01-13-25 - John Is Questioning If He's Paying Too Much For Cell Service And Someone Bid On Silent Auction Items In His Name

Summary

Episode Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona
Episode Title: John Is Questioning If He's Paying Too Much For Cell Service And Someone Bid On Silent Auction Items In His Name
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Host: John Holmberg
Co-hosts: Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Station: 98 KUPD | Hubbard Radio

---

Overview

In the January 13, 2025 episode of "Holmberg's Morning Sickness," host John Holmberg delves into consumer frustrations with service providers and the unsettling experience of unauthorized silent auction bids. Joined by his co-hosts, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo, John navigates through personal anecdotes and listener interactions, offering insights and humorous takes on everyday challenges faced by Arizona residents.

---

1. Reevaluating Cell and Service Provider Costs

Timestamp: [01:11] – [05:05]

John kicks off the discussion by expressing his growing dissatisfaction with his current phone service provider. He questions whether he's overpaying for his cell service and contemplates the lack of flexibility and transparency in billing practices.

• John Holmberg: “I just don’t know to trust all the other. Like, is there a thing that I don’t know?” ([02:36])

His conversation extends to comparing experiences with other service sectors, such as DirecTV, where he notes that companies often offer better deals to new customers, leaving existing customers at a disadvantage.

• John Holmberg: “They give all of their deals to new customers and current customers, right? So if you’ve been with them and they’ve got a better deal now, you can go to them and say, hey, I want that deal.” ([02:22])

John shares his skepticism about whether similar negotiation tactics can be effectively applied to phone services, highlighting the challenges consumers face in reducing their bills.

---

2. Navigating Credit Card Agreements and Negotiations

Timestamp: [02:36] – [05:05]

Shifting focus, John recounts a personal ordeal with American Express. Enticed by a promotional offer for the American Express Blue card, he discusses how an oversight in setting up autopay led to escalating interest rates and a snowballing debt situation.

• John Holmberg: “I thought it was free, by the way. And then so they called, and they’re like, hey, you’re not paying the bill.” ([04:XX])

He elaborates on his attempt to negotiate the interest rate after missing payments, showcasing both the pitfalls of promotional offers and the potential (though limited) success of negotiating with credit card companies.

• John Holmberg: “I offered you 7% on the mistake and then canceled the card, would that be better? And they said, yeah, 7’s better than 24 in this case.” ([04:37])

This segment serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of understanding financial agreements and the complexities involved in managing credit responsibly.

---

3. The Silent Auction Identity Dilemma

Timestamp: [06:12] – [09:11]

The conversation takes a turn towards a more personal and concerning issue as John reveals that someone has bid on silent auction items using his name without his consent. Specifically, he mentions winning an autographed copy of the "No Country for Old Men" script and a picture titled "Thrill of Manila."

• John Holmberg: “Somebody put me down to win a... And I'm evidently top bidder. Oh, how much?” ([06:27])

This unexpected development leaves John grappling with whether to accept the items, suspecting possible identity theft or a prank by another individual named John Holmberg involved in silent auctions.

• John Holmberg: “Somebody’s signing me up for stuff I like. That’s good crime right there. That’s a really caring criminal.” ([09:00])

The co-hosts engage in a lighthearted yet concerned discussion about the implications of such unauthorized bids, the potential for misuse of personal information, and the fine line between fraud and accidental goodwill.

---

4. Discussion on Identity Fraud and Consumer Rights

Timestamp: [07:01] – [09:11]

Further delving into the silent auction incident, John speculates whether the bids could be attributed to his namesake involved in different professional circles, considering the unfamiliarity with the awarding entity's area code (501 – Little Rock, Arkansas).

• John Holmberg: “Somebody’s signing me up for stuff I like. That’s good crime right there.” ([09:00])

The conversation underscores the broader theme of consumer vigilance, the ease with which personal information can be exploited, and the necessity for individuals to actively manage and monitor their financial and personal data.

---

5. Upcoming Events and Closing Remarks

Timestamp: [10:03] – [10:27]

As the episode nears its end, John briefly mentions upcoming comedy shows at various Improv venues across Arizona, including performances by Paul Versey, Beth Stelling, Sarah Weinschenk, Joe DeRosa, and Lil Rel.

• John Holmberg: “For tickets, go to standuplive.com, desertridgeimprov.com, and tempeimprov.com.” ([00:00] of Transcript Segment)

However, adhering to the user's request, detailed coverage of advertisements, intros, outros, and event promotions are minimized in this summary.

---

Notable Quotes

• John Holmberg: “I just don’t know to trust all the other. Like, is there a thing that I don’t know?” ([02:36])

• John Holmberg: “They give all of their deals to new customers and current customers, right? So if you’ve been with them and they’ve got a better deal now, you can go to them and say, hey, I want that deal.” ([02:22])

• John Holmberg: “Somebody’s signing me up for stuff I like. That’s good crime right there. That’s a really caring criminal.” ([09:00])

---

Conclusion

This episode of "Holmberg's Morning Sickness" offers listeners a relatable exploration of the frustrations tied to managing service provider costs and the unsettling experience of unauthorized financial activities. Through personal stories and candid conversations, John Holmberg and his co-hosts provide both humor and practical insights, encouraging listeners to be proactive in safeguarding their financial well-being and personal information.

For those interested in more of John Holmberg's engaging takes on daily dilemmas and humorous anecdotes, tune in weekdays from 5:30 AM to 10:00 AM on 98 KUPD or visit www.98kupd.com.

Transcript

[John Holberg]

All right, HMS Podcast, time again to let you know where to go for some great comedy in the Valley this week. Get out to the Tempe Improv on the east side to see Paul Versey on Thursday and Beth Stelling Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Desert Ridge Improv up north features Sarah Weinschenk this Thursday and Joe Derosa on Friday and Saturday. And downtown at Stand Up Live, check out the very funny Lil Rel performing Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the complete lineups. And for tickets, go to standuplive.com desertridgeimprov.com and tempeimprov.com it's John Holberg here.

[Unknown]

For the amazing people at the Core Institute, life can throw you a curveball now and again. One day you're trucking along, feeling great. Next day your dog smashes into your head and knocks you cold. Or like a KUPD listener told me this week, his dog did a sprint across the backyard directly into the side of his wife's leg and blew her knee up. She needed that need to get fixed and fixed right. Two years later, she's running like she used to again. And it's all thanks to the Core Institute. I went through it too.

And you can get rid of your.

Pain and start saying, yes, I can to all the things you want to do. And, and all you have to do is trust the experts at the Core Institute head there right now. The Core Institute.com.

[John Holberg]

Morning Sickness.

[Unknown]

Got an email from a guy that people said that, you know, they're firefighters. A couple of people has emailed, said some of those prison firefighters work harder than regular firefighters. They bust their ass. So, I mean, it's not about the money. It's like, you know what, make it a performance based thing where you're like, hey, Snake, great job on the fire lines. You've earned 14 more days off because we really saw you kicking ass. Like, you just go in and performance base and go, you were kind of lazy. Three days. This guy over here, you killed it. 14 days. And then they can trade days in jail. I got 14 days on the fireworks. Yeah, like smokes. Well, I'll give you two of my days if you do this for me. And they're like, oh, I got seven days off of Jeff. Yeah, those guys are. It's a pretty good thing. I think that's pretty amazing. We were just talking about this. It's on my mind. I don't know that I like, like, you know, phone companies and stuff. I just looked at my bill and I'm not unhappy with Any of that. I just don't know to trust all the other. Like, is there a thing that I don't know? Can you just. Like, with DirecTV, you should be able to call them and say, I don't like my bill. And they'd just be like, okay. And they change it immediately.

Got wise to that because, like, what your big complaint was, they give it. They give all of their deals to new customers and current customers, Right? So if you've been with them and they've got a better deal now, you can go to them and say, hey, I want that deal.

And the reason I bring you up.

Not be able to do that.

Last night, my phone tried to do an update, and my whole phone is a disaster this morning with, like, weird things and, like, yeah, just odd stuff. So I started to look around, like, is that. That's Apple, though. That's not the service. And then I just saw the bill, and I'm like, there's got to be a thing, because you can call, like, credit cards. Hey, I don't like what's going on here. They're like, all right, how much do you not want to pay? I'm, like, a good portion of it. And they're like, okay. I've actually done that. When I got a. I had the American Express card. They talked me into getting a second one. Their new one was the American Express Blue, and I've always been an American Express guy. And, like, you get the blue, and then we'll give you, like, $1,000 for free to charge. And all you have to do is hold it for five months. That's it. And then use it. You know, you had to use it a couple times to get to activate the thousand, but then the thousand when. That sounds like a great deal. So I knocked that first thousand out. That was no time at all. I was like, the first three charges, I'm like, yahoo. And then went through. Well, I thought it was on the same pay as the amex, which was autopay, but it wasn't. And so I didn't pay the bill the first two months. I also thought it was free, by the way. And then so they called, and they're like, hey, you're not paying the bill. And I'm like, I thought it was going. I'm like, oh, that's a mistake on my end. I'm sorry. And so it went from 3% interest to 24 daily. Oh, man. And the bill was crazy. And I'm like, well, this is my mistake. But you guys talked me into this card, that's my fault. I'll pay the bill initially, but let's kill that interest rate and just cancel the card. Like, you don't need to cancel it. I'm like, what do I have to do to make this stop? And they said, what's a reasonable percentage? And the guy said, I can't tell you. You have to ask. And I said, 2%. We can't do that, sir. But if I offered you 7% on the mistake and then canceled the card, would that be better? And I'm like, yeah, 7's better than 24 in this case. Yes, that's better. You're great. Thank you. You must be Asian. That's good math. And so, yeah, so I just realized that most of these companies, all you have to do is call them and say, I ain't paying that, and they'll start whittling it down. But I wonder if that's the same with phone. I've never had to do it. And I don't want to be one of those guys that's, you know, it's almost like coupon clipping e coupons where you're constantly seeking out, is this Internet provider good, is that cable company good? And you're moving all over, constantly jumping from this Internet to that and phone to this. But I think there might be some. There's benefits of that, right? Yeah, it's annoying.

Well, that was the only reason I changed, because one one of the providers told me to pound sand. I'm like, okay, fine, then I'll just go somewhere else.

Yeah.

Got a better deal?

Yeah, I need to do that. Let me start looking around. I don't mind mine, but I think there might be a better cut out there. I got to make some phone calls. Somebody needs to know. I think we're all too afraid to make that phone call and say, I don't feel like paying this. This is different than what I thought it was going to be. You know, if you were at a restaurant and you see the prices on the menu and the steak's $30 and that steak's 25, and that's 55. So you add tax is pretty much going to be around 65, $70. And the bill comes in, it's 230 bucks, you would tell them, I'm not going to pay that. What happened? Yeah, well, we had some add ons, the table fee and this. I'm like, you never talked about that.

Gas for the grill.

Yeah, yeah, that should have been included in the price there. I'm not Going to do this. And then they'll be like, well, what do you want to pay? I'm like, what it cost? Yeah. It's just. It's annoying how we're nickel and dimes beyond belief.

That's the whole thing, though. It even, like when we all went from, like, DirecTV to all these different streaming services. Oh, it's cheaper. It's cheaper. Until you buy all the streaming services.

Yeah.

Then you're paying as much or more.

More.

You know?

Yeah. Another thing I got going on right now that I'm not sure what's going on. I didn't sign up for this, but somebody put me down to win a. A thriller in manila picture in a silent auction somewhere.

Congratulations.

And you won it. And I'm evidently top bidder. Oh, how much?

So I looked at it.

I'm like, well, I didn't do this. It says, ready to seal the deal. And evidently it helps the cancer Society. Or maybe I don't think it's autographed. I kind of like the thing. But whoever signed me up for this thing, thanks. But now I'm in a real dilemma on whether or not I take it. Like somebody who just stole my identity and signed me up for something, but it happened to be something I like.

Is this the other John Holberg that owns the painting company and everything else?

That could be that guy. He's wandering around doing silent auctions now. I mean, it's a silent auction item. I kind of liked picture.

Yeah, but not autographed.

No, but doesn't that encourage people to sign me up for silent auction things? They have my phone number, somebody out.

There, what was the bid?

Doesn't say. That's the scary part. But they're pretty happy about it. Close the deal on this. I'm like, what? I don't. I didn't do that. I'm not going to respond to that. But I kind of want the picture.

Because usually they go back and say, this is what the win you won.

Right. Winning. Here's what you owe. But it says, sounds a little text or call back and I'll follow up. Like, I don't think I did this. Yeah, I might have gotten drunk and done it somewhere, but I don't think I've been that drunk in a while. I kind of like the picture, though. Yeah. It's the thrill of Manila. It's Frasier all ducked down, and Ali's throwing a punch over his head. That's a good shot. But it's just a. I could print.

It's actually that big, too.

It's the size of my phone. It's a thumbnail. It's a stamp. But I could print this picture and build my own.

Yeah, you could.

I'm gonna go ahead and cancel that.

I wouldn't click on anything. Just delete.

Yeah, I don't know what's going. There's another one just came up. Thank you for participating.

Would you buy now?

Yeah, that's the same one, but it's a different number. Someone will reach out to you soon from an area code with 501 regarding your bid. I didn't. I don't think I did this. And I haven't been out of state.

501.

What's the 501, Eric? Ah, I got a lot of dilemmas going on.

I think is Little Rock.

Yeah, I thought it's Arkansas. Is it? I'm not doing that.

Yeah, central Arkansas. That's what I thought. Little Rock sounded familiar from when I was there.

Me.

My answer.

You got nothing to do with Little Rock.

Oh, no, I got nothing to do.

Nothing there.

Somebody's signing me up for stuff I like. That's good crime right there. That's a really caring criminal. I'm gonna screw this guy. But he'll enjoy this.

But he's gonna really.

This is nice. This is an autographed copy of the no country for Old Men script. And I screw this guy for 375. And I bet you he really enjoys that. So hopefully. Hopefully appreciates it. Anyway, if you're gonna screw somebody on silent auction stuff, you know, at least stay on brand. This was a pretty good one. I would have. Had I been at this silent auction, wherever it is, I'd have considered that. I. I don't think I did that anyway. Maybe there might have been a time I was a little bit popped and went into a bar and said, this is neat. And so. I don't remember that. I don't know when this happened. I'm gonna make some and. But if I call them now. I'm on the list now. I'm gonna ignore this. I'll print the picture. Thanks for the idea. What a mess. Maybe that's a. What would Brady do? And speaking of. Oh, we're running late, so we're not going to do the Guadalupe replay. But just remember, Frank will be in town January 31st through February 2nd.

First.

Whatever.

Just.

Friday, Saturday, Desert Ridge Improv. He's up there. Friday and Saturday. Desertridgeimprov.com CALI Under Square is available online. Yep. For those of you interested. We're a little late. We got what Would Brady Do? Coming up in just moments while I try to figure out all this great stuff this criminal's trying to get me to buy. It's a tough morning. It's 98. It's out of control now.

98 to you, PT college hoops are here, and there's no better place to catch the action than Hooters. Fuel up with a baller bundle 10 boneless wings, crispy fries, dressing, and a fountain drink starting at just $9.99. Want to level up your game day experience? Swap the fountain drink for a Beat the Buzzer special, featuring your choice of Beatbox or buzz balls for a low price. This offer is for game days only, so grab your crew, enjoy the action, and feast on the flavors at Hooters. The original wing joint since 1983.