to pay your bill.One day last week, I casually picked up the phone and tried to make an outgoing phone call. I heard a message in Italian that something was wrong with the line and I could call the phone company to get more information. Of course, I ignored this message and figured it would go away eventually. Of course it did not.
The next day, I heard the same message, so I reluctantly called the phone company. Apparently, we owed 91E for our former line and 120E for the new line. We never received a bill. We had always used the automatic deduction method to pay and we have never gotten a receipt from those transactions, so I figured all was well in the world of Telecom Italia. I informed them I would pay it right away.
I jaunted off to the bank, and waited ever so patiently in the long line only to be informed that I couldn't pay the bill at the bank because I am not on the account- fair enough. Next, I hauled the kids to the post office, where many people pay all their bills here in pasta land. The office was mysteriously closed the three times I drove the kids there.
(It wasn't easy to figure out that the PO was closed. Everything else was open and it wasn't a known pasta-holiday. I honestly couldn't figure out how to get in the building- there were 2 doors. One door was slightly open, so in we went. It was dark and there was not a soul in sight- we quickly did an about face and left. I felt very daft- as I frequently do here in Italy. I mean, it's RIDICULOUS that I can't tell if they are open or not, and that I can't find the door. Really, I don't get it.)
I subsequently tried to log onto the web to pay my bill. I was perhaps 80% through the online registration, when I needed a number called the Fattura. Apparently this number can be found on the bill. I don't have a bill. I called the phone company to get this number- they pulled up my information. They informed me they can't give me the Fattura number without a bill- argh.
The next day, I went to another post office. I tried to pay with credit card. The teller explained they don't take credit cards. I started to pack up all my paper slips to head home. Then I got a lucky break. "Why don't you go to the ATM right outside the door- get some Euro and then pay with cash." Brilliant! That's exactly was I did and now the bill is paid. I also had an interesting interaction with an Italian gent in the parking lot. That's another story.With renewed hope, I called the phone company and forced them to work with me to figure out what number they needed from the receipt to take the block off the phone. I couldn't really gauge how well the man understood my broken italian. I figured either the block will be off or they will shut off the line- because at the same time, I was explaining that we don't need to keep the former phone acocunt open.
The next day the block was off the phone. The phone line is working- success! The only drawback is that I couldn't get the person on the phone to accept our new address. He just couldn't wrap his mind around an address that didn't start with "via de something." Oh well, at least we are in the clear until next month.
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