Part of the Loot Lizards experience is getting invited to participate in class action lawsuits against fiscally irresponsible companies. Through the years, we've been invited to sue a few companies, and since we generally own only a couple shares of whatever is getting sued, typically, we assemble all the materials, sign up, and never hear from the lawyers again.
The first time this happened, we were with eBroker, and the company being sued may have been Sunshine Medical, which we had owned briefly and had already sold. In order to participate in the lawsuit, we needed to provide proof that we owned the stock during the time we said we did. To do this, we needed to get copies of statements from our broker.
Ironically, this occurred at a time when we were in the middle of leaving eBroker, which may explain why they were less helpful than they might have been. The phone conversation with eBroker that ensued provided a fitting coda to our relationship with eBroker.
It began politely enough, with Andrea attempting to get some statements out of them. You'd think after Jerry's adventures with eBroker earlier, that being Andrea Zastrow would have opened all the right doors.
You'd be wrong.
"Ma'am, I'm shouldn't be discussing this account with you. You're not Heidi Fredrick."When Andrea Zastrow called them back on Monday, a miracle had occurred and the representative actually allowed her to order the statements. (But they took so many months to arrive that the deadline for the filing had passed.)
"I just want to know what I have to do get copies of statements."
"Ma'am, I'm shouldn't be discussing this account with you. You're not Heidi Fredrick."
"In the abstract, what would any customer of yours need to do to get copies of statements? Is there a charge?"
"We'll give you up to three copies of statements for free, after that, it's $15.00 a copy."
"Can I just order statements to be sent to Heidi Fredrick?"
"Ma'am, You are not Heidi Fredrick, so I cannot discuss this account with you."
"I'm also on the account. Can you check?"
"Ma'am, I cannot give away any information on this account unless you're Heidi Fredrick. I shouldn't even be talking to you now. This conversation is now being taped. I can't give you any information on that account."