I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Monday, November 17, 2008

They're giving none away

This past week came not only the blizzard of catalogs (say, did you know it was the holiday shopping season?) but the accompanying reissue of credit cards. So this Sunday I spent almost an hour on the phone "activating" the cards. I usually only use one card, my Amazon Visa (me likee free books), but I have a few other Visa accounts (mostly tied to businesses where I get discounts or free shipping), a Discover account (my first credit card, back when they were just starting out), and a MasterCard account.

So, I'm making the calls to the computers, no I don't want that extra crap (which it was interesting that some cards only gave you a button option to press if you wanted to opt in, but nothing if you just wanted to skip the deal, hate that stupid marketing crap, I really do). And then I get to one card, that used to be tied to my alma mater, Akron University. Some small amount of what they made off of me would be donated back to the school. About three years ago they stopped that association, I stopped using the card, but I had a long credit record with them so I kept the account open. Plus I had a large amount of credit available through them.

On the carrier letter I noticed they had halved my credit available. Well, it's still pretty good. So imagine my surprise when I call to activate the card and I'm told the account was closed. Bastages. I specifically didn't close it so that wouldn't affect my credit score and they just went ahead an closed it on me anyway.

A few years ago Bette and I applied to the same company to get a credit card (I won't mention the bank, although I used to have an account there). She was accepted but I was declined. Now you have to understand, I have the permanent job, I am the principle money maker (haven't been always, and that wasn't the plan, but the way it worked out), my wife works on semester contracts where as I had a stable employment history. And they reject my application. So I request my credit report. Nothing bad on there. Still nothing bad on it.

I just find it hilarious that I'm the customer they want, steady job, good income, always pays the bills. The only detriment to a credit card company is that I don't carry a balance. And they close my account. Hello, retard MBA specialists, you really don't know WTF you're doing. Maybe that's why your industry is in such bad straights. You know, unless you all really want to be loan sharks. Oh wait.

3 comments:

Camille Alexa said...

**shakes fist at brainless corporate statitics**

Camille Alexa said...

...uhm, and statistics, too.

Steve Buchheit said...

Camille, yeah you betcha.