Pay Or Pal?

Ever since my Paypal account was hacked a few years back, it was suspended. Hence, any other transactions that needed to be paid by Paypal, I preferred to use card or pay without signing in. Recently, I bought some things online. Unfortunately, all needed a Paypal account to complete the transaction, which means I had to sign in. Because my account is still being suspended, I had no choice but to register another account with Paypal.

 

I thought that was it, but then I realise after the first transaction, my card could not be used anymore, until I verify it. I had to authorise Paypal to charge US$3.00 to my card for verification. After that, I had to call up my bank and asked for the security number, and the US$3.00 would then be refunded to me once I entered the security number to verify my card.

 

This went well until one of the transactions said my name and address is already on record, and I am not allowed to have more than one Paypal account. After all the hassle of getting my card verified and my transactions approved, now this?!

 

So I called Paypal and told them the whole situation. I must say, I am pretty impressed with the customer service officers! They are polite, professional, patient and speak relatively good English to say the least! They understood my situation and re-activated my original account. They told me once all my transactions cleared, I can have my new account shut down.

 

The next hassle is that because my card was verified on my new account, I have to verify my card again on my original account. Which means the USD$3.00 will be charged again, and I have to call my bank again, and get the security code again, and then the amount will be refunded again. It is like a full circle!

 

I find that really troublesome because my card is already authorised and verified, so why must I do the same process again when it is already established that my name and address is on record, so there is no doubt that the account and card belongs to me?

 

The customer service officer told me that it is a security precaution. Yeah right, if it is indeed a security precaution, then why is Paypal one of the most hacked accounts in the world? Afterall my account was suspended because it was hacked into in the first place! If that is really a security precaution, then all these would have been prevented, is it not? How secure can the precaution be then, if others can access your account in the first place?!

 

Still, it was a pretty pleasant experience talking to the customer service officer. Even though their answers are not that satisfactory, their professionalism is tops. I do not normally commend customer service officers, but Paypal's customer service is really good! Kudos to them!

 

So is the whole Paypal system more for paying, or more of a pal? Despite all these hassle, it is still the top payment transaction program in the world. One really wonders why, when it is causing so much grief to the consumers.

Fighting With Banks

I returned from Malacca late last night, and had to drag myself back to the office today, even though I was so tempted to take a day off since tomorrow will be a public holiday. Before I start updating about Malacca, I like to update about the problem I had with the international bank and its related transactions.

 

Last Friday, I saw that out of the three cards I have, two have been updated. The remaining one is still outstanding. It is not urgent as the payment deadline is not yet due, but still, the bank is taking too long to process and pay the outstanding bill when I have already sent out the instructions on 1 November.

 

I called that bank to check on the card status, as it could be updated but not reflected. The officer was so rude! She said the last check, no payment had come in. I said this is taking far too long, and she said it is not within her control when my other bank would make the payment. Fair enough, so when I asked if I could check later on in the day, she said there would be no difference.

 

Okay, so I said in which case, I would check on Monday. She rudely told me to check on Tuesday! But Tuesday would be a public holiday, and no one would be working! She said in that case, check on Wednesday! I told her, if that was the case, why not Monday? She said she is just managing my expectations, if I really want to check on Monday, it is up to me, but in case the account is still not updated, she did not wish for me to be upset, so she is just trying to help me manage my expectations!

 

Can you believe that? How can anyone in customer service say things like that? It has already been more than a week since I requested for payment, am I not wrong to be anxious? It is money after all, what if it channelled other ways and ended up in someone else's bank account? Then I will be defaulting payment and got charged a higher interest for nothing!

 

Today, I called in again, and the status was still the same. I requested for the officer (a different one this time) to check again, and this time round, he said he received the payment but it is still being cleared. Which means most likely I can only receive the updates by Wednesday.

 

This is really getting too much as the time taken is too ridiculous! I thought technology is supposed to help us make our lives easier, but it seems to be making my life harder instead. The payment better be updated by Wednesday, otherwise I am so going to give people a piece of my mind again!

"Problematic" Account ...

I had to open a new savings account with an established international bank when I started working for my current company. I have no idea why I cannot use my existing local bank when all along, my salary is credited into my existing local bank. My Human Resources Director says that because the company ties in with the international bank, all salary will be credited inside that bank, so she told me to open a savings account with that.

 

I did just that. During the first month, because the account was not set up yet, I still had my salary deposited into my current local bank account. Actually it is more convenient as all my electronic payments for bills and whatnot are deducted from my local bank account. But I got my salary one day late.

 

During the second month, when I checked the international bank account that I just set up, my salary was not in yet. One of the bank officers called me and asked if my account was active, I said I was waiting for my salary to come in. At the end of the payday, no money came in. I was starting to panic, when I checked my local bank account, and my salary was there! Why should I open another bank account when my salary could be credited into my existing account?

 

I went back to the office to ask my Human Resources Director. She said apparently the bank did not update her, which they were supposed to. So she made a call and everything was settled. Subsequently, my salary went into the international bank account, and I had to transfer some money out into my local bank account for bill payments.

 

When I got my salary for the previous month recently, I wanted to try out the bank transfer system of paying card bills. That was last Thursday (1 November). I did a bank transfer to pay my credit cards and I thought it was good, because when I made a transfer to my local bank account, it took less than a day.

 

However, when I went to check earlier, my credit cards have not been paid! When I called the bank, they told me they would take my instructions online, and then process the instructions, and then issue a cheque out to pay the credit cards! But they were unable to tell me when they would send (or have already sent) out the cheques. The whole process would take three to five working days.

 

Can you believe that? Should not electronic payments be instantaneous, why would a cheque be needed? If that was the case, why did they not tell me the whole procedure? I could easily issue a cheque out on my own and that would take much lesser time!

 

I thought paying online would be the most convenient way, but looks like it became the most troublesome way instead. I asked for the payment to be done on 1 November, and to date, it is already 7 November. Even if it was three to five working days, this is taking way too long!

 

The payments better be out by Friday, otherwise I would definitely give them a piece of my mind for holding up the process when it need not take that long in the first place!

Almost A Lawsuit ....

A few days ago, I had some sort of a fright. I received a call from a certain bank. The officer over the phone sounded so threatening. She said she had called my home and office numbers, and now calling my mobile, to warn me that I would receive a lawyer's letter that afternoon.

Needless to say, I was totally stunned. I am positive that I have already paid my bill, so I see no reason why I would receive a lawyer's letter, and a threatening one at that! Thus, I got really irritated and tried to explain myself, but all I got was a mechanical voice, speaking pidgin in a threatening tone!

I was so angry that I called the bank after I hung up to clarify matters. No doubt perhaps it could be my fault, that when I sent the cheque in, I could have been absent-minded or overlooked writing my account number(s) and amount(s) at the back of the cheque, but still, she could have used a much gentler tone, and not just threaten with a lawyer's letter the moment she called someone!

Anyway, the bank did receive my payment after all. All this fuss for nothing! If I had been in a less than generous mood, I would have kicked up a big fuss and called the manager of the caller, threatening to sue her with emotional damanges! Customer service really should be improved!

A Good Year Wannabe

Just when I was fretting over what I thought would be a bad year, the past couple of days regained my confidence that this may turn out to be a good year after all. Hopefully, it will be the best year of my life, but perhaps that is a bit too far to hope for. Things seem to be going well, especially due to a gathering I am organising for next week. The response has been quite positive so far. I am looking forward to it so much, as I get to meet new friends and widen my social circle. Hopefully that will be a success.

I have been grinning from ear to ear the past couple of days. Seems like working in a more prestigious company has its advantages. Not even when I was in the public sector did I have all these advantages! First, all of a sudden, more banks are willing to give me credit, and automatically giving me gold and platinum cards. Anyway nowadays, one need not need to earn so much to get a gold or platinum card, just the minimum amount will do. Thus, I received my first gold and platinum card in a matter of days!

Secondly, I renewed my mobile contract. I was contemplating whether to change my number so as to cut off contact from people I no longer wish to hear from. However, if I change my number, it will be a hassle letting everyone know. Besides, I love my number. If I change, I will not be able to get such a nice number again! So I decided to stick to the number, and since I renewed the line, I was able to get a new phone at plan price instead of retail price.

Thus, I am now the owner of the pink Motorola Razr v3x! A 3G phone no less, at slightly less than S$40! And it is not baby pink, but bright fuchsia pink, a cheery colour. Initially I wanted to get the limited edition red Motorola Razr v3, as proceeds will go to the Global Fund in aid of AIDS victims in third-world countries. Unfortunately, the phone is only for new subscribers. :-(

Thirdly, because of a certain card promotion, I am able to get a laptop at a certain shop by instalments for two years with no interest. Not only that, I am able to get cash back, so the bank itself will send me a cheque for 2% of what I spent. Since I have such a good deal, why not utilise it? So I called up and reserved the laptop I wanted. It will arrive next week, and after that, I can then be the owner of a white Fujitsu LifeBook P7230!

Fourthly, I signed up for a free wireless internet access under Qmax. Due to that, I am able to get a free webcam from Creative Technologies. I can go to the Creative office to redeem the webcam, and my brothers and I can then start having video-conferencing or chat with people face to face, instead of hiding behind our PC.

But the best news is my brother made peace with me that day. He was actually angry with my mum for being too harsh, but he felt guilty towards me, thus could not bear to face me, but he apologised and said he did not know that affected me so much, and kept assuring me he never once blamed me. So all's well ends well. For that, I treated him to two shows last night - "Dreamgirls" and the new local show by talented director Neo "Just Follow Law".

"Dreamgirls" is absolutely amazing! From the storyline to the acting to the songs, everything is perfect! Just like another "Chicago", but each show has its own distinctions and good in their own rights. And the voices! Goodness, Jennifer Hudson's voice alone can out-sing everyone else! If only I can have a voice like that! One wonders how in the world she got rejected from Amerian Idol? Her voice is better than any of the winners!

Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson are truly deserving of their Best Supporting wins at the Golden Globes. Hopefully they will win the Oscars too. One wonders why is this show not nominated for a Best Picture? There is hardly any show that can enable me to give it a standing ovation at the end, but this is one show that I did. The others are "Forrest Gump", "Chicago" and "The Pianist". Even "Titanic" did not give me that reaction.

Is it due to it being an "all-black movie" as speculated by some? But a good movie is a good movie. One hardly sees a real good movie nowadays. Does it matter who writes or directs or acts in it? So if a show with an all-Asian cast can make it into the Best Picture nomination, why not one with an all African-American cast?

Of Credit Cards

My alma mater sent me a letter asking me to apply for a certain credit card. It is a gold Visa card with the name and logo of the university, and if my application is successful, I will receive a free Platinum Mastercard together with it.

I am rather tempted to apply actually. However, I have not been lucky where credit card application is concerned, especially the past couple of years. Perhaps it is due to my fluctuating employment status, or that I am no longer in the government service. I believe it is the former though.

I always wonder just what is the difference between Visa and Mastercard anyway? They both need the same annual income to apply, both have the same annual fees and both are internationally recognised.

Personally I prefer Mastercard. Maybe because my very first card is a Mastercard so somehow the preference has stuck. I still remember the feeling when I first got my card, as if I, too, can sign for purchases and do online transactions. Road to financial independence!

There have been more and more credit cards lately. Where there used to be just the normal Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diner's Club, there are now cards affiliated with mobile service providers that allow discounts and perks off bills, cards affiliated with departmental stores that allow points and rewards when you shop there.

And even cards that give incentives when you go grocery shopping, filling up the petrol in your car, discounts off utility bills, perks and discounts when you go travelling, or fly a certain airline, or go through a certain travel agency, or even when you visit the zoo or Sentosa island.

Not to mention the numerous discounts and promotions offered at the various restaurants, spas, clubs, cinemas, grooming salons and tickets to plays and theatres. The competition is just so intense now!

As a result, the various banks may be at each others' throats and keep coming up with different cards that deal in different attractive perks and promotions in order to attract more customers. And some banks now even allow people who do not meet the income requirement to apply for their cards as long as they show evidence of being able to pay their bills on time!

These people have to put in a fixed collateral of at least S$10,000.00 into the bank before they can apply for any credit card. Personally, if I have that amount to spare, I rather use it for investment and gain more interest, or else use it for more meaningful purposes, rather than as a fixed collateral for any credit card.

A lot of adjustments have been made in order to attract more customers. Where in the past, anyone meeting the minimum requirement could only apply for a classic normal card, a gold card required 1.5 times the amount and a platinum card about twice the amount, nowadays some gold and platinum cards only need the minimum income to apply.

Which means more and more people are able to afford a gold or platinum card. Which results in people applying for more and more cards. I am not one who has so many cards to my name, and sometimes I do get embarrassed when I go out with some of my friends, who have like fifteen cards, a mixture of gold and platinum!

If people own so many cards, do they really utilise all of them? Will it not be a waste if they do not utilise, since the annual fees have to be paid anyway? Although now banks allow annual fees to be waived up to five years for new applicants, but still, what is the purpose of applying for a card if one does not use it at all?

Some people may want to collect the different types of cards. Granted it may be a hobby to collect the cards, but for me, when I do apply for any card, I make sure I use it consistently for at least a year. Otherwise I find it a waste.

Besides, if people have so many cards to their names and they do utilise all, I wonder do they have enough to pay off? Maybe they just pay a minimum amount for each card, but will it not ultimately accrue more due to interest if the payment is not done in full?

I think credit cards is best for those who can control their spending and ensure they will never run into debt. Otherwise, the consequences may be too much for them to pay.

Lady's Account ... No More

Positive : There is finally a Lady's Account for chequing and Platinum card facilities.

Negative : There must be an initial deposit of S$20,000 and monthly balance of S$10,000 to open the account.

Double Negative : You realise you are not that loaded to open an account which you really need. :-/

What a bummer!