Credit cards, a boon or a bane?

JAKARTA (JP): One reason I avoid people is that most of them are unbearably loquacious. Recently, I had an occasion where I had to put up with a lot of yap on credit cards. The whole thing started when someone in the group proclaimed that credit cards were pernicious: "Weakens the strong and destroys the weak."

Only Ahmed reacted, but to the contrary, and rather exuberantly. "Well, what's wrong with you? Credit cards are a boon, a simplifier. Makes shopping easy and a lark. Besides, don't you know, they do make the user stand-out."

Many thought they had something to say on the matter. However, his wife got in. To her, credits cards were fast losing their exclusivity.

"Credit cards have proliferated. Even the shoddies use them now. Over-rated gold cards are damp squibs, just a piece of plastic junk."

This was pretty strong. Before anyone could pitch-in someone with a "neglected look" took over.

He confessed he was not very comfortable using credit cards because invariably, shops first gave him a funny look and then telephoned to verify his credit worthiness. It did not stop there either. His credit card company almost always accosted him in a peremptory tone at the scene of action.

"What is your date of birth?" As if his reply was satisfactory but not sufficient, he was always asked a second question, a screwy one, like: "What was your home telephone number six years ago?"

"This used to throw me," he whined, "and, mind you, the shop keeper would not take his eyes off me. I had to literally make a recitation, of all I know about my past, into the phone, to convince them that I was the real, if not unfortunate, owner of the credit card."

"Do you know what bugs me? For all you know, the shop keeper might have set it all up and having a bit of fun."

Mr. Tony did not buy that. He said that shop-keepers were a gentler lot. "Watch out. It's the credit card companies who are out to mulch."

It seems that his son's bills were regularly included in his statement. When he protested, all he got was a curt, "What do you expect? Don't you know we have trouble collecting from your son?"

"Really? You should have asked your lawyers to step in," I said.

Tony is a wise guy. He did not go to a lawyer. He coped with it, in his own way.

"I canceled the card. That was it," he said simply.

At this piece of news someone gasped. She asked, "Tony, are you without a card, now?"

With a resounding "No" Tony reestablished his rating.

This episode reminded someone else about a card canceled under more diabolic circumstances.

"My friend Soan was hit with a big charge, claimed under delayed payment interest and penalty. The delay was not Soan's fault but a mistake made by the company. Angered, he shot off many letters. First, explaining and demanding; then protesting, threatening; then cajoling and appealing; and finally, devastated, he tried a mercy petition. To no avail. They all simply went cold. At wit's end and alarmed, Soan was whipped. He coughed up all the charges, and canceled the card."

There was considerable sympathy for Soan.

"But the hard fact is," said a clear voice, "You can't budge them on this. Interest is their milch cow and a holy one at that. Complaints about interest charges are viewed by credit card companies as life-threatening. They elicit no reply. That's the way it is and always shall be. If you don't see it that way, too bad, you don't belong to the club. Changing the card company is no help."

At this revelation there was a uproar; but soon the uppish crowd reached a new plateau: "Credit cards are okay, but credit card companies, that's a different story".

Credit card companies were compared to drug cartels.

"Card companies prosper on the addiction and dependency of card users, who become junkies that can only kick the habit when they kick the bucket."

"Yes," agreed one, "otherwise how can they get away with 'true lies'? They all insist, 'Don't pay any extra to the shop,' but the shops always add a charge. When you question the shops they flare-up, saying with a sneer, 'You don't know the card companies. They are loath to remit our dues and then collect them from you.'"

Continuing the theme, another voice added, "Credit card companies are a determined, ambitious lot. Their aims are to reduce the world to a serfdom of epicurism, banish currencies, create card-maniacs, brainwashing people, saying that life is short, however long you may live".

They had setup a high standard for a maniac.

Hearing so much said about the credit card, someone felt that there was no escaping its tyranny. She asked, in despair, "Is there any hope?"

"Yes," a voice said with unusual fervor; "Card holders of the world unite and throw away your cards. You have nothing to lose but your chains."

-- G.S. Edwin