The Vent and Rant Thread

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I do not get it.

Mr. H has been identity-thieved, AGAIN. Now, I don't think we're above being identity-thieved, but what I don't understand is, why it's him, and not me. I shop online constantly, and all over the globe. Between my business and my own personal shopping, I probably buy stuff online at least 3x weekly. Since my shoulder issues, I buy a lot more online than I used to.

Mr. H, on the other hand, hardly shops online at all. The few sites he buys from are secured (I've triple-checked). I do NOT get it.

Another teenager, this time--bought from HumbleBundle and some other anime-poster place. (sigh). Last time, it was someone who at least had some taste--bought Burberry coats! ;-)

This is the 3rd time in the last few years. (sigh). It's no big deal; we're protected from this sort of thing, but it's a damn inconvenience. I guess I should be very grateful it's not me, because I have a lot of business and personal autopays set up--redoing all of those, due to a card change, would really suck.


Hitch

I've been hit twice, and thankfully both times my bank has pursued and reclaimed my money. I'm convinced that the majority of credit/debit card fraud occurs locally, when the wait staff at a restaurant takes your card it's a simple matter to copy your account info and security code. And that doesn't even include the scanners on gas pumps.

How many times has Mr. H been separated from his card? Each time he's vulnerable. On line shopping is way more secure than buying a meal in a Ruby Tuesday or Outback. The Amazons and WalMart onlines of the world are vested in protecting your info, but the local guys; not so much.

[CRussel]

One of the things that has changed here in BC is that virtually everyone is using hand-held terminals that they bring to the table. Assuming there isn't a card reader added to it, you're pretty secure (and yes, I check them closely, though some are so good it's really hard to tell).

Probably the single biggest driver of this virtually universal usage here is that so many Canadians use Interac rather than a credit card. Which means no taking away the card and bringing a bill back. (Interac is the Canadian debit card technology that does NOT tie in to VISA/Mastercard/AMEX, but is built in to your bank's ATM card. )

[wodin]

Here in the US, laws regulating credit and debit cards result in debit cards being much less secure. I've pretty much stopped using my debit card except for auto pay transactions (and COSTCO because they don't accept MC).

[Cinisajoy]

As to the credit card thing, I would much rather have to change a credit card than a debit card. At least then all your money isn't tied up until you get the new card.
Or the bank freezes your card because 1st purchase shows Austin, second Cleburne in under 2 hours.
Makes sense except for we wish a human had looked, because all state parks show Austin. We had to go to Burleson to get the card reactivated.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by wodin

I've been hit twice, <snippage>
The Amazons and WalMart onlines of the world are vested in protecting your info, but the local guys; not so much.

Mr. H is almost never separated from his card. He has tinnitus, so restaurants, movies, etc., are all out of the question. 95% of his shopping is online. Yes, he buys gas and items at the drugstore, locally, that's about it. Maybe his local gas station is the culprit--interestingly, I stop at a different one. That might explain it.

Hitch

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Maybe I didn't write that rant correctly.

I literally don't care if you need 8, 10 or even 12 hours of sleep, or if you can make do with 6 or 4. What I dislike is people (in my family) having to vocalize "I'm sooo tired" every time, all the time, and acting generally bored to death.

I don't care if you're tired or bored, but stop aggravating *me* by displaying your tiredness/boredom so ostentatiously.

That sort of behavior usually reduces to "I didn't want to be here in the first place", and making "I'm so tired" noises provides a socially acceptable reason to leave sooner rather than later instead of explicitly stating you don't care for the company you're in.
______
Dennis

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Mr. H is almost never separated from his card. He has tinnitus, so restaurants, movies, etc., are all out of the question. 95% of his shopping is online. Yes, he buys gas and items at the drugstore, locally, that's about it. Maybe his local gas station is the culprit--interestingly, I stop at a different one. That might explain it.

Hitch

Bet that is it. Gas pumps are notorious for skimmers.

[Hemmi]

I never use my debit card except at the ATM to get some cash. I'd much rather use a credit card where there's a layer of protection between a thief and my money.

I've started separating my cards. I use one exclusively online and another exclusively in person. Since I started doing that (about 2 years ago), my online one has been hacked once and the in person one zero times.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by wodin

Here in the US, laws regulating credit and debit cards result in debit cards being much less secure. I've pretty much stopped using my debit card except for auto pay transactions (and COSTCO because they don't accept MC).

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

As to the credit card thing, I would much rather have to change a credit card than a debit card. At least then all your money isn't tied up until you get the new card.
Or the bank freezes your card because 1st purchase shows Austin, second Cleburne in under 2 hours.
Makes sense except for we wish a human had looked, because all state parks show Austin. We had to go to Burleson to get the card reactivated.

Originally Posted by Hemmi

I never use my debit card except at the ATM to get some cash. I'd much rather use a credit card where there's a layer of protection between a thief and my money.

I've started separating my cards. I use one exclusively online and another exclusively in person. Since I started doing that (about 2 years ago), my online one has been hacked once and the in person one zero times.

Canada is a very different environment on that front. Interac is the norm here. Our protection laws are different, for one thing, but more it's a bit of Canadian Frugality. We all know that vendors pay less for Interac than credit cards, and we tend to avoid running up credit card debt. Many, many Canadians who don't even own a credit card, or never use the one they have, use Interac for most things. I hardly ever carry cash -- I use my bank card. Plus, of course, there are other services that Interac provides, including the absolutely best way to send money to some one. Cheaper than PayPal by a goodly margin, and instantaneously in your bank account. Even companies use it -- when I submitted invoices to a firm I was consulting for, they simply Interac'd the money to me. Much faster and easier than the alternatives.

[Hemmi]

I use a credit card that gives me cash back for my purchases and I pay the bill in full every month. No annual fee either so they're really paying me to use their card.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Oh, brother. One of my HG (Holy Grail) items. I feel like the great white shark, constantly searching the Net for good ones.

I had a pair, a few years back, that I really loved, and of course, the manufacturer "improved it." They changed the material on the front of the mask from soft cloth to windbreaker-type material, so now the mask is stiff as hell, and it whispers all night when you move. That same noise you hear when you're wearing a windbreaker or other Poly-nylon blends. I hate those.

Between that type of idiocy, and all the bloody VELCRO, for head straps (obviously conceived by men, who have short hair!!), it's difficult to find a good sleep mask, IMHO. They're all designed for things like airplane flights, where you're not really lying down, or short-hops...it's become very hard to find any decent ones meant to use nightly.

Good luck with your hunt--if you can find a way to block the lightsource, you might be happier.

Hitch

Try finding one that blocks the light *and* doesn't interfere with a CPAP mask. And it's just so sexy....I really do feel like Darth Vader.

I found one that had a fold of fabric that covered the nose with pressing on it (I have a pretty small nose), which blocked the light much better. And, yeah....can no longer find it anywhere.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

I use a credit card that gives me cash back for my purchases and I pay the bill in full every month. No annual fee either so they're really paying me to use their card.

Here too. Now as to using an ATM, very very rarely. Otherwise, we just go to the bank.
Our bank account has no fees either.

[DiapDealer]

I'm all debit, all the time. Have been for about a decade. Of course, I haven't left the same tiny town in about that long, either.

I HAVE to use the ATM (for deposits anyway). I don't have the time to listen to all the spiels the poor tellers are forced give with each and every visit.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm all debit, all the time. Have been for about a decade. Of course, I haven't left the same tiny town in about that long, either.

I HAVE to use the ATM (for deposits anyway). I don't have the time to listen to all the spiels the poor tellers are forced give with each and every visit.

We have never been given a spiel at our bank.
*we would still be debit if they weren't paying us.
Most of the bills are on the credit card too for that little bit of cash back.

[Hemmi]

I use my bank's ATM so no fees to get a little cash each week. I think I've actually been to my bank twice in the last 5 or 6 years. Everything's direct deposited and I pay everything online. My bank has an ATM at the grocery store I shop in each week for when I need cash.