Monday, July 02, 2007

free cash?


Thank you, RHB bank!!

i received the bank's latest Travel Money credit card last week with no annual fee for life plus RM25K monthly limit to boot. i feel rich! i feel good!

except that the card does NOT belong to me.

i totally, totally fail to understand how the bank can send someone else's credit card to my address. on the accompanying acknowledgement document, the name & address are even different from mine, & yet the courier company delivered it into my letter-box WITHOUT anyone signing for it.

is this a comedy of errors? or did someone foul up BIG TIME?

i'm not worried about the other guy because i cut up the card & returned the pieces to the bank. what troubles me is - what happens if my card ends up with someone else, who gleefully goes on a spending spree at my expense?? the bank says all new cards will have to be activated first - you know, that's the part they ask for your IC and mother's maiden name - but i understand from inner banking circles that this procedure can easily be circumvented.

so, you want to apply for a new, free-for-life card with increased spending limits?
BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID!!

in the meantime, Stephen of Klang, you have 25,000 good reasons to consider cancelling your card application.

and, by the way, even without RM25K credit at my disposal, i still feel good.

14 comments:

LX said...

That's pretty scary..

Jonzz said...

Hmmm... scary thoughts your blog entry has provoked. Think twice before apply card, I.

LOL- Yoda Talk.

Anonymous said...

I think this is a terrible terrible mistake to be made by a bank. But I'm guessing that since no one signed receipt for the card, Stephen won't be held liable for any expenses on the card.
Aiyah, then you should have gone on a shopping spree with it! Get new PDA, get new laptop, get new camera, get new iPod, can ever pre-order the iPhone? Haha, wow, I sure spend 25k easily and quickly.

doc said...

lynnx,

almost as scary as losing a credit card, & not realising it!

be careful with yours, ok?

doc said...

jonzz,

wise counsel you have taken.

worldly things Yoda need not - just walking stick and the Force.

doc said...

anastasia,

yes, i could dream about the dSLR, LCD TV & Club Med in Maldives, but that's going down the slippery slope.

if the greed doesn't kill me, the guilt will.

1 Tim 6:10

blessings!

Anonymous said...

Lucky, you did not "blown up" the card!

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid! I remember this is the punchline to a Mr Bean's picture being circulated in the mails when I first learnt about email :)

Anonymous said...

Completely unrelated to the post: Why does Yoda need a walking stick when he can move objects with is mind?

doc said...

yan,

no, i did not, because i don't have an explosive personality.

Mr Bean's movies are comedies - this credit card fiasco could be a horror or a tragedy.

doc said...

anastasia,

i think he has a really bad back.

Anonymous said...

I meant to drop by earlier, Doc.. but have been buzy.

As the others have said, it's scary - the thought of something like this could happened due to pure carelessness of a big financial institution.

Have a great coming weekend.

doc said...

hi jem,

glad you finally came by. love your paintings.

that incident has prompted me to cancel all those unnecessary cards accumulated through the years at shopping malls - you know, the type where they throw in umbrellas & sunshades.

yeah, i too was swayed by the marketing ploy.

just me said...

When I applied for a card some time back, I was given two, master and visa, I never used the master but was charged the annual fee!

doc said...

just me,

call customer service & ask (politely) for a waiver of annual fee. invariably, they will relent & give at least 1 year free.

if not, just tell them to cancel the card immediately & you will pay the pro-rated annual fee. again, invariably they will relent.

all the best!