tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post2604482461056073761..comments2023-11-02T07:03:32.894-05:00Comments on Lone Star Watchdog: Why I Avoid Enrolling into Automatic Debit and Paperless Billing Plansrealman2020http://www.blogger.com/profile/14130099575932211690noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-13937033003340408752012-04-03T19:37:36.513-05:002012-04-03T19:37:36.513-05:00The company might look forward and see that April ...The company might look forward and see that April is going to be a bad month, but that things will be fine in May. So they turn around and double-bill people in April, and push customer service desks to offer bill credits, rather than returning the money. Sure, some will eventually be paid back, rather than given a credit. But enough will take the bill credits, so that the company will not need to borrow any money to make up for the April shortfall.Parakletoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16194057029978093182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-23157825796417543162012-04-03T18:16:52.255-05:002012-04-03T18:16:52.255-05:00With the proliferation of call centres in third an...With the proliferation of call centres in third and second world shit-holes, a lot of personal data is ending up in the hands of underpayed, resentful, half-educated kids who will happily sell that data on to some crime gang. Its happened to us already. The companies it happens to usually deny it and try to claim that you the customer are somehow responsible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-63145124325064184712012-04-03T14:04:34.090-05:002012-04-03T14:04:34.090-05:00I dunno, seems like a lot of extra work for nothin...I dunno, seems like a lot of extra work for nothing. It's pretty safe using credit cards since you're not responsible for fraudulent charges. Paypal? Paypal is even less trustworthy than the big banks. Companies changing your online statement? I'm more paranoid than most but that's getting silly.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819187155948994625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-42213842710221559192012-04-03T12:25:40.104-05:002012-04-03T12:25:40.104-05:00Back to the realm of poor grammar. Please read you...Back to the realm of poor grammar. Please read your stuff before you post it realman. It insults your readers when you make things hard to read by leaving out words like "not".<br />On to the post. DirecTV is a pain, but just like the TSA, sometimes if you want to fly, you have to get by. I have argued with DirecTV about many things, but they are no worse than any other service provider. The one I fear most is my bank. The bank has all the info they need to mess with me royally. Given that big banks all stink (read the customer ratings for national banks) you have to have a strategy to manage them AND your creditors.<br /><br />I make a habit of reviewing my expenditures with online banking at least once a week. Online banking doesn't cost me anything and if your bank offers fraud protection, and they should, then a weekly review let's me spot anything unusual and I KNOW the bills are being paid. I have had fraudulent charges on my bankcard and when I called the phone number provided, they were always very polite and fixed the problem.<br /><br />Fraudsters and identity thieves pray on people who are lazy and unobservant. A checkbook won't save you if someone charges your account an online banking charge or discovers your credit card number. There are good things about online bill pay and many service providers charge less for their services because they don't have to pursue the growing percentage of bad checks.<br /><br />Be smart, be observant and keep that shooter handy. So long pard.come-and-take-ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06930574975659860293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-79313997228092225792012-04-03T12:17:13.255-05:002012-04-03T12:17:13.255-05:00> I now use a PayPal Money Pak for buying produ...> I now use a PayPal Money Pak for buying products online > so no one can access my bank information.<br /><br />do you? from the following discussion, it does not looke like it's working.<br />https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Account-balance-add-or-withdraw/Moneypak-amp-Paypal-Nightmare/td-p/811<br /><br />Why all this instead of simply using credit card? even if the number is leaked and gets into wrong hands, your responsibility is zero, credit co. will cover it.dzintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05521705084211279701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666895657048195776.post-4399743546817908652012-04-03T11:59:44.739-05:002012-04-03T11:59:44.739-05:00I totally agree, realman! Heck, I don't even h...I totally agree, realman! Heck, I don't even have a cell phone (and can't use it out here anyway) or a debit card. Sometimes "old school" is the best.D.L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18210410457920036147noreply@blogger.com