Barbara J. Hamby

Discovery

Most of us know that credit card companies seize every opportunity to sell us some service, needed or not. Thus I was not surprised when I called to validate my new Discover card and was assaulted with a sales pitch for fraud and identity theft insurance. The young man on the other end of the phone might have been surprised to know what I was thinking when I insisted on declining the offer.

Unfortunately for him, his company is so good at intercepting and preventing fraud, that I don’t feel the need for their insurance.

Several years ago, shortly after I returned from a cruise, I received a call from a representative of Discover Card that someone had attempted to charge a very expensive luggage purchase to my account number. My card was still in my possession, and I don’t buy expensive luggage. When the caller confirmed those facts, I heard no more about the matter, and no unauthorized charges ever appeared on my account.

I theorized that a crew member on the cruise ship had copied my card number and tried to use it. That person would not necessarily know that I always buy relatively inexpensive luggage, because baggage workers sometimes handle it roughly.

More recently, when I misplaced my billfold and canceled my old Discover card, the changeover to a new account was handled swiftly and smoothly with one phone call.

My other cards have not been replaced so quickly, but an option to speed up the process was available from my credit union, that I declined. It was very little trouble to order the old cards canceled and replaced.

So much for the insurance.

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