In case you were wondering where all the creativity has gone, the muse has left and in its place there is an ogre that shleps along, exhausted, trying to make the world a better place. Sometimes I wish that I had become a consumer advocate.

I have ongoing aggravation with Dell;
I have anxiety about Toyota;
I have growing disgust with the publisher I have chosen, iUniverse:
after reading through tweets and following links I am finding other writers who are expressing anger and resentment toward the company which is appearing more and more inept. One wrote that she never got her royalties. Another that she submitted a perfect manuscript and that there were still errors. I see there is a shake-up in personnel leaving and something about a move; the company seems unstable. Even so, I have come this far and I am going to get what was promised–a few copies of my work. I will come out of it with a close to perfect manuscript and start looking for other means of publication.

What I didn’t mention is that I have assumed responsibility for all my mother’s paperwork and it has become a job. Dealing with banks, insurance and her condo, people calling me about it’s sale price, on and on. But the latest is most unreal.

In December my mother was able to get through to the Social Security Office in her area and change her address as well as the account her check is directly deposited into. I opened a joint account and wanted the money deposited there to make it easier to pay her bills.

Since December the Social Security hasn’t been deposited in her old account or her new account. More hours on the phone to banks. Then to Social Security. And in case you’ve never had the pleasure, it’s an impossible system tor anyone to navigate over the phone, let alone a 92 year old.

This is how I proved to the agent that my mother was my mother:
I had my mother on the home phone;
the agent on the cell phone;
I held the cell phone to the home phone speaker;
I said, “Ma, tell the guy your name and age.”
She said, “My name is ____ , I was born on_____I am going to be 92 years old, would you like to come to my party next week at the Assisted Living place I live in?
“Ok, Ma, enough with the party,” I said, “We have business to take care of.”

When the agent finished laughing and was assured of who I was and who my mother was, he did a little probing for me. I found that my mother’s money was rerouted to a bank called Comerica. She had no account there. Apparently she does now.

Social Security took it upon itself to open an account in a bank we never heard of, deposit my mother’s (3) checks there and according to the bank, which said Social Security screwed up, it is issuing DEBIT cards so people could access their money.

The debit card was allegedly sent to the Assisted Living. My mother never got it. The office doesn’t know what I am talking about.

I called Social Security back; the agent made me feel like he was partly guilty and still doing me a favor by putting a trace on her debit card.

Now let’s all think…what does a 92 year old woman need with a debit card for over $3,000 when she has a bank? And a daughter paying her bills? This is what they did with Katrina victims. She doesn’t go out shopping, in fact she never heard of a debit card.

So, I have been writing and calling MY Congressman, my mother’s congressman (there’s no one in the seat at present) in hopes of getting this resolved. It’s a travesty.

As the lovely lady at Comerica said, when my mother changed her address and then her bank account for deposit the system couldn’t handle TWO things. It saw a change of address, not the bank account, and assumed she had no bank.

So with this added to my daily to-do list of “Fixing Stupidity,” I have been on overload.

Excuse me while I head for the Advil.

reply greenwytch wrote on Mar 15, ’10 you’re a better woman than i…..i’d be heading for the merlot! HUGS and blessings to you.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Who says I didn’t! ha!

reply greenwytch wrote on Mar 15, ’10 HAH! ; D

reply welshdoug wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Muse has left me for a bit, too…I have more pressing matters which I won’t blog about. Funny how stuff all piles up at once….(by the way – Shiraz is nicer than Merlot)

reply shoppingdreams wrote on Mar 15, ’10 I’m having similar issues, but in different respects. Nobody cares about service anymore. I guess they figured out nothing will happen to them if they save money ripping off customers.But to do that to a 92 year old woman. What if she didn’t have you? Lowest of the low.

reply shoppingdreams wrote on Mar 15, ’10 welshdoug said Muse has left me for a bit, too…I have more pressing matters which I won’t blog about. Funny how stuff all piles up at once…. (by the way – Shiraz is nicer than Merlot) I agree on the Shiraz.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Social Security, our friend…hmmm Need a glass of something

reply shoppingdreams wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Yeah my issues aren’t with them, but similar dynamic. Pouring the shiraz!

reply sousonne wrote on Mar 15, ’10 If Social Security decided to open an account for your mother, why wasn’t SHE or YOU informed? I would also suggest, that if the debit card is nowhere to be found, that they block that debit card number immediately so that no one else can use it and NOT issue another. Personally, I have found that things get done a lot faster and much easier if you can take whatever paperwork you need, etc. TO the SS office and deal with it in person. It’s never a satisfactory experience trying to do it over the phone. It may even be possible for you to work with the SS office where YOU are, since you are supposed to be co-signed with her account and perhaps they can work with the offices where your mother is. In any case, this is our government at work….it’s scary…isn’t it?

reply millimusings wrote on Mar 15, ’10, edited on Mar 15, ’10 Oh my gosh Sue..this is how it can be here too…A fiasco and a big mess of a system. Ineptness on the part of those processing does not help either. All the best.

reply parsonsblvd wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Oh man….Sue I wish you all the best out there, seriously. Sounds like rough waters, but I’m sure you will ultimately be better for the experiences. : ) Fred

reply ladywolf11 wrote on Mar 15, ’10 I am laughing so hard, between this , your keyboard and your sons keyboard lol tears lol I don’t mean to make light of it but I love coming in here- lol I do hope you and mom get it all straightened up – and the computers too ok you are the Newest Erma Bombeck– good luck dear

reply sandpearl wrote on Mar 15, ’10 My compassion goes to you Sue. Any governmental agency seems to like finding ways of making it difficult for the most clever to find their way around. Imagine having less education of difficulties reading, you end up with helpless people within the most helpless part of society. Advil is a start lol! You get a couple hours of quiet head to make a few phone calls. Courage mon amie.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 15, ’10 Thanks, Danielle. Today is my rant day; if it isn’t one thing, it’s another!

reply josfreshlybrewedmood wrote on Mar 15, ’10 You sure you do not need something stronger than an Advil, like maybe a triple shot latte? 😉 Gov’t agencies are so inept at times. Hope you get the rest straightened out.

reply starfishred wrote on Mar 16, ’10 glad it is almost sorted out–lol–oy veh –lucky for me I had the opposite problem my consulate SS person in Frankfurt actually got me more money and helped do it all without being promoted —

reply agnes128 wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Well isn’t it crazy?

reply agnes128 wrote on Mar 16, ’10 At the same time I was writting I realized : it is not stupid, all this money is ‘working’ and bringing interests. Someone is the beneficiary, it is the way it works.

reply recoveringteacher wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Once again, this proves that the scariest line is “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”

reply philsgal7759 wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Honestly what does it take to have things done right?

reply sharons7th wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Sheesh! You poor woman. It seems you have been placed in red-tape he11 lately!

reply billatplay wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Just written ten lines then click submit. End of.

reply billatplay wrote on Mar 16, ’10 Trouble with maturity is one has time to observe the State for the first time. Add to this the Intransigent attitude of the car industry and stress arrives in large doses. Entering the world of Publishing is not for the faint hearted when things are going good. I have been beaten to the ground by just one of the above. Commiseration good friend. But Hey! I have just planted my seed potatoes. lol Keep smiling.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 16, ’10 You got the taters? I’ll be over for fish & chips, Bill, start cookin’

reply avilone wrote on Mar 17, ’10 Problems solved,Take two Blintzers and call me in the morning 🙂

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 17, ’10 HA! on the crazy laptop now, no telling when the letters will fly, it’s insane! Blintzes might help

reply vghozlan wrote on Mar 20, ’10, edited on Mar 20, ’10 Sue, I work for SSA. The problem may not be SSA. Commerica bank enrolled a lot of beneficiaries who had NOT switched to their MC debit card. I was told that SSA is investigating this but I am sorry for the problems that this has caused.Because of ID Theft, SSA had to change how ppl accessed their SSA accounts . Now we STRICTLY screen and have people prove their identity including senior’s children UNLESS it is notated on the account that another person has the right to that info. You can be added to the acct either as a representative payee or an authorized user. Once again, this is in response to crooks changing people’s information or illegally accessing their info.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 20, ’10 vghozlan said Sue, I work for SSA. The problem may not be SSA. Commerica bank enrolled a lot of beneficiaries who had NOT switched to their MC debit card. I was told that SSA is investigating this but I am sorry for the problems that this has caused. Because of ID Theft, SSA had to change how ppl accessed their SSA accounts . Now we STRICTLY screen and have people prove their identity including senior’s children UNLESS it is notated on the account that another person has the right to that info. You can be added to the acct either as a representative payee or an authorized user. Once again, this is in response to crooks changing people’s information or illegally accessing their info. Thanks for the info! I am going to apply to get on the account. I have 2 congressmen helping me.

reply pestep55 wrote on Mar 20, ’10, edited on Mar 20, ’10 Just stopping by to leave a note – read this via email (can’t always get to xply) and was shocked that ssa would open an account without 1) being asked to and 2) not confirming your mother and whoever takes vare of her (you) knew all the information about the account. Comerica was a bank I knew well in MI amd they were good (long time ago) but still,,, shame on them. Glad I read you finally got the new computer and it’s working /:-)

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Mar 20, ’10 I am going to apply to get my name on her account to be able to intervene; she got a letter from SS today verifying that a trace was made and that her money went to that bank. Three checks are missing. I am going to see what her congressman can do first. she is supposed to call some number if she ahs any questions. This is such crap!! It’s appalling. There is some kind of arrangement between SSA and the bank, but I still don’t get it. And if I can’t navigate the phone prompts how can a 92 y/o person?? They issued a debit card and no one knows where the heck it is!Anyway the good news is I am typing on my new replacement laptop, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

reply vghozlan wrote on Mar 22, ’10, edited on Mar 22, ’10 sanssouciblogs said I am going to apply to get my name on her account to be able to intervene; she got a letter from SS today verifying that a trace was made and that her money went to that bank. Three checks are missing. I am going to see what her congressman can do first. she is supposed to call some number if she ahs any questions. This is such crap!! It’s appalling. There is some kind of arrangement between SSA and the bank, but I still don’t get it. And if I can’t navigate the phone prompts how can a 92 y/o person?? They issued a debit card and no one knows where the heck it is! Anyway the good news is I am typing on my new replacement laptop, so that’s one less thing to worry about. Sue, the only arrange between Comercia was they were to sign-up people who requested there service. That’s it. They exceeded their mandate are under investigation.Unfortunately, crooks and this includes their children, target seniors for scams. Not saying that you are in that population but the fact is that I see a lot of seniors getting scammed by their families who try to hijack their accts by telling SSA that the senior can’t manage their own many. I do realize that for some seniors, this is true because of dementia and other diseases, but for others that’s a load of crap. In your case though, I would def get added to your mother’s acct.

reply billatplay wrote on Apr 23, ’10 Sue obtain the Power of Attorney in your name for your mother. Report any obtrusions to the Police.

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Apr 23, ’10 I have Power of Attorney, this was a very weird Social Security issue. I was going bats trying to resolve it and finally today we did:One of the lovely ladies at my mother’s assisted living picked my mother up on her DAY OFF and took her to the bank. They activated the card and were able to have her money pulled off and deposited into her account. it was above and beyond the call of duty and I think this woman surely deserves flowers.