Forty-six years ago we got our first credit card. We have been with the same bank/credit card company ever since. It is now called US Bank. Last spring, a local business had the credit card numbers of its customers--including our card number and Maricopa County, AZ, Sheriff Joe Arpio's card number--stolen. Before we were even aware of the data breech, the US Bank fraud division called to ask if we had used the card in a Texas Walmart. When we said no, we were in Arizona and hadn't used it in Texas, they told us the number had been stolen and used. Therefore, they were sending us a new credit card and cancelling the old one. It was a real hassle for a few days. We pay absolutely every thing with that card. However, after I changed our card number with every business where it is used to pay our monthly bills, everything was fine. We know other people who don't learn their number has been stolen until they discover charges on the account that weren't theirs. We were more than pleased with US Bank's protection of our account and our credit.
Fast forward to last week. We have our checking account with US Bank, as well. Every month, I reconcile our credit card account, then enter the necessary payment into the bank's automatic online bill-pay. The payment was due on Dec. 23. I checked that day and saw it was still scheduled. But when I checked on the 24th, I found the online payment had been processed, but it had not been credited to our credit card account. I immediately instructed the credit card account to take the payment from our checking account. When I looked online on the 26th, the original payment had been credited, but a day late, resulting in a late payment fee and interest on the entire balance. It took two phone calls to explain what happened and get the late fee and interest payment amounts deducted from our balance. Since we always pay the balance in full and never accrue interest, the bank was very cooperative.
Then, over the weekend when I looked at our checking account, I found we had been charged a return item fee for the second attempt I made to have the credit card balance paid. I called the bank again today and they reversed that charge, as well.
Needless to say, we will continue to be US Bank customers for a long time. They are great. And good customer service needs to be publicly recognized.
Showing posts with label banking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label banking. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
All Better Now
Saturday night, when the bank's fraud division called, I was told it would be 7 to 10 days before we received new cards. Yesterday, I called them to find out what would happen to the charges we had made before someone used the stolen card numbers. I was told the new cards had been sent UPS and would arrive today. And they did!
That means it was only 4 days with no credit card. And I learned that all the legitimate charges would go onto the new card, so I won't have so many people to contact and send checks to.
This afternoon I spent two hours changing card numbers on all the accounts that are paid electronically by our credit card--everything from insurance to the newspaper subscription to Kindle books from Amazon. I think I did it all.
We are so pleased with how the bank has responded in all of this. First, they discovered the fraud. We don't know how. But the two fraudulent charges were denied and nothing hit our account. Second, they have explained everything to us and have sent new cards to us in record time, considering the problem was discovered on a weekend and Monday was a holiday. It has taken some of my time, but everything is back to normal--we hope.
That means it was only 4 days with no credit card. And I learned that all the legitimate charges would go onto the new card, so I won't have so many people to contact and send checks to.
This afternoon I spent two hours changing card numbers on all the accounts that are paid electronically by our credit card--everything from insurance to the newspaper subscription to Kindle books from Amazon. I think I did it all.
We are so pleased with how the bank has responded in all of this. First, they discovered the fraud. We don't know how. But the two fraudulent charges were denied and nothing hit our account. Second, they have explained everything to us and have sent new cards to us in record time, considering the problem was discovered on a weekend and Monday was a holiday. It has taken some of my time, but everything is back to normal--we hope.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Unwelcome Phone Call
I don't know about you, but it is very unusual when our phone rings at 8:30 pm. It is unsettling, to say the least. And it really didn't get any better after I answered it.
The man on the other end identified himself as a representative from our bank's fraud division. Oh oh. What's wrong? He asked if we had made a $200 transaction in a Houston Wal-Mart in the past few minutes. Well, no. We're in Arizona.
It seems someone, somehow, got our credit card number and used it. The bank was on top of things, I am happy to report. He was able to determine that the earlier charges yesterday were ours, but this new one was not. How? I don't know. They will cancel that card and send us a new one.
I am grateful they were able to spot this issue right away and we don't have to hassle with a charge made by someone else. But it may take up to 10 days to get new cards. This will be a real problem. We use our credit card for everything. Then we pay it in full each month and get 1% cash back. Many of our bills are paid automatically by credit card. I will have to contact everyone who expects those payments to go through in the next week or so, then change the card number with every company that bills the card--like our satellite TV and cell phone and insurance.
We just hope the thieves only got the credit card number and we don't have any problems elsewhere. I'll let you know how it goes.
On a better note, the weather in Phoenix is absolutely wonderful--sunny and in the 70s every day this week and into next week. This is why we are Arizona snowbirds!
The man on the other end identified himself as a representative from our bank's fraud division. Oh oh. What's wrong? He asked if we had made a $200 transaction in a Houston Wal-Mart in the past few minutes. Well, no. We're in Arizona.
It seems someone, somehow, got our credit card number and used it. The bank was on top of things, I am happy to report. He was able to determine that the earlier charges yesterday were ours, but this new one was not. How? I don't know. They will cancel that card and send us a new one.
I am grateful they were able to spot this issue right away and we don't have to hassle with a charge made by someone else. But it may take up to 10 days to get new cards. This will be a real problem. We use our credit card for everything. Then we pay it in full each month and get 1% cash back. Many of our bills are paid automatically by credit card. I will have to contact everyone who expects those payments to go through in the next week or so, then change the card number with every company that bills the card--like our satellite TV and cell phone and insurance.
We just hope the thieves only got the credit card number and we don't have any problems elsewhere. I'll let you know how it goes.
On a better note, the weather in Phoenix is absolutely wonderful--sunny and in the 70s every day this week and into next week. This is why we are Arizona snowbirds!
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