Collegiate Beggars
So the other day I get this postcard in the mail. It's from Texas Tech University. What do they want me to donate now, I ask myself? Much to my surprise the postcard notified me that the school still had a $10 property deposit on file for me from way back in the Spring of 1998 (When I enrolled). I don’t remember paying this deposit, nor do I know what sort of property I used of theirs that required a deposit. I’m sure it was just another deposit lumped together with the abundance of other fees they charge you at that school.
Well I was quite happy that they wanted to actually give me something back for going there. A rebate of sorts. But wait! I knew it was too good to be true. Tech is up to their scheming ways again. See, this refund was disguised under the veil of a clever marketing ploy. Instead of just refunding my money, they conveniently asked that I donate the $10 to the scholarship fund or I could be a cheapskate and ask for a refund. I wouldn’t mind donating if Tech hasn’t tried to hit me up once every quarter since I graduated to ask for donations.
Well I’m tired of Tech asking for all these handouts! I want my $10 back dammit! Just like I wanted it back the first time they sent me a post card back in 2002. I guess if you actually request a refund, they conveniently throw the postcard in the trash.
The funny thing is that this time I put the postcard in an envelope with a letter requesting my refund be paid with interest compounded at 8% annually from 1998 (8 years). The sad thing is, I probably calculated it wrong and everyone will get a kick out of my stupidity. The total came out to $18.51. I gave them the option of paying me back with interest or throwing my postcard away like they did the first time. To really make them mad, I used a Double T address label they had kindly given to me for free, only to later find out it was under the pretense of asking for another donation. Gimme a break. Do other schools beg for money like Tech? WTF?
I'll let everyone know if I get anything back.
Well I was quite happy that they wanted to actually give me something back for going there. A rebate of sorts. But wait! I knew it was too good to be true. Tech is up to their scheming ways again. See, this refund was disguised under the veil of a clever marketing ploy. Instead of just refunding my money, they conveniently asked that I donate the $10 to the scholarship fund or I could be a cheapskate and ask for a refund. I wouldn’t mind donating if Tech hasn’t tried to hit me up once every quarter since I graduated to ask for donations.
Well I’m tired of Tech asking for all these handouts! I want my $10 back dammit! Just like I wanted it back the first time they sent me a post card back in 2002. I guess if you actually request a refund, they conveniently throw the postcard in the trash.
The funny thing is that this time I put the postcard in an envelope with a letter requesting my refund be paid with interest compounded at 8% annually from 1998 (8 years). The sad thing is, I probably calculated it wrong and everyone will get a kick out of my stupidity. The total came out to $18.51. I gave them the option of paying me back with interest or throwing my postcard away like they did the first time. To really make them mad, I used a Double T address label they had kindly given to me for free, only to later find out it was under the pretense of asking for another donation. Gimme a break. Do other schools beg for money like Tech? WTF?
I'll let everyone know if I get anything back.
posted by Josh at 7/25/2005 12:55:00 PM
1 Comments:
Hahaaa - what does that say about your schooling at Texas Tech if you calculated the interest wrong? You must've missed that day in class, maybe it was the Friday before Chili Cook-off, if so, you can't be held responsible....
I don't get those anymore because I haven't kept Tech up to date on my address - kinda like the witness relocation program but without having to change my name, hair color, and occupation. You might try it sometime....
However, I do get the address labels from March of Dimes, etc. all the time - I couldn't figure out how they kept getting my address until one day I was home and my mom got a letter I had sent her using one of the aforementioned (that would be a double word score in Scrabble) labels, and she was so excited, she said, "Oh good, you've been getting the labels I sent you." I informed her that unless she had secretly been running the March of Dimes instead of going to get her nails done each week, that she had not in fact, given them to me. "No", she said, "I get them in the mail from these charities, and send them a donation, and drop a note in there telling them that my daughter would probably really like to contribute as well and give them your address"......gotta love moms and their wacky ideas of house-warming gifts....who needs Collegiate Beggars when you have your mom advertising your generosity to every charity that can correctly spell her name and address and put it on a shiny self-adhesive return address label....
Another note - who decided that the address label would be the thing to give to generate donations - seems odd to me....are people really more likely to send money for address labels than they would be just a letter, I'm thinking (besides my mom) it's the same demographic.
With the advent of technology and the internet, the only real mail I ever get that would require address labels all involve weddings or babies - either invitations to multiple showers or the big day, or thank you notes for the presents I've given in preparation for said life events.....Or, the clippings of people getting married in my hometown newspaper that my mom sends (with her March of Dimes addresss labels proudly attached)...."Not that there's anything wrong with that...."
If I was a charity (or in charge of one - hopefully I'm not a charity case just yet), and could pick a small gift to encourage donations, I would probably pick Pez dispensers - who doesn't take a Pez when they're offered, and they are such a dying breed...and think, the dispenser could represent the charity - like a sad puppy, or struggling village....who could say no to that!?
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