Comments on: Lesson Learned: Read the Credit Card Statement; otherwise a Charge from Netherlands will Keep Coming

By: American Express Costco TrueEarnings Card Unauthorized Charges

American Express Costco TrueEarnings Card Unauthorized Charges — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:59:56 +0000

[...] for a monthly subscription fee. After I noticed it in February, I called AMEX immediately to report the unauthorized use of my card and was told there will be an investigation to resolve the matter, and that could take 6 to 8 weeks [...]

By: The Frustration with AMEX Continues | The Sun’s Financial Diary | A Personal Finance Blog on Saving and Investing

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:01:10 +0000

[...] since I discovered the mysterious charges on my AMEX TrueEarnings card in February, I called American Express almost on a monthly basis: to get a refund of the [...]

By: My Continued Problem with AMEX and the Unauthorized Charges | The Sun’s Financial Diary | A Personal Finance Blog on Saving and Investing

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:24:48 +0000

By: Another Charge from Netherlands - The Sun’s Financial Diary - Accumulating wealth is like building The Great Wall, one brick at a time

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:49:40 +0000

[...] update via email delivery. Thanks for visiting and enjoy your stay!As I expected, another charge of $37.90 from Netherlands appeared on my AMEX Costco card when I checked my statement line-by-line over the weekend. It has [...]

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:39:07 +0000

Really strange.

I’d expect that you’ll have more of a hair-trigger fraud alert on your card now. I had a fraudulent charge taken off one of my cards, and now they’ll freeze my card if any charges look suspicious. They don’t tell me that it’s frozen; I have to find out it’s frozen by trying to buy something and having the card denied. I call them up, they unfreeze my account, and then I have to go back to start the buying process all over again. It’s a pain. Not my fault that the (one) charge came on my account, but now they’re making it harder for me to use the card by proactively stopping charges from going through.

AMEX may be better about it than my card, but if it’s not, sorry about that!

By: Golbguru

Golbguru — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:11:14 +0000

Sun: I am sorry about your trouble but some of the best lessons are learned the hard way. So take it in that way.

Like Tomaste says..use some credit card management system. I use Yodlee and it has been awesome so far. (and I am not affiliated with Yodlee either). The point is that use any system that gives you all transactions at a glance. That way sometimes you will spot the trouble right after it happens…you don’t have to wait till your card statement.

But whether it’s transactions or statements..you got to read something to keep stuff in control.

By: Tomaste

Tomaste — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:09:30 +0000

Hi Sun,

While I don’t read every statement that comes through, I do see every transaction I make. I use a budgeting service called mvelopes.com. When I was desperate to get my finances under control, and blindly searching for a tool to help, I stumbled upon them, and it changed the way I look at and spend my income. It ties into any online account you wish to add. (I do my checking account and any credit cards) and shows you a log of every transaction you make. You then drag each transaction into a virtual envelope, simulating the old school envelope style budgeting.

Might be worth looking into! (I am not affiliated with mvelopes, just love the product!

By: Moneymonk

Moneymonk — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:57:37 +0000

Netherlands, LOL That is weird. I do not use credit cards, but one thing I can say, if I was ever to get one –AMEX will be my choice.

It was nice of them to give you the refund. Other companies would have freeze your credit privilages.

Seems like these days you are never 100% safe.