- Jeff - I received a number of emails about the credit
card story.
- But this one is a classic...
-
- Two weeks ago, I got a call from a very business like "Lady"
at the other end.
-
- The call went something like this:
-
- "Hello - My name is is Julie Carson and I am calling
from MCI."
-
- ...Inviting me to ask - "What is MCI?"
-
- To which she replied - "We are a National Company
that can reduce your credit card interest rates to as low as 7 to 8 % -
depending on the type of credit card."
-
- I then knew the great "credit card con
was on."
-
- I said "Julie - sorry to interupt but can you hold
for a minute while I dump my other call that is on hold? I would like to
talk to you more about this."
-
- "No problem." she replied
-
- I went and poured myself a cup of coffee
-
- 30 seconds later, I came back and said "Thanks
for holding."
-
- "No problem." she replied again
-
- "Can I get your name?" she says
-
- I said my name was "Bruce Conner"
-
- "Can I call you Bruce" she says
-
- "I prefer Mr. Conner - I am probably old enough
to be your GrandFather." I said
-
- "No problem, Mr. Conner." she replied in a
business like tone
-
- After listening to her pitch, I was asking a few of the
usual curosity questions to which she always had the right answers (sounded
like a game show)
-
- I gave her the information she wanted to hear about the
number of cards I had, the type of cards,the interest rates I was paying,
what the card limits are, payment habits etc.
-
- As the conversation dragged along She managed to "smoothly"
pry my Visa Number from me - to which I provided her "a Visa Number"
- Name of my Bank - along with an address of the Bank (which I had to
look up).
-
- Her response was - "Mr. Conner, your Visa number
does not seem to have current status."
-
- I said "It MUST have current status - I used
the card this morning and bought breakfast with it." and asked her
to try it again.
-
- I could just barely hear some keys being punched in at
the other end - then she came back to me and said "it still does not
seem to be the right number."
-
- I said "Well, try it again young lady"
- I must have flattered her because she sounded like she was old enought
to be my Mother.
-
- "You must have made a mistake in entering - it has
to work - because I am not even close to my limit." I said
-
- This time - I could clearly hear her keyboard rattling
away in the background.
-
- She said "no - it is still does not appear to be
a proper number" and she asked me for the expiry date on the card.
-
- This time I gave her the Visa number along along
with a 09/09 expiry date and I firmly said "Make sure you enter
it it properly."
-
- She said in a little agitated tone - "This darn
system is not taking it."
-
- "Computers." I said "Are you
sure you are entering it properly?"
-
- "Yes, Mr. Conner" she said emphatically, "I
am sure I have entered properly " This time she requested the 3 digit
security number on the back
- to which I promptly 'complied'.
-
- I could hear her keyboard going 90 miles an hour now
- as if she knew my Visa number by heart (obviously, she did).
-
- "Mr Conner" She replied "it is still
not going through."
-
- "Thats very odd" I said. "It has to work,
it's the right number. Can you please read it back to me...all of it back
to me?" I demanded. Which she did - twice.
-
- She then says, "I will try it one more time."
-
- "I should hope so." I said sarcastically.
-
- This time I hear her keyboard sounding like it is
going right down through her desk.
-
- Then I hear her say, "Aww, crap"
-
- "What's the problem?" I asked.
-
- "I spilled my coffee" she replied.
-
- "Oh," I said "that's the problem."
-
- "What's that?" she asked.
-
- I said "There is a moral to this story."
-
- "A moral to what story?" she said
-
- I said "Never con a 'conner'."
-
- There was a slight pause at the other end and then she
seethed
- "YOU FUCKING PRICK!" and hung up
-
- They haven't called me since. I must be on their 'do
not call' list.
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