You know, while it is sad that there was a ferret lost, and that is most
certainly understandable, let's be a bit realistic here.  I hope I'm
responding to the correct post from some time ago...something about a vet
not willing to give a client credit?  And the ferret passed because the
owners couldn't afford surgery?  If I'm mistaken about the post please
forgive my rambling.
 
I work for a very large and very very well known finance company.  We have
all this wonderful technology, computer programs etc, that give us the
ability to pull someone's credit report on the spot for a personal loan,
and the computer programs will decide if the person is credit worthy based
on certain criteria.  It's different with our mortgage programs, but for
a personal loan, it's done thru the computer.
 
One of the criteria is to give a COMPLETE ADDRESS.  We cannot submit an
application with a post office box.  It must be a street address.  Yes, we
can MAIL to a post office box, no problem, but we HAVE to have a street
address where the applicant lives.  It's criteria for the computer system
we utilize.  It won't even recognize a post office box.  If we enter one in
by accident (like if there is someone new), upon submission in the system,
it will make the application come up as a pending file and we have to call
our underwriters to approve or deny it.
 
If a potential customer refuses to give us a street address, then we cannot
submit an application for them.  We've found that there is a higher risk of
fraud in these cases, through lots of research that is not unfounded, so
that is why the computer is programmed to only allow a street address to
be submitted.
 
While it is sad that a ferret passed, yes, I fully agree that is very sad,
and if it was my situation, I would be on the verge of hysteria.  However,
in this case I have to side with the vet if I remember the post correctly.
I have the technology at work to be able to determine if a person is
creditworthy, while this vet most likely has nothing but gut instinct.
The technology at work doesn't even permit only a post office box.  If I
was in the shoes of the vet (and thank god I'm not) and the person was only
willing to give me a post office box?  You BET I would not extend credit.
That's just fraud waiting to happen.  Even the best intentioned people do
not just offer post office boxes.  And forgive me for saying that if the
owner is reading this - I do not mean to point that comment at you.  It is
a statement in general.
 
But then again, that's just my opinion - that of a professional who does
loans for a living.  I hope I don't get too flamed for being inhumane with
the post.  It was not my intention.  You just cannot hand out credit to
anyone with a cause - it would be nice but it really doesn't happen.  I
have three ferrets and I hope and pray that would never be my situation.
Don't flame the vet for their decision.
 
Hugs & Dooks,
 
Sue
Dante, Toby & Paul
[Posted in FML issue 3511]