I’ve been wanting to get ahold of Basava Premanand’s books for a number of years now … being reminded of that most recently when it was his Twitter account that had expressed an interest in following me, there.
Here’s how you do it:
First, send an email to indiansceptic@gmail.com. They will tell you that “Premanand’s email facility is no [sic] back in action. You can contact him at geedimedi@gmail.com,” and they’ll Cc: him at that address.
This will leave you wondering whether his email is NOW back in action, or NOT back in action. (Several years ago, he had lost the password for it; and then I didn’t have the money to spend; and I had tried again in December of 2008, and not received a response—apparently at a time when his email facility was indeed “no back in action.”)
Wait for close to a week. The esteemed Premanand himself will email you:
You can send the order to my e-mail address geedeemedi@gmail.com and send the money by western union money transfer to be collected from savings bank account in sub post officer. Postage by Air-mail is there, and also let me know your postal address.
I still don’t know what the “savings bank account in sub post officer” refers to; but no matter.
Total your order, in U.S. dollars.
Western Union only lets you specify the money you’re sending in your local currency. Go to xe.com to convert it to U.S. dollars.
You want to send this money to 11/7, Chettipalayam Road, Podanur, in India. Except that Western Union doesn’t allow slashes in the Street Address, and only allows you to enter 20 characters into that field. So you really want to send it to “11-7 Chettipalayam R” in Podanur.
You will then receive an email from Western Union, informing you that you have to call them within 24 hours to confirm your transfer. Call the number they’ve given you and (if you’re sending from Canada) they will tell you that they have to release your order back into their system, for some other office in their labyrinth to call you back.
Take a shower. Just as you’re toweling off, your phone will ring, and they’ll ask you to verify your social insurance number, address, birthday, and phone carrier. Recite those values to them, while standing buck naked in the middle of your apartment, slowly drip-drying. Then they’ll ask you four multiple-choice questions about your credit history (past addresses, etc.).
I am not making any of this up.
When you’ve passed that inquisition, they’ll send you a confirmation email that your transfer has gone through.
Breathe. Don’t forget to breathe.
Wait another two weeks, regularly checking the online tracking for the money. Follow up with another email to Premanand:
Hi,
I had sent the order/email below to you more than two weeks ago, and the Western Union online tracking still says that the money I wired is “Available for pick up by receiver.” When should I expect this order to be sent to me?
Thank You,
So I’ll keep you posted. For all I know, that $100+ of mine may sit there somewhere in India, waiting forlornly to be picked up, until the second coming of Babaji … or Roger Hodgson.
All Premanand and his people would need to do is set up a PayPal account, with Add to Cart buttons for each item. Or even just sensibly accept money orders, rather than wire transfers. Then, not only would it be possible to order from them without jumping through a dozen different hoops (topped off with a $12 delivery fee), but they wouldn’t need to run down to their local Western Union office(r) to pick up the money.
Ah, but that would be making it too easy, wouldn’t it? The real seeker of truth will make the effort. “When the disciple is ready, the guru/books will appear,” etc.
Do you see what I have to go through, to get the simplest things done? Do you wonder why I’m a total control freak, who hesitates to let anyone touch anything in any of my projects? “If you want something done right….”
