Deadbeat: Man dead for 450 years gets TV bill
Filed under: Debt, Consumer Complaints
A German mathematician who died 450 years ago was sent a letter demanding he pay long-overdue TV license fees, according to a Reuters story.
The bill from Germany's GEZ broadcast fee collection office went to the last home address of Adam Ries, an algebra expert who bought the house in 1525. A club in his honor was set up at the home 400 years later.
The head of the club returned the letter to GEZ, explaining that Ries died in 1559, centuries before the invention of television and radio. She received another reminder a few weeks later.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
3-13-2009 @ 4:08PM
vaownage said...
Lol, Everyone needs money? Tax the dead?
Reply
3-17-2009 @ 2:40AM
Dudley Haas said...
Just because he's dead is no reason why he shouldn't pay his bills. I'm still angry over the fact that a dead friend of mine won't reply to my e-mails and answer my phone calls.
3-13-2009 @ 7:11PM
fastway99 said...
That deadbeat... Hahahaha
Reply
3-18-2009 @ 2:55AM
Mark said...
That's a good one, I like quick wit like that. Thanks for the laugh.
3-16-2009 @ 8:18PM
shausil82 said...
I kinda feel bad for the dead guy.
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3-16-2009 @ 8:24PM
Judy said...
What is everyone just stupid now days. Good grief learn your job.
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3-16-2009 @ 8:35PM
MB said...
Keep watching the news, the law suit is coming soon. HAHA
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3-16-2009 @ 8:37PM
Violet said...
HAHAHAHAHA! Man, that's good.
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3-16-2009 @ 8:59PM
Ski said...
Sometimes computers make us, humans/companies, look really stupid. But this is classic.
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3-17-2009 @ 8:01AM
patty said...
um.. maybe it was for ANOTHER adam ries.. that's probably a common last name over in germany.. i'm sure he isn't the only man ever to have that name... if you google yourself you will find that many people have the same name as you... so they probably were looking for THIS deadbeat and came up with the long dead guy's address.. especially since they have started a club in his name at that house.. sounds more like a mistaken address than anything else
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3-16-2009 @ 10:22PM
clifton said...
bull chips .you are dume. i get the same thing for my son but he was just 2 years old .then i got bills from a book culb said i didn,t pay my bill. i give it to my C.O.4 stare admrile he wrote them how could get book from them when i was in navy sub at sea he dont got no mail hole .plus i own a tarler park now t.v goes by zip code ever time dont pay there dish tv i get on credit report they dont care it just the buck they want and as you can tell from this e mail i dont read or wright what good is a book to me
3-16-2009 @ 9:45PM
SLS said...
Maybe someone in this century signed up for service using the mathematician's name and former address?
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3-16-2009 @ 11:08PM
Sasha said...
I think you may have figured this out. I have heard of people registering their dogs to vote and getting bogus online college diplomas for pets. Why not free TV service for awhile?
3-16-2009 @ 10:03PM
Ken said...
In the 1970's, when I worked for International Business Machines (IBM) we received a letter from American Express addressed to:
Mr. Intl B. MacHines.
I swear this is true. I still have the letter.
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3-16-2009 @ 10:28PM
Andrew said...
When I was a kid in school the band director received a telemarketer call asking for "Mr. BandHall"
3-16-2009 @ 10:05PM
L R said...
Well there goes his credit Rating, No loans for him.
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3-16-2009 @ 11:11PM
coverup said...
What do you mean "no loan for him"--Obama will be GLAD to bail him out . All he has to do is ask --or not .
3-18-2009 @ 10:21AM
KA said...
TimeWarner Cable billed me $700 even though I'm not in their service area and have never been a customer. Since I don't have an account number they claim they can't give me credit or drop the charge.
Reply
3-16-2009 @ 10:10PM
spicedrum said...
just as bad as when arrest warrant was issued for mickey mouse back in the 80's for failure to register for the draft and authorities tried to serve it
Reply
3-17-2009 @ 1:02PM
rob said...
there was no draft in the 80's. it disappeared in 69