When did having Cell phones become mandatory in the USA???

[Platapus]

I decided to change credit card companies. My old credit card was an airline frequent flyer card and not only do I not fly but the deal kept getting worse and worse over the years. I decided to move to a credit card with a straight simple cash back. I have excellent credit so there was no problem getting the card issued.




Activation on the other hand...


I have had credit cards for almost 40 years. Activating the card was simply calling a number, entering the card number and then being transferred to a sales person who will then try to sell me stuff. Pretty standard stuff.



I called today to activate my new card and I was transferred to a person. Expecting a sales pitch, I was surprised. They needed my cell phone number. I don't use my cell phone for anything. I don't even know what my cell phone number is and I never carry it. The last thing I want to do is give my cell phone number out to a company. It will be ringing all day with telemarketers.



Evidently, I am the only person who does not use a cell phone in the entire USA. I asked the person if there was another way I can activate my card. I was told I could scan both sides of my driver's license and send it to them. I politely, and respectfully told them there was no way I was going to send any company scanned copies of any of my government issued identification over the internet.



I told the person that if there is no way to activate my card, I would have to cancel my account and find another company that will allow me to activate the card. I am thinking to myself that I am doing them a favor in agreeing to be their customer. I don't need them, they need customers like me.


After some time, he told me that I could physically go to a bank, call them to activate the card and the bank would vouch for me.


Yikes, when did it become hard to activate a simple credit card??


My issue is that if I go into a bank and ask them to help me activate this card, they will try to sell me their credit card instead. I am really getting tired of everyone trying to sell me stuff!



Crikey, all I want to do is activate a credit card. I am I truly the only person in the US who does not use a cell phone?


Have other people had this issue or is this something specific to this one company I am dealing with?

[ikalugin]

Seems like sales are agressive in the US.



For my bank the mobile and internet banking options are strongly suggested but are not compulsory, the activation method is via the cash machine (ATM). Note - they issue their cards in their branches which are very common.


Because by law all cell phone numbers have to be attached to a passport (universal state issued ID) they are now a fairly common soft identifier used by many companies.

[Rockstar]

I've never felt hassled activating a card with my bank. I call, enter the card #'s and its done. All automated, I never speak with a person. I do keep my personal info up to date so that may have something to do with it too and with the available tech they know and can ID the number I should be calling from.


The few robo calls I've received have been blocked and its been quiet ever since.

[Sailor Steve]

My cell phone is the only phone I have. On the other hand, it makes and takes phone calls. While it is internet-capable (a little) I never use it for that. I even refuse to text with it. It's my phone.

I remember the opposite experience to yours. When I got my first cell phone in 2003 I would list it on an application and they would say they needed my home phone number. When I told them I didn't have one they acted like I was some kind of subversive, just trying to cause trouble.

A agree it's silly that they would make you jump through so many hoops, and some of them agree as well. The last time I activated a new card that bank didn't ask any questions. I called their number, dialed in the card number and the CVE, and they didn't even transfer me to a person. The automated voice told me the card was activated, reminded me to peel off the sticker and thanked me, and I was done.

[Mr Quatro]

I really am leary of companies like yahoo and several others that want you to add your cell phone number for a way to retrieve your password in case you forget.

What do they do with this information anyway?

I love my country, but does the NSA have all of our cell phone numbers stored somewhere to double check on in case we are the real person they are looking for for who knows what?

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

I really am leary of companies like yahoo and several others that want you to add your cell phone number for a way to retrieve your password in case you forget.

What do they do with this information anyway?

I love my country, but does the NSA have all of our cell phone numbers stored somewhere to double check on in case we are the real person they are looking for for who knows what?

Dude, government radio intercept of civilian and military transmissions, has been a fact of life since radio was first invented. Primarily through FCC licensing and other surveillance. Believe me they do listen and if you wander of the reservation they will politely remind you of proper radio procedure .

Today we have mass communication systems and immediate global access to it. Bad guys and gals use those now. The NSA and the tools they use is government just catching up to the times we live in. It exists to protect our nation from people who wish to do us harm, not to uncover what your favorite porn site is. Can it be abused? I suppose so it could, so if you have an 'addiction' my recommendation would be; dont get involved in politics

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

The last time I activated a new card that bank didn't ask any questions. I called their number, dialed in the card number and the CVE, and they didn't even transfer me to a person. The automated voice told me the card was activated, reminded me to peel off the sticker and thanked me, and I was done.

That is the way it should be. For someone to successfully fake my authorization they would have to do do the following after, somehow, knowing that I was, in fact, requesting a new card in the first place.



1. Intercept the credit card envelope which is rather plain and is easily missed. This would requires someone to search my mail box every day.



2. Find out my date of birth and SSAN. Probably not that hard to do.



3. Somehow spoof their phone in order to resemble my home phone number.


4. Intercept and block the confirmation/welcome E-mails from the credit card company.



All to be able to spoof the credit card company for one billing cycle, unless the crooks will continue to search my mail and intercept the bills


I understand that it is the credit card's money that is at risk and they need to take reasonable precautions. But at the same time, it that make it that difficult to use their credit card, I have lots of choices to choose from that may not put me through this.



I don't have any research to back this up, but I doubt that a significant amount of credit card fraud is done with false authorizing. It is much more likely that a store/company/website will steal the number after it was authorized.

[Rockstar]

When I think about, what you had to go through to activate a credit card is what my bank has consistently told me they would never do i.e. ask for personal information over the phone or email.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

I've never felt hassled activating a card with my bank. I call, enter the card #'s and its done. All automated, I never speak with a person.

Ditto, or via online banking.

[Platapus]

I decided to authenticate my card one more time. This time I got a different person and surprise was told something different.

Evidently they need to send me a text. Now not only does not everyone have a cell phone in the US, even less have some sort of smart phone. I don't. I have a Jitterbug that stays in my car all the time.

This guy did not mention the option of going to another bank and have them verify my ID, but did want me to scan my driver's license and send it to them. I once again, politely declined saying that I do not feel comfortable scanning a government ID and sending to anyone over the internet.

Bottom line was that it appear to actually be no way this company would allow me to register my new credit card unless I had a smart phone. Now I know that I am behind the times, but I can't believe that it is reasonable to expect all of their customers to have smart phones.

So I asked the person to close out the account since I can't activate the card. Now, I know exactly what this man was doing. He hit a button on his customer support page and a standard script came up that he is required to read. The fact that he had to read this for a credit card that not only was never used, but could never be used was amusing.

But he was just doing his job, so there was no reason to be rude to him. But my Inner dialogue......

"Sir, do you understand that after we close out the account, you will not be able to use this card?"

"yes" (thinking) I was not able to use the card in the first place because your company wouldn't allow me to activate it!

"Any charges or outstanding balances will still need to be paid"

"yes" (thinking) How could there possibly be any charges or outstanding balances when the account has never been activated?

Any repeating charges put on this card will be declined after the account is closed"

"yes" (thinking) Kinda tough to start repeating charges when I can't even make one charge because your company won't allow me to activate my card!!

"You will need to redeem any rewards from this card before it is closed"

"Yes" (thinking) What rewards would those be? I can't use your card, that's why I am closing the account!!

"Any rewards that have not been redeemed when the account is closed will be lost"

"yes" (thinking) Go ahead, take all those rewards. That will teach me a good life lesson.

"Are you sure you want to close the account at this time?"

"Yes" (thinking) Why not, it is of no use to me. YOU are not letting me use this account!!!!

"OK, the account is now closed, please do not use this card for any new charges and destroy it"

"yes" (thinking) If I could use the card, I would not be closing the account, now would I??

"You should get your final statement with any final balance due in the mail in 10-15 days"

"Yes" (thinking) final statement? There has not even been a first statement because the account has never been active. But you are mailing me a statement??

"Have a good day"

Yes, you too"

Sigh (thinking) sigh

So I did some more research and applied for a credit card from another company. I hope this company allows me to activate my card.

[Sailor Steve]

The more I think about this the more bizarre it becomes. I have never heard of anything like this. I think there's something wrong with this bank, and I would close any other accounts you might have with them and report this to whatever authorities I can.

[em2nought]

Flip phones can receive text messages. You don't need a smart phone to receive text messages.


Just wait until you experience two-factor authentication. LOL

[Platapus]

I applied for and was issued another credit card from a different company.


I was able to register the card online with no problems.



Oh well, they get my business and the other company doesn't.



I am happy that I can ditch my old frequent flyer mileage card that was doing me no good and got a nice flat rate cash back card which will at least give me something.



What the new credit card company does not yet know is that they ain't getting no interest from me as I pay off my card every month.


But they make plenty of profit from the merchant discount rate.