Credit Cards
Credit card companies are evil. To avoid another in the seemingly-monthly shuffle Wells Fargo calls a fraud check, I decided to call them (a day after resolving another fraud check) and tell them I wouldn’t be able to respond to any more of that sort of call for two weeks as a result of being out of the country. The conversation went something like this:
Me: I’m going to be travelling during the next two weeks, so I’d like to make sure there isn’t a stop put on my card due to suspicion of fraud.
WF: Well, we already know you’re travelling, but I can put in an explicit note saying that.
Me: Ok. It’s just that I’ll be without phone service during those two weeks, and won’t be able to respond to a fraud check.
WF: Ok. You’re going to Europe, right?
Me: Ummmmm… Yes.
WF: Ok. You should be all set.
It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that they can and do mine this data, but it creeps me out. The fact that they “know” I’m travelling and intend to go to Europe, combined with the real-time analysis of card usage is enough to make me start thinking of simply withdrawing the cash I need before my trips. Can those pre-paid credit cards (targetted at parents for their teenagers?) be anonymous? That would allow me to keep the benefit of using a card (for, example, booking accomodations ahead) without the creepy Big Brother-nature of a credit card.
Comments
The auth and hold on the card at a hostel isn’t a very signifigant amount :)
Posted by: kasei on September 2nd, 2004 4:14 AM
yeah, some of the pre-paid cards are anonymous. you can just pick one up at your local rite-aid and pay for it with cash and no one would ever know who you are. certain people have been known to use these anonymous, pre-paid credit cards to buy an anonymous, pre-paid cell phone which is then completely untraceable to them :)
the only problem with using these cards for hotel bookings is that you’ll need to put a lot of money on them. the hotel usually does the equivalent of a hold in the amount of the security deposit on your credit card. when you check out, they just reduce that to the actual charges you incurred. that’s why they often ask for a credit card even if you intend to pay with cash when you check out.
Posted by: gary on September 2nd, 2004 1:57 AM