So, yesterday I placed an order on-line for a sizable sum, let’s say roughly $1K.

Around supper time I got one of those automated calls from the credit card company saying that I had tripped the fraud flag and they would like me to verify some purchases.

Their automaton rattled off three relatively small purchases I made, two weeks ago.  No other purchases were mentioned, and specifically not the large one of the day.  I pressed “2″ to indicate that each of the purchases was in fact made by me.

The system thanked me for verifying the purchases and commented that my account had been placed on hold but was now again active.  Thank you for calling. 

After hanging up, I got to thinking.  Account on hold.  Hmmmmmmmmm.  What about that large on-line order I placed earlier in the day?  Better check on that.  Did it go through? 

I called the same number, the fraud line, and again was presented those same three transactions as if I’d not called the first time.  But this time instead of verifying them I pressed “zero to speak with a representative.”  In hindsight, zero is appropriate for a representative.

The rep came on the line, we did the usual proof of identity dance, and I explained what had gone on during the first call and that I was concerned about the large on-line purchase — had it gone through or had it been declined?  After all, the automaton said the account had been placed on hold and was now active again.

I actually had two questions. 

The first was, “When did the account go on hold?  Was it when the call came?”  If so, the large on-line purchase was several hours earlier so there shouldn’t have been a problem with it, though it seemed strange that they were concerned about 2-week-old small purchases and not that one, and nothing about purchases during the last two weeks, some of which were far away from home, like a 3-hour flight away. 

The second, and most important, was, “Was my large on-line purchase declined, or did it go through?”  I had heard no problems from the supplier, so I was just double checking, expecting no problems on that transaction.

The rep responded that she did not know when the account had been placed on hold (isn’t that in their highly computerized system and displayed on the screen she is looking at?), but she stated the name of the on-line supplier (I purposefully had not) and assured me that charge had gone through, and added that there was another charge for a few dollars just an hour before at a local retailer.  So, she had that on-line transaction on her screen.

I responded that all seemed well, then, because the wife had indeed made a small purchase an hour or so earlier and I had not heard from the on-line supplier, so I wouldn’t be expecting an email from that supplier in the morning telling me that the transaction had been declined.  The system seemed strange, but the status of the on-line transaction was good news.

The rep again affirmed all was well and further added, “We would not place your account on hold without first trying to contact you.”  I know that to be a lie because they have done it to me before, but she had verified the on-line purchase as having been approved, so my immediate concern was alleviated.

……………….

5 minutes later:

The large-on-line-purchase company is on the phone telling me the transaction had been declined and they are asking me to contact my credit card company to straighten it out. 

WHAT?  I was just on the phone with them and they specifically said it had gone through!

No sir, it was declined and our billing office has given it to me in order that I should contact you.

OK, I’ll call the credit card company back again.

……………….

I call the customer service number, do the identity dance again, this time with more questions, and I am AGAIN asked about those three relatively small purchases two weeks ago.  No mention of the ~$K on-line purchase or of any interim purchases.

I verify those purchases and tell the rep #2 that I want to know if she can see the name of the person I spoke with earlier.

Yes, she can.  Is there a problem?

Yes, there is definitely a problem — either that person is ignorant or she lied to me, and the latter is totally unacceptable.  I explain what has happened to this point and that I had specifically inquired if the large on-line purchase had gone through and I was assured that it had, but only minutes later learned that it had not.  What is going on?

So, at this point I have even more questions:

  1.  Why all the attention to three 2-week old purchases of nominal value and no mention of the much larger on-line purchase, nor of purchases in the interim in far away places?

  2.  What about the when and why regarding the account being placed on hold?  That had to have been a lie by rep #1 because my wife used the card for that smaller purchase only an hour before the fraud alert call.  The account simply was not on hold.

  3.  Why was the declination of a large transaction on the other side of the country not brought to my attention?

  4.  Why was I told, by rep #1 while looking at the large on-line transaction on the screen, that it had in fact gone through when in fact that it had not?

All I got from rep #2 was a statement that yes, that large on-line transaction had been declined (not exactly news at this point), an apology, and a statement that she, rep #2, would bring the entire matter to the attention of her supervisor.  No answers or explanations, just an apology, which changed nothing, and passing it on, if that is to be believed.

Oh, and I got an assurance  that the transaction was “cleared” and I should contact the merchant again so they could process the transaction again.

This is the level of service from an industry that has our lives in their hands when it comes to identity theft and is responsible for maintaining the security of our financial information.

I don’t know what or whom I trust less, the system, or the people within it.

……………….

So I called the on-line merchant back and waited 10 minutes for that rep to come on the line.  

I explained the credit card company had their collective head up their ass and asked him to run the transaction again.

No can do.  Another office does that and they are now closed for the day, but they will run it tomorrow.  One day lost in processing a transaction because of the credit card company.  I’m glad I’m not in a hurry.

Chase      

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa

Never leave home without it.

Or maybe I should.

But this one didn’t even work from home, so now it’s like rolling the dice every time I want to use it, and I use it like cash.  Almost 70% of our income goes out as charges on that card, which we thankfully are able to pay at the end of each billing period. 

They aren’t making any money in interest from us, but they make a lot in merchant service charges, and they get a lot of PR in the way of many cashiers commenting on how neat the card looks, which gives me a chance to comment how good the pairing of the card and Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program is.

There will be no more PR value in my carrying the card.  I won’t recommend it.  Yes, it’s a pretty card; nice picture.  But you’d better carry a backup. 

Customer service?  Yeah, right. 

Chase redefines “service.”  Lie, apologize, fix nothing, and move on.

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This is the second time this has happened to me.  A few years ago I was on a week-long trip and used my card all over the place, far away from home.Upon return, the next day after arriving home in fact, I went to pick up my laptop from a local repair shop and the charge for repair was declined.

So apparently if you want to get away with fraud, you can do it far away from the billing address, but not right there at home.

Oh, wait.  That can’t be it.

My latest declined transaction was to a merchant far away from home.

Exactly when can I be confident that the card I carry is going to work?

Got a convincing answer for that one, Chase?  I’d really like to know.