Have I Vented About This Before??? Re: Customer Service and "Authorized Contacts"

[BethR]

Twice today I have been told that I cannot be spoken to about an account since it was not in my name. Grrrrrr.

DD Ann asked me if I could help her out by setting up phone service for her apartment in Durham. So I called Verizon, waited on hold for 20 minutes, only to be told that unless *I* want the account in my name, that she had to call herself. So frustrating. She works for the next 3 days and then goes on vacation with her BF's family. She asked me to do this to save her some time.

Then just a few minutes ago, I went to see our electric bill at MyCheckFree. For the second month in a row I had problems signing on, they froze the sign on, said that there was a problem with our e-mail address, so I called them. "I'm sorry, Mrs. R, Mr. R's name is on the account. Is he there?" Well NO! He just went swimming. "I'm sorry, I cannot talk to you since your name is on the account." Grrrrr.

We have had this account for over 25 years. I have always been the contact person. Now they have to talk to HIM! Guess who is getting her name on the account???

And don't even get me started on VerizonWireless!!! They will NOT add a second name to the account and they will NOT talk to me about activating new phones, starting new service, anything. But guess what! I can do everything on line!!! They think they're so smart! But *I'm* smarter!!!

 

[disneynutt1225]

See, usually when I run into that problem I "pose" as DFi. I have all his information, DOB, SS#, everything. In fact, I think I know his info better than he knows it. What are they going to say? I'm sorry ma'am, but you're not Mr. X? He's aware that I do it, and since I'm the one that takes care of the bills and everything, he's completely fine with me doing it. Ethical? Probably not, but it gets the job done.

Flame suit on....

 

[KelNottAt]

See, usually when I run into that problem I "pose" as DFi. I have all his information, DOB, SS#, everything. In fact, I think I know his info better than he knows it. What are they going to say? I'm sorry ma'am, but you're not Mr. X? He's aware that I do it, and since I'm the one that takes care of the bills and everything, he's completely fine with me doing it. Ethical? Probably not, but it gets the job done.

Flame suit on....

Same here. Except DH and I have each other's power of attorney. So, I don't feel totally dishonest. Just a little.

 

[buzzlady]

I would just call back and say that you are your DD. What do they know.

 

[clh2]

My DSIL had this happen to her when her phone call was directed to a off-shore customer care center when she was trying to cancel AOL. Jane couldn't close the account, because it was in Jim's name. She just called back in 2 minutes, and said she was Jim. I guess this is ONE advantage to the non-US based call centers.

 

[BethR]

I would just call back and say that you are your DD. What do they know.

I did. But I was afraid to admit it to you all. 'Cause I DON'T have my flame suit on.

And actually, I do do everything myself. Doing things on-line makes life SOOOOO much easier! It is when you have to talk to a real person that problems enter in.

 

[staceyfe]

I totally understand your dilemma. I probably would be upset too. However, in this day and age of identity theft I'm more on the side of the company. Just Friday I went to my bank to close a CD. It's a bank where I don't frequent (I have a separate bank for the checking account) so the people don't really know me well. I didn't have the original CD with me. They had me sign a lost CD statement, a notary came over to notorize the form, and then handed me a four-figure check, all without even asking for my driver's license! I'm about to send the bank an email about that. Any schmo could walk in and close out an account. No, they never asked me to verify any other info either, such as SSN or address. Can you believe that?

I also have a pet peeve with cashiers who never ask to see a driver's license when I purchase with a credit card. Why? Are they just lazy, or don't care?

 

[BethR]

That IS scary, Stacey!!!

And using the Credit Card thing? I would be happy if they ever asked to see my Credit Card, let alone a Driver's License!

 

[quietgirll]

Well, as someone who has been a cashier I can tell you why it isn't ALWAYS done. There have been numerous times when I have been yelled at because I asked for ID, or caused additional work on their part. Explaining to them that is more for their protection than anything else usually doesn't work either- if they want to grumble, they're gonna grumble. Also, in today's world of "convenience" most times there are machines that they are running the credit card through themselves...so the cashier may not even handle the card itself at all. I'm not saying it is right, but just offering an explanantion as to why it isn't always done. I recently had someone yell at me for 10 minuted because of a FEDERAL LAW that required me to ask for their ID. Mind you, I'll keep doing it, but it does make me dread it all the more when I'm worried someone is going to complain/yell about it!!

 

[disneynutt1225]

I also have a pet peeve with cashiers who never ask to see a driver's license when I purchase with a credit card. Why? Are they just lazy, or don't care?

If your card is signed and it wasn't declined by the system, there's no need for them to check your driver's license. They SHOULD be verifying that the signature on your card matches the signature on your slip, but that's it.

 

[va32h]

I also have a pet peeve with cashiers who never ask to see a driver's license when I purchase with a credit card. Why? Are they just lazy, or don't care?

I can't tell you how many credit cards I see without a signature on the back. And when I ask for ID, the customer rolls their eyes and huffs and puffs, or complains "well it's in the car".

I don't understand why anyone would deliberately not sign the back of their card. If you want the sales person to ask for id, write ASK FOR ID in the signature blank, but leaving it unsigned makes it easy for someone to steal it, and sign your name in their handwriting.

 

[donnajon]

I write Ask for ID and am surprised at how few do. I always thank them for checking. Our post office wont accept ask for id!!!! Your card has to be signed!
I called a CC in my DH's name one and had all of the password info. The guy said, "You're Dale?" I said "Yes!" He said, "Jr?" and I said "Yes!" and then proceeded to talk about my problem. And got an answer. There would be no way anyone would know the weird password to the account unless they were supposed to.

 

[mking624]

I can't tell you how many credit cards I see without a signature on the back. And when I ask for ID, the customer rolls their eyes and huffs and puffs, or complains "well it's in the car".

I don't understand why anyone would deliberately not sign the back of their card. If you want the sales person to ask for id, write ASK FOR ID in the signature blank, but leaving it unsigned makes it easy for someone to steal it, and sign your name in their handwriting.

I come across this same problem. Where I work, it's actually VERY rare to see a signed credit card...and not very common to see people write "see ID" or the like when they don't have their signature on it. Then I get the dumb reasonings..."I leave it blank because I had one stolen from me before and they used it." HUH?! What kind of logic is that?? It is MUCH harder to forge someone's signature than it is to find a blank area and sign that person's name with your own handwriting. Anytime someone tries to use their reasonings with me about why they leave it completely blank, I tell them that. More often than not, they actually wind up either signing it or writing "See ID" right then and there. I remember going into a grocery store one time and seeing a credit card on the floor...completely blank. No signature, no "ask for ID" or anything. Had I not been honest, I could have signed myself and went to town. This is why it bugs the heck out of me when people don't put anything in the signature area and then they think it's somehow protecting them. Little do they know they're actually putting themselves at an even higher risk.

But I agree...I get customers who complain about having to show ID when I ask for it. I can't help but be amazed at people who get angry about it when they themselves wrote "See ID" on the card. I had that happen with a customer one time and she was like "it's back at work! I don't want to drive all the way back!" (Which made me wonder why she drove without her license...) But I'm personally pretty strict about it. If your card doesn't have a signature that I can compare it to and you don't have a license, you need to have another form of payment or you're not purchasing the items.

Anyway, sorry to go off topic.

 

[Becky2005]

I do all the financial stuff and have pretended to be DH on occassion.

As for the credit cards (actually I believe if I read the VISA information correctly, the SEE ID doesn't make the card legal, it has to be signed. You can refuse to accept it unless it has a signature -- technically I think you are supposed to. I have an at-home business and accept credit cards, I read through ALL the VISA rules and a lot of common practices people do aren't even supposed to be done, but I can't remember them all now, I just know it specifically addresses the "See ID" & signatures.)

ANYWAY -- My local corner store doesn't even ask for signatures anymore for a charge. I pop in the card in the machine and the transaction finishes with no signature at all. If it's under a certain amount apparently they don't require it....bugs me to death since no matter how much you charged in the past, you always had to sign. So, basically the cashier never sees my card at all, I don't sign for anything and for all they know I'm using John Doe's card.

 

[jenr812]

We have this problem too and it ticks me off. I am not on our mortgage but I am on the deed (SAHM til next year so no need to be on the loan). I pay the bills, sign the dang checks (well til we started paying online), and he has told them NUMEROUS times even in WRITING that they are to deal with me, and they still won't!!!

With my car note, it is MY car, I pay the bill, same as above with him telling them to deal with me, but nope! It is so frustrating. I can't wait til we pay it off in December (or sooner!).

Same thing with our CCs. I am authorized user on any cards in his name and vice versa but since I am not the main account holder, they can't talk to me.

Now I fully understand about ID theft - DH has been a victim and it has just now fallen off his credit report (it happened in 1997 and it was damn near impossible to get it fixed properly - wanted us to jump through hoops, etc - so we just waited for it to drop off. Cost us thousands in higher interest, lost opportunities, higher insurance premiums, but we are just glad it is off (for now - til one of those stupid places tries to re-age the account!!)

Anyway, it is definitely frustrating, esp since DH works crazy hours and it's impossible for him to contact these places if we needed to and when he does contact them, he simply verifies he is who he is and hands the phone to me

Sorry for venting!! I guess you hit a nerve tonight LOL

 

[mking624]

As for the credit cards (actually I believe if I read the VISA information correctly, the SEE ID doesn't make the card legal, it has to be signed. You can refuse to accept it unless it has a signature -- technically I think you are supposed to. I have an at-home business and accept credit cards, I read through ALL the VISA rules and a lot of common practices people do aren't even supposed to be done, but I can't remember them all now, I just know it specifically addresses the "See ID" & signatures.)

I have turned down people who have it don't have a signature when the card actually says "not authorized unless signed." But I think more and more credit card companies are becoming wiser and have dropped that little phrase from the card. I have a credit card (Visa) that used to say that...and it no longer does. In fact none of the information (which is sent to me every year) says anything about it anymore, though it used to in the past. So I think it lately depends on the company.

 

[graygables]

Even *WITH* a POA it's a PITBeeehind. My DH has anxiety issues and cannot talk on the phone to strangers. It's not fun for either of us. I have faxed, mailed, and hand-carried copies of my POA to our mortgage bank and others and *still* they won't talk to me. I finally just tell them, hey, I'm the one who handles it, you aren't going to talk to him, so get over it. Sometimes that works, sometimes not. I really thought the POA would help, but it's basically junk.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I totally understand your dilemma. I probably would be upset too. However, in this day and age of identity theft I'm more on the side of the company. Just Friday I went to my bank to close a CD. It's a bank where I don't frequent (I have a separate bank for the checking account) so the people don't really know me well. I didn't have the original CD with me. They had me sign a lost CD statement, a notary came over to notorize the form, and then handed me a four-figure check, all without even asking for my driver's license! I'm about to send the bank an email about that. Any schmo could walk in and close out an account. No, they never asked me to verify any other info either, such as SSN or address. Can you believe that?

I also have a pet peeve with cashiers who never ask to see a driver's license when I purchase with a credit card. Why? Are they just lazy, or don't care?

The same thing just happened to me last week. I walked into my bank, which I never do because I use the ATM. I handed my ATM card (no signature on the back) and told them I wanted a money order for $730. The teller looked up my account number, gave the number to me, had me fill out a withdrawal slip. I never even had to put in my PIN to get the money, or show ID. I was flabbergasted as I left -- I'm legit, but what if someone had stolen my ATM card (it's my "fun" savings account for vacation).

 

[sankra]

Everytime I go to my branch of the bank which is in the building I work, I get asked for my card and to put in the pin for every check I want to cash, even $1 rebate checks. I guess it's just their policy. Sometimes it's irritating when I'm on a break from work and in a hurry and want to cash a little check, but I guess it's for my protection. Back to the beginning of this thread, I had to call my insurance company because my husband and I had not received a copy of our life insurance policies that we signed up for. I requested that they send out a certificate outlining the insurance terms for me and my husband and was told HE had to call. I told them I am his wife, I have all his personal information and she basically told me TOO BAD. If he wants it, he has to call. Now, I think that's ridiculous. We signed up for the insurance together. Think about it now with HIPAA too. Unless you specifically sign that it's okay for your spouse to receive medical information about you, it won't happen. Sometimes I think we're taking two steps back instead of forward.

 

[yearbook50]

I understand this greatly. My Fiance hates calling about his accounts. I know all his personal information, better than he does for the most part. We aren't Power of Attorneys yet, we will go through that process after we are actually married. Its weird how some will allow me to check on his accounts and some won't. Then again, I usually dont have to call that often unless something went wrong with the online stuff.