Credit card issue

Diners' response to my letter (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 11, 1995) sidestepped the my real complaint. There was no dispute by me over the amount, as this is a subject between Diners and the card holder.

What I am trying to point out is how Diners is using irresponsible manners in their methods.

I am sure most of us will agree that trying to grab jewelry off a person, threatening immediate jail and verbally abusing someone can intimidate most and cannot be legal -- which was my point.

If Diners acted professionally like most other credit card companies, then I am sure this case would never have gotten so far.

With regards to Diners' comment that my friend "manipulated merchants through under the floor transactions," this is absurd, because Diners are trying to throw us off the track by disguising their own professional inaptitude.

To manipulate Diners International, I think she would have to work together with a merchant and have the intention not to settle her amount. Since neither is true, where is the manipulation? And since she used the card in an open manner and certainly not in any suspicious way, as Diners likes us to believe, it shows that she was unaware of her situation and that Diners is trying to make her look like a criminal.

First of all, there is no loss to the merchants if Diners doesn't blacklist her, and if she is on the list, then the merchants have to blame themselves for not doing their job.

Second, since no one had been to the residence to which the statements were sent, and did not know about her balance, and since she was under the impression that her company had mailed deposits to Diners, she was not aware of her situation.

Third, they didn't bring her to the Bandung office to "respect" her privacy. If so, how come once in their office they tried to take off her jewelry, and then insulted and intimidated her?

Fourth, when she returned to Bandung to discuss the matter in a peaceful way, again several of the diners staff greeted her in a disrespectful manner. Since the money is not owed to the staff of Diners, I would think they should treat each case in a professional way and leave personal feelings out of it.

I have many cards and some of my family have supplementary cards. So, occasionally, when I present my card I am told, "Sorry you are over limit," and I know that someone in New York has used more than her allocated budget. I am thus immediately aware of my balance situation. I smile and use another card. I am happy that the card company is doing their job.

With AMEX, each time I present the card, I have to wait for 'Authorization,' which shows that it is difficult for me or any family member of those cards to go far beyond the credit limit given and in a way we don't have to bother too much as the card company's professional system takes good care of it, and protects us so that the cardholder never runs too much over the limit. Thus the family peace is also guaranteed as I always can 'blame' the credit card; but I am protected and don't have to face a high balance at the end of the month.

With Diners it seems that this kind of professionalism is lacking, otherwise my friend would never have been able to run up such a balance.

I hope the Head Office of Diners Club international in the U.S. can explain to us what their official rules and guidelines in the U.S. and at their overseas branches/franchises are with regards to late/non-payments, and whether same methods as applied to my friend are also the norm in the U.S.

D. CHAMPEL

Jakarta