The day before Thanksgiving I swiped my card at the gas station and the gas pump told me to see the cashier. Actually it didn’t “tell” me to do that. It told me about the weather, or some other local news thing because there’s a TV screen on the top that acts like it’s some sort of TV channel to keep you entertained while you pump your gas.
Only I couldn’t pump any gas because the other little screen off to the side was telling me that I had to see the cashier. When I went inside to see the cashier, I had to give her a different credit card because my usual card was busy getting denied.
I came home and saw that several charges to various gas stations in southern California had taken place. Large amounts, like $75 and $100, appeared on my online statement, which seemed odd because who buys $75 of gas? And who buys that much gas ten times in one week? Did I travel through some space-time continuum earlier that week to the year 2106 to Los Angeles and pay $18 per gallon for fuel? And then completely forget about it?
The lady on the phone who immediately canceled my card asked if it was okay if my new card arrived in 7-10 business days? It was the day before the day before Black Friday and one week before I was leaving the country, so no, it wasn’t okay if my new card arrived in 7-10 business days, but I tried to keep my tone neutral because I assumed, by her accent, that she didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in her country and may not have understood the commercial insanity that was the biggest shopping day of the year.
I guess I’m one of those types of people you would refer to as unsympathetic toward thieves, or maybe I’m just getting old because I can’t believe that after all this time, people still thinks it’s okay to steal. They actually see it as an option when considering the different ways to make a living or go on luxury holidays.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about a bunch of other people. On Wednesday I’m hosting a party. A White Elephant Gift Exchange party, where a bunch of other bloggers and I have exchanged gifts, real gifts, in the mail and everything, and will be showing off our presents on Wednesday. So come on over on Wednesday and see what everybody got, won’t you?
Card fraud is so frustrating, I experienced card fraud a couple of years ago and whilst the bank were pretty quick at picking it up it took a lot of time and hassle for the cash to go back into my account.
Yes I have experienced card fraud too with a card that was never used ever! Where do they get the details, surely an inside job!
With the current prices in PA, it costs over $80 to fill up my pick-up truck.
Yikes! But do you fill it up ten times a week?
2 to 3 times a week…
I hate that stuff. My daughter’s debit card she can hardly use at all. She lives in CA and apparantly there is a problem in that state with debit cards and our bank. She has to transfer money to and avoid certain stores so what is the point. All this because of crooks! Sorry you had this happen.
It’s a shame we can’t have more convenient lives because of all the dishonest people out there. I’ve never understood that, but then I’m not a crook. Hey, did I just sound like Nixon?
Margaret, that is so horrible. I hope the thief ends up with a lifetime of gas and I don’t mean the good kind.
Oh, that’s a beautiful curse – thank you!
Haha I got an entire set of Revereware pots and pans from sending in about 10 of the little flowers on the bags and boxes of C & H Sugar in 1972. Still have them. Still hate them. Blue chip stamps were also used to get metal folding TV Trays. ugh
Revereware sounds very familiar to my childhood. What I’m remembering is copper colored bottoms and black handles with little wire loops so you can hang them up.
Haha I got an entire set of Revereware pots and pans from sending in about 10 of the little flowers on the bags and boxes of C & H Sugar in 1972. Still have them. Still hate them. Blue chip stamps were also used to get metal folding TV Trays. ugh
No more cards for me. I’m paying in cash. But what a creepy thing to be ripped off like that.
This reminds me of the time our credit card information was stolen and, I SWEAR TO GOD, the thieves bought $365 of CHRISTIAN MUSIC. And they told us heavy metal was the stuff to watch out for . . .
I am so sorry your credit info was stolen, but that is so awesome that they bought $365 Christian music!
I hate when that happens and it’s happened to me a few times. Luckily the credit card company caught the charges and actually called me. But it’s a real pain. Sorry for the hassle.
See ya tomorrow, jj
They must have been on the verge of calling me because they have called me in the past several times, although for perfectly legitimate charges, but they did stop my card, so I’m assuming they were about to call me? Maybe?
Glad they just got your card and not your whole dang identity, but still – that would have my guts tied in knots!
It surprises me that they just reverse the charges while investigating instead of telling me that I’m just screwed.
I had credit card fraud once and they froze my bank account while the fraud squad dealt with it. It was a nightmare for weeks! They used it to gamble online, and I didn’t even get a share in their winnings.
Yikes, Babs! In many ways I was lucky because they ONLY stole about $900. I wonder if I could put some sort of restriction on my card that doesn’t allow more than one gas station purchase every 4 days or something.
Knock on wood, but we’ve never had a card number stolen. But we sell online, using PayPal as our payment medium, so we never see anyone’s CC number. That’s really the only way I would do business with an online store, unless I was extremely confident in them, like say Amazon.
That’s a very good point, Dirty Butter. Because I feel really weird providing my CC number over the phone to anyone, which is ridiculous because you want to use your card, but you don’t want to give them your CC number.
I have 6 trucks and 6 5gallon gas cans and a 30 gallon can I fill every week so yes I do buy at least $75 to $100 of gas everyday 7 days a week sometimes I will get $75 worth of gas twice in one day
Well then. Clearly YOU are the one who stole my credit card number.
Thief.
🙂
someone made off with my Chevron card years ago…you could track them all the way up through N. California, Oregon and Washington. I was in Chico visiting friends and must’ve left my card in the damned doo-hickie thing. Luckily, I was not held responsible for charges, but oooohhhhh I was so damned mad at those people who stole my card and had a little road trip on it.
This is why I can’t believe it when anybody says, “most people are good”, because if you leave your purse, your credit card, your phone anywhere the VERY next person will STEAL IT. How can that be if “most people are good?” Well, I just got all riled up over something that happened to you years ago. Sheesh!
Ugh, sorry to hear you had to go through all that hassle. There is nothing I hate worse than having my card declined. It’s mortifying to relive me trying way too hard to convince the cashier and everyone in a 10 block radius that I am not a deadbeat.
You made me realize the last thing I want to do is make a scene of “What? I can’t believe it! That never happens!” Because that’s JUST what a guilty person would say and now you’ve let everyone know you’re a bum who can’t pay her bills. Just take the card quietly and hand the clerk another one and no one behind you in line will be the wiser..
I have baby goat pictures for you!!! http://www.howiseelife.com/blog/2011/01/18/cuteness-ladder-baby-goats-squee/
🙂
For now they’re only cameraphone pics, but I’ll take some better pics today and post them next Tuesday. 🙂
Please remind me on Tuesday to come over and look at your photos when you take more, the ones you have posted today are just full of AWWWWW.
Oh the party sounds wonderful!! Can’t wait!!
Hugs
SueAnn
Hey, guess what! I’ll be in your neck of the woods on Wednesday! Yup, I’ll be driving down to Sacramento from Even More Canada with my car filled with gas that I sto…I mean, bought a few weeks back! Can’t wait for the party!
Seriously, it sucks that someone ripped you off. Someone cloned my debit card a few years back and stole $500 from my account. The bank reimbursed me, but it still pisses me off.
Ack! That’s the thing with these thefts. You never know the day the bank will just say, “Oh well, your loss.”
Nicky, you’re going to Sacramento? Isn’t that near Jayne and Linda? Are you guys having a party without me, and Margaret?
Yeah, one of the reasons we don’t throw mail out anymore, we cross-cut-shred it with supershredder, is because I saw some scumbag rifling the trash one morning at 5am looking for (I’m assuming) receipts and statements and stuff. Plus I never say ‘yes’ when they ask if I want a receipt at the gas station. We also bought locking gas caps for the cars because people are siphoning gas in our scum sucking neck of the woods. Why did I want to live in the city again? I forget. Was it the scummy looking losers walking by my house daily? Needing security doors? Muggings a few blocks away just before Christmas? And it’s not even a big city. Ah well.
I hope the party is fun! I haven’t gotten my gift yet, but figure it’s just the USPS being it’s usual efficient self. I hope my contribution to the cause made it…I loved it. I almost kept it, it was so very coolly awful!
I know the weather has helped slow the mail a bit. I hope you get yours soon. But even late party arrivals will be celebrated so that everybody will come over to see yours.
We had our credit card used two weeks ago just before we were go to Texas for my Dad’s memorial service. Dang it to thunder, the world we live in.
I paid the 16.00 fee to get a new card here before we left. I spent better of an hour activiatin it and low and behold on our trip it was denyied at the first station. We went to another station where it was also denied. We spent the next hour activating the card that I had actived. Go figure!!!!
What a pain, Nezzy! And I feel yours, obviously. It’s the only reason I have 2 credit cards instead of just one. Just in case the first one gets denied.
Oh, Im excited about the party. Can’t wait to see who got who, and the fun gifts that were exchanged. But, um. Holy. Crap. on the whole gas stealing issue.
I know! I suppose if we have to pay for such conveniences with a big fat inconvenience now and again.
Interesting. I hope they catch the thieves with all their stolen cars.
Wednesday should be fun. Thanks again for setting it all up!
I’m totally excited about this party too and hope I don’t frack it up.
They were probably having a gas party themselves, where two or three cars were lining up and filling up on your card at one time…
I wouldn’t doubt it, although those mini-marts are virtual grocery stores these days so they could have certainly stocked up on Pabst and Twinkies.
I remember when gas was only $.25 a gal.
25 cents???? What are you, 147 years old? Oops, I mean uh…yeah I remember when it was 25 cents too. Yeah, good times….
Ahem! I too, remember gas being $.25 a gal. I got change back from $3 for a full tank of gas in my 72 VeeDub. I also got a fist full of Blue chip stamps and a glass witth some random cartoon figure on it. And yeah, I AM 147. For you youngsters out there, Blue chip stamps were given when you bought about anything. You collected them and stuck them in books and when you had about a billion books you got to choose something from their ‘gift’ catalog. My mother always picked a bathroom scale. Always. Not that there were better or funner things to choose from….they were all along that line.
Re the gas card: PSA
As soon as I read the first line, I knew the ending. I was furiously typing to you DON’T EVER SWIPE A CARD AT THE PUMP! As much of a PITA it is, go inside and let the clerk swipe it. Thieving asshats have figured out a way to get your number and pin at the pump. Some pumps in Sac were found to have ‘things’ (that IS the technical term for the unit) attached to the pumps that read the cards and pins. Lots of pumps in So Cal were jacked. So, never swipe at the pump. Go inside. That identity theft is nasty and can take a long time to fix if they get into your stuff.
I also remember when gas was 25 cents a gallon. Unfortunately, we didn’t need gas back in those days. Just hay, because the horsepower we had then didn’t run on gas. Yee-Haw!
This was before they invented sidewalks, right? 😉
Here! http://www.snopes.com/fraud/atm/atmcamera.asp It is still going on!
Oh Lord, I remember Blue Chip stamps too. Only I can’t remember what my mother exchanged them for. She also saved coupons from her cigarette packs. But she did not cut out those Betty Crocker points – actually, don’t they still have those?
I remember the exact same gas station experience. 25 cents/gal, blue chip stamps and a glass. Today you only get a big screw. 🙁
uh yeah what is the world of gas and credit coming to?!?!
I cannot wait for Wednesday 😉
Just know that I love your gift and wrote what I wrote in jest.
I am sure the party is going to be fun. I just could not think of a way to ship Abby without the publicist noticing and I didn’t think anyone would want a box of goat poop.
Yes, that’s very thoughtful of you, not only to the potential recipient but any transportation drivers having to haul such a thing. 🙂