I had a Chase credit that I stopped using about year ago. I travel to Detriot and New York City frequently for business - at minium, four or five trips a year to NYC and about twice that many to Detriot. I also visit Chicago and one or two other cities. I have been traveling like this for the past five years or more. However, every time I used my personal Chase credit card out side the LA area they would turn my card off because of their fraud alert system. I would understand if it only occurred when I went to odd location, but purchases in NYC or Detriot are not a unique thing for me.
Now I appreciate their deligance preventing fraud, but after more than five years of using my card in NY and Detriot you would think they would get used to the idea that I travel on business. One weekend after a Detriot trip, I went on an erran run. First stop; Home Depot. I can't remember what I was buying but I didn't bring my wallet, just my money clip so I only had the one credit card with me and sure enough - no can use becuase of the fraud allert. I had to get out of line and spend 10 minutes on the phone verifying my two purhases in Detriot and then get back in line again to try to buy them a second time.
Okay, I can deal with that - they do this every time so I am used to it. Next stop, the drug store. Well sure enough, the card doesn't work again. I have to get back on the phone to verify the same purchases one more time. This time, I am a little upset so I let them know that I just verified these purchases and my next stop is at the grocery store and I don't want to have to go through this process for a third in a half hour. "Of course not, sir. Your card will definately work." I don't think I have to tell you what happens at Von's: card no worky again! :( Now I am seriously pissed. I have never used the card again.
Okay, I told you that old story so I can tell you this new one.
My bank, Washington Mutual was purchased by Chase. They haven't closed any location in Conajo Valley, just swichted them over to Chase so it didn't seem like any big deal and it wasn't, until...
I typically only use my ATM card for cash. While I can use my ATM at most stores, I use my credit cards instead to rack up the points. Well, the credit cards have been creeping up so I decided to use my ATM card more to prevent the credit cards from getting out of hand. I just used it one weekend at a couple of stores. A few weekend laters when I needed some cash I went to use my card and got an "unable to access your account" message. What the !?!?!?
I had go inside the bank to talk to a teller. She can't help me, I have to call the fraud allert hotline. That's when it dawned on me - this is the same Chase Bank that owns my credit card that has been hiding unused at the back of my wallet. After a short phone call, I verifed the purchases I made and was able to then get some cash out the of the ATM machine.
That was over three months ago. Yesterday, I needed cash again and low and behold... same message - no cash for you fool. The fraud allert was on agian! For the same purchases I made in May! Even the lady on the phone was surprised it was on hold for purchases made so long ago. I guess this is Chase's way of making sure you don't actually use their card for any useful purpose.
Damn, I hate those guys. Does anyone have a bank they would recommend?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
4th of July Vacation
I was slow to post this story because the whole family was there which make up the majority of my readers, but I decided to post now to give you all an update.
Every year my family tries to get everyone together to go camping somewhere. This year we camped near Slide Rock just North of Sedona, AZ. It is a day trip away from the Grand Canyon and is up in the Mountain near Flagstaff so you don't have the desert heat. Unfortunately, we couldn't get into the main camp ground so we didn't have flush toilets nor showers.
Both of my girls are taking summer classes this year so they couldn't come along. Lucky for me Beth and Nathon were able to drive up with us so I didn't have to put my back to the test with a long drive. I made Beth drive while I watched movies with Nathon in the back.
The first day of vaction was spent driving - all day. The second day was spent shopping for food and supplies for the rest of the week and searching around for a Honda dealer to replace a lost gas cap. So the vacation really didn't start until day three. While one group went to the Grand Canyon, Tania and I decided to check out the town of Sedona.
I forgot to mention that the camp ground was located in a canyon so there was not phone survice available. Well, after a few hours of shopping in Sedona I pulled out the phone to call Sherri only to notice that I had five messages waiting for me. Dan (Tania's dad) had a heart attack that morning and was recovering in the hospital.
Well needless to say, that was the end ot the vaction. Tania and I quickly packed up and drove back home. Dan is doing fine now. We woke up with moderate pain in his chest. By bed time it was still there and bothersome enough so he couldn't get to sleep so they went to the hosiptal. His EKG didn't show anything but lucky for him the doctor decided to keep him overnight for observation. Everyone would later learn that the decision to keep him over night ended up being a life saving decision. Dan had a major heart attack at 5 AM. The vein they call the widow maker (I don't know the offical name) was 99% blocked. The doctor said that if he wasn't in the hospital it is unlikely he would have survived.
Modern medicine is a wonderous thing. They blow up the vien with a baloon, support it with a shunt and sent him home the next day. It's been nearly two weeks and he is already back to work (and likely working too much and too hard) and is exercising agian. Dan has always been good about excerising but he has to slowing work up to good long walks on the treadmill. He is 72 years young and this is the first issue he has had with his heart so we are all hoping he will have a good, long lasting recovery.
Every year my family tries to get everyone together to go camping somewhere. This year we camped near Slide Rock just North of Sedona, AZ. It is a day trip away from the Grand Canyon and is up in the Mountain near Flagstaff so you don't have the desert heat. Unfortunately, we couldn't get into the main camp ground so we didn't have flush toilets nor showers.
Both of my girls are taking summer classes this year so they couldn't come along. Lucky for me Beth and Nathon were able to drive up with us so I didn't have to put my back to the test with a long drive. I made Beth drive while I watched movies with Nathon in the back.
The first day of vaction was spent driving - all day. The second day was spent shopping for food and supplies for the rest of the week and searching around for a Honda dealer to replace a lost gas cap. So the vacation really didn't start until day three. While one group went to the Grand Canyon, Tania and I decided to check out the town of Sedona.
I forgot to mention that the camp ground was located in a canyon so there was not phone survice available. Well, after a few hours of shopping in Sedona I pulled out the phone to call Sherri only to notice that I had five messages waiting for me. Dan (Tania's dad) had a heart attack that morning and was recovering in the hospital.
Well needless to say, that was the end ot the vaction. Tania and I quickly packed up and drove back home. Dan is doing fine now. We woke up with moderate pain in his chest. By bed time it was still there and bothersome enough so he couldn't get to sleep so they went to the hosiptal. His EKG didn't show anything but lucky for him the doctor decided to keep him overnight for observation. Everyone would later learn that the decision to keep him over night ended up being a life saving decision. Dan had a major heart attack at 5 AM. The vein they call the widow maker (I don't know the offical name) was 99% blocked. The doctor said that if he wasn't in the hospital it is unlikely he would have survived.
Modern medicine is a wonderous thing. They blow up the vien with a baloon, support it with a shunt and sent him home the next day. It's been nearly two weeks and he is already back to work (and likely working too much and too hard) and is exercising agian. Dan has always been good about excerising but he has to slowing work up to good long walks on the treadmill. He is 72 years young and this is the first issue he has had with his heart so we are all hoping he will have a good, long lasting recovery.
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