I have Account Alerts set up on my credit card & banking accounts. This morning I received an alert email that one of my cards was used to charge $57 on ETSY. I ain't never bought nuthin' on ETSY. And apparently ETSY doesn't use Address Verification Services, so they took my credit card and shipped to who-knows-where (assuming an ETSY seller didn't commit the fraudulent act to pocket the money.) I don't use this card for my daily use...it's solely for online purchases and where I have auto-pay set up. I use this card for online & auto-pay because I can set the Charge Alert threshold at one cent should things like this happen. (My other rebate card only notifies me of charges >$100.) Apparently, someone has a security leak. dammit
Wellllll, I just got a bag from temu that I did not order. It had our name and address on it. But it was not on my charge account. It was a swim cap, goggles, and a swim shirt size small. These do not work for me and, surprise, I did not order them. If I were to swim with one leg, I would just go round and round in circles. Right? I am taking them to goodwill next time. But I don't know how to tell temu about them as I did not make the purchase.
The branded cards (Lowes, Verizon) that are managed by Synchrony only let you receive alerts for charges exceeding $100. I was able to call my bank the moment this charge happened because this card lets me set the threshold as low as I want...and as you know, the notifications are instantaneous. When I place an online order, the charge notification and the vendor's order summary hit my inbox within seconds of each other. Some time ago I sent Synchrony an email telling them that they need to lower this threshold for everyone's benefit. Had this sub-$100 fraud been on the other card, I would not have known until I got the monthly statement.
I once received a case of Ramen Noodles from Amazon that I did not order. They told me to keep them (I suspect they cannot take back food items and then sell them.) I made Poor Man's Pad Thai with it...once.
I have heard a lot of complaints about Synchrony but I don't have any of their cards. The only store card I have is Macy's and it's a Citibank IIRC. Anyway, it's stupid that they set the alert limit so high because scammers typically try a small purchase to test the card before they go on a shopping spree. My bank cards alert at $1.
For the second time in about a month, I just went into my Synchrony account to change the alert settings. I'll be darned if I can find them. There are two levels of settings...one at the Synchrony level, and one at the specific card level. I can't find this feature anywhere. When I feel like it, I'll online chat to have them point me in the right direction. Since we're ranting about cards...I recently discovered that there's a JC Penney store not far from my doctor in Richmond. I need some clothes and was disappointed with my last online purchase, so I thought I'd apply for a Penney's credit card to get the discount and do some Guy Power Shopping. For the first time in my life, I got declined. My credit score is pretty high and I have zero debt: no mortgage, no car payment, no credit card balances. I got my Synchrony Verizon card 5 years ago with a high credit limit when I was still making a car payment, and my credit score was 30 points lower than it is now. It makes no sense. I'll call Synchrony when I get the rejection letter.
@John Brunner - oh my, how maddening. @Mary Stetler - if you get a bottle of Listerine its mine! I ave been waiting since 4-22-24 . Amazon says I can not get refund or replace as it has shipped. So what the Hey am I suppose to do now ? In meantime, sounds like I better go re check alert on credit card.
My bank actually alerts ME and asks if I made a purchase. I guess I am kind of predictable. If it is not gas, food or feed...
Yes, that's the point. We get alerts when a charge is made. I also set alerts to remind me of payment due dates, just in case.
I recently checked my Macy's account to see if a return had been credited. I noticed that the interest rate on that account is 31.99% APR. What the actual hell?? So I definitely don't want that payment to ever be late. The only reason I use that card is for their customer rewards coupons but I am thinking about closing the account. Can you imagine using that as a revolving account and making minimum payments with that interest rate? OMG. There should be a law.
I recently got an Account Update from my Verizon card and my Tractor Supply card. Verizon is 28%, and T.S. is 34%. I think there is a law...it's called Usury Rates. They are set at the state level...but the Federal courts and statutes have exempted credit cards, which can charge the rates set by their home state. (Funny how that Home State thing only applies to credit cards.)
Rant #2: Doctor/pharmacy issues. I don't know where to start with this... I take a compounded antibiotic (mixed with sterile water) for my catheter issues. I inject it into the catheter every few days. There is only one place I can get it, and the pharmacy is highly dysfunctional (I've told the stories before.) The problem this time is my doctor's practice. The prior script was entered with a lot of refills (more than a year's worth.) I tried to get that number fixed so I could track where I was at (because scripts expire), but neither the pharmacy nor the doctor's office (a huge multi-facility practice) would help. Last week I entered a refill request on the pharmacy website, and I got a text (because there is no direct human contact with these people) telling me that the prescription has "expired." I have 10 refills on the bottle and 10 refills on their website, but the script just hit one year old, so without any warning, I have 0 refills. The pharmacy sent a refill request to my doctor, but that process never works. It does not work with this pharmacy, it does not work with a medical supply house I use, and it does not work with Walmart. I always have to initiate the refill (even though the practice's automated attendant says to have the pharmacy initiate the request) and I have to call in at least twice to make things happen. So I let a day or two go by and contact (via text) the pharmacy. They have not received the refill. I called the practice's main office and they assure me the request was sent. What the really meant was that an internal request was sent to my doctor's nurse to send the refill. She had not done it. This is typical of her. In the meantime, I've missed a couple of doses of the antibiotic, I got no help to fix this, and I'm freaking out. I call in to the practice's main office and ask what in the Hell do I have to do??? The woman gets hold of my doctor's nurse and the refill is finally sent in...a full week after I made the initial request. I picked up the script today, and just noticed that instead of having a year's worth of refills, the nurse only sent in 3!!! And a "refill" of this stuff is less than a 30 day supply because of how the pharmacy mixes the antibiotic and the water (it's actually 3 weeks worth.) A 12 month supply is 16 refills. My last script was for 24 refills so I was covered for a year. I just went on the patient portal and sent the most frustrated, angry message I have ever sent. I wanted to "apologize" at the end for my frustrated edge (even though I did not go back and tone it down), but I ran out of characters. They'll have to deal with it. I got 3 refills of time to work with, and hope I can get this fixed. I can't go through this garbage 5-6 times a year.