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From: tac@teldata.UUCP ()
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Credit Card (mis)Usage
Message-ID: <394@teldata.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Jun-84 13:41:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: teldata.394
Posted: Fri Jun 15 13:41:18 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 03:00:18 EDT
Organization: Teltone Corp., Kirkland, WA
Lines: 51

, (sop to the blank line eaters--consider it a religious sacrifice)

   Tear up your credit cards.  Yes, that's right, get rid of them
before you are run into debt.  If you would like to know why, read on.

   I received my master charge bill last month with two purchases 
I had no recollection of.  Being a resonable fellow, I called the
local company who has responsiblity for my account and requested
copies of the slips so I could verify the correctness of the billing.
After 25+ days the slips came in.  They were both made by TELEPHONE
from someplace in California to a business operating in California.
[I live in Washington State, and have not been further South than
Salem, Oregon in some time.]  I have never used my card for telephone
purchases, do not use it for mail purchases, and have never lost it.
My wife and I still have both of our cards.  My state Attorney General's
office tells me that they think I will be held responsible for the
bill.  

<** FLAME ON **>
  SOME @^#%$*@&#%@ JUST CALLS A BUSINESS OVER THE PHONE, GIVES A 
  NUMBER (WHICH NEITHER HE NOT THE COMPANY HAVE ANY VERIFICATION
  OF THE VALIDITY OF) AND I RECEIVE A BILL WHICH I AM EXPECTED TO
  PAY!!!!!   IF YOU HAVE A CREDIT CARD WHICH IS ACCEPTED "ALMOST
  ANYWHERE" IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU ALSO!  THIS IS ABSURD!
<** FLAME OFF **>

  (Pretty timid flame wasn't it?)  Does anyone out there in net.land
know of a remedy for this outside of tearing up the card?  I really
do not need it and it is obviously becoming less and less handy.

   I am also looking for advice on how to get the *#&$%^#% for it.
He/she has broken several laws, and left a trail even I could follow.
[For a phone order they need a shipping address, and while the name
might not be right a good detective or law enforcement agency could
manage to trace it.]  Which law enforcement agency does this complaint
go to?  Mine as the local of the victim, the area code locality of
the number given (assuredly false) as the area where the crime was
committed or the locality of the business who took the order (you 
could contend that the crime was also committed there)?  Gee, could
I get the &$^#%$%* tried (and maybe convicted) in *EACH* of the areas?
OK, legal eagles, do your stuff!

	    From the Poorhouse of
	    Tom Condon     {...!uw-beaver!teltone!teldata!tac}

	    A Bill A Day Keeps The Money Away.

DISCLAIMER:  The opinions expressed herein are those of everyone who
  matters, but not necessarily anyone you know, and most certainly not
  my employers!