Originally Posted By amazedncal2 I'm sorry you were embarassed mickeynewe "knocking on wood", we also use our Disney card for everything except Costco and some online purchases that I reserve my Target Visa for. I appreciate this thread and the heads up that we are all getting. In the past I only take my Dis Visa and debit card on Disneyland vacations, now I'll be sure to take my Target Visa and/or Am Ex with me just in case. I just cancelled an Am Ex that I never used and it had yearly fees. You should have heard all the which ways the poor girl was trying to get me not to cancel that card. Sheesh, lucky for her I was in a pleasant mood and folding laundry as we spoke
Originally Posted By mickeynewe >>> I just cancelled an Am Ex that I never used and it had yearly fees.<<< I refuse to "pay" for a credit card! I don't blame you for cancelling it. Luckily, the one I am applying for has no annual fees and offers some great "cash back" rewards. I am truly debating whether to cancel the Chase card or just not to use it. I want the discounts & perks, but I would also like them to learn that they can't keep "freezing" people's accounts. Not that one small person such as me is going to make a big impact! But who knows how many other people are just as frustrated? My poor best friend has had it happen so many times! Hahaha...I love the story where she was paying one of her bills to get the points, and her card was refused, so she wouldn't budge and called the credit card company right there and MADE them apologize to the cashier and approve her transaction! hehehe..that is thinking on your feet! Me, I just wanted out of there!
Originally Posted By Wavesprite1 I know that that was probably totally humiliating, but this is what happened to me.....someone got our card number and charged $19,000.00 on our card within 2 days. Chase caught it, and denied all of the charges, and we never had to get involved. They told me that the crooks have a machine that tries all different number combinations and expiration dates. They try to chart $1 to the bogus numbers. When the $1 goes through they know they've got a real number and go crazy... So, while it SUCKS to be denied like that, it's really a good thing....because you could be in a boat like us....
Originally Posted By mickeynewe I totally understand your position Wavesprite. Its just that I know a few people this has already happened to, on multiple occasions, and I just think it would be nice if a phone call was involved prior to shutting down someone's card. I have had another credit card company telephone me in the past inquiring whether a certain purchase was legit or not without shutting down my card. That is all I ask. As to fraud, that did happen to another friend of mine. Again, on that occasion, he was contacted and asked if certain charges were his. In that case, they weren't. His card was immediately shut down, re-issued, and the charges removed as an obligation under his name.
Originally Posted By nemopoppins They aren't saving us from fraudulent charges. We aren't liable for them anyway. They are protecting themselves. We do probably pay for fraud, to a certain extent, from finance charges and interest, but I think it's the vendor that actually loses, and in that case we'd pay through higher prices, I suppose. Well, what I'm trying to say is all this stupid freezing in the name of fraud is only bad customer service. mickeynewe is right, a reasonable way to protect without inconveniencing is to just call us to verify. Also, I think this is suddenly happening severely to a lot of us is because they are tightening up for the holidays. There must be some high-up making the decision to tighten a lot tighter this year. What an idiot.
Originally Posted By LuLu I'm sorry mickeynewe! And ya gotta wonder why they froze your account, yet someone charged $19K on Wavesprite's?!? I'm putting in a good word for Discover. It's the card I use all the time, except places that don't accept it or at DL, I use the Disney Visa. I like their rewards program, as I can take cash, or get up to double the amount in gift certificates at certain retailers. (Like Ultra Diamonds, yeah!) They've never frozen my account, but instead CALL me when they see unusual charges. Just my 2 cents ;-)
Originally Posted By dltraveler I have that Costco AmEx card, and I use it all the time. You do need a "backup" card though as there are a few places don't take AmEx. My favorite thing (besides the rebate, of course), is that you can use it when making purchases at Costco. No more using the debit card. Also, since it doubles as your Costco card, when you get gas at Costco, you only need to put that card in the machine, no more Costco card followed by the debit card. It's the little things that make me happy. Well, that and cash back
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Thanks for the positives! And yes, that would be nice to only have to use ONE card at the pump!!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 You should have seen me at Kohls yesterday afternoon. I was buying a Dyson "Animal" and a Bissell steam cleaner (guess who is hosting Thanksgiving at their house?) with my Dis VISA. I was standing in line getting nervous, preparing my speech about how many people I know have had this happen to them, checking to see if I have my AM EX in my wallet etc. Then when the girl said, "sign here", I felt like I won a prize Seriously though, I felt empowered being prepared
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make anyone feel nervous about using their card amazed! I just wanted people to be prepared for it. *feels badly now, but happy you felt 'empowered'*
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 No, no, I thought it was funny that I was standing in Kohls channeling LP and I did feel empowered being "at the ready".
