Friday report

1. The rugs are gone
2. The ex is gone
3. He got his visa but only for a year
4. Which means he will be back, within a year
5. The weather has gone dark
6. I don't like that
7. My mum's dear old school friend's dog died. I wrote her a card to say how sorry I was (I knew how upset she was, because my mum told me. This is a woman without a partner and without children. Her dogs are her family. You know the type.) In the card I said I'd written a poem about her dog, but that I wasn't enclosing it because I didn't want to presume. But if she wanted it, now or in the future, I would send it to her. The day she got the card she rang and left a message saying she would love to have the poem. I sent the poem, it took me a few days because at the moment everything is taking me longer than I'd like. The day she got the poem, yesterday, again she rang and left a message on my phone. She was sobbing, saying how much it meant to her, how beautiful it was, that even though she was crying, the poem helped. And that she loved it, and loved me for writing it. This filled my heart.
8. I have been sick for months now but am starting to feel better. Coughing up less gunk, coughing less generally. Feeling less sinus'y. But headaches still. Chest x-ray clear. Nose swab for whooping cough clear. (Fuck, just on that, the doctor measured my index finger length against the probey stick, then shoved it up my nose to that length. It was horrible.) Also sputum sample, tested for parasites: clear. (A friend of mine had a gut parasite, he's the airline dude who gave me his flying benefits. Has been to Hong Kong a lot, thinks he got it there. But he was using tap water to brush teeth and rinse. We didn't.) So next is blood tests. I'll do those next week. Also am seeing naturopath again next week, to do more work with healthful living, ie maybe a liver cleanse thing. My liver has never been cleansed/detoxed; I'm sure it needs it. I've been avoiding alcohol, and am feeling good about that. Sleeping really well. Waking up feeling good especially when I remember I didn't have X glasses of wine the night before.
9. Am going to P's school musical production tomorrow night with my Mum. P will be there as well, not sitting with us, but with a friend. Looking forward to that.
10. Need to get back to the walking, plus Alex has given me some exercise tips for strength building. Will start on those as well. Did I mention my bone density test? Spine = fine; hip not so. Haven't been back to doctor about that yet.
11. While on health issues, my daughter has got Supra Ventricular Tachycardia. It's basically the heart's electrics oversupplying and she can get palpitations. There are three options: do nothing (it's not dangerous); go on medication for the rest of her life; have a procedure called a catheter ablation. We are seeing doctors at the moment and looking into the ablation. There are risks. This scares me shitless. But one doctor said that they could get worse, and she could have episodes that go for days, and if she is travelling overseas like all good Aussie-backpacker-younguns, and is somewhere remote or somewhere with hospitals you would avoid, it could be problematic. He also said with pregnancy,  it could be another strain on the body. I went back to see him yesterday to clarify a couple of things and talk to him about getting a second opinion. So we will do that.
12. Nothing has happened with the MS.
13. I have gone back to the first one and am radically revising it, just playing around with it to see what it would look like with major changes. It's a bit exciting and scary cause I really liked it as it was. But it needs a contract. Also it's years since I wrote it and came up with the story/structure. My question to myself was: How would I write this story now, with the development I've had since I wrote it. It's an interesting question.
14. Then I have a Plan A and a Plan B depending what happens with the current MS (let's call is SUGAR). If it gets a contract, I go to Plan A, which is writing a new book which is 'in the style of' the first two MSS. If SUGAR gets shelved, then I go to Plan B which is one of two project ideas, that are different. Different in voice, in focus and in aperture of the lens. One I have about 30,00 words of what will be 49,000 words (this is the one I described earlier as Helen Garner's The Spare Room meets Bladerunner, which is a very poor description and got Alex a bit excited.) The other one is something completely new, which I've done nothing on other than collect news clippings. Let's call this one GOD. Then there's another project idea which could fit into Plan B, called BIG, but unlike GOD it would be very long and very complex. GOD is pretty simple, the idea of it in my head. Sorry. This is boring but it's helping me process it all.
15. TGIF
16. On Monday, my work partner and I are teaching a group of Year 12 girls, and the topic is sexual assault. With this school we were running sessions on pornography at Years 11 and 12 (as well as another session at each year level, Year 11s on contraception - yes, we do do contra earlier, then we recap) and Year 12 the other session is all things pregnancy. We realised two sessions on porn wasn't necessary so have replaced the Year 12 porn session with a new program on sexual assault. It will be interesting to say the least, but luckily we recently did some training, so are more skilled and confident to discuss, especially around things like disclosure, and the language to use. And activities. I'm looking forward to it.
17. I submitted an essay to Overland journal and they declined it saying it wasn't polemic enough. Interesting.
18. The dog needs a bath and I need to cut out the matted hair underneath.
19. Yesterday I got a text from Sarah Toa about a tiger snake that had taken up residence in her bush hut. And also that she is up there at her bush block to kill a Queen bee (she has started bee-keeping.) So she is up there, sleeping in her car, because of this snake. Man I love that woman. When I was with her, and we were out of Albany, looking around, going to beaches and caves, we walked up a river and the track was pretty bushy and grown over. At one stage there wasn't much of a track at all. When we walked, Sarah was stepping heavily. I am not such a city-slicker that I don't know what that means. So I was fucking stomping, very uncool. She was much more considered about it. Then she told me she'd been up there with a friend, and as they'd walked they'd scared a dugite which had rushed up the branch of a shrub to get away from them and then dropped out of the plant and fallen back onto the path. Just imagining this makes me feel strange. I'm ok with snakes if they're not going to bite me and aren't poisonous. I've held snakes, they don't freak me out I think they're wonderful. (Spiders are my freak out, but only big ones. I can hold Daddy Longlegs and move them outside). Anyway. I only recently found out dugites are snakes. For me, they were always an '80s band. But at least I knew it before we were on that path and I didn't say to Sarah: What's a dugite?
20. Am finishing reading a book called A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, by an Irish writer Eimear McBride. This book took 6 months to write, and 9 years to get published (I love the way these things can become part of a marketing plan.) Part of the reason it was considered unpublishable, or unsaleable, was the voice. It is a Joycean stream of consciousness and pretty hard to read. Hard to sustain over a long period. The book itself is not that long, I'd say middling. And the narrator is a young child in the beginning, and as she grows up, so does the voice a little. It's very disjointed, you are inside her head, and inside her head is not a great place to be because the other thing is the content is pretty confronting. Lots of pain and sadness in her life, some might say the 'typical Irish family story.' Here's a sample of the writing, the opening page:

For you. You'll soon. You'll give her name. In the stitches of her skin she'll wear your say. Mammy me? Yes you. Bounce the bed, I'd say. I'd say that's what you did. Then lay you down. They cut you round. Wait and hour and day.
          Walking up corridors up the stairs. Are you alright? Will you sit, he says. No. I want she says. I want to see my son. Smell from dettol through her skin. Mops diamond floor tiles all as strong. All the burn your eyes out if you had some. Her heart going pat. Going dum dum dum. Don't mind me she's going to your room. See the. Jesus. What have they done? Jesus. Bile for. Tidals burn. Ssssh. All over. Mother. She cries. Oh no. Oh no no no.

This is the voice of the very young protagonist, whose name we don't find out. There's her mother, and the 'you' she mentions is her older brother.

Here is some text from later in the book, where she is about 19 or 20:

I pace chew. Jesus. Does he know a thing? You did always. Yes you. Always had. Your hand your foot a bit. No problems please her and nothing new. Hear Ahhh. Hear open wide. Hear squeeze my hand. No. Harder than that. Now the hardest you can. Both at once. Now right then left. Don't wig I say to myself. You'll soon know full well. Wipe the kitchen over. This j-cloth. This scouring pad.
          Above I hear her turning. Hit her headboard with her prayers. Why don't you shut up? No now. You're here to care I say. I say so don't complain. You're clean here. You're calm and kind. I hear. Her shuffle. Her move. Across the floor. Are you down there? she shouts. Did you get the door? Yes. Did the doctor come in he? Yes he's with now. Put that kettle on. I'm coming down now to see him. He's. I'll talk to him when he's done. Yes Mammy. Don't. He'll not I'd say be in there long.

What I want to know is how she wrote this? Did she write in more standard prose and then move everything, cut things, put in full stops, create this effect OR did she write it like this, first time? Either way, it's pretty amazing, but it does feel a bit tricksy and it is definitely a one-time-only kind of deal. This book is on the prestigious UK Bailey's Prize longlist (formerly known as the Orange Prize) and has been on other lists and won prizes. I'm not sure that I think it should win. I don't think it will.

Anyway, that's it for me. Over and out, have a good weekend.

Nothing to report really

Other than this:



ABBOTT HAS FOUND THE PLANE EVERYTHING IS OK



And this. What do people think about the recent cyclist dooring incident in Melbourne, that is people who know about it and people who give an actual fuck?

To me there's something about this that seems odd.

Check the video and see if you notice anything:

Friday, phew

So my week has been very messy. Rugs, annoying exes and their even more annoying (is it even possible?) partners. Still battling my sinusitis, there is work going on in our street (someone is building a swimming pool. SO MANY TRUCKS, SO MUCH NOISE). Plus the Grand Prix has started with its helicopters and fly overs. PLUS I can't write, am in a holding pattern. Have pottered with some short stuff, but really, it's no go.

Today I plan to go and hide out at my mother's place and read. It's the only way I can get some peace today. I had written more paragraphs about this but have deleted. It was just one big boring whinge. So I'll keep this short but I did want to mention the Budget Rent a Car scam they tried on me at Perth Airport. I returned the car, but it's a long way where you park it to where you hand over the keys. So they don't go and check it, and sign off on the condition report. This works in their favour. When I picked the car up in Perth, I saw a dent that the guy hadn't put on the outgoing CR. I pointed it out and he circled that area on the form. Two nights after I'm back in Melbourne I get an intimidating and rude text message about me filling out an accident report immediately otherwise I'd be charged for the full amount of repairs.

WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT ACCIDENT?

So I email the address in the text:

Dear Sir/Madam,

There was no incident or accident while the car was in my possession. You give no details as to what the damage purportedly is. I have all my paperwork including the ‘quality control document’ given to me at the time of pick up. It details two areas of pre-existing damage.

Please advice more fully what this issue is about.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Melba.

This is the reply:

Ms Melba

PLEASE READ THE BELOW CAREFULLY.

We refer to your query & empathise if you were not aware of this new damage however Section 8 of the Terms & Conditions (t&c) states the renter is liable for all new damage. All relevant evidence is attached.

The existing damage you mentioned is on the driver rear door & the drivers rear bumper.

It is not necessary for you to complete the Accident Report Form as being unaware of this occurring, there is nothing you can complete.  Your email is statement enough, thankyou.

Information:

• Check-out qcd is completed by Budget staff when the vehicle is parked for the booking.
• Customer receives a copy to check against the vehicle themselves & must advise us promptly if there is any differences.
• Receiving the check-out qcd shows that vehicle checks are done by Budget & if a check-out is done, then its reasonable to expect that a check-in will be done as well.
• All customers know if check-in was done with them or if they just returned the keys before leaving.
• Budget does the check-in asap however exact time depends on many factors.
• Locations are predominantly for collections & returned vehicles are dealt with after bookings.
• Staff receive the check-in qcd & compare it with the check-out qcd.
• If there is new damage, the rental Excess (or lesser estimate) is charged for each & Budget does have desk signs to highlight this for customers.
• Check-out & check-in may not be done immediately or with the customer at some locations, due to the property owners restrictions* &/or staff availability#.
• Customers choose their collection & return locations & can change a return to be at an open Budget office if they prefer the check-in is done while they are present.
• The rental period in t&c ends on the day the vehicle returns to Budget.
• There is no time stipulated due to */# which may cause a check-in delay.
• Due date & time on the rental agreement document are only a guide & for Budget overdue vehicle reports.
• All charges are debited immediately (per 11.1 & 11.5) & auditing & any adjustments (per 11.2) are done as soon as possible & advised to the customer wherever possible.
  
  

I hope the above answers your questions however if there is anything else you require, please contact me at any time.

Thankyou for your business, we do appreciate it.

So I check the attached 'evidence' and see that  their copy of the form (I suppose the 'original') doesn't have the circled dent. How can this be? My copy is a carbon copy, so how did they manage that?

On their scanned and attached 'quality control document' they have circled the dent as being to the right of the number plate, not the left. This was inconsistent and I pointed that out. I also googled and very quickly had three links about scams like this one. I replied with three emails over the period of the next day or so.

The first one sent at 10.23pm, Tues 3 March (I'd received their text message that evening):

Dear Ms Simpson

PLEASE READ BELOW CAREFULLY.

I do understand the renter is liable for all new damage, however in this instance there was no new damage. I am aware of previous scams that Budget Rent a Car (and other car rental companies) have enacted, particularly at Perth Airport. The internet gives several indications where this has happened before. Here are three instances found in one minute google search:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g255103-i531-k2277645-Beware_Budget_Car_Rental_Perth_Airport-Perth_Greater_Perth_Western_Australia.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2028362

http://rippingoffoz.com/?p=68

This is testimony that your company has done this before.

Another thing is that your documentation does not even match up.

1.       On the copy of the ‘quality control document’ that you have attached to your email, the indication for the dent is to the right hand side of the number plate, but in the photograph, it is to the left. How can this be correct?

My copy of the quality control document shows a circle in the correctly corresponding place to the dent in the photo, which was pre-existing and noted as such.

2.     Your statement that the two pre-existing damages are “on the driver rear door & the drivers rear bumper” is also incorrect, as neither of these spots are marked on the quality control document. How can this be?

All the information above is in my legal favour and shows that your organisation has been derelict in its documentation.

I will not be paying any excess or extra charges (which incidentally, you don’t detail either). If charges are made to my credit card, I will instruct the bank to reverse them. There is no authority for you to make charges, based on the erroneous documentation you call evidence.

Tomorrow I’ll be ringing people at Budget Head Office and elsewhere to complain about this matter while I wait for your response.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

Dear Ms Simpson

Further to our communications yesterday I wish to advice you that I’ve contacted my credit card to dispute the extra amount of $300 your company has charged to my account, and they will be mounting an investigation in the next week or so.

I will provide them with all my documentation and testimony (including a statutory declaration if necessary) to say that the damage you are trying to charge me for on the car was pre-existing. I will also provide them with your paperwork and highlight for them the instances where your photos and documentation is contradictory and therefore suspect.

I am requesting that you reverse the $300 charge to my credit card, as it is a fraudulent charge especially considering this is something that has happened several times before at Perth aiport.

I will not be contacting you again about this matter, rather will be leaving it to the credit card company’s representative.

Yours sincerely

Melba.

 

  

The second one, sent 11.43pm that night after checking my credit card statement:

Dear Ms Simpson

I’ve just seen that a charge of $717.38 was made to my credit card yesterday (3 April) before I was even contacted by your office this evening, with the text message coming through saying I had until 17 March to provide an accident report.

Can you please explain why these charges were made before even contacting me?

I will be taking this matter further tomorrow with my credit card company, and will request a chargeback. I am extremely unhappy with this level of customer service from your company. Please provide me with your manager’s name, so I can follow up with him/her as well.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

And then this one,  sent 2.13pm the next day, Wed 5 March:

Dear Ms Simpson

Further to our communications yesterday I wish to advice you that I’ve contacted my credit card to dispute the extra amount of $300 your company has charged to my account, and they will be mounting an investigation in the next week or so.

I will provide them with all my documentation and testimony (including a statutory declaration if necessary) to say that the damage you are trying to charge me for on the car was pre-existing. I will also provide them with your paperwork and highlight for them the instances where your photos and documentation is contradictory and therefore suspect.

I am requesting that you reverse the $300 charge to my credit card, as it is a fraudulent charge especially considering this is something that has happened several times before at Perth aiport.

I will not be contacting you again about this matter, rather will be leaving it to the credit card company’s representative.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

Then this, from her at 2.29pm that Wed:

Ms Melba,

I have seen the 3 emails you have sent me but I just have not got to replying to any of them yet.

You’re of course within your rights to have your bank investigate for you however we do not charge for pre-existing damage as that would be a waste of everyone’s time.

I will of course double check the matter as you have requested & please note that I am not the one who solely handles damages. There are many steps to the process with hiring & returning a vehicle & many staff involved at different points.

Thankyou

 

Then I got this, from her Wed 5/3, 5.38pm, in red:

MELBA,

Thankyou for giving us an opportunity to review this for you & I’ve answered your 3 emails below, section by section in red as per herewith, for easier reading.

In short, we are happy to refund you & Accounts will get the $300.00 +taxes ($341.55) removed from your rental invoice in the next day or so.

Thankyou

Dear Ms Simpson

PLEASE READ BELOW CAREFULLY.

I do understand the renter is liable for all new damage, however in this instance there was no new damage. I am aware of previous scams that Budget Rent a Car (and other car rental companies) have enacted, particularly at Perth Airport. The internet gives several indications where this has happened before. Here are three instances found in one minute google search:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g255103-i531-k2277645-Beware_Budget_Car_Rental_Perth_Airport-Perth_Greater_Perth_Western_Australia.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2028362

http://rippingoffoz.com/?p=68

This is testimony that your company has done this before.

Another thing is that your documentation does not even match up.

1.     On the copy of the ‘quality control document’ that you have attached to your email, the indication for the dent is to the right hand side of the number plate, but in the photograph, it is to the left. How can this be correct?

My copy of the quality control document shows a circle in the correctly corresponding place to the dent in the photo, which was pre-existing and noted as such.

2.     Your statement that the two pre-existing damages are “on the driver rear door & the drivers rear bumper” is also incorrect, as neither of these spots are marked on the quality control document. How can this be?

All the information above is in my legal favour and shows that your organisation has been derelict in its documentation.

I will not be paying any excess or extra charges (which incidentally, you don’t detail either). If charges are made to my credit card, I will instruct the bank to reverse them. There is no authority for you to make charges, based on the erroneous documentation you call evidence.

Tomorrow I’ll be ringing people at Budget Head Office and elsewhere to complain about this matter while I wait for your response.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

There is new damage on the vehicle & in this instance, the person that has completed the check/in document, has noted it on the incorrect side of the number plate.  Of course that is our error & we are therefore happy to refund you.  I would have done this yesterday except I simply missed that error myself.

With regard to the links, I have not read them. The internet is full of half-stories & many customers just don’t bother to read their Terms & Conditions so when they do get charged for something, quite legitimately, they go online without checking it out properly, or they tell only the part they want everyone to hear.

If there is ever an anomaly with a Budget rental charge – as there is here - we will always err on the customers side as we do value their business & we want to encourage them that if we make a mistake, we will accept that without reservation, once review has taken place & the situation been made clear.  We are a business though & in order to provide the competitive rates we have that inevitably are part of the reason many customers choose us, we must ensure our costs are covered where possible.

I myself saw the 2 pre-existing damages on the door & the rear bumper, on the vehicle & in carbon on the copy of the check-out document that remains with us. Nevertheless, without seeing your actual copy, I cannot really talk further about this point.

I do hope you have allowed us at least 24hrs to reply to you before involving another office. They have nothing to do with WA as a Licensee & it just involves a lot of people in a query that can be handled easily here by one person, which is what has happened today.

Dear Ms Simpson

I’ve just seen that a charge of $717.38 was made to my credit card yesterday (3 April) before I was even contacted by your office this evening, with the text message coming through saying I had until 17 March to provide an accident report.

Can you please explain why these charges were made before even contacting me?

I will be taking this matter further tomorrow with my credit card company, and will request a chargeback. I am extremely unhappy with this level of customer service from your company. Please provide me with your manager’s name, so I can follow up with him/her as well.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

The $717.38 is the rental & damage charges in full & of course your refund will be the damage Excess only which will be done in the next day or so & you will see this in your statement in about 7days (even if it leaves us tomorrow). If there is any delay, speak to your bank first please as they often hold your funds to earn interest of them.  Thankyou

 Dear Ms Simpson

Further to our communications yesterday I wish to advice you that I’ve contacted my credit card to dispute the extra amount of $300 your company has charged to my account, and they will be mounting an investigation in the next week or so.

I will provide them with all my documentation and testimony (including a statutory declaration if necessary) to say that the damage you are trying to charge me for on the car was pre-existing. I will also provide them with your paperwork and highlight for them the instances where your photos and documentation is contradictory and therefore suspect.

I am requesting that you reverse the $300 charge to my credit card, as it is a fraudulent charge especially considering this is something that has happened several times before at Perth aiport.

I will not be contacting you again about this matter, rather will be leaving it to the credit card company’s representative.

Yours sincerely

MELBA.

There is no need to concern your bank Ms Melba. I have reviewed & I am happy to refund based on our error of marking the damage in the incorrect place. The photos do show the new damage on the day of return & that damage is not on your check-out condition report, but we do accept that we have a responsibility to mark damages correctly & we will therefore wear whatever consequences occur due to our failure with this.

 

 

So don't you love the swipe she takes at the bank? The way she backpedals, saying that no one else needs to be involved now that the money has been refunded? 

Who the fuck lives like this? 

Anyway, do not mess with The Melba, especially not at the moment. I am so close to snapping about a few things. Just saying.

PS And then the next day, they send me this:

Dear Melba May,
According to our records, you recently rented a vehicle with Budget.
As part of our ongoing commitment to customer service, we would greatly value your feedback on your experience. This quick survey should take no longer than 2 minutes of your time.
To complete, please click on the following link:
Budget Customer Feedback
If you have problems accessing our survey please copy and paste the link located at the bottom of this email into your browser.
HOTMAIL USERS: Please copy and paste the URL into a new browser window.
Thanks in advance for your participation.
Budget Customer Service

Survey link:
http://www.informinsights.com/BudgetAU/Participate.aspx?EID=fcae875f-2832-455a-b2a2-e22a17b6d727

PLEASE NOTE: You have to paste the entire link. If the link is on more than one line, you have to reform it into one complete line when you paste into your browser.

---

Hahahaha. 

The money has been returned to my account too. 

So, should I bother taking this further? I want people to know about it so they don't get caught. I also want to expose the FUCKERS to their senior management. But I kind of can't be fagged.

What do you reckon?