Thanks, Staples...

Last week I placed two separate orders from Staples.com so that I could get some one-day special price and apply coupons to each. One of the items that was originally $55 was supposed to be $20, but I was overcharged (I was charged $40.93 after taxes) and had to call to get a $19.95 credit. Other item I ordered came to $41.99 after taxes, but I never got it and online tracking status said "Missing Order." When I called to see what happened, Staples said it must have gotten lost or damaged, so they had already automatically credited me with $70.34. When they asked if I wanted to reorder at the same price ($~70), I said "no thanks".

$41.99 + $40.93 - $19.95 - $70.34 = $7.37 in my pocket + free first order item ($55 normal price)

Credit card bill extract:

Parking Ticket Part 1

So yesterday when I got home after another long day of work, I picked up my mail on my way in as usual and noticed something from the DC Department of Motor Vehicles...not something you want to see. Before changing out of my suit or doing anything else I would normally do to unwind, I immediately open the envelope out of both curiosity and concern. Much to my surprise, inside was a "Notice of Unsatisfied Parking Tickets" with a $30 fine and an additional $30 late penalty for "failing to answer within 30 days." The problem is that I never even received a ticket in the first place!!

For those of you who know me, you know how much I hate throwing money away for crap like this. The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I was. Not only did I get penalized for not responding to a ticket that I never received, but I also received a ticket for apparently parking in a no parking zone that didn't even have any signs indicated this! The notice identified the location as "600 Block 6th St NW East Side" on 8/24/05. When I recalled the events of that evening, I feel even worse because I had initially parked a few blocks away and fed a meter $2.00 before moving because I found this other location that didn't have any parking restrictions posted (as opposed to the 2-hour limit with the meter). So not only did I get an improper ticket and a penalty equal to the amount of the original fine for the ticket I never received, but I had also wasted an additional $2.00 to cause all of these problems.

Today I sent a letter to the DC DMV Adjudication Services requesting a copy of the ticket I never received and notifying them that I will be contesting both the late penalty and the original ticket. I have a feeling this could get ugly...