The Old Curmudgeon Rant

Billy Kaderli

I don’t know if this is part of my grieving process, but I do know that part of grieving is being exhausted. And I am. Therefore I have little patience for incompetence and for low-level people working in credit card fraud departments who have never left their zip code.

I’m tired of this bullshit. My credit rating is excellent. I don’t like debt, so I pay my cards in full every week. Yet I still have to jump through insane verification hoops just to open a new card—or in one case, simply to purchase a $106 item. I don’t use points or whatever else these cards are offering. So I’m asking myself why I even need them.

I monitor my accounts regularly. I’ll spot any issues well before the card companies do. It seems they want to annoy people who pay their balances in full and never carry a balance. Maybe that’s their model. I honestly don’t know. But I’m tired of being treated like an abused spouse when I’m not the problem. I’ve been with one card company for decades and would think that loyalty goes both ways, but I believe I’m mistaken.

Why did we give up so much power to these card companies when we are the consumers? Without us, they wouldn’t be in business. One new card wanted me to upload my passport and a selfie. When I explained that I have a high credit score and no debt, the rep said I was “lucky.” No—I worked my ass off with discipline and responsible spending habits. I thought that was what I was supposed to do. If they can’t figure out who I am with the information I provided and my credit history, I’m questioning whether I even want to deal with them. I’m passing on their offer.

I’m concluding that these credit card fraud departments are self-fulfilling annuities. The more people they harass, the more important their jobs appear to the company. Instead, they’re driving responsible customers away. I’m tired of this bullshit. They need me. I don’t need them.

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About the Authors

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.