Ultra Mega Plastic Money



Trying to conceal the obvious



This morning, our receptionist called and asked me to personally pick up my new credit card from the lobby. I was surprised and quick to tell her that I wasn't expecting any delivery today, much more if it's another plastic money. But fearing that the card might end up in the wrong hands, I picked it up only to call the bank as soon as I got back on my desk and cancelled it.


Truth be told, I'm an avid credit/debit card user, it makes my life easier, saves me the hassle of changing currencies while traveling, monitors my expenses, gives me a lot of perks like rebates, freebies, miles and such. Plus, I don't deal with the dreaded acts of rummaging my bag for loose coins, counting change, getting smelly bills and hearing the line I hated the most in every commercial counters: "May Php 12.75 nalang po kayo ma'am?" (You have Php 12.75, ma'am?) It just irks me that they let the customers do the extra work even if they have smaller bills and coins in their registers.


Credit cards are god-send if used properly, but my love for it, and anything electronic (how I loved riding buses and trains, and swiping at 711 stores too, in Singapore using Octopus card!) doesn't mean any banks could just grab my details, do the itsy bitsy application on my behalf and send me the cards pre-activated. I don't even have an account with them! This has happened to me thrice already, and I'm sure most of you would know the mixed feelings of being surprised, amazed and annoyed all at the same time. (Banking folks, is there any policy regarding this? Enlighten me!)


The first time it happened to me, I immediately called the bank and asked them to cancel it, then the agent tried to buy me into using the super duper, ultra mega savings features of their card and how it can earn me golden coins and magic eggs, but after so much hard selling, and a good 5 minutes of my time wasted, I again, for the third time, firmly but politely told her to cancel the card to which she replied rudely "Sige na nga ma'am, di naman kame namimilit!" (Okay, we're not forcing you!).


Wow, is sending me a pre-activated card with my personal details and sky high credit limit not an act of desperate pushing??


Whatever happened to privacy laws, Philippines?



Your NeuroChiq,
Dang

Comments

  1. Wow, nagalit pa sya. I hate that. Also, it's true! I love love love using the octopus card in HK. I wish we had that here! Ayoko na rin kasi dealing with so much loose change and yung perpetual "may 2.50 na lang po kayo mam?" thing like you.

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  2. @ RS: Hi Alex! Thanks for correcting me, nalito nako which one is the Octopus card for, HK nga pala. I forgot how they call it in Singapore but however, sana meron nadin tayo dito! And yes, okay lang if they ask for 5 or 10, but minsan super exact like 8.75, I mean, do they expect us to bring our piggy banks? =P

    anyways, hayaan ko nalang si bank agent, bless her.

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  3. This post is very timely as I am about to blog about credit cards as well :D I just received my first credit card yesterday (after resisting it for three years) and I am pretty much excited to use it. I made my first purchase today, a domain. And I promise I will spend within my means :)

    These cases of pre-activated credit cards happened to my officemates as well, and yes I do wonder how banks manage to get people's details. I work for a bank but not in the accounts opening department so I don't really have any idea how they do it. I'd have to agree with you though that agents can be really pushy, I believe it's because they get bonus or commissions for every product they manage to upsell.

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  4. haha,kahapon lang sa mega nangyari sakin yan..mam may 75 cents po kayooo..(teka ha alugin ko lang bag ko) lol anyway that definitely sounds like pushing in a manner na hindi halata .

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  5. I am an avid debit card user myself but not a credit card user. Its my choice not to own a credit card. I dont think I can trust myself with one.

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  6. they did that to my mom too. they sent her a pre-activated card too --- and yes, i think that it's annoying when they do that. my dad also, just got send a card... which he did not activate because he;'s been maintaining is one card for so long and did not want another one --- then a month after, he got billed for "shit".

    weird right? i guess, this is how they do business now... they force until they could not refuse anymore.

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  7. Oh, actually akala ko Octopus card din tawag sa SG. Hahaha! Well no matter, sana meron tayo nun dito. :( I really MISSED that right away when I got back here. That, and the uber fast trains. MRT here is hellish.

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  8. they tried to push me to have high limit on my card, but honestly I don't make that many big purchases especially purchases over $5000 anyways. I swear they get some commission when they sign you up for that. And I love my credit card! I use it everywhere I can, cuz it gets me reward points haha

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  9. I get calls..a lot of times telling me I have pre approved card! Some would call to sell me insurance or ask me to transfer funds blah blah, i get so angry but they just don't get it!!!! ugh!!!

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  10. @ Krissy: Good girl for promising to use your card within your means! =) And yes, commissions are the root of this evil. =P

    @ Shobe: Annoying diba? They always ask for that, eh most of the time, they have coins & bills naman in their registers.

    @ Caby: Whatever works for you is great! =) And I also believe in debit cards more, it's spending your own elctronic money. =)

    @ Crickette: It happened to my BF also, he cancelled and got billed for annual fee, eh he never used it naman, grabe no??


    @ RS: Yes, whatever that card is called, it's just plain wonderful no? =)And I also feel bad that we don't have train interchanges here, our transport system is the worst. wawa. =(

    @ PC: Yes, reward points is love! And rebates, too. =D

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  11. ^EZ-link in SG :)
    ako naman i only carry 1 credit card from bpi with conservative credit limit, LOL!

    there's one time na nadeliver na lang sa house yun credit card from bdo then hindi mo pa nagagamit may fee na ibabawas sayo?! wow! i called right away to cancel it.. the agent still insist that it's good to have it kasi dami perks, but i did not buy it!

    for me, if i dont need it.. i wont have it! :)

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  12. @ Dianne: Ay yes, EZ-link in SG! Finally remembered, thank you! =)

    Wow, that's worse ha, you haven't used it and you already have a fee to pay? How madaya is that!

    Nice to meet you, dear. I'm checking your site now. =D

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  13. Dang, I've gone through the same thing a few times din. Apparently some of these agents who hand you the application forms do these sort of things for more than 1 bank. So some agents (if you apply for a CC through them) take the liberty of filling out other banks' application forms for you so they can meet their quota or something. One bank said they thought I applied because they got a filled out applic form and a copy of my payslip...but I never did.

    Nonetheless, I still love credit cards. I hate bringing cash around as I end up spending it faster than I intend and I never know where it goes.

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