I’m so sick of having my credit card service “enhanced”. Every time my credit card company performs this “service” they issue a new card with a new account number.
So now I have to go and change my information with every vendor I deal with: Netflix, cable company, various utilities, etc.
The last time I simply changed credit companies. Either way, I’d end up having to go through the changeover rigamarole. So I say, fuck the company that caused the problem.
Want to enhance my service? Leave it the fuck alone, and I’ll keep using it!!!
This is one of my pet peeves, too. I finally just transfered all the little stuff over to my checking account. I still want the miles for the big ticket items, though!
Mine were changed recently with a a note explaining that because their database was compromised, they were issuing new numbers. I have to assume that that’s less hassle for me than is identity theft.
It’s less hassle for you, the credit card companies and the merchants who, if the compromised numbers weren’t changed, would shell out untold dollars worth of merchandise in response to fraudulent card usage. Speaking as a credit card rep who deals with both the fallout of credit card fraud and the fallout of replacing cards with compromised numbers, we apologize for the inconvenience but if the choice is between causing you some inconvenience in having to update your card number with some vendors and the massive headache of cleaning up credit card fraud, we’re going to put you to some inconvenience (which inconvenience we also deal with internally). And every person who bitches about having their card number changed would bitch just as loudly if not louder when fraudulent charges started showing up on their monthly statements (and we’d have to change your card number then anyway).
But Otto, the OP states his numbers are changed to enhance service, not prevent fraud. Or is this a euphemism for “we think your card number was compromised, so we’ll change it and tell you we’re doing it to enhance your card’s value”?
That sucks. I didn’t get a new number when MBNA sold its soul (and mine) to Bank of America and that was about the only pleasing thing about the switch. Are you saying I have new cards/card number chasing to look forward to?
I’ve never heard of changing a credit card number because the service being offered has been “enhanced.” I don’t even know what that might mean. My response was regarding the issue of changing the number because of possible compromise.
One time that CC numbers might change outside of a compromise situation is if the bank that issued the cards has sold the CC portfolio to another bank. When that happens banks sometimes but not always issue new plastics with new numbers, to bring the new accounts in line with the new bank’s existing card numbers.
I have. I had a Shell CC, which was “enhanced” to a Shell/**Citi **card, which was then a regular “major” credit card. That may not be what happened to the OP, but that was their exact wording.
Speaking as a credit card issuer and a loan officer, did you know this also affects the credit of the individual you issue a new card number? The old account on the credit bureau is closed and a new account is opened – this can drop the score as there is now a new closed account and a brand new account on the credit bureau. Over time, it means nothing, but if you’re applying for a loan at the same time, it can drop your score temporarily. Any new credit drops your credit score. You generally don’t see it as you don’t apply for several different loans at the same time.
Chase did this to me just this past spring. I had a Toys R Us Visa card and I got a replacement - a Mastercard - with a chirpy happy notice to activate this because my old card would expire soon and isn’t life wonderful lalalalalalalala. Trouble was, my Visa card did NOT expire any time soon, per the date on the front of it. And there was no indication as to when this “expiration” would actually happen.
So I ignored it, figuring I’d find out when (if) it actually happened. Sure enough, 3 months later, scheduled transactions failed and I did have to change a bunch of auto-billed things.
I was pissed enough about the change that I quit using the account entirely. Never did activate it. My guess is, somehow TRU got a better deal issuing a branded card through Mastercard rather than Visa. So screw 'em, I’m not going to reward that behavior.
Of course, this loses its teeth when you realize the card we use instead is also a Chase card (Amazon rewards) and we’re “deadbeats” who never carry a balance so we’re not hurting them much, but it’s the principal of the thing!
Wait a sec. They told you your number was changing, you ignored it, and then got pissed when your old number stopped working after a reasonable period of time? What the hell?
No, I was pissed about the number changing at all (even though they did provide reasonable notification). The hassles I went through to change everything to a different account were caused entirely by the bank’s decision to change the account. Even with 3 months notice (I think that’s about how long it was), I still had to go to a lot of trouble to change stuff - and indeed I had already done most of the changes by the time the card stopped working.
The bank did NOT let me know when the old account would stop working. The date, in fact, bore no relation to any communication (like I said, it was 3ish months) or even the existing expiration date (which was, IIRC, in 2009).
I ignored the notice to activate the new card because I was pissed at the whole situation and was taking steps to switch to a different card. I kept using it occasionally out of curiousity to see when they’d deactivate the old one (and missed updating 2 or 3 automatic-bill things, which were what let me know the card had in fact finally been terminated. )
So in short: I wasn’t mad that the card stopped working “after three months”, I was mad that the bank made the changes that made it stop working “at all”. Slight but important distinction.
