It started when I was 'pre-selected' for a credit card offer. I've never been a big user of credit, but on the other hand I thought it would be useful to begin building my credit rating here in the States. You know, just in case I want to get a mortgage some day. (You're probably going to start needing a credit rating for that again, one of these days.)
So all went well, and a couple of weeks later I had credit. Or so I thought. Having approved me and sent me a shiny new platinum card, Capital One promptly locked the card and then informed me that I was under investigation for fraud! Apparently, my social security number wasn't showing up in their database. Never mind that they'd already approved me. Never mind that I had the social security card in front of me. As far as they were concerned, I was committing a federal crime.
After a few days they managed to check a better database, and realized that I did exist, after all. But by then it was too late---I had to run around collecting documentation for them 'under the requirements of the Patriot Act'. Ugh.
But the happy ending is that I do now have credit. And another credit card offer sitting in front of me. Dare I take it?
Remember Hallowe'en last year? Yes, I was Pac-Man. Well, I'm not sure what this year's costume will be, but there's now an alternative to the usual 'vote Barack' sign sitting on my front porch:
Allison and I had a lot of fun carving, and now have a lot of pumpkin to eat.
2 comments:
Uh-oh. I've just applied for a credit card too. Do you think it would help if we flew a stars and stripes in the front `yard'?
Nice pumpkin, by the way.
Maybe you could carve the stars and stripes into a pumpkin?
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