Hospital writes off bill after mix-up

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 14, 2000

On Dec. 2, 1998, I received services at the Morton Plant Mease emergency room. After insurance payments, I was left with a balance of $50.

On Aug. 26, 1999, I made an online payment of $25. On Sept. 7, in response to a letter from Morton Plant saying that, if I paid my account in full, I could receive a 50 percent rebate, I made an online payment of $12.50.

At the beginning of this year I was sent a bill indicating that $50 was still due. I had to get copies of the checks from my bank, and on Feb. 21 I faxed these to Morton Plant Mease to ask it to figure out where the checks were credited.

I believe the problem may stem from the way the account number I keyed appeared on the check. I was unable to get an answer as to where the money was posted, and in March I got a demand notice from a collection agency.

I spoke with Dave at the collection agency, faxed him a letter of explanation and copies of the canceled checks and called to follow up. He said he had an itemized copy of my statement and that $50 was still due.

According to Morton Plant, the checks were posted to an account number that appeared on the check. The only other account I believe I had at Morton Plant Mease was for my daughter and was paid off.

If I have made an error, I don't mind paying the bill, but, if Morton Plant took my checks and posted them to some other account, then this is wrong.

I am concerned about my credit rating, which was excellent till now, and am contemplating sending in the $50 to clear the account while you do the research. If you find that my records are correct, I would ask that you get the $50 refunded. M. Sayegh Gies

Response: Robert Lovell, director of patient financial services at Morton Plant Mease in Dunedin, said the checks the hospital received contained your husband's name and no account number. The hospital was unable to identify the account to which the money should be applied, and refund checks were processed and mailed to you. This left the outstanding balance of $50.

Lovell said that, since your intent was to pay these accounts in full, the hospital has adjusted them to zero and removed them from the collection agency.

Refund issued

I ordered three dresses from Beautiful Images from an ad in the Parade magazine that comes with my St. Petersburg Times. The check was cashed, but I never received any merchandise.

I wrote to the company with no results -- nothing. I wrote again and sent a copy of the canceled check. Still nothing. Plese see what you can do to help me. Betsy Stasio

Response: Diane Healy, customer service representative for Beautiful Images in Phoenix, said the company is sorry that there was a problem with your order, which never made it into its system. Since Action forwarded copies of your canceled check, a refund has been issued in the amount of $41.65.

Order reshipped

On April 9 I sent a check to Cosmetic Laboratories in the amount of $10.98 to cover the cost of one tube of Hair Block. My check was cashed on April 28, but I have not received the product.

I tried repeatedly to contact the company by phone, but either the line was busy or there was no answer. Out of patience, I wrote on June 19.

To date I have not received the Hair Block or my money back. I hope your efforts will be more successful than mine. Dorothy Berkowitz

Response: Ann Roberts, customer service representative with National TV Bargains/Cosmetic Laboratories, said your order was shipped on May 16. Since you never received it, it was to be reshipped Aug. 2. She said to allow about two weeks for delivery.

Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

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