So, apparently everything is in hell right now. Last semester I used to talk about all the school problems like money and stuff, but recently all that took a turn for the worse and created a firestorm of pain and blood.


THE BACKSTORY


Most people who know of what was going on last semester would, well, know what went on, but here's a brief recap. I made a deal with my agency that I would give my financial aid refund checks to someone I live with so they can give me the money whenever I need it like for food, transportation, and books. The checks never came, so about 3 months into the semester the school sent me a debit card with all the money on it.

I bought my books and every month someone I live with would take me to the train station and use the card to get a transportation card and I would also get $50 per week from it. That changed because eventually the agency got full control of the card and that's where things get out of control. Just so you know, I did have the card number, so I was able to use the card online on Amazon (sometimes), AMC movie tickets, sports tickets, and grubhub. I ended up spending the rest of the money by ordering from grubhub in between class and going a block away from school to pick it up.

I did admit that to the agency eventually but they agreed this was the best thing to do because of my hours, since even I I have breakfast at home, I would have no access to food from 8:30 AM until about 11 PM.


THE THURSDAY MASSACRE


Things got out of hand once the school put this semesters refund on the card, for about $1800 2 weeks ago. First off, the agency only has the card because they think it will help me manage my money. However, they know I have the card number and can blow all the money wherever I want with or without the card, the only difference is i cant physically get to school without it and they don't seem to care.

On Thursday, we had a meeting at the agency about this with my new worker, and this worker said that she would go and buy a transportation card and bring it to my house on Friday. They also wanted me to log into my school account and print out a list of books I needed so they can buy them. It was all a lie.

No card came on Friday, and all the way up until today, there's not even a single transaction on the bank statement that shows any progress towards buying it, meaning I could not go to school. Even on Tuesday, my first day of class I told my family I wasn't going to school because I didn't have money and said I was going to use the card online to go to the movies. I would have done that if the friend I was taking to the movies hadn't told me while we were going to the movie that he would drive me to school and back.

As for the books, they have no intention of getting them. According to the list, there's the bookstore that has the books and a few online places. There's no way the agency would send someone all the way to the school to get the books, and they talked to the bank that issued the card and had it ser up so that the card gets declined online most of the time. One book was available on Amazon and I took it into my own hands to get that which worked after declining 4 times.


THE STRAND


On Monday, I had a great labor day, I went to the movies, baseball games, comic boom stores, and the place that had set up the storm, Strand Bookstore, which also has a hand in the actual storm. After I went to see The Transporter on Monday, I went to check out Midtown Comics, I didn't have any money but they have this thing where you order online and pick up in the store so I figured I would do that if I saw anything I liked.

I didn't really like anything there but onw of the things they had made me think of Strand and while at the comic store, I looked online at Strands website and they also had the same pick up in store thing so I took the train a few stops and checked it out. I found a bunch of cheap books I wanted and I asked them how long I would have to wait after ordering before I can pick the books up and the guy said 1-2 days so I left and made a list of the books.

Since I couldn't get the books then and there I decided to wait out the first couple days of class (which wouldn't have happened if not for my friend) to get my complete book list so I could see if Strand had them.


THE *CENSORED*


Everything went to hell during my 2nd class of the day on Tuesday which was English and the professor was going over the books that we needed. The first one see needed was due by Thursday and as she was showing it, I told myself I would go online and see if Strand had that one as soon as class ended. Just a couple minutes later she held up the book and I saw the price tag on it and I was about to ask her if she got that from strand and then she actually said that was where she got it. So right there I made up my mind that I was going to order the book and the ones from my list right after class.

After class ended I went on the website and discovered there was some odd glitch in the system which is the only excuse I could think of because there was some strange sale going on that wasn't announced or posted anywhere. Everytime you would order a book, it would be full priced all the way from the books page to the bag to checkout, but apparently once you start putting your card info in, the price just drops. One book went from $31 to $27 so I thought it was like a 10% discount but then I noticed that a $6.50 book dropped to $1.50, and a $3 actually went to ($1) which with money means negative.

I tested out some theories and discovered that the first book in your cart will be $4 off and every book after that would be $1 off, I even put 3 $3 books in a cart and the total price was $3. I had no idea what was going on but it just gave me even more incentive to buy the books then and I was even really excited. But guess what??? I needed the security code in order to buy the books, or even a gift card which would have been just as good.

The code was something I didn't remember, so on the ride him I came up with a plan on what I was going to do and say to the agency. In the morning, I was going to call the new worker and ask for the code so I could get the books. Having the code wouldn't have made a difference right? It wouldn't have allowed me to get anything else since any store I need requires just the card number or has the security code saved so having the code literally meant nothing.

However, because I'm a genius and thanks to experience in how the agency has dealt with card before, I was able to come up with outcomes and scenarios of what would happen if I ask them for the code, and none of them involved getting my books. So as I was going over the possibilities and figuring out how each conversation would flow as well as what would be said after, I got the maddest that I have ever been.

Really, you should have just seen m in the car. I don't argue or fight or even scream really, but you could see me sitting still staring out the window while picking at my shirt buttons and lightly twisting/balling/clenching my shirt.

So then I did the only thing I could do, I brainstormed more possibilities and outcomes and conversations, but this time they all revolved around a new action. I knew that I had to do something to threaten the agency. But what could I do?

It got to the point where I had an idea of what I was going to say to my family when I got home, I was going to ask someone to call the agency to tell them that if I didn't get the card by Friday, I would go online and spent every penny on whatever I wanted. If they were going to refuse to use the money for things that I needed, then there wa no point in saving it, and I was going to continue doing what I did last semester and spend all of it on meals and other things online, since that was literally the only thing it could be used for.

It didn't stop there, I only got angrier and things got worse and I kept going over possibilities, and then I made up my mind that I was going to do something very drastic. The basis behind this action is that it was agreed that that someone would hold onto my money and give it to me as I need it, but not a single penny of my own money had been given even when I couldn't go to school.

Most people right now know that I worked for criminal court over the summer and I was ready, to go pay a visit to the people I worked for the next day to find out if I can press charges on them for that. I also remembered that there was a legal consulting poster I school that day so I figured I would go to both the next day. All this happened while in the car on the way home and I told my people everything, and the next day, today before I left , they called a bunch of people from the agency but only one person picked up and they are going to look into things.

My friend agreed to drive me around again today so after class I'm going to go to both the legal place at school and the court just in case.


THE GOODNESS


One good thing did happen after all of that, and I was actually able to start getting books from strand. Once I got home and finished explaining everything to my family, I was angry enough to hack into my own computer in order to find what the cards security code was. I'm too lazy to type in my username and password each time I log into something so I need to get everything saved, and fortunately, there was a problem when I first got my card. I couldn't log into my bank account through username without phone verification, but my family doesn't let me use the phone unless they are there hearing everything I say.

I was at school the first time I tried to log in to activate the card when I got it so I couldn't do that, however the site does allow to see your balance by putting in the card number and security code, so the code was saves in that field ever since I got the code. Of course, its a password, so its encrypted but I spent about 4 hours last night until about 2 AM doing stuff to the script on the website until I finally revealed the code and was able to get a $50 e gift card for strand to help get *some* of the books, most of which are still in the bookstore or in sites that decline the code.






And that's it.



Fun Fact: All sites that either permanently or occasionally decline the card.

All Paypal sites, so Ebay, vizzed, pokefarm, many others

All gaming sites, so Steam, PSN, all bundle sites.

All sports, shows, and concert tickets bought from the venue site, can only use some resellers.

All online bookstores, Barnes and noble, Chegg, strand (bought gift card)

ALL DEPARTMENT STORES!!!! target, best buy, WalMart, Kmart,

It seems that all of *The Censored* could have been avoided if only you remembered the security code. That's why I write all my passwords / codes on paper and keep them with all my other important documents ( SSID, birth certificate, passport, etc. ). I've got so many different accounts it's impossible to remember all of the passwords off the top of my head XD.

But why couldn't you just ask the agency straight up for the code? All you had to do was tell them you're trying to buy some books online and they need the code. How could they deny you the code?

Kruzer : The security code still doesn't mean a thing, I have no way of actually going to school. I'm not even going to use the gift card I used the code for until I can actually be assured I will be going back to school.

They're not going to give me the code since I'm not supposed to use the card at all.


Also I'm beginning to think the card declines for Amazon too, its been 4 days since I ordered that 1st textbook and payment never went through.

Wow. The *Censored* is really something for you. I mean, I can't really send you money, so, there's that.
But I do have a few questions:
Why do you have to take the train to school? Can't the person that you live with drive you?
And why couldn't the person who lived with you or your parents buy the books?
Finally, how did you do the script stuff on the site, and at school until 2 AM? Can you teach me how to do that?

zanderlex : I don't fully understand the situation as well.. you do a bad job of making a simple list of issues, but that's probably just me

But then again i've always looked after my own finances since i turned 16... I don't know how you managed to forget your security code either.. that's like the basic of the basic... either way this experience is probably going to help you learn a few things... 

Also i find it weird that sometimes sites accept it and other times decline it.. It really sounds like your inputting your information in wrong...

and the fact you know it doesn't work on sites that aren't beneficial to your education is awkward as well... It just gives the impression you've been spending said money in other places tis all.

sonicmcmuffin : I did say I spent it everywhere. Also It's my own debit card, it doesn't have to be used for school.

mario102 : Even if you could send money, it would go to that card. Why would someone drive around 90 minutes there, 90 minutes back, and then again at night when they have better things to do? and where would those people get the money from?

Never said I was at school until 2 AM. I even said most of the stuff took place on the way home from school.




I'm going to spend the gift card I bought for text books once I know for a fact I will have money for school. For now though, I'm going to head to the bookstore in a few minutes and get a few cheap books for me with the gift card., then i'll just buy another gift card once I know.

zanderlex : Oh. I guess I got confused. It was this that confused me:
"I was at school the first time I tried to log in to activate the card when I got it so I couldn't do that, however the site does allow to see your balance by putting in the card number and security code, so the code was saves in that field ever since I got the code. Of course, its a password, so its encrypted but I spent about 4 hours last night until about 2 AM doing stuff to the script on the website until I finally revealed the code and was able to get a $50 e gift card for strand to help get *some* of the books, most of which are still in the bookstore or in sites that decline the code."
And I thought the people would get the money from working.

Just the fact that some agency has full control of your card is bull in and of itself, much less them not getting you what you need for college, I smell a potential lawsuit in the works here.

zanderlex : Wait debit card?! Silly, every website declines them. You can read the reason why right here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2dxy9v/eli5why_do_websites_prefer_credit_to_debit_cards/


https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/debit-cards

what I would do, stop using debit card and use paypal (it's a whole lot easier with paypal).

mastergame : Dude, the very first paragraph of the 2nd says they are to be used online or by phone. Ever since debit cards were first invented they were for online. If that's the case, then why does every website say on the site that they accept debit cards? It's just this specific card that's declining.


If I get PayPal, which I have that will only be more trouble. How would I go into a store and use the money there? I still wouldn't be able to pay for the bus, and how would I even put the money on PayPal?

zanderlex : you can use both paypal and the card, I don't know the full details how you can do I but in simple terms you should be able to do it. You're a lawyer so maybe figure out wheat's limiting your card by read the contract that you sign.

mastergame : Even if I could use Paypal, there's no way I can put the money from the card to PayPal. And I do know what's limiting the card, I don't have it with me.