The Worst Week on Record

It's a mild exaggeration but this week has sucked. Someone in Canada, of all places, decided to make a copy of my debit card and took $192.18 out of an ATM from my account. So Tuesday morning, I get a call from Chase bank (51% shares owned by the devil) automated system to tell me they detected a suspicious transation (which they let go through anyways). I was really caught off my guard that somebody had obtained my card information AND my pin number... but it was more shocking that one of the chimpanzees sitting at a Chase computer had detected it.

NOTE: I ordered some products online, I think from newegg.com, at one point and Chase BLOCKED the transaction and I had to call and verify it. So far, two questionable transactons. They blocked the legitimate one, conducted by me, but allowed the fake one to go through, not conducted by me. Awesome, Chase, awesome.

So I asked the lady, in the nicest possible way and by nicest I mean I was getting pretty irritated and upset, how it was possible that I was using my debit card in Indiana (in the United States) while at the same time that same debit card was being used to withdraw money from an ATM (in another freaking country!). She, of course, had no idea and referred me to claims and said that I would have to be mailed a dispute letter to sign before I could get my money back. When I mentioned that I might need the money that day, she said that would not be possible. Good thing I didn't have any bills due or something important, like my rent. So she transfers me to claims and I was on hold for 20min before I gave up and called the fraud line back (whatever # showed up on my caller ID).

The next lady I get offers up the same copy-and-paste answers and is no help and in the middle of me talking, transfers me over to the claims line (after I told her I was on hold with them for too long and that's why I was calling the fraud number back).

The third lady I spoke with was much nicer and put up with my delightful attitude and explained that once the transaction posted, then I could call and get it taken care of quickly either that evening or in the morning. She also said when Chase found out how they got my information and pin number (which not even my parents know), they would let me know.

The next day when I spoke with the claims department, they immediately credited the money to my account without mailing or faxing a dispute paper for me to sign. But then they asked ME how somebody got my information and then told me I had to go to the police who would subpoena the ATM footage and work with Canadian police.

Needless to say, depending on which employee you talk to, they will each tell you something completely different than the next employee.

This all coming from a company that once charged my bank account (without telling me, of course) for another account which was in the negatives and I had attempted to take care of 5, yes FIVE, months earlier but a Chase employee told me the balance had been taken care of. Oh, and on top of it, after Chase charged my account without telling me, the amount put me in the negatives and they tried charging me $128 for insufficient funds fees. Then, nobody apologized at all and made up excuses like 1. that would never happen (from a Chase manager), 2. a letter probably was sent out but you didn't receive it yet (I never received a letter letting me know they were withdrawing money from my account and then when it put me in the negatives, were going to charge me more money for something that was their fault), 3. you suck and we hate you because you are a stupid customer and you don't make a lot of money, thus meaning Chase doesn't make a lot of money from interest.

Also see http://kiwimoncur.blogspot.com/2009/10/oh-dont-worry-its-just-money-your.html