Credit where it's due

And that certainly does not include my credit card company. It's January and hence time in the Dragon's lair to upgrade the PC and, being a modern sort of dragon I find that a credit card is very useful for paying things as it's a bit tricky getting online companies to accept baubles from the hoard. So I go off to my favourite website for all things computery and place an order for a new quad processor screaming death 'pooter of doom.

"Bring, Bring... Hello, look there's a problem with your order, the credit card company have declined your card."

Hmmm... I know it's good for the money and I used it a couple of days earlier, better call the bank. So after much round the houses I get put through to fraud and, apparently, my card has been "compromised" because I used it somewhere (they would not say where) where a card fraud too place. So no money had been taken off my card, it was still in my possession but the bank unilaterally decided to block it without telling me, not even an email.

However they will open it up for this transaction, provided it can go through in the next few minutes, after which my card is toast. Needless to say by this time PC supplier has buggered off to the Horse and Zoophile for a few well earned pints.

So no PC and no credit card.

The following day took the biscuit though, I ring them up to get a new card and it will take "up to 14 days".

"No it won't, I want it in five, tops"

"We can't do that."

"Do you have my account details in front of you. Would you care to take a look at how much I have on deposit with you?"

"Ah"

"So five days then."

"I'm sure in the circumstances we can expedite delivery"

"I know you fucking can because I designed a goodly proportion your card shipping system."

This is becoming more and more common apparently. Credit card companies are getting ticked off with paying for fraud so they are getting really twitchy and will shut down a card when you so much as pay for a bottle of wine in a foreign country.

Time to get a backup card methinks. Might move anyway and take advantage of some of those 0% on balance transfer deals.