# Thanks for the money! But WHY??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 14, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088 "2018-06-14T13:49:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/1 "2018-06-14T13:49:26Z")
A month or so ago I received a check from Pennsylvania’s Department of the Treasury. Yay!! Right? But that was all that was in the envelope, a check. No explanation and I wasn’t expecting it. I spent some time Googling, posted a thread, called my accountant, all to no avail. I eventually called the Treasury and, after an hour or so on hold, spoke to someone who was also initially dumbfounded. She eventually told me it was reimbursement from _something_ several years ago. My accountant is still perplexed. Why couldn’t they have mentioned this along with the check? So, yesterday I get a check from a health insurance company I dealt with many years ago. The check is made out to my daughters name, at my work address. The last time I dealt with this company I was providing health insurance for my daughter while she was in college. No explanation. I assume it was an over-payment of premiums (it is close to $1,000), but I had to call my daughter to see if maybe she had a large healthcare expense that was denied at the time. Nope, all she had were a few $10 co-pays. So, why no letter? Fuuuuuuck. ---
**Author:** ![Celidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Celidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celidin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/2 "2018-06-14T14:09:02Z")
Highly advise you check your credit history and things along those lines - sounds like you unfortunately might be a victim of identity theft or some other scammy like thing. Hope not - good luck! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/3 "2018-06-14T14:21:25Z")
> [@Celidin](#): > > Highly advise you check your credit history and things along those lines - sounds like you unfortunately might be a victim of identity theft or some other scammy like thing. Hope not - good luck! No, I think this is just the way refunds are being done. Last year I got a check for $10 from my doctor. No explanation. A few weeks later, another $10. A few weeks after that another $10. I eventually called the office, but they do not do the bookkeeping. Called the accounting office and they told me I had been charged co-pays that were eventually determined inappropriate. But why no letter? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/4 "2018-06-14T14:40:27Z")
I had this happen (with a much smaller amount) and spent a week tracking it down. Finally found someone in a county office who discovered it was a payment for an extra day of jury duty… years before. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/5 "2018-06-14T15:24:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > No, I think this is just the way refunds are being done. Last year I got a check for $10 from my doctor. No explanation. A few weeks later, another $10. A few weeks after that another $10. I eventually called the office, but they do not do the bookkeeping. Called the accounting office and they told me I had been charged co-pays that were eventually determined inappropriate. But why no letter? I wish I had _your_ problems. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/6 "2018-06-14T15:29:09Z")
Moved to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/7 "2018-06-14T16:18:46Z")
I can guess why no letter: they have made a mistake, and they are willing to make it right, but they don’t want to actually admit they made a mistake. They are, among other things, afraid that you will check your history with them more carefully and find other mistakes that they made, that they will also have to make right. Or they fear some other kind of liability coming out of it. As far as these kinds of companies are concerned, there is no good that ever comes from admitting a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/8 "2018-06-14T16:53:01Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Moved to MPSIMS. Yeah, thanks. My rant had me kinda pissed off, but I guess not Pit worthy. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/9 "2018-06-14T16:59:54Z")
That is odd. We’ve gotten checks from our Dr for overpayments - a year later - but the check stub always had a line that explained what the overpayment was. No one ever sends up mystery money. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/10 "2018-06-14T17:21:27Z")
OK, so the health insurance people are a bunch of fucktards. I spent 30 minutes on hold, then the woman I spoke with needed my “plan number”. I told her I diodn’t have a “plan” any longer. No problem, says she, just read her the number on the back of my card. I DO NOT HAVE A CARD. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/11 "2018-06-14T17:29:26Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I wish I had _your_ problems. I’ve got 99 problems, but a glitch ain’t one. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/12 "2018-06-14T17:35:32Z")
There’s this old saying about gift horses and mouths. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/13 "2018-06-14T17:43:57Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I can guess why no letter: they have made a mistake, and they are willing to make it right, but they don’t want to actually admit they made a mistake. They are, among other things, afraid that you will check your history with them more carefully and find other mistakes that they made, that they will also have to make right. Or they fear some other kind of liability coming out of it. As far as these kinds of companies are concerned, there is no good that ever comes from admitting a mistake. Eh, don’t attribute something to malice that is explained by incompetence. Rather than human nature and fear of getting caught in a mistake, it is more likely the general dumb-ape decision that a letter costs money to generate and print (ignoring the far greater cost of the customer service rep answering the calls that come in because there is no letter of explanation). ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/14 "2018-06-14T19:02:49Z")
I got a mysterious check a few months back. I wrote about it in this[thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=848766). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/15 "2018-06-14T19:13:38Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Eh, don’t attribute something to malice that is explained by incompetence. > > Rather than human nature and fear of getting caught in a mistake, it is more likely the general dumb-ape decision that a letter costs money to generate and print (ignoring the far greater cost of the customer service rep answering the calls that come in because there is no letter of explanation). You’re probably right. I keep thinking people are smarter than they turn out to be. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/16 "2018-06-14T19:27:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > OK, so the health insurance people are a bunch of fucktards. I spent 30 minutes on hold, then the woman I spoke with needed my “plan number”. I told her I diodn’t have a “plan” any longer. No problem, says she, just read her the number on the back of my card. I DO NOT HAVE A CARD. Called back. Armed with my daughter’s social security number, the woman I spoke with spent a long time trying to answer my question. The closest she could get was that the check is some kind of reimbursement for something that happened in 2007. She said it is _impossible_ to be more specific (hard copies do not exist, nor do electronic records exist for the account in question). I’m spending the money on drugs and alcohol. My current healthcare plan be dammed. ETA: my daughter was 17 at the time. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/17 "2018-06-14T19:30:57Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m spending the money on drugs and alcohol. My current healthcare plan be dammed. I checked, and if your daughter’s name was on that account, you’re morally obligated to share those with your daughter. > [@Ludovic](#): > > I’ve got 99 problems, but a glitch ain’t one. Just wanted everyone to read that again [quiet but excited golf clap] ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/18 "2018-06-14T19:58:05Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Eh, don’t attribute something to malice that is explained by incompetence. > > Rather than human nature and fear of getting caught in a mistake, it is more likely the general dumb-ape decision that a letter costs money to generate and print (ignoring the far greater cost of the customer service rep answering the calls that come in because there is no letter of explanation). Or someone asked, who do we need to route this letter to for approval? - and no one could decide on a name. Or it had to be approved by two or more people who disagreed on what the letter should say. Or there was a past history of such letters hitting, say, a review by legal, and just sitting on that desk for months to years. So sending it without the letter gets the check where it should go while trying to add a letter might waylay it permanently. **shrug** Might be a lot of things. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/19 "2018-06-14T21:36:22Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I checked, and if your daughter’s name was on that account, you’re morally obligated to share those with your daughter. Heh. My daughter doesn’t use drugs recreationally, and she only rarely enjoys a glass of wine. She is the white sheep of the family. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088/20 "2018-06-14T21:36:51Z")
Blow it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-money-but-why/816088.md?page=2)