Go have student loans. Sheesh.
I pay back my loans to the government organisation I took them out of. I suppose that could be problem number 1. For some reason, the payment statement that was due today never ever showed up. On some reflection, The Boy thinks that this may be because I haven't changed my last name on the account. While we get mail for everyone else in the area, mail that arrives with my previous last name goes right back from whence it came.
Because that makes sense. However, my current beef is with the loan people, so I will focus there.
I panicked, because, you see, in order to put the fear of Shylock in you, the loan people will increase your interest if you don't pay it on the dot. And it goes up a lot. I assumed it would arrive on the 20th like a teenager past curfew -snotty and convinced it didn't do anything wrong- and I could overnight the check. Which is what I had to do last time.
But, no. So, I remember that you can pay online! And, if you pay online, the interest is slightly decreased. Heavens, how wonderful! I go to pay it. I enter in yesterday's date for it to take the money out of my account.
"You must enter a date in the future."
OK, fine. I'll do it tomorrow, no big deal, it's due that day, so any time that day should be fine, right?
"You must enter a date 24 hours from this time."
Shit. So I put in the 22nd, which is all fine and dandy, except that it's a day later than it's supposed to get there. Brilliant. My life is over because the post office in conjunction with the loansharks can't do their jobs.
This morning, I discover that you can do a brilliant thing and set your payment date back. Ah-ha! I set it to the 28th, and the system tells me that, well, this will take two or three business days to go through, and won't be valid for ten. Shit again.
So, I call their number. I tell the woman that I never got the bill in the mail, and that as far as I knew it was due today.
"No ma'am, I have your account up and it says it's not due until the 28th."
Success! My little ploy worked! I told her I paid it electronically and she promised she'd make a note on the account that this was the way it went down. Mmmm, I love papertrails.
She also suggested that they don't count bills as "late" for ninety days afterwards. This sounds like a crock of shit, because I know that the credit card company gets all antsy if the check happens to arrive after five pm on the due date.
Still, all is worked out, and I didn't have to bitch-slap anyone. I forget that the whole world is not like trying to deal with middle school administrators.