Blunderers in the Billing Department

I hate spending money on things that you can't really see: like root canals or a trip to the optometrist to look at a blurry hot air balloon dance around a computer screen. Lenses for your glasses are a tongue-in-cheek-bad example, but they're nothing like spending money on lenses for a third eye.

Let me begin by explaining that I received bills from both places (dentist and optometrist) this week that needed to be sorted out by yours truly.

The receptionist at my dentist's office is super sweet and I often wonder if she has extra cavities because of it. (She's the type to call you 'hun' when leaving appointment reminders on your voice mail.) When I showed her my explanation of benefits it turns out a small mistake had been made and I ended up saving $39. Woo. Not wooHOO though, since I was expecting the total bill to be less than $30 and I ended up paying close to $200. But, on the pearly-white-bright side of things I still saved nearly $40.

Second explanation of benefits to discuss was for the eye doctor. Apparently there they don't see things as clearly. I talked to receptionist #1 who began to explain my charges, "Ok, you've got a charge for forty-two ... ah, twenty, ah ... sixty-five ...no, an $89 refund ..." After five minutes of listening to her count I told her I was completely confused and she said, "Me too."

She put me on hold to talk to a second receptionist. She too started to go through the list of charges: "It looks like you bought three lenses and, uh, returned three lenses." I clarified that I had only two lenses for my glasses. Yup, two. "Well, it appears that you purchased three... on July 15." Yes, since the date makes it all make perfect sense as to why I purchased three lenses for my (dare I clarify?) two-lensed glasses. "Oh, well, it says your were given an $89 refund." I checked my credit card statements and and told her no such refund had occurred, but could she list the charges {for the third lens} again?

I was transferred to a manager who explained the charges and noted that I still owed $41 (darn), but then noted that my file had a note that I was due for an $89 refund.

I kept my $200 mouth shut tight as she went through the steps of refunding my credit card, wait for it, $89.

I still have no idea what transpired there- which is interesting--
since I thought I had ESP...