Friday, July 17, 2009

I Know Smokes Are Expensive, But...!!


Now this might certainly get your attention...!

We all know that the cost of all the fun stuff like cigarettes, booze, gas, food...ALL the fun stuff, has gone up a lot as of late! This poor guy just found out what an expensive habit he has.

This must have been a shocker...but the real shocker for me would have been if my bank had even honored the purchase in the first place! This story is just an example of why I don't use brick and mortar banks...I don't trust them!

Take a look at this story from the Houston Chronicle...

Associated Press

July 15, 2009, 12:15PM

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (AP) — A New Hampshire man says he swiped his debit card at a gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes and was charged over 23 quadrillion dollars.

Josh Muszynski checked his account online a few hours after the purchase and saw the 17-digit number — a stunning $23,148,855,308,184,500 (twenty-three quadrillion, one hundred forty-eight trillion, eight hundred fifty-five billion, three hundred eight million, one hundred eighty-four thousand, five hundred dollars).

Muszynski told WMUR-TV that he spent two hours on the phone with Bank of America trying to sort out the string of numbers — and the $15 overdraft fee.

The bank corrected the error the next day.

Bank of America said the card issuer, Visa, could answer questions. Visa, in turn, referred questions to the bank. (More on this story here — and see the bill.)


I'm not sure, but this just might be enough to make someone give up smoking! If I got a bill for this amount, I think it might drastically increase my immediate consumption of the closest alcoholic beverage, if you know what I mean!

I'm thinking, my friend, that we should get some coffee and sit on the patio for a bit...and hope that coffee doesn't go up this much!

29 comments:

Kyddryn said...

Gee, Mister Hermit, sir...it's easy enough to quit smoking when you've died of heart failure or shock.

I think it would have been terribly difficult for me not to laugh long and loud about this...

As for coffee proces, well...I'm game to learn how to grow the stuff...

Thanks for the chuckle...

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

Rod said...

You had better watch out if tobacco went up that much just think how much that alcoholic beverage might be costing you!

Rod

Wyn Boniface said...

Nope still not high enough I will just run to reservations when that happens. LOL

Felinae said...

Hi Uncle Hermit,

Wow! that is an expensive habit for sure. LOL!

I am with you on hoping that coffee never goes up that much. Haha!

Now how about I bring along some Irish Whiskey and cream and we can add it to our coffee today. ;D

Hugs~Felinae~

Anonymous said...

Mr. Jim,
At the rate we're printing money... coffee could be this high soon! Stock up now. I've thought of buying green coffee beans and roasting... need to research how long they stay good. But roasting coffee beans smells the house and roasting outside would draw too much attention. Hmmm. Folgers here I come....

Enjoy your java and have a nice day.

Cat Melton said...

Wow, talk about a bank error in your favor (not!)...That would definitely freak me out.

A cup of coffee with my favorite Hermit would surely make things all better, tho!

Have a good one,
:)
>^..^<

Anonymous said...

I think it's really funny that he stayed on hold for 2 hours waiting to talk to customer service.

I'd have laughed and went home...you KNOW they're going to call YOU when your account is overdrawn by 23 quadrillion dollars.

Baby Sis said...

Bubba - I heard about the same error happening to a guy who bought a slice of pizza and a coke. Seems there were about 200 of these errors, same amount each time, throughout the country...... Suddenly my debts don't seem so bad maybe!

Big hugs (and debts)- Baby Sis

CoyotePrime said...

The cigarettes only cost $5.75, the rest was the TAXES they're going to charge us to bail out the Wall street boys...

HermitJim said...

Hey K...
growing coffee doesn't seem to be beyond our reach. One of our fellow bloggers does it, along with growing her own tobacco and making her own cheese!
I guess it's all in the knowing how!

Thanks for the visit this morning!


Hey Rod...
Man, can you imagine the cost of a beer and a smoke? Getting out of hand, for sure!

Hey, I appreciate you coming by today, Rod...


Hey Wyn...
We would all be running in that direction, I'm afraid! Hell, I might have to do that anyway, just on principal!

Hey, thanks,Wyn, for coming by!


Hey Felinae...
You know, an Irish coffee doesn't sound like a bad idea right now!

Come to think of it, it doesn't sound like a bad idea anytime!

I sure am glad you could come by today, girl!


Hey Kris...
You can buy coffee beans sealed in #10 cans from MRE Depot@com. Shelf life at over 7 years! It may ome to that someday!

I've found some at Kroger's that I like and the cost is only $1.89 a can...arabica, no less! Need to stock up...

Thanks for the visit!


Hey Cat...
Always good to have you drop by for a visit! We'll always find a way to have coffee on the patio, my friend!

Thanks so much for coming by...


Hey Ranger...
You can bet that someone would be on the phone pretty quick!

Bet there were some red faces that day!

Thanks, Ranger, for dropping by today...


Hey Sis...
It does sort of help to put things in perspective, doesn't it?

I don't think that kind of surprise is too good for ya! Wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry!

Hey, good of you to drop by today, Sis!

HermitJim said...

Hey Coyote...
You got THAT right! Taxes are killing us, for sure! I could afford to buy more smokes and gas and booze ...if it weren't for the taxes!

Guess we have to pay for the bailouts somehow!

Man, I appreciate the visit, Coyote!

Anonymous said...

Morning HJ,
I'm buying tobacco in bulk for "roll-your owns" and looking into growing tobacco, coffee and making a still/brewery for personal consumption. Uncle Sugar can just bite me.
YeOldFurt

JoJo said...

Hi there Special One, Just the name of the bank pretty much sums that one up. I just read an ad for free checking for BA yet my daughter said she is paying over $8. in fees. I kept telling her DO NOT open and account there. But hey I am just mom.
Anyway just lets relax I made fresh ground coffee this morning anyone for a cup.

HermitJim said...

Hey YOF...
I've been making my own smokes and buying tobacco for a while now. Pretty handy! However, I saw the cost go up quite a bit!

The last tax increase saw a small can of tobacco go from $9.95 to $19.95! Even thew small pouches of Kite and Bugler went from $1.50 to $3.99!

Don't know how the winos on the streets are making it, with the cost of wine and making's going up so much!

Haven't made my own still yet...have to wait until I move for that one!

Thanks for the visit today, my friend!

HermitJim said...

Hey JoJo...
I knew I could count on you to take care of me this morning!

Guess as far as DD is concerned, some lessons are best learned the hard way!

Glad to have your company this morning, Lady!

Rae said...

That is not only incentive to make one give up smoking, that is enough of a shock to cause a heart attack. I wonder what the bank would have done if the guy sued because that happened.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rae...
It would, without a doubt, be a shock to the system! My mind can't even think in 17 digit numbers!

Being bankers, they would have found some way out of the law suit...or got another bail out from the government to pay for it!

I'll bet he had to fight to get the overdraft fee canceled! You would think he would get a reward...even if it was just a pen or a toaster...something!

Thanks for coming by, Rae!

Bullseye said...

WOW !!! And I thought my brand was high. Poor guy, I bet this just about brought on heart attack. Glad he got it worked out anyway. Thanks for the story.

Bullseye
Code Name "Bullseye"

HermitJim said...

Hey Bullseye...
Good to see you again! Lets us know just how dependent on the workings of the big banks computers, huh?

Glad this guy had enough sense to call the news, cause no one would believe it otherwise!

Thanks for coming by, brother Bulls!

JoJo said...

Special One you know I will always watch out for you and make sure we always have enough good coffee.

shiloh1862 said...

Wow!

Pickdog

III

shiloh1862 said...

Wow!

Pickdog

III

HermitJim said...

Hey Pickdog...
Sort of takes your breath away, doesn't it?

Thanks for coming by, my friend!

Mayberry said...

Hmmmm.... Maybe the store's address came up as Zimbabwe? Or America a year in the future....

HermitJim said...

Hey Mayberry...
You don't reckon the store clerk was from Nigeria, do ya?

Never know what caused it, but I'll bet he hopes it doesn't happen again!

hey, Thanks for coming by, buddy!

Dragon said...

If Cigs go much higher I'll be doin the Dillinger and charging them to Colt. Grin.
I'll leave it to Ya'll if I'm joking er not.

HermitJim said...

Hey Dragon...
I know what you mean, brother...I know what you mean!

Hey, thanks for the visit!

Frugal Canadian Hermit said...

Kinda makes me feel good about quitting the habit a few years ago. I always thought I could possibly see them get up to a $million a pack, but quadrillions ?, now they're starting to get under my skin just a bit. Hey Jim, can you bum me a smoke?

HermitJim said...

Hey FCH...
Good to see you this morning! We may just have to start going back to smoking corn silk again!

shame when it's cheaper to buy weed than it is tobacco! At least, that's what I hear...