We’ve all gotten unexpectedly high bills before and the sticker shock is never fun…but can you imagine getting a water bill for 100 million bucks?
It happened to a man from Orange County, North Carolina.
Kieran Healy received a water bill from Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OSAWA) for $198.92 – which is a realistic amount for a water bill these days – but the service fee of $99,999,999 is just a wee bit high.
The service fee brought Healy’s total bill to over $100 million, according to a reminder message for his online bill payments.
Healy directed a Tweet to OSAWA to ask if he could pay his astronomical bill in installments…
Hey @owasa1, I just got a water bill for a hundred million dollars. Specifically, for $100,000,188 and 92 cents. Can I pay in installments? pic.twitter.com/t4Jd6wAneb
— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) June 14, 2017
I hope so... Although this time it's not in the meter read but rather the $99,999,999 service fee that I feel is excessive.
— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) June 14, 2017
Take the family to Mars and back on that many airmiles, presumably.
— Amanda (@englishchick) June 14, 2017
the fees are how they get ya
— parn prover (@Phylan) June 14, 2017
Just pay it and let them refund you (if it's an error). No need for this twitter grandstanding.
— Jonathan Goodwin (@joncgoodwin) June 14, 2017
They sent you the bill for Flint because no one is paying there so they passed it off on you
— Trump Dumpster Fire (@MANX38) June 14, 2017
You added avocado. That will do it every time. #addavocado
— Geoffrey Cestaro (@gcestaro) June 14, 2017
That's a *lotta* showers pal.
— tracey durning (@traceydurning) June 14, 2017
We get it, you've got a huge marijuana grow operation. Quit bragging.
— Winston Smith (@mainspringbroad) June 14, 2017
That seems like a lot to pay for some orange water — did you spring for the clear option? That may explain it.
— Martin Worthington (@thegoldenspike) June 14, 2017
They must be charging you per drop. Rough.
— WG (@aresquare) June 14, 2017
Looks like you gotta pay in $15000 installments according to their website transaction limit. Sorry.
— Uncle Bo Bo (@JimboRad4d) June 14, 2017
Gotta fix that drip.
— Edward Flav (@ed_flava) June 15, 2017
Gonna take 500 years to pay off. No rush.
— Andy Foster (@andyfoster405) June 14, 2017
6,666 installments of $15,000 it appears.
— thomas
(@Po1iticsJunkie) June 14, 2017
No wait. I got a hold of their billing dept. for you. pic.twitter.com/tPTPTM5UB4
— MrFKNSunshine (@MrFKNSunshine) June 14, 2017
Of course, the outrageously high amount was due to an error, explains The News & Observer:
OWASA officials said the utility outsources various functions of its billing to a service provider called Invoice Cloud. One of the services Invoice Cloud provides is auto drafts, where bill payments are taken out of customer bank accounts or charged to credit cards automatically.
Invoice Cloud sends an email to customers before those charges happen, said Stephen Winters, director of finance and customer service for OWASA. But this email had an error that made it appear as though an huge service fee would be charged.
OWASA isn’t sure how many people received the erroneous email, but Winters said emails explaining and apologizing for the mistake are being sent.
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