Woman fights for a decade-old 14 cents

Posted by Chris Spags on January 29th, 2010 at 10:11 am

I think that there’s something admirable about people who are really skilled at saving money and being thrifty since I spend money like a crack fiend. But there may be a time where it goes too far, like one woman who fought for over a decade over losing 14 cents on a pre-paid phone bill. Did she win? You’ll have to read to find out! Oh, I’m such a tease.

Janet Maitland is nothing if not a good telephone services consumer. Back about a decade ago, she got her long distance phone service through Costco. It was called TTI and it offered a smoking deal.

“They offered a deal where it was 5.4 cents a minute and they broke it down into 6-second increments, so we are talking little tiny bills here. I’ve got one here that is for 2 cents,” she said.

She had put $5 on account and nearly a decade later, she still has 14 cents left. But then out of nowhere, that 14 cents disappeared. She called several times and was told the money would be sent or charged back to her credit card, or that the money would not be returned.

“It is 14 cents, but it is my 14 cents, and they were after me for 2 cents. They sent me a bill for 2 cents, they expected their money,” Maitland said.

Fortunately, a local news station was as much on her side as their undoubtedly annoying local commercials proclaimed and agreed to take on her idiotic cause. The San Francisco ABC affiliate tracked down Verizon’s corporate office, now the owner of the subsidiary, and got her the precious dime and four pennies she so craved.

7 On Your Side took Maitland ‘s problem to Verizon corporate who tracked down the obscure subsidiary and agreed she was owed 14 cents and Verizon was willing to pay up.

Soon after, Maitland got a check for 14 cents.

“I am very pleased. I knew it was coming, I knew you had the magic that you do,” she said.

Meanwhile, I’m sure some guy is sitting in his house after a tragic car accident, unable to get a prosthetic leg from his shady health insurance company. But thank God 7 On Your Side got this OCD old bag enough money to buy two packs of Bazooka Gum with enough money left over to make four mediocre wishes in a mall fountain. Keep fighting the good fight, you heroes.

[ABC Local]

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Chris Spags "Internet Heartthrob" Chris Spags is a former comic and the founding editor of Guyism.com. In addition to overseeing all Guyism content and business development, he covers Humor for the site daily. He was recognized on the street once and it was awesome.