Dumbass Protection

I've been trying to resolve problems PAYING for a product I've been using since it was introduced (in the early 1990's).

Of course the fact that this US company processes all its payments through a German bank doesn't help matters. Because of their methodology they managed to trigger the FRAUD PROTECTION on my bankcard, and now I can't process ANY transactions!!!

I worked with the knowledgeable people at MY bank, but then this US/German Brundleco (a word I coined in the mid-1990's to describe a company that is essentially a conglomeration of so many micro-units that it is practically a genetic abomination [like Seth Brundle in the horror-classic "The Fly"]) went and triggered the FRAUD PROTECTION again (AFTER I had just resolved the PREVIOUS transaction-error caused!!!).

The irony of all this is that unknown to the software company (the company marketing the product I am ATTEMPTING to renew) I personally was one of the key influences in assuring that their product received widespread exposure in the academic community in the fledgling years of the software's existence (before the term "internet" was even in general public use!!!).

But since it is now the practice for companies to hire transaction service-personnel who know next-to-nothing about the companies they serve, there is really no one to contact who might care, so MY readers are really the only people who know the truth.

And just so my readers know that I'm not making this up...the WS in the company's (unnamed) product stands for WINSOCK, the Windows-based protocol that made such a product usable by the general public. Now a part of the Windows operating system, WINSOCK is the core protocol that allows all kinds of products to use TCP/IP as the Transport Layer of OSI (Open Sytems Interconnection) seamlessly and silently.

Now if only the company's FINANCIAL transactions could be conducted seamlessly and silently, I might not have to subject it to further ridicule.

I'm not expecting any special treatment...I would only hope that the US DoD's old DARPAnet would be put to better use than the sending of repeated emails about how some German bank is having trouble verifying my identity (on a purely domestic-US purchase!)