Got home late today. As I'm coming upstairs I hear my SO explaining that she'd rather let me "handle those types of matters." At that point, she tosses the phone to me. I mouth "Who is it?" A big shrug is my answer. On the phone a rather cute sounding girl asks my first name. she then proceeds to tell me that she's calling about the prepaid credit card that I applied for. "Uh, I neve applied for any such card" I tell her. She said that I did and begins explaining how I can improve my credit to get car loans and home loans etc etc. Again, I interrupt her, "Excuse me, what prompted this call?" She again repeats that I applied for their card which has a one-time fee of $295. Me: No I didn't She: Yes, you did. Me: What makes you think that. She: It says so right here! Me: WHAT *EXACTLY* says so? She: My files.. Me: Your files are incorrect, I never app--- She: CLICK! No caller ID information so I don't know who the hell that was!
I HATE that crap! I also hate it when they say "If you can say yes to these 3 questions - you are GUARANTEED approval!" - 1) have a US SSN, 2) have a monthly income of x per month and 3) have a valid US checking account. I know it's a "red flag" when they say US checking account - because they want to take a HUGE fee out of it to set up a credit account. I tell them I don't agree with their methods and they say - how else do you establish credit? I say I'm a banker, and they can do it much better with a secured credit card - and they get a smart-ass attitude with me as a "know it all" when I DO! Stay away from these credit issuers. They are just bad news.
They call me every other day. Lords knows that I haven't applied for anything. Last time, I told them I as taping the call(I was), that this was the 4th time calling me and that if they call me again, I'm suing. Try me. I WILL sue.
A golden rule of personal finance is never to give out your checking account transit numbers to any one under any circumstances. If one is bound and determined to give out this number, they should at least limit the damage by opening a separate account that they don't use to pay personal bills.
BE CAREFULL... I, like all our colleagues here are trying to resuscitate our credit, in doing so there are those that lie~ about waiting to get their claws in our pockets. I too have had that exact same phone call. In fact two times last year and three times this year. So instead of getting mad and being offensive to them. I play along, giving them, all kinds of stupid information. Wrong Addresses, no ss#'s or account #s just returning the same BS as they have specifically chosen me for their "Special" Offer because I messed up and can not get "normal" credit. So I just give them their own medicine, right up their alley-so-to-say.... Be very careful. they will more than likely be calling again in the neat future, probably by another name.
