Credit Crisis - Shivji style
First post in nearly a year but this is my only legal way to achieve catharsis. Many talk of the credit crisis as a crisis in lending, my crisis was that of consolidation. I am a road-warrior and thus I like to keep my life optimized and portable. Bills are all paid automatically on my credit card and so are all purchases. This way I have credit protection on purchases and collect points :). Although as a business analyst I know consolidation also means a single point of failure, I never applied this to my own life.
Last month my credit card number was used somehow to buy sushi and a diet coke. Those who know me, know I would never purchase diet coke and therefore this charge was fradulant. So I called the bank and they told me to fill out a form and take it to a branch, they also told me the process would cancel my card so I should probably use another one. Seemed simple enough. Little did I know this ordeal would become a saga.
Week 1 The AMEX card - In order to ensure I still had a credit card during this process, I applied for one of those Delta Skymiles AMEX cards figuring that I would also get the 5,000 MQM points in the process. After 5 mins I was approved and very happy so I waited for my card in the mail. It didn't arrive, instead I got a nasty note from the credit bureau asking me to send them an IRS form and a letter confirming my address from the Bank. I called AMEX and they said this was standard procedure. So I shelled out the $50 to get the IRS to mail them the form and figured I'd get the Bank letterhead when I went to the branch.
Week 2 The Branch - After clearing my schedule and finally getting a chance to go to the Bank I arrived at the Bank of America on Park Ave. It is a perfectly respected looking place with a greeter. I explained I needed to fill out a form to dispute a charge. She gave me a look and put me in an office while she spoke to her friend outside for about 30 mins. After I walked outside she finally decided to attend to me. After asking her for the letterhead, she simply responded "oh we don't do that". Infurtiated I asked her for at least the form to dispute the fraudulent charge. She again responded that she has never heard of this form and that I would have to call the bank. Incredulous I asked for her supervisor who after about an hour was able to find this magical form and provide me with a letterhead. He also explained he was having "personnel issues" with his staff. No wonder banks are in trouble.
Week 3 Time Warner Cable: Kirsten and I sat down after a long week to watch a movie on demand instead of going out to the theatre. Everytime we ordered the movie, it would start and then about ten minutes in would complain that "the movie is currently unavailable". We tried this 3 times and various different cryptic errors would appear at different times. I finally called Time Warner and asked what was wrong. Apparently, my credit card on file that was used for authorization had been cancelled and my account was considered in violation. Argh!
Week 4 E-Z Pass: Driving out to NJ last night, we went over the Triboro bridge in the EZPass lane expecting to go through as normal. The EZPass said low balance but of course I knew it often says this and automatically replenishes using my credit card. This time of course it didn't because I hadn't changed the information on the EZPass site. The officer came out and confiscated my EZPass. I was furious - even though I explained to him the situation, I apparently have to request a new pass in person and wait 36 hours!
Week 5 Returns: I had bought some christmas presents and then decided to get something else instead and wanted to return the orginal present to Brookstone. I went in with the item and the receipt expecting this to be a simple process. Of course, they requested the original credit card on which the purchase was made. I told them that this card was cancelled and I have a new one. They required me to get a notification from the Bank claiming that my new card was the same card. Of course, once I got this notification, the return time period had expired and all I could get was store credit.
So far I have had more than a month of reprecussions from my credit card cancellation. I have no idea what other services are linked to my card but it makes me re-think my portable life solution. Perhaps I need a fall-back card to failover to in case of issues.
Grr... of the Day
Today I tried to get my EZpass restored so that I don't have to wait another hour or so in line at the Bridges and Tunnels. Unfortunately they are not there today because it is Martin Luther King day. I will have to go early Saturday morning....ARGH
Last month my credit card number was used somehow to buy sushi and a diet coke. Those who know me, know I would never purchase diet coke and therefore this charge was fradulant. So I called the bank and they told me to fill out a form and take it to a branch, they also told me the process would cancel my card so I should probably use another one. Seemed simple enough. Little did I know this ordeal would become a saga.
Week 1 The AMEX card - In order to ensure I still had a credit card during this process, I applied for one of those Delta Skymiles AMEX cards figuring that I would also get the 5,000 MQM points in the process. After 5 mins I was approved and very happy so I waited for my card in the mail. It didn't arrive, instead I got a nasty note from the credit bureau asking me to send them an IRS form and a letter confirming my address from the Bank. I called AMEX and they said this was standard procedure. So I shelled out the $50 to get the IRS to mail them the form and figured I'd get the Bank letterhead when I went to the branch.
Week 2 The Branch - After clearing my schedule and finally getting a chance to go to the Bank I arrived at the Bank of America on Park Ave. It is a perfectly respected looking place with a greeter. I explained I needed to fill out a form to dispute a charge. She gave me a look and put me in an office while she spoke to her friend outside for about 30 mins. After I walked outside she finally decided to attend to me. After asking her for the letterhead, she simply responded "oh we don't do that". Infurtiated I asked her for at least the form to dispute the fraudulent charge. She again responded that she has never heard of this form and that I would have to call the bank. Incredulous I asked for her supervisor who after about an hour was able to find this magical form and provide me with a letterhead. He also explained he was having "personnel issues" with his staff. No wonder banks are in trouble.
Week 3 Time Warner Cable: Kirsten and I sat down after a long week to watch a movie on demand instead of going out to the theatre. Everytime we ordered the movie, it would start and then about ten minutes in would complain that "the movie is currently unavailable". We tried this 3 times and various different cryptic errors would appear at different times. I finally called Time Warner and asked what was wrong. Apparently, my credit card on file that was used for authorization had been cancelled and my account was considered in violation. Argh!
Week 4 E-Z Pass: Driving out to NJ last night, we went over the Triboro bridge in the EZPass lane expecting to go through as normal. The EZPass said low balance but of course I knew it often says this and automatically replenishes using my credit card. This time of course it didn't because I hadn't changed the information on the EZPass site. The officer came out and confiscated my EZPass. I was furious - even though I explained to him the situation, I apparently have to request a new pass in person and wait 36 hours!
Week 5 Returns: I had bought some christmas presents and then decided to get something else instead and wanted to return the orginal present to Brookstone. I went in with the item and the receipt expecting this to be a simple process. Of course, they requested the original credit card on which the purchase was made. I told them that this card was cancelled and I have a new one. They required me to get a notification from the Bank claiming that my new card was the same card. Of course, once I got this notification, the return time period had expired and all I could get was store credit.
So far I have had more than a month of reprecussions from my credit card cancellation. I have no idea what other services are linked to my card but it makes me re-think my portable life solution. Perhaps I need a fall-back card to failover to in case of issues.
Grr... of the Day
Today I tried to get my EZpass restored so that I don't have to wait another hour or so in line at the Bridges and Tunnels. Unfortunately they are not there today because it is Martin Luther King day. I will have to go early Saturday morning....ARGH
posted by Megalomaniac at 7:28 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home