so distracted last night when he got home, that it barely even registered when I told him what had happened.
What was he distracted by, you ask? (Well, even if you didn’t ask, I’m going to tell you!)
Last night on his way home from work, as he passed the fuel delivery company, he noticed that the back of one of their trucks had a new vinyl decal in the window.
The decal read:
Ask me if John and Jane Doe* filed bankruptcy?
*Names have been changed, so that I don’t get charged with libel.
Yes, this distracted the man enough that he didn’t even get mad that I had killed his laptop. It was driving him crazy, wondering why the company would pay to have a decal made up that says that.
In my opinion, there is only one reason that that company would do that. They deliver home heating fuel, and thus have charge accounts for their customer, which could be very large, depending on the size tank the customer has. My guess would be that this particular couple ran up a very large bill with the company and then claimed that they filed bankruptcy. But knowing the owner of this company, I’m guessing he found out that they never actually filed or something, and now wants to ’shame’ them into paying.
I mean this is a very small town.
Why would they put that in the window other than to embarrass the people and ruin their reputation here in small town PA?
But, wouldn’t that be considered libel, as it is in writing, even if it is on a window of a fuel truck?
Wow, that is mean! I would be upset if I had a company and the people didn’t pay but wow, that’s taking it to a whole new level. Claiming to file bankruptcy and not actually doing it is pretty low though.
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It’s proof though that that company will do whatever it can to collect. Not only does it shame the one’s whom have already forfeited on an account, but it serves as a warning to those who may think about it in the future. Thanks for stopping by!
Not illegal, but definitely kind of slimy. I would think that would lose them customers. I would rather go with a different fuel company than one that would do that type of thing. I agree with Talia, that it is also slimy to claim bankruptcy if you didn’t file. But does bad behavior really have to lead to more bad behavior?
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I thought it pretty creative, especially in this small town. It shows that he’s, forgive the phrase, ‘Got Balls’, and that he will go to any length to collect.
In this small town, yes, bad behavior does lead to more bad behavior! The other couple involved will have already started spreading rumors about how the business owner scammed him, or over-charged, or even possibly slept with someone else’s wife (somehow that kind of stuff always seems to sneak in when someone starts a rumor…)
Good for the company, they’ve not done anything wrong. The person who didn’t pay their bill are in the wrong. I think there’s nothing wrong with shaming someone who’s not paid for service. After all, the company has bills to pay and without the expected income they may have trouble. Enough people do that and the company in a small town could have some real problems. They might file for bankruptcy and then where will the townspeople be without heat. It’s not slander if they’re stating a fact, and people filing bankruptcy is a matter of public record, just as those who don’t pay their taxes is a matter of public record. Our newspaper prints an alphabetical list of people who don’t pay their taxes.
People shouldn’t get away with lying, cheating, and not paying their bills. The person in this small did all that. He lied to the person he owed, he cheated the person he probably knew who had provided him service, and if he gets away with it with the heating, he’ll try it with groceries, with phone, with other things…all of which affect you all in this small town.
I don’t understand why people support his doing that and harp on the company.
So, now I know the computer got wet, but how? Swing by for a visit, it’s been awhile
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Me, I’m neutral on this issue – as I’ve been in both situations before. I’ve filed bankruptcy personally, and now I work for the local water authority. Both places suck.
But I do have to give it to the business owner, for being creative in how he goes about collecting! Wait… I think I feel another blog post coming on…
The computer got wet when I left a glass of milk on my desk, which the dog knocked over.
I agree with Sandy. Unfortunately the growing trend of adult irresponsibility extends to the financial as well. When people do not pay their bills, the rest of us end up picking up the tab. It took me EIGHT YEARS to pay off the hospital when our daughter was born, but we paid it. We had saved up to pay our part, but hadn’t anticipated 2 weeks of Neo-Natal ICU and such (we did have insurance, but it was lousy and didn’t have that “catastrophic clause” so we ended up with monster bills). I used to work at a Credit Union and for every person that is really trying there are 50 more that just don’t care. I’d be surprised though, if the company doesn’t wind up in a defamation of character suit.
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I know how that goes, as the bookkeeper for the local water authority, I often have to be the one to issue the notices shutting off people’s water, and then filing liens on the property. It sucks, having to hound people for money. And then still be forced to raise rates for the rest of the customers just to be able to pay the bills.
I personally don’t believe that this particular case will end up in court, knowing both parties involved, I don’t think it would even occur to the couple, who are a young newlywed couple, to file charges. They’ll retaliate by spreading rumors about the guy that owns the fuel company. That’s life in a small town for you!
That is so mean. Although, I am chuckling about it. But that’s the side of me that’s going to hell anyway.
I, too, live in a small town and I can’t imagine that happening here. If it did, you can bet that people would drop that fuel company in droves and sign on to another one. Where I live people really have each other’s backs.
People file bankruptcy for all sorts of reasons seldom having anything to do with being a deadbeat. Judge not lest yee be judged.
Well, now I sound like some kind of creepy religious zealot. Not the case, I assure you. But judging others is a direct path to instant karma and, as you know, instant karma’s a bitch.
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I believe, that as with everything else in this town, people will take sides – heck, it’s a tradition dating back to the first settlers I think. Half of the people will support the fuel company, the other half will support the customers…
Ahh, life in a small town – ya gotta love it! Me, I’ve been in both places. I’ve been the one filing bankruptcy before, and I’ve been the one trying to collect on past utility bills (as that’s part of my job)… Both places suck!
Yes, lately, I know all to well how karma is… There’s two big empty spots on my desk to remind me, one for the laptop I ruined, and one for the one I had to give him to replace it, which he now keeps away from me…