Karma

Quite some time ago I noticed weird charges from Apple.com on my credit card. I disputed the payments with my bank, which issued the card, and VISA refunded the amounts. Later, I realized that I had made the orders -- for prints of photographs. I felt guilty.

I have relayed to you all how I left 13 cents in my account at the evil bank, and sent all the money to E-Trade. I had lost the credit card some months ago, and called the bank to cancel it. The lady on the other end was very bossy and mean, but I thought she had canceled the card. Apparently not.

When I went to Amazon.com in December to buy a coffee grinder for my pills, and an iFM and things like that, I racked up $112 in charges -- on the old card that I'd thought dead. See, even though I had added my new E-Trade card to Amazon, the site still remembered my old card, and defaulted to that when I recently ordered stuff.

I called the bank, thinking the charges were fraud. But then I compared the dates and amounts and they were the same as my Amazon orders.

The first person I talked to asked me for identifying information, including part of my Social Security number, then transferred me to the dispute department. While I was on hold, I realized that the charges were in fact mine. I told this to the dispute person who came on the line, and asked her to transfer me back to the previous department so that I could talk to them about canceling the card. She asked me for identifying information, including part of my Social Security number. I repeated that the charges were mine, and that I'd like to be transferred back. She said she could do that, as soon as I gave her identifying information, including part of my Social Security number. I said that in that case, because I evidently have difficulty speaking, I should just end the call and dial the first line myself. She asked me for identifying information, including part of my Social Security number. I thanked her, said goodbye, and dialed the first number again.

They said that if I canceled it before paying it off, it would hurt my credit rating. No, there was no way they could flag the card to be canceled as soon as payment came in.

On the day that I paid off the card, I called to cancel, over an hour after I'd paid it off. They said it hadn't "posted" yet, and I should call the next day. I did so. I hope and expect that the card is now dead. They're supposed to send me a letter of confirmation. DHYB.

My revenge scenario kind of deflates when, at the end of it, I goof and people are nice to me.

But the bank still sucks.