7 ms·

He Donated His Kidney and Received a $13,064 Bill in Return

63 points by caaqil 5y ago

daniel-cussen 5y ago
Yeah billing "error." Just making all kinds of mistakes, to err is human, to cure divine. It's nobody's fault, it's the first time it's happened to us, oh as soon as the journalist called we made sure to take care of it, you no longer owe us what we arrogated, no harm no foul.
- sascha_sl 5y ago
  I wonder what would happen if we started a practice of reversing bills that are proven fraudulent, even in error. Pay the man $13.000.
  - forinti 5y ago
    In Brazil you can get twice what you were unduly charged as consumer.
    - MandieD 5y ago
      That is the best thing I’ve ever heard about Brazil’s legal system. How did it come about?
      - Avamander 5y ago
        Some merchant pissed off the wrong politician.
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        forinti 5y ago
        I think at that point pretty much everyone was pissed off. You would buy a TV and even if it didn't work, the seller didn't have to replace it and would send it for repairs with no deadline for returning it.
      - forinti 5y ago
        Two good complementary policies were instituted in the 90s: one for quality in industry and also a consumer protection law. Previously, industry wasn't too worried about quality and shops routinely disrespected customers. Together, these two policies made life a lot better for consumers and industry too. One company that was trying to make computers in the 80s had to test each component (resistors, capacitors, etc) and reclassify them such was the sorry state of Brazilian industry.
ggm 5y ago
... or you could take bills out of the equation and run a proper NHS and make this story a non story
- ddingus 5y ago
  One does wonder... At what point do Americans decide to get along well enough to force action on this? Maybe when enough of us have been harmed? Might be what it takes. Frankly, I would not expect or be willing to pay anything for a sacrifice of that kind. Asking for the money? Morbid, and another thing I would bot be capable of doing.
  - pydry 5y ago
    >At what point do Americans decide to get along well enough to force action on this? When the cost to the ruling oligarchy of not providing it becomes too high to bear. Not only is the cost not high enough, there's little incentive for them to not squeeze a little harder.
    - sascha_sl 5y ago
      The push for UBI including the ultra-wealthy should give you a hint what happens if we ever do get close to reaching critical mass to force action. We're extended an olive branch. But then again, US media are experts at manufacturing consent, so I doubt we'll even get that.
      - pydry 5y ago
        >The push for UBI There is no real push for UBI. It's a pipe dream dangled in front of us by oligarchs who are trying to feed hunger for change. It'd be nice if it happened but realistically if it grew into a realm of political possibility the same institutions touting it now as "some cool thing to do in the far future maybe" would furiously backtrack. The deeply embedded protestant work ethic and inflation fears would both be stoked to kill it dead.

63 points by caaqil 5y ago

Yeah billing "error." Just making all kinds of mistakes, to err is human, to cure divine. It's nobody's fault, it's the first time it's happened to us, oh as soon as the journalist called we made sure to take care of it, you no longer owe us what we arrogated, no harm no foul.

sascha_sl 5y ago
I wonder what would happen if we started a practice of reversing bills that are proven fraudulent, even in error. Pay the man $13.000.
- forinti 5y ago
  In Brazil you can get twice what you were unduly charged as consumer.
  - MandieD 5y ago
    That is the best thing I’ve ever heard about Brazil’s legal system. How did it come about?
    - Avamander 5y ago
      Some merchant pissed off the wrong politician.
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
      - forinti 5y ago
        I think at that point pretty much everyone was pissed off. You would buy a TV and even if it didn't work, the seller didn't have to replace it and would send it for repairs with no deadline for returning it.
    - forinti 5y ago
      Two good complementary policies were instituted in the 90s: one for quality in industry and also a consumer protection law. Previously, industry wasn't too worried about quality and shops routinely disrespected customers. Together, these two policies made life a lot better for consumers and industry too. One company that was trying to make computers in the 80s had to test each component (resistors, capacitors, etc) and reclassify them such was the sorry state of Brazilian industry.

ggm 5y ago

... or you could take bills out of the equation and run a proper NHS and make this story a non story

ddingus 5y ago
One does wonder... At what point do Americans decide to get along well enough to force action on this? Maybe when enough of us have been harmed? Might be what it takes. Frankly, I would not expect or be willing to pay anything for a sacrifice of that kind. Asking for the money? Morbid, and another thing I would bot be capable of doing.
- pydry 5y ago
  >At what point do Americans decide to get along well enough to force action on this? When the cost to the ruling oligarchy of not providing it becomes too high to bear. Not only is the cost not high enough, there's little incentive for them to not squeeze a little harder.
  - sascha_sl 5y ago
    The push for UBI including the ultra-wealthy should give you a hint what happens if we ever do get close to reaching critical mass to force action. We're extended an olive branch. But then again, US media are experts at manufacturing consent, so I doubt we'll even get that.
    - pydry 5y ago
      >The push for UBI There is no real push for UBI. It's a pipe dream dangled in front of us by oligarchs who are trying to feed hunger for change. It'd be nice if it happened but realistically if it grew into a realm of political possibility the same institutions touting it now as "some cool thing to do in the far future maybe" would furiously backtrack. The deeply embedded protestant work ethic and inflation fears would both be stoked to kill it dead.