"When I suggested that since (the company) made the mistake, (the company) should fix it, he said, '(The company) doesn't do that.' Needless to say, in the future I will use my local pharmacy."

Bethany wrote that she later found out the company had sent an old prescription list to her doctor, and he or someone in his office automatically approved it.

"(The doctor) doesn't recall, but says that could have happened, but shouldn't have," Bethany wrote. "I think (the) billion-dollar (company) should be magnanimous and write off the co-pay or deal with my doctor for payment, since I was not at fault, but (the company) doesn't do that."

Of course it doesn't, Bethany, because then the company wouldn't be able to bleed every penny — legitimately or not — from its customers. Or, in your case, former customers!

On a related note, my wife was poking around the Internet seeking resolution to our recent bad customer service experiences, and she ran across a Web site that may prove helpful to all of us. It's gethuman.com/, and it tells how to bypass those endless loops of computer recordings and get a human response when calling dozens of specific companies.

I haven't verified the numbers, so user beware. But this is probably worth a look if you're struggling with a consumer issue.

Good luck. And remember, the only way we're going to make headway in this fight is by taking our business away from companies that don't offer good customer service and telling our stories to everyone we know. It will take time, but I think it will be worth it!

Meanwhile, if you have a financial question, send it to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

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E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com