From: thetroll@rata.vuw.ac.nz (The Troll)
Subject: Re: Letter from Auckland university
Organization: Computing Serv. Ctr, Victoria Uni., Wellington, New Zealand
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 04:05:26 GMT

In article <B4ikoB1w164w@status.gen.nz> jonc@status.gen.nz (Jon Clarke) writes:
> I today received the most offencive letter ever from any SERVICE
> organisation signed by a J.D.Luff, it read as follows ...

You must led a rather sheltered life. I have received considerably more
offensive letters from banks in the past. As for debit collection
agencies, this sort of letter is merely the begining. 

>The University's terms of credit are payment within seven days of
>receipt of invoice. As from today we will be terminating access to the 
>network for users who do not meet this deadline. Reconnection will be 
>unlikely.

Harsh but not unreasonble if they were spelled out in your original
contract. You do have a cotract don't you? If not, well... you should
proably get one. 

>J.D.Luff
>Operations Manager
>Computer Centre.

Most people would notice that this is the style of letter signing that was
prevalent during the 60's and 70's, it was taught in the schools as the
proper way to terminate a business letter. The writer of this letter is
being *polite* by their standards. for a great many people, using their
full name is a sign of informality. 

> To be sent such a letter by somebody called J.D.Luff who signs a letter
> yours faithfully and does not even bother to address it to me nor identify
> their gender. 

I don't know your gender either, would you like to tell us? It looks like
a form letter. Was it typed or lasered? If the former I suspect that it
was just typed up and mailed out to a number of people. Have you never
received form letters before? 

> Why I for some am personally affronted. It is a matter of
> record in nz.general where I offered my services ( I am a bank manager)
> as a donation to the Auckland University, to help them sort out their
> email billing problems and then in the mail I receive this letter with
> this months email bill.

There is often a difference between the people who manage a facility and
the people who adminsiter such tiresome things as billing for that
facility. You may have offered to help Auckland University and spoken to
say J. White about it. Elsewhere a policy decision may have been made to
crack down on debts. J.D Luff may not have known about your offer of help.
You might want to give them the benefit of the doubt before going off
half-cocked. 

> 4/  Does this J.D.Luff have the authority to demand such payment, does
>     someone have an opinon, maybe the Financial Registrar's Office?

Check your contract. If you don't have a contract, then maybe J.D Luff
does and maybe they don't. 

>  Finally will J.D.Luff have the decency to please respond with
>  the several points raised above or you may most certainly ring me
>  on (09) 358-5589 or revert directly in this news group.

Gosh, you assume that administrative staff have the time to read news. How
many clerks in your bank read news? 

Couldn't you keep this out of USENET? At least until you had spoken to J.D
Luff (only a phone call away) and found out what the story was. We really
don't want to know about your misunderstandings with other people --- they
bore us and show you up to be... well volatile might be a polite term. 

Net Pit Bull in Training

--
Alex Heatley                                Computing Services Centre
Domain: Alex.Heatley@vuw.ac.nz              Victoria University of Wellington