Tons. Hundreds of
thousands...millions...so much. I just can't deal with
this PETTY FUCKING SHIT anymore.
AHHHHHHHHHH!
I know,
I KNOW. I said I wouldn't talk about my financial
situation after the whole "only in LA" DVD entry...
But I dare some mutherfucker to try and take
advantage of me now. I'm not even nice about it. I'm
just PISSED. Sick of being cheap, sick of "seeming"
greedy. Sick that my only real problem in life is
money. I HATE THAT.
AHHHHHHHHHH!
I guess I should
get to the point here. And it's not as if there's
one...it's how 3 years of sacrificing everything for
4tvs has changed me. But more recently...
-I guess our
deductible on medical shit was raised right before my
surgery, and reading closer we found out that after
the deductible for the year is paid, they only cover
50% of the anesthesia, and like 90% of everything
else. So we now owe another $2000. The kicker? I
didn't want the surgery, but since we had met our
deductible, I went ahead. I was freaked about the $15
copay! THAT was too much. And the final
ass-reamer: I am worse off than before the surgery.
I've quit going to the doctor 'cause she's a MORON. My
nose is much worse than it was before she fucked with
it, and now my ears are by far - as bad as they've
ever been. They pop when I breathe in and out of my
nose. So what I had chalked up as a bad
experience, waste of time, test of pain tolerence, and
WORSENING my condition - now costs me an
unexpected $2000. Nice. REAL fuckin' nice.
-Sony. Fuckin'
SONY. How DARE I call my band The Trinitrons after one
of SONY's goddamn products. As you may remember...yeah
RIGHT - it was a YEAR ago... So I'll just
start over. Last year when my computer was giving me
trouble because of so much work on Hollywood
Screentest, I bought a new computer. I bought
what I "thought" was the same thing I had, but Sony
changed their Vaio line-up, and what I got was nothing
like what I was trying to replace. sent it back and
bought the next rung up: $1500. And as in the medical
debacle, I didn't even need the FUCKING computer
because HST went under within a few weeks.
MURPHY! So anyway, I called up Sony and they picked it
up free of charge because of some special they had
going on. The:
"WE RAPE OUR CUSTOMERS AND LAUGH IN THEIR FACES"
special. They set
up fed-ex comin' and pickin' up my package. In 30 days
they'd credit my account. You wanna know what happened
next? You dare me to put that fuckin' log in here!?!?!
GODDAMNIT:
On
8/26/00
I purchased a VAIO computer online and received it
quite
promptly
on 8/28/00.
It was not what I thought I was buying.
Apparently
Sony
changed it's bottom of the line VAIO from what I
bought in late
1999.
I called Sony and they said they were offering to pick
up
the
computer for free. There were problems with other
shipments so
they
were across the board picking up the tab for customer
returns.
They
arranged for a fed-ex pick up on
8/29/00.
They said all I needed to
do
was make a label for them and they would handle the
rest.
When
the fed-ex lady picked up the package I asked if I
could sign something
and
she said there was no need. When she left I felt
uneasy so I called Sony
to
explain the situation:
8/30/00
They
said they handled everything and that I didn't need to
worry about not
signing
a receipt. It would take 30 days for the warehouse to
credit my card.
10/04/00
They
said their warehouse still has not received the
computer
and
because I have no tracking number, I may be screwed.
They
are
doing an "admin" form to get to the bottom of
this.
11/02/00
Still
no word, talked to a supervisor named "Matt" who
said
their
credit department changed over in September and
this
"fell
through the cracks". He is talking with corporate
to
figure
this out. He said to call back in a few
weeks.
11/27/00
Matt
never called back, so I did. Matt was unavailable but
the
lady on the phone (didn't get her name) did MORE admin
forms
for some reason. Said that was ALL she could
do.
12/18/00
They
still hadn't heard back from corporate according to
Matt.
Which
means they haven't found the computer. He said he
will
keep
on them, and call back when he hears
anything.
1/5/01
Brandy
said the admin forms went through meaning they found
it.
Matt
said "They found what they were looking
for"
Couldn't
give me any more specifics on what that
means.
2/7/01
Matt
said he did all he could, and that corporate should
issue the
credit
ANYTIME Now. THEY DID find the computer, and that was
no longer
in
question. He'll call back when he hears
anything.
2/27/01
Everyone
out sick. Left my name and number, she said he'd call
back
when
he got in.
3/01/01
- 12:00 PM
Talked
to jeff cause matt was in a meeting...couldn't tell me
anything.
didn't
know what to say...they can't email me. He'll leave a
note for
Matt.
3/01/01
- 3:00 PM
Matt
called back completely frustrated. He says he called
twice a week.
Has
no idea what more to do. They say "they're gonna get
to it". He said
to
dispute the charge at the bank, I said: "It's been 1/2
a year". I said
I
needed some proof from Sony that there was a problem
before they'd agree
to
give me the money and take the headache on themselves.
He said he'd
get
me some papers and keep me informed. YEAH RIGHT. I'll
have to keep
hounding
him well into April I'm sure.
3/28/01
Talked
to Will - pretty nervous young man. He talked to
Theresa - is the
credit
chick...Matt is out of the office. She again issued
something to get
word
back from corporate. Will left a note for Matt, but
said call back in
a few
days.
4/13/01
Chris
said Matt wasn't available ( he left a message to him
to call me back,
and
according to him - NO OTHER supervisors were available
to talk to me
either.
He told me that if this was "about the credit"
"they're looking
into
it". I asked for the corporate offices to complain,
and he gave me the
address.
I
feel I need to speak with Matt before I have the
slightest idea what to
write
to corporate. Matt seems to know exactly where we are
in this. I do
not.
4/27/01
GOT
AHOLD OF MATT! HERE'S WHAT HE SAID:
"been
doing everything he can..." "without the tracking
number it's hard"
This
doesn't sound like Matt at all. The real Matt knows
they found this computer.
This
guy just looked at my notes and said: "It appears that
they did find it on 1/5"
"RMA
number is how they found it" - Why are they trying to
pull a fast one on me?
On
what was appropriate compensation for a problem that
has continued so long,
Matt
said: "I've never worked on one that has gone on this
long". He said write
the
letter explaining everything so far and he would go to
"his top guy".
4/27/01
Sent
a letter with this log and this note:
This
of course is infuriating. Now he's gonna go to his
top guy? And I know
this
is just an assumption, but that was not Matt. I've
talked to a guy
previously
on many occasions, and this guy was just
pretending. The "other
Matt"
knew my situation quite well.
As
it stands now, I feel that simply a credit for the
amount of the computer is no
longer
acceptable as this has been pending since August of
2000. I have
called
over a dozen times and been more than patient. I
have been on hold for
an
OUTRAGEOUS amount of time in the past 8-9 months. I
feel anything less
than
double my credit is unacceptable. There is no
precedent for such an
exorbatant
amount of time in which I've had to fight with
customer service for
something
as simple as a credit. I realize not having the
tracking number
caused
Sony problems, but they admitted they found it 4
months ago and yet
there's
STILL NO CREDIT??!??!
I
also assume I am being pushed aside because it's
gone on so long you
figure
I'll fade away. I am a struggling entertainer in
Los Angeles, and you'd
better
believe that $800 means THE WORLD TO ME right now.
I've had to
BORROW
MONEY just to get bills paid while I wait for this
money. I will not let
this
go. And for once I am legitimately threatening
legal action if every effort is
not
made on your part to make sure I am a satisfied
customer. I can't
BELIEVE
this has gone on for so long…and I hope you
feel the same.
Thanks
for your time,
Adam
Kontras
818-728-6414
adam@4tvs.com
14358
Magnolia Blvd. #136
Sherman
Oaks, CA. 91423
5/14/01
Chris
Ericson wrote me back apologizing for the delay and
said he was now looking
into
the problem.
6/11/01
Chris
Ericson called me. Said he's been working on this ever
since my letter was
received.
They can't do anything without the tracking number
which we don't have.
Says
that should be between me and Fed-Ex. But SONY MADE
THE CALL TO
FED
EX. SONY ISSUED THE PICK-UP. I DON'T HAVE THOSE
NUMBERS.
Says
he realizes I was TOLD it was found back in January.
Gave me the
president's
address, and I will send this letter off to him NOW.
He said he would
keep
me updated. I've heard that one before.
Heh.
Mr.
Nishida,
ORDER
#400-001-17-8521
I
would have to assume that in the history of this
corporation, there has never
been
an outstanding credit of this long. This computer
WAS found by it's RMA
number
and this credit SHOULD be issued. I obviously don't
HAVE this
computer
anymore, YOUR company called Fed-Ex and had them
pick it up
days
after I purchased it!
As
far as compensation, I refer to my last
letter:
As
it stands now, I feel that simply a credit for the
amount of the computer
is
no longer acceptable as this has been pending since
August of 2000. I
have
called over a dozen times and been more than
patient. I have been on
hold
for an OUTRAGEOUS amount of time in the past (10)
months. I feel
anything
less than double my credit is unacceptable. There
is no precedent
for
such an exorbatant amount of time in which I've had
to fight with
customer
service for something as simple as a credit. I
realize not having
the
tracking number caused Sony problems, but they
admitted they found it
4
months ago and yet there's STILL NO
CREDIT??!??!
I
sincerely hope we can bring this matter to an end.
Thank you for your time,
Adam
Kontras
818-728-6414
adam@4tvs.com
14358
Magnolia Blvd. #136
Sherman
Oaks, CA. 91423
7/16/01
Chris
Ericson no longer works at the company. Doesn't that
figure. Michael took
my
call said someone else was taking over his accounts,
but he doesn't know who.
It's
one of 2 people, and neither of them are in. (sigh).
He said he'd give them my
name
and number along with the account number.
7/17/01
Michael
Schroeder called at 2 PM, I returned his call at 3. He
says it's fed-ex's
fault
and I need to file my claim with them since they lost
my package. I said it
WAS
found, but he seems to think that was a mistake back
in January. He thinks
he
can get a tracking number from fed ex for up to 18
months. He promised
he'd
have this at the top of his list and call me back in a
matter of days. We'll see.
7/20/01
- 12:00 PM
He
found the tracking number - WOW. That's amazing. He's
issued the credit.
Now,
how much is it for, and what are they offering in
return for a year's worth of
waiting?
Calling now…1-888-900-9872 x2, x1, ask for
x22…he isn't in, said
he'd
call back. He called again, I missed him (I need call
waiting).
7/20/01
- 3:30 PM
Won't
give me ANYTHING. Won't even cover the shipping
because it wasn't
"THEIR
FAULT" that I wanted another product. Has nothing to
offer as far as
coupons,
for the year wait. Nothing, nothing, nothing. As well
I'm out $25 shipping
and a
year's worth of time on the phone. He said the
complaint center can't give
anything
either. This is completely unacceptable. Not sure what
to do next. Let's
get
the credit first and go from there.
Well you guys had
better of read all that. LOL. ALL that and they're
gonna stiff me the $25 for shipping because it wasn't
thier fault?!?!?! Holy shit, I almost went completely
postal on him after that. I had to just hang up.
I mean, I was gonna go APE-SHIT. But what
can you do? And let me tell you what REALLY irks me
about this: People telling me that "All you have to do
is this..." As if I haven't done all I can. So I
guess I wait for the credit, and go from there - but
WHAT THE FUCK? And that crap about he can't
give me anything...he certainly gave me his
DICK TO SUCK for a year, FOR FREE.
MAN am I graphic and disgusting when I'm angry. Sorry.
I'll try and tone it down...
Then again, if I
really were gonna try I could've just erased
that.
#3:
-Marty still owes
me 40 fucking dollars. I still talk to him and we keep
each other updated, but as he doesn't have internet
access he's kind've missed out on everything since he
left in January. The fact that he won't just send me a
goddamn money order already is INFURIATING. I am going
back home in October, and I'm gonna have to hunt him
down like I did in APRIL, for $40.
-Tony still owes
me $112.50. Then he quits CD101 and moves to San Diego
without telling me, because he knows I know exactly
where he is. But of course I have no phone
number, I'd have to drive there and FIND him.
SOOOOOOOO angry. It just keeps adding up doesn't
it...
-My fucking cable
modem doesn't work. I pay all this money AGAIN
for broadband, and it doesn't work. I am so tired of
being on the phone with customer service after SONY,
and remember the MSN DSL? Yeah, all those hours
getting DSL to work for - 4 months? Then they go
out of business 3 weeks later. FUCK. Ok, so this has
little to do with money...but if I had money, I'd
cancel my service and get pacbell DSL. But I never did
before because it was (everybody) :
TOO EXPENSIVE. So instead I sit here and deal
with the rape.
-No free lance
work for months. Nothing, nada. If it wasn't for Ebay,
Jess and I would be...well even further in debt - LOL.
And now I need all these little money issues just to
pay off these medical bills...for something
I DIDNT
EVEN NEED THAT DIDNT EVEN WORK!
-Not buying
J-Dog's $40 a bag low-ash diet food. Having to just
say "fuck it" and get him the cheap stuff. Since he's
now outside it's all a moot point. It's like buying
your kid all his insulin shots 'cause he's diabetic,
then letting him play in freeway. But it all comes
down to money. What was once $80 a month is now $20.
(sigh)
-Not being able to
be generous. This is the one that hurts the most. We
have to worry about every penny on a check. We can
never tip what someone's worth. We always do 15%
and look for any reason to go lower. We can't go see a
fucking movie EVER unless it's free. And when people
offer and you keep denying them, they stop offering. I
can't accept free tickets to a concert, 'cause I can't
afford the PARKING. It's that kind of shit. It's what
everyone else in the world goes through, and I should
just STOP my bitching and get a fucking
job.
It's what you were
thinking wasn't it. And welcome to the schizophrenic
mind of Adam Kontras. The problem is...in all of these
situations - the freedom of money would solve them. It
would be a bump in the road, not a bridge collapsing.
I know saying things like "Money would solve all of my
problems" is just ignorant, but most of the other
areas of my life are perfect. What more could I ask
for? I've worked hard for the success I have in the
rest of my life, and it's left the money aspect of it
FAR behind. So I may be that one case where money
would solve my problems.
And you know what
I'd do with all that money? Put it in the bank.
Period. Let's just say I had $150,000 at my disposal
come March. Charlotte wholly believes I'll have
that and more. So let's just say she's right. What
would I buy?
Nothing.
Our lifestyle
won't change at all. We won't go out more, we won't
move, we won't buy a car...we'll put it all in the
bank. Pay off our various debts to family and doctors
(BASTARDS), and then sit on it. Invest it. Never think
about it. The we'll really be looked at as greedy
cheap bastards. Which is why you never talk about your
finances in public.
LOL!
At least I can
laugh. So much to think about. Who will I be when I
get the money. What will my stresses be when I'm
there. How do you keep a balance. Will we ever have
friends that see the value in cutting coupons. Will
I ever be able to throw those coupons away. Will
I ever find anyone in this city that actually recycles
because they charge you a tax that you can only get
back if you recycle. Money. Money. Money.
Money.
It's our
anniversary in a few weeks. We can't afford to buy
each other presents. We had planned to maybe go off
somewhere for the weekend, but guess
what....
So heartbreaking.
I haven't bought Jess a present...my lord. Have I? I
never have have I. Well this is a bit emotional. I met
her in September of 1998, and the 4tvs idea came in
November of 1998. Every holiday and birthday and
anniversary has been a joint type of thing. Plane
tickets home, or a refrigerator. Fuck. This is too
depressing to even think about.
So let's not. In
one week from tomorrow the filming for The Trinitrons
should be complete. We've done it in such a way as to
be able to go BACK to TV #3 (the one our guest star
makes an appearence in) whenever he can do it. That
way we're not giving ourselves too much of a time
limit. As well we think we have quite an angle on
getting it all to work. And believe me - the
SECOND I know anything, there will be quite the
overflow of information. Been holding it back for
quite some time. And we all know how hard that is for
me. LOL.
As
well, I couldn't handle it...I had to
put a few
seconds of G and
Dewd
together just to see what it's like. This
is the beginning of G's set where we all
sort've laugh AT him. When he sees
Adam in particular laughing at him he gets
pissed, and goes into a pretty evil
rendition of Eminem's "The Way I am". This
should get you all pumped for the show a
bit...
Expect The
Triniton Chronicles: Part Five on
Thursday.
