Interesting thing about the Chase Fraud Detector program

About one month ago, my spouse and I received new credit cards from Chase, because our current ones were about to expire. The new ones have the stickers on them to remind you to call this number to get them activated.

So I called the number, because I really, really want to get them activated. Let's face it: who wants the embarrassment of walking into a shop, picking up some stuff, and trying to pay for the stuff with an unactivated card?

To activate. That was all I really wanted to do when I called the number.

Most times, when one calls to activate a credit card, you get this automated system which prompts for certain bits of numerical information that only the cardholder should know, you press your answers in the keypad, and eventually the computer with the female-sounding voice lets you know that you're good to go.

I didn't get any of that when I called to activate the new Chase credit cards.

What I did get was this live guy, probably somewhere in a land well outside the U.S. borders and probably not within any of the U.S. occupied territories such as Guam, with a thick accent. Difficult to understand. And he's the one who is going to activate my account. He also thinks it's a great idea for me to enroll in the Chase Fraud Detector program. After all, it's only $7.99 a month. See? That's $4 for you, $4 for your wife. What a bargain! I declined this useless service twice with this guy. "Oh, but you see, you can try out this service and if you're not satisfied you can cancel and get your money back..." And he said some other things, much of it indecipherable, and quickly spoken. At this point, I'm wondering whether our cards will not be activated if I continue to decline this service with this gentleman, if he is indeed a gentleman.

So I said, "Yeah, whatever, sign me up!"

It was only after I gave the confirmation that this fellow was seemingly able to move beyond this stalemate and activate the cards. At that point, I just didn't want to be on the phone with him anymore. I mean, I didn't want to be on the phone with him in the first place, but now I really, really wanted to get the activation done and hang up.

Well, needless to say, I have intended to cancel that service from that day. After talking to my better half, I've also decided to cancel the Chase card once its balance is paid off and no other charges are forthcoming.

But first, the matter of the Chase Fraud Detector program. I called the Fraud Detector hotline and pressed 3 to end the service, which automatically put me through, very rapidly, to a service rep. She asked why I was calling, and I replied that I wanted to end this Fraud Detector thing. I gave her the member-specific information so she could pull up my account.

She was nice, asked how the weather was where I'm at. I told her it's very cold, unseasonably so.

Then she asked my name. I gave it.

She said, "Hmmmm. It seems you're not the primary account holder. Is the primary account holder available to speak to?"

I said, "No, she's working. Why?"

She replied, "Unfortunately, only the primary account holder is allowed to discontinue this service."

I said, "Oh, really? So, I can start this thing even though I'm not the primary account holder, but she is the only one who can stop it?"

Very interesting. I have referred this matter to my wife, who I hope will have the time to deal with another of these little messes I have made.