Employer Destruction Department : California EDD

OK Folks, this is a true story. I have only changed the abbreviation to completely unprotect everyone involved.

Two years ago I received a notice in the mail that a certain form XYZ was not filed correctly a few years ago. I ignored the notice because Paychex manages our company payroll. A few months later, the EDD sent me a bill for $1400 because.........they have high speed laser printers and envelop stuffing machines. I don't think they need to pay for postage either.

After a few hundred --as it seemed at the time-- hours of holding on the telephone, finally got someone on the line who told me to pay the fine and also prove to EDD that the form was in fact mailed to them.

I paid the fine and mailed them my only copy of the form. Now I am getting mails from the EDD which say that EDD thinks they owe me some money but need to see proof of the original mailing again. Since I have sent the original proof to them already, I am not sure what I can do.

My only fear is that if they don't hear from me, they will slap me with another fine. And of course I will pay it again. And then they will send me a notice that they think they owe me even more money.

...there's a pattern here...

Lisp War story - interesting

CompUSA and its micro void

Last month I saw a “going out of business” sign outside the local CompUSA. That’s the first time I noticed that they were really going out of business. It was kind of sad because I have been their customer since the 90s (in San Diego.)

A few days later I made a shopping list and went over to help them unload some motherboards. But after 5 minutes of browsing inside the store I realized why they were going out of business: They carried the wrong stuff at wrong prices. For them, going out of business was the obvious outcome.

The whole atmosphere inside the store was depressing and I got out of there in 10 minutes. Since they were the only big game in town, I figured I should go to Office Depot and Best Buy and see if they have taken advantage of this imminent void. Sadly, their shelf spaces were same as before.

An idea for remaining computer retailers: When another computer retailer goes out of business in your area, please take immediate advantage of it. Talk to the departing store owners, let them put up your banner as the new alternative. Double your inventory. Do some radio advertising. Don’t let this opportunity pass you buy.