So, I sold my (unregistered) motorcycle before moving flat, which is all well and good. Except I got a letter in the mail recently, which was a payment demand (Note: “Demand” it literally states. Not “request” or anything so civil) for the balance of registration owing between expiration and sale date.
Which is fair enough, that’s the law. So I call the LTSA to arrange payment, and enter a conversation with a very nice young lady about how best to pay.
I explain about the letter and state that I wish to pay in full. I ask if they take American Express. Hell no. I start to quote my visa card numbers. Ah, no. It appears they don’t take ANY credit cards. I ask if they’re in the Westpac electronic payment database. Nope. I ask if I can just pay into their account with the appropriate reference details and … nope. They don’t take ANY kind of electronic payment. At all.
O-kay. Weird.
So, I ask who their payment agents are – I mean, if you get a speeding ticket or whatever, you can pay at the post office, this is similar-ish in that it’s related to vehicles, so surely… nope. Well, can I drop into the local city council, or .. nope.
Turns out that the ONLY payment option is … to MAIL them a CHEQUE.
To my shame, at this point in the conversation I switched to pidgin englishe in my manner of speech.
“Art thou Amish?” I asked of the LTSA employee, who doesn’t set policy and is just doing her job after all.. “Prithee my lady, a draft of monies shall be dispatched at once, I swear it shall be so.”
And she’s all like “Huh? What?”
So anyway, now I have to GO TO THE BANK and get .. hell, I don’t even know. I don’t _have_ a chequebook. Who does? So, to the bank to get a Bank Cheque or a Money Order or a credit note written on parchment. With a quill. Then bound in silken ribbon and sealed in wax by my bank manager or whatever the hell the LTSA require.
Nice one, NZ.
May 3, 2004 at 4:34 pm
hee hee. i bet none of them have buttons or zips either. just sew themselves in for the winter.
i have a chequebook. i’ve used it four times. three for travel deposits, and once to write a cheque for a million dollars, just for fun. i gave it to ross.
it’s weird though. i too thought you could pay for all those things at the post office.
May 3, 2004 at 4:50 pm
Had _exactly_ the same issue with one of my cars sometime ago. It’s downright crazy. For demands of “NOW” they make it real difficult to actually pay it.
I’d write them a scathing letter. You’re good at scathing 🙂
May 3, 2004 at 5:00 pm
You should pay them in groats.
May 3, 2004 at 5:06 pm
What’s the legal tender limit on $1 coinage?
May 4, 2004 at 4:20 am
*nods* And for poor folsk like me who get a large bill, they also have no scheme for weekly part payments either. They suck in customer relations.
Warning, getting a single bank cheque/script thingy written by the bank costs like $6… if you ever get a feedback form for them, list all the ways you tried to pay and how their only cheque system sucks 🙂
May 19, 2004 at 9:45 am
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2909084a28,00.html