Opinion

At times I feel that I am living in some weird world probably due to the Covid virus, or maybe not.  Following are some examples. 

Example 1:

I have a stock certificate that proves that I own 15 shares of a particular bank stock.  A different company sent me a letter indicating they will hold the certificate for me at no cost to best protect proof that I own that stock.  I called the bank investment information number and talked to a rather terrific man who confirmed that it was best to not keep the certificate in a desk drawer but put it into a fire proof safe or send the certificate to the company that offers to hold it.  But, he warned me that if the sending process was flawed, I could loose the investment.  He also suggested that I contact my brokerage firm to see if I could hand the certificate over to them in person.  I called my broker that day and was put on hold for 45 minutes before I hung up the phone at 5 pm.  On day two I called the brokerage firm again and this time I had to log in using my account login.  But the login failed to accept my password which I believe I entered accurately.  The cell phone web site allowed my to enter which was weird.  After waiting for someone to come on the line to talk, I decided to drive to the firm’s local office.  I arrive within about 15 minutes, all the while monitoring my cell phone.  The local brokerage firm only allows one person in at a time and someone is already inside talking to a large computer screen.  No other humane being is inside the brokerage firm office except one single customer carrying on a conversation with a person seen on the large computer screen.  Weird.  I have to wait outside the office to allow the person already inside to finish his conversation and leave.  I had to wait about 10 minutes.  Once inside I  told the person seen in the computer screen that I was on hold calling his company and no one answered and looking at my watch it just then showed one hour.  I hung up my phone and then explained that I needed some advice as to how to transfer my stock certificate into their system.  The man in the computer’s answer was to give me another phone number to call.  I then get an email that “Your password was blocked on 1/28/2021 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern time. You can reset your password on our website by visiting Customer Service and selecting “I’m having trouble logging in.””  I find this simply incredible if not profoundly incompetent.

Posted January 29, 2021
Updated February 2, 2021