What started out as an inconvenience resulted in yet another failure on Visa Security for the third time in the last several years.
My Saturday rounds were going alright: Rogues Gallery, Waterloo Records, 24 Diner…then I hit a snag at Pinballz with the card being declined. The attendant and I figured it was the usual issues they have with their system. I switched over to my debit card, played some games while I mentally cursed because CEFCU was closed after 3 PM.
While I was sitting at my desk, doing some overdue bookkeeping and waiting for Somara’s shift to end, I receive a phone call from Visa Security. My card was cut off due to a suspicious charge. So we reviewed them until the gentleman told me about the failed attempt in El Cajon, CA at a restaurant. Great. Somara’s card would remain open. As for me, I wouldn’t receive a new one for 7-10 days. Thankfully my credit union has better customer-service options; the nice lady cancelled the Visa order, made their own for me and I will be back in the loop by Wednesday night.
We were more prepared after the last lapse in Visa security or the vendors I’m suspecting (Netflix or Teefury). Somara’s credit union set us up with our back-up cards, we usually have them on hand when in Vegas to prevent a complete shut down in the middle of our annual pilgrimage.
My annoyance level has been downgraded from pissed to resigned. Visa, MasterCard and the other Too-Big-to-Care corporations will never get their collective crap together, not while the Teabagger Taliban, Republican and Republican Lite Parties remain in power. It wouldn’t have mattered. I check the card’s balance at least every other day, I would’ve caught this discrepancy.
Just remember to pay attention to yours!
Out of curiosity, why the animosity towards Visa/Mastercard here? The only thing they could do any different would be to have ways to get you a replacement card faster.
Aside from that, it’s pretty unlikely that your card was swiped through Netflix or Teefury. More likely, it was skimmed locally by a shady restaurant, gas station, or similar, and then the thieves sold your numbers over the Internet. That’s by far the most common way numbers are stolen and used.