A SMALL FINANCIAL WARNING!

Has anyone else encountered a change in the processing
of their Debit/Credit card?

Up until now, I have always used my Debit/Credit card as
a CREDIT card. Using it that way, I have to sign a slip
of paper for every purchase I make. Since my signature
is a little different from the name on my checking
account and my card, should a question ever come up
as to whether or not I did in fact make such a purchase,
all I had to do was see the signed receipt for the
purchase and would know immediately if it was my
signature, and, specific characteristics of my
signature could be stated even without my seeing
the signature.

Questions have arisen due to the fact that some stores
have a store-front name, but the ownership of the store
was in a different name. Having visited a patient in a
hospital at a time when meals were being served to the
patients, I availed myself of the restaurant and paid
with my Debit/CREDIT card. The name appearing on my
statement later seemed to bear no relationship to the
hospital and the 'unknown' charge alarmed me, until I
figured out the date and time of the charge.

Now, a new situation has ocurred that is alarming to me.
Recently, I used my Debit/CREDIT card at a Macdonald's
for an unschudeled breakfast. The charge was approximately
$4.50. I was handed no receipt to sign. I inquired as to
the signing of the receipt and was told it wasn't
necessary. Hmmmm. Disturbing, to say the least.

Thinking that perhaps this was a new policy instituted
by Macdonald's or my 'credit' card company, I called my
bank to inquire. My bank said to call Macdonald's.
I didn't pursue the matter any further.

Recently, I made another small purchase at a Walgreen's
and again used my 'credit' card. Again, no recipt was
handed to me for signing! I asked why. The response was
that the purchase was under $25. And, as far as the
clerk was concerned that took care of everything.

So, what this means is that if you lose your card or
it gets stolen or you just arent' aware for several days
that it is no longer in your purse or wallet, quite a
bill can be run up around town on small purchases.
For either of these two purchases, no one asked for
supporting identification. They just accepted the
swiping of the card and handed me my purchased
items.

I'm not real happy with this new 'rule' by 'whomever'
and will probably curtail the use of my card from now
on. However, this is probably the desired outcome by
'the powers that be' as they probably found the processing
of signature receipts to be somewhat overwhelming.
Well, excuse me, wasn't that the whole purpose for issuing
such Debit/Credit cards, to make your use of their
services easier on the banks?

Like the Post Office and automation, the Banks and Credit
Card companies institute a service to speed up the use of
their services, make it more automated/digital and
attractive to probable users. Then, years down the road,
they complain about that very service being too costly
and attempt to curtail it, expand it (usually a 'package'
deal with features you don't need or use but that will
cost you more in the long run), charge more for it or
eliminate it altogether!

The people in the board meeting have come up with a
"solution" to a nagging problem and are very pleased
with their implementation of a new idea.
Generally, I wind up finding and changing to a smaller,
hungrier bank with fewer 'packaged services.'

Are you still with the very same Bank with which you
opened your first checking account?