You know those blank checks you get in the mail, from your credit card company?

kang · 01-09-2008, 09:01 AM

The ones that you can use “for anything,” but have an exorbitant interest rate? The ones you have to shred, for fear someone will get a hold of them from the trash and buy a plasma TV?

Well, you can call your credit card company and tell them not to send them to you anymore. They will honor your request.

frogger · 01-09-2008, 09:02 AM

But then what will I do with my shredder?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Good to know. I hate having to write "VOID" in gigantic thick black marker on every single one of those and then shred them.

Are people really so stupid as to use those?

Wait, I guess I've answered my own question - if they keep sending them I guess someone is, right?

Moneyguy1 · 01-09-2008, 09:05 AM

Sears sent some to me. I requested (in wiritng) that they send no more. I received two more "offerings". Contacted State Atty General, contacted Sears and cancelled my card. Action speaks louder than words.

Palum6o · Palum6o's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Good to know. I hate having to write "VOID" in gigantic thick black marker on every single one of those and then shred them....

Is that really necessary?? I simply shred them. I can't imagine someone piecing together a stolen shredded check and using it?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

I'm paranoid.

But it keeps me alive I guess.

I'm afraid of losing 'em before I can get them home to the shredder (I usually open my mail at work and if I ever dropped my folder or lost my bag. . . well. . . )

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

I called Discover card 2 months ago to request this and they told me that they could not stop them from coming.

nynor · 01-09-2008, 10:09 AM

i used one to buy my car because the interest rate was about 6% after the origination fee, with no interest for a full year. i payed it off within a year and ended up paying about 1.5% interest from the origination fee. the bank wanted about the same origination fee and a 14% interest rate.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Discover sucks. Absolutely the worst cc company I've ever dealt with. I refuse to ever deal with them again.

tcar · 01-09-2008, 11:33 AM

Look at the bottom of the offer. There's an 'opt out' phone number. Call it.

They legally have to STOP sending all offers to you.

Don't call Discover, call the opt out number.

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

Thanks, good point.
I hate those things; stupid.
Next time I get them, I'll look for the number to call.
Cheers,

Joeaksa · 01-09-2008, 11:47 AM

Hate them as well. I shread them then use them in the fireplace to start things going. Petty sure that no one can reconstruct them from there...

alf · 01-09-2008, 12:05 PM

Get rid of all credit cards and you will not get those things. All I have now are debit cards and a corp AMEX.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I'm a little tired of them too, but the 0% deals ain't so bad if you'll pay them off before the high rates kick in.

kang · 01-09-2008, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic dB

I called Discover card 2 months ago to request this and they told me that they could not stop them from coming.

You must have gotten someone who wasn’t aware that they could stop them. I called Discover some time ago, and they happily said they would stop sending them. I have not received them from Discover since, and it’s been a couple of years.

I just posted this today, because I got some from another credit card yesterday, and it reminded me to call them. I called the number on the letter that came with the checks, and they happily said they would take me off the list of those who get them.

Dantilla · 01-09-2008, 09:48 PM

I have only one card. Paid in full every month.

A few years ago I requested that they stop sending the checks, and I haven't recieved any since.

WolfeMacleod · 01-09-2008, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kang

Well, you can call your credit card company and tell them not to send them to you anymore. They will honor your request.

AhHAHAHA.
We get these all the time. I've been calling the companies at least three times a month for the last three years to get them to stop sending both these and credit card offers. And I've done the "opt out" thing.
They don't stop. They don't ever stop. They keep coming and coming, from all sorts of different companies. They jam up our mailbox. They overrun our house.

They don't stop. Ever.

cool_chick · 01-10-2008, 02:41 AM

This is good to know. I'm going to give it a try.

The shreding is a pain in the a$$, but not the worst of my concerns. I'm worried that particular piece of mail will fall in the wrong hands before I receive it.

Side question. I saw some commercial on TV about a guy displaying his SS number on a truck, advertising a service that will prevent identity theft. Is this for real? Does anyone have any input on this service, is it worth it?

KFC911 · 01-10-2008, 02:59 AM

I have a HELOC (no balance) that I keep available for investment opportunities, and I get those dang "cash advance" checks peroidically too

. I don't worry too much about those (or the CC ones), but I have taken the precaution of freezing my credit at all three agencies. I don't know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that if someone "stole" one of those checks and cashed it, then the "bank" would eat the loss. I'm not sure how you can stop the "free money" offers from showing up in your mailbox entirely.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

It's not like we'd be held responsible if the checks were fraudulently cashed. No different than someone stealing your credit card or bank checks. There is the hassle of sorting through the mess though.....