fox | a Rant

I posted this as a comment over chez

cereta, but it occurs to me that in addition to commiseration, I could also use some advice, if any is forthcoming. (Plus of course more commiseration is always good.) So I'm posting it here, too. This is the copied and slightly edited text of an e-mail I sent to my dad.

I got a notice about Blue sent to me (my name, my address), and I filled it in and sent it back (with my name, from my address - because Visa is fine, but they don't accept it at Costco), and I got the card (it has my name on it, and was sent to my address, and the Sekrit Security Info stuff asks for mother's birthday instead of mother's maiden name, and Mom's birthday is what works - I don't even know your mother's birthday; the reason I am affirming all this will make sense in a moment), and fine.

And then I started getting messages - sent to my e-mail address, and with notes in the text saying "This message was sent to [my e-mail address]" - with subject lines "Enjoy your new card: [blah blah blah Blue benefits yadda yadda]" and saying "DEAR [DAD'S NAME], [blah blah tell your friends and family about Blue]." None of these had actual account information on them, so it was just annoying, but still, I tried to get in touch with them to say Um, why do you even have that name associated with this e-mail address? I was, however, getting some messages "re: your account ending in -[some numbers]" with my name as well as my e-mail address.

But the other sort of e-mails kept coming, and I called them to say it's just that I'm concerned, because it's my account, I'm the cardholder, and I'm the only one whose name and credit information should ever have been on your radar w/r/t this account, so what's going on? And they tried to do some things that should fix it, I don't know what. And then I went to Costco on Sunday to buy (order, as it turned out) contact lenses, and the charge slip came out of the little machine and said "I agree to pay above total amount according to cardholder agreement _______ [DAD'S NAME]." And I *fumed* and signed it and called AmEx and said THIS IS NOT OKAY!

So they handed me through to some card-replacement people and said they could correct what was on the magnetic strip and send me a new card, same account, same name printed on the card, and this time with my name coded into the strip as well. Yes please, I said. ("Has this addressed your reasons for calling American Express today?" "Well, we'll see, won't we." I know they're on script, but ARGH.)

And this morning I get an e-mail -- still to my e-mail address -- "re: your account ending in [numbers]", saying "Dear [Dad's Name], we recently received a request for a card replacement" and blah blah blah.

I'm so frustrated I could scream. If it weren't the only credit card they accept at Costco, I'd just cancel the damn thing and never do business with them again. They're supposed to be so hot with the customer service, right? I admit everyone I have spoken to has been very nice and very sympathetic, and has tried to be helpful. But it seems like not only are they not helping, they're actually making things worse. AUGH.

I think I understand that because I have a copy of your credit card, my credit is somehow associated with yours? The more I think about it, I'm not sure why that is, but okay. And I guess that sort of association is commutative, so now your credit is somehow associated with mine as well? I routinely get pre-approval notices for credit cards and things sent to your name (and, less often, Mom's name) at my address, where of course neither of you has ever lived. I don't know why the creditors think you do live here, but it has to have something to do with all the SSN's coming up as hits if you search for just one, right? Or something. I don't know how to fix it. I don't care about the junk mail (although I'll begin caring about it, if I should), but I'm pretty upset that an account I opened by myself in which process your name was never mentioned somehow got your name attached to it. That is an unacceptable level of wire-crossing to me.

I mean, I know I'm also tired and cranky and sunburned [eta: and also mood-swingy, so I've been back in touch with the doctor's office about please FTLOG switching my pills back to the less mood-swingy brand, and also frustrated with Inaugural stuff, so really any one of these irritants I could handle but on a day when my moods are swingish I kind of more often than is normal for me just want to curl up and cry], so I'm less patient than I might otherwise be. But I'm REALLY REALLY ANNOYED by this, and I don't understand how it happened in the first place, much less why it's so hard for them to fix it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm so sorry. What a huge pain in the butt. I hope you're able to get it resolved soon.

I gotta say, the shitful AmEx customer service is the reason I no longer carry AmEx, and the reason that I now just go to an ATM before I hit Costco.

It's not a question of ATM - I could use my debit card. I'm much more comfortable with credit, because (oddly enough) it makes it much easier for me to stay on a sort of budget. I almost never use cash, and of course debit is the same thing, and except for rent, I'm not wild about writing checks, either.

This afternoon when I get some time I'll be on the phone with Equifax and see if there's anything I can get them to do.

Good luck!

If it weren't the only credit card they accept at Costco, I'd just cancel the damn thing and never do business with them again.

It isn't the only card that they accept at Costco. They also accept Visa debit cards.

At least the two in NoVA that we have been to accept them.

If it weren't the only credit card they accept at Costco. Debit and credit are not remotely the same thing.

Yeah, I noticed that when I hit the Post Comment button. :-)

I prefer using debit cards for these types of things (I see that you do not). My chief complaint with using debit cards at Costco is that Chevy Chase charges us a service fee when we charge purchases to it as a debit card. Grrr!

I...got nothing. Personally, I am hoping that my parents' divorce finally gets their credit card debt off my f'in credit report. Considering that their credit card debt is MORE THAN MY ANNUAL SALARY, and I have almost no debt of my own (seriously, unless you count the mortgage), it's a big headache.

If you are getting credit card pre-approvals in his name, too, perhaps things also need to be changed at the credit bureaus? You might contact Experion and the others. I think there are three of them.

Oh, Equifax is the one I'm hating on right now myself (for thinking, repeatedly after being corrected, that I was born in 1930. Um.)

Ok, see I can see how this happens with me and my father since a) we have the same name with the exception of the Jr/Sr and b) our SSN#s are both ABC-DE-. But you are right that the having your parent's credit card in your name is the likely culprit.

I feel your pain. I was an authorized user on my dad's card for years, and cancelled it to get it off of my credit report for my mortgage. I did this TWO YEARS AGO, and it still shows up on my credit report. grrr.

Have you looked into other bulk clubs? BJs takes all major credit cards, I think. Sams Club takes discover.

If you want to check your credit report to see exactly what level of wire-crossing has happened in the official records, you can go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com and get them for free once a year.

Best of luck with this!

Sam's is Evil; I haven't looked into BJ's because Costco is closer (and there's a particular brand of dried mangos that is fabulous and I've never found anywhere else, bulk or otherwise [g]).

I will be resolute and (eventually) victorious! :-D

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