At 04:32 PM 9/29/01, Jeroen wrote: >At 13:48 29-9-01 -0500, The Fool wrote: > >> > It is safe, because cash that is not there can not be stolen. >> >>It is not safe bacause cash that is there can be stolen. So instead of >>geting $50 from your wallet, they can clean out your $2000 checking >>acount. Unlike a CC, that money is gone. > >Over here in The Netherlands, you need to punch in a four-digit code >(PIN-code) when you want to use your debit card. A thief can not use your >card if he does not know the PIN-code. He might try to guess, but after >three failed attempts the card is taken in by the ATM and not returned.
Over here, he jumps out of the shadows when you are going up to the ATM at night, sticks a gun in your ear or a knife to your throat, and makes you punch in your PIN and give the money to him. If you are lucky, he leaves with your money. If you are not, he forces you to go back to your car, forces you to drive to a secluded location, then rapes and murders you. >When your card is stolen and you report it to the bank, the card is >blocked and becomes useless. > >Of course, there will always be some people who write their PIN-code on >their debit card so they do not have to memorize it... Some people do that on this side of the big pond, too. >> > True, someone might also steal your debit card, but it takes only one >>phone >> > call to the bank to have your card blocked, rendering it useless to the >> > thief. >> >>Wasn't someone just complaining that they couldn't cancel it? > >That was Steve. Apparently, things are different over here; it takes only >one phone call to have your debit card cancelled in case of theft. I don't know if the policy for debit cards cancellation varies from company to company in the US or not. Anyone else have their fine print handy and want to weigh in? >> > As for paying with credit cards: I can pay a lot with mine, but I can >> > not use there where a lot of my money is spend: in the supermarket... >> ^^^ ^ >> >>This last sentence makes no sense. For awhile, I believe you could not use a credit card at the grocery store here, either, I believe the logic being that you should not be able to buy something that you will either eat or will rot within a week and not pay for it until next month. (If you don't pay the bill, the credit card company and the store can repossess a TV. They can't do that with a bag of potato chips.) Of course, nowdays you can use it there just like everywhere else. You can even pay your income taxes with it. -- Ronn! :) God bless America, Land that I love! Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam� God bless America! My home, sweet home. -- Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
