June 24, 2024 at 8:11 pm

They Were Told They Owed Some Money For Late Fees At A Library, So They Paid It Off In Small Increments To Annoy The Library Management

by Matthew Gilligan

Source: Reddit/Unsplash/@anniespratt

Well, that’s one way to do it!

Some folks get so fed up with companies and organizations that they SNAP and decide to teach those folks a lesson…

A PETTY LESSON.

Take a look at what this person did after they were hit with late fees by a library.

Paying library late fee pennies at a time.

“Many years ago when I was a student I borrowed some books from the city library. In my country it’s free to borrow books but if you return them late you get a small fee (1-2$).

Typically you pay the fee next time you want to borrow a book because you leave the books on the counter and the librarian checks them when they have time. Now it’s automated with self scanning and so forth.

Well, this is weird…

One day I receive a invoice by mail that I have a late fee for $1.50 and they added $5 for administrative fee for the invoice. I call the library as I haven’t set foot in there for over a year.

And the accountant confirms and says it’s a late fee for a book I returned late one and half years ago. I can’t argue as I normally don’t even remember what I had for dinner last night so I ask about the $5 administrative fee.

According the Swedish law a claim for payment can be made up to 3 years after and they can ad a small administrative fee for the invoice. I tell them that they had all of my info, phone, email etc.

If they had notified me that I hade a outstanding balance I would have came to the library and payed the fee. But the law is the law and they are in the right.

So que malicious compliance.

They asked for it!

I log in to my bank account and start dividing the invoice in small irregular payments. $0.23, $1.02, $0.76 and so on with a day between the payments.

I also deliberately pay $0.06 more than the invoice. I wait for all the payments to go through and then I call them back. Talk to the accountant that can’t find my payment. I notified her that I did pay the invoice but may have divided it.

Uh oh…

The phone goes silent and then she says with anger in her voice ” Was that you? Do you know how much work you caused us?”. I replied that as they took out a administrative fee that I would get my money’s worth of work for it.

Then I end with that I may have paid more than the invoice and would like my $0.06 back.

After numerous correspondence with their legal person they concluded that it would cost them to much to repay $0.06 so they couldn’t legally be forced to pay. I thank her and end with that I have got my money’s worth of work for the $5.06.

Haven’t set my foot in the library since, and it’s been 21 years.”

And here’s what Reddit users had to say.

One individual had a lot to say.

Source: Reddit

Another person shared a story.

Source: Reddit

This Reddit user spoke up.

Source: Reddit

Another individual shared their thoughts.

Source: Reddit

And this person made a good point.

Source: Reddit

I don’t think the library staff appreciated this move…

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.