Credit Card Cheating Goes On!

Credit card frauds are common now. But cheating by credit card issuer banks are also becoming common and this is more disturbing.

A customer got an offer from a prominent international private bank for a much lesser interest rate than the one currently on. He was told that this rate would continue for six months and after the rate would be reduced still further. For this he would have to take a fund transfer without really needing it. The customer agreed happily and repaid the transferred money immediately resisting temptations of spending it. Then he indulged in liberal use of the card as the rate was lowest of all.

After six months he got no notice of further reduction of interest rate. Then slowly he began to see high debit interest being charged. He enquired with the bank and the executive gave him a bagful of sweet lies. Not believing him the customer threatened to close the account.After a few days he got a letter from the bank informing him that the usual rate of interest is being charged and this would further go up from next week.

So what the bank did is this: The promised further lowering of interest did not happen at all. Even the given lower rate was changed to the normal rate without notification. The customer was fleeced unawares for months.

Never take bank credit offers at face value. Ask for written communication. Preserve all documents. Make constant enquiries. If the bank refuses to close the account, do not ever use it again and better cut up the card.

Mumbai Times

Fortunately nothing untoward happened during July 23-26 caused either by nature or humans.

But terror is not leaving Mumbai alone. Now again there is a threat of car bombing, particularly for high rise buildings. Again there high alert and tremendous checking and frisking of vehicles. But does it mean that earlier state of alert for specific targets is lax now? This is more worrying. Why not make the state of high alert a normal level of security to be maintained at all times? Mumbai is so attractive and many want to destroy it. A permanent terror target does require a continuous high alert.

In the meantime monsoon is on another break. But things are not looking bleak, though there is worry of drought in some parts of Maharashtra.

And Then The Tidal Waves!

Tidal waves 5.05 meter high hit Mumbai at around 2pm today. First this high tide was declared to be highest in 100 years; then the highest in this year and finally scaled down to the highest of this season. Most feared torrential rains did not greet it for high tea; instead, the sun shone through maybe first time in days.

And the hapless paranoid crowds celebrated and made merry. The hype of 24th July, 2009 carefully created and nurtured ended in ridicule. Weather bureau had the last laugh as it made no hyped forecast. The news channels could have been the worst hit as they lost out on possible hours and hours of prime commercial time. A sigh of relief for the municipal corporation.

Morale of the story? Never ever terrorize citizens for things absolutely not in your hands and things for which you can only make guesses at best. Better, concentrate your efforts in preventing terror attacks.

In the meantime monsoon has become more regular distributing uniform rains all around Mumbai and water supplying lakes are fast filling up. Water supply cut is reduced to 15% now which may go altogether in next few days. Now, it should extend its good work to adversely affected parts of the country.