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12:09:2005 Entry: "Ann : Not that I MIND waiting until Monday..."

Not that I MIND waiting until Monday...

...for my silver beads, but it's just odd. Checking FedEx's tracking hadn't shown an update on the package's destination for about 36 hours...that's a first. Sometimes I'll go to bed with the location still being in Cengkareng, Indonesia, and by the time I wake up, the package is already on the delivery truck enroute, having gone through the Memphis facility in the middle of the night. Sometimes I barely get out of bed and get dressed before the delivery person rings the bell! So I decided to give them a call. According to an international rep, it didn't pass security, so it was held in Indonesia an extra day until they verify it is in fact, a bunch of little silver Bali Beads for jewelry-making and not a scary metal object intended for nefarious purposes. That's also a first.

Sometimes I do worry that one day a package of Bali Beads will be met with a sorry fate somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, ending up in a strange jewelry design worn by a Tom Hanks character who talks to Soccer Balls named Wilson.

And while we're on the subject of tightening security measures, it was with that very order that I tried to pay online with my Mastercard and it got declined. WTF? I then attempted my Visa (I guess that 2nd credit card did come in handy, good thing I listened to Stan on that one) issued by the same bank, and it was accepted. No big whoop, I thought maybe it was just a glitch in the system. But yesterday, I tried to use the Masercard to pay for my new furnace and again, the transaction was declined! I couldn't use the other card for that one because the the furnace cost more than my credit limit on that card. This was getting absurd...I pay all my bills in full, the card hasn't expired, what was going on? And HOW inconvenient!

I called my credit card company and they put me through with a rep with a heavy Indian accent--but she also sounded a bit like Arianna Huffington or Zsa Zsa Gabor, although I suspect the rep was indeed Indian and not Greek or Hungarian. I couldn't understand her and had to keep asking her to repeat herself. She kept talking louder, not realizing that the volume was plenty loud, way more than plenty, thank you very much, it was her accent that I couldn't decipher. She said that large purchases are often declined for security measures.

WTF? What's the use of having a credit card then if I can't use it to make those large purchases? I kept going around with her about this, and she said if I need to make a large purchase, call them first to let them know so that they will allow the purchase. WTF? Isn't that a bit too...oh, I don't know, parental or something? "Hey dad, I'm gonna need that $4,000 for next semester's tuition now!" "OK, Wally, thanks for letting us know! Your mother and I will lift the hold on your account!"

One time after I made a large purchase, some credit card processor called *me* to verify I did indeed authorize that purchase. Actually, I thanked them for that. I think that was a good security measure. On the other hand, me having to call *them* BEFORE I make a purchase is a different matter. And I'll be put on hold for who knows how long? Better make sure I make those large purchases on weekends so that this doesn't kill my cellphone minutes.

Meanwhile, assholes out there are still able to buy my fonts through one of my vendors with a hijacked credit card number and the transaction *won't* get declined. So I get screwed both times, as a producer and a consumer.

Geez.

Is this world getting ridiculous with all the little security measures that don't actually stop "the bad guys" but just inconvenience us going about our legitimate business, or what?

The thing is, just what constitutes a large purchase? (I should've asked this of the CC rep, but I knew I wouldn't be able to understand what she said anyway) Although the furnace was $2600, which I would consider large, the Bali Bead purchase was only $578. So where does it end? Is $300 large? Is $100? Is $50? If cellphone minutes weren't an issue, and I was more obnoxious, I'd call them each time I make *any* purchase. "I'm in Target and I'm about to make a purchase that'l be around $110." "I'm going to make a $89 purchase through Amazon.com!" "I'm going to buy $33.74 at The Bead Bin, hope this will go through!"

5 Comments

We had this happen to us. They called it unusual spending. We had credit cards but never used them. Then, suddenly, we needed to use them and they were calling us or declining the cards and it was frustrating. Damn credit protection anyway. It just covers their asses- so they don't foot the bill if it is stolen, imo.

Posted by Dawn @ 12:09:2005:02:00 PM CST

"Unusual Spending"! LOL! That's a good one, Dawn! How do *they* know what "unusual" spending" is? I suppose they have some sort of algebraic formula for that. If they had any common sense about past purchases of mine, for example, they'd see that purchasing Bali Beads from Indonesia is common for me, hardly unusual.

I suppose if an psychopath stole my card and racked up $34 a night in cheap motels and another $50/night in bars on a 10-day killing spree travelling down to Mississippi, they wouldn't consider that unusual because of the small increments. But better not try to buy a furnace for a couple grand!

They really need a better system, like passwords for example. If you have a secret password, you have to enter it somehow before your transaction is processed. I'm sure the technology is available, or at least developable, but they'd rather not pay the money for R&D, hence, why they outsource their customer service overseas as it is.

Posted by Ann @ 12:09:2005:02:45 PM CST

I still think it is more of a disaster to have credit stolen than to be inconvienced by the CC companies hesitating to take a charge. I think the furnace thing might have caused them to question the charge because it had to be made by a phone call instead of having the card read by a magnetic strip reading machine - what ever those things are that are conected to phones....

Posted by Stan @ 12:09:2005:07:57 PM CST

OK, Stan, if it's not such an inconvenience for you, then I'll let YOU charge it to YOUR credit card next time mine's declined so YOU can deal with the offshore incomprehensible customer reps.

Posted by Ann @ 12:09:2005:08:03 PM CST

I just remember the time the strange refinancing company refused to give us back our papers and I had to call every credit card and change the pass words. Then I also had to contact all of the credit places and mail them a bunch of forms... and then I had to contact Wisconsin government agencies to report these losers.

After hours and hours of phone calls and waiting several weeks they sent all of our information back.

I don't know but last time I checked we are still on alert statice with the credit agencies - and this was all very stressful and time consuming.

I hope you understand - it's not like I don't think your credit card people weren't being overly careful at our inconvience - it's just that the other extreem is worse.

Posted by Stan @ 12:09:2005:09:07 PM CST

By Ann @ 10:27 AM CST:12:09:05 ..::Link::..

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