My old debit/ATM card expired, and I only found out when I went to the bank and said.. "uhh I can't get money out of the ATM, I think my card expired...". The lovely folks said "oh, your card expired, we mailed you a replacement card a long time ago, I guess you didn't receive it? Let me mail you a new one!" That was last week.
Yesterday I receive a call from the WaMu fraud department saying there are charges made on my debit card that were suspicious... I start freaking out, as I haven't received the card!! I call the number, they list about $1000 of charges made on my card, and of course I now can login online to see that someone has been using my debit card. Wonderful, right? So how did they activate it?
My theories about this: I did a quick search online, according to the internet, to activate it over the phone, you only need a security code (from the back of the card) and the card number, they verify you via caller ID and your bank account. When I called from my cell phone to say "shut this card down", the automated system even had the wrong phone number then, so I guess that system doesn't work...
The fraud claims department at WaMu claims that they mail you 2 pieces of mail, one piece of mail with the PIN to activate the card and another piece of mail with the card itself. So I'm guessing someone has been intercepting my mail. Last night I started thinking - I've also not received the old card (originally mailed debit/atm card), and also an AMEX that was supposedly mailed a while ago... Which makes me think it's my mail man. Said mail man also knows that I check my mail only once/twice a week. I guess I should probably also call the US Postal Service and point some fingers, huh? :/
So what happens now? There's been about $1000 charged on my card, the fraud claims department says I can file a claim with them to get the money back once the charges go thru (right now they are still pending). I think from now on, I'm only going to go with a bank that allows me to ONLY get an ATM card, and not a debit/ATM card. Since they can't even get their activation shit together. :(
1 comment:
I requested a replacement credit card from Capital One recently while conducting other business with them because my old one was damaged. They explained the new one would need activation etc, which I fully expected. However upon recieving it -- there WAS NO ACTIVATION. I have simply used this card (without even signing it). It works fine. All the numbers (like the 3 digit code on the back) were identical. To my old one, so it was a direct drop in replacement.
This means Capital One, sent a live, activated card to me in the *mail*.
Scary.
I got it, so there wasn't a problem, but what sort of retard designed THAT system? These banks need to get their acts together.
Post a Comment