mystery...

Have you ever received a credit card bill which charges you for some transaction that you never take part in?

Well, unfortunately I am experiencing this now. It all began when I opened up my UOB credit card bill for February. In it, there was a transaction dated 16th Feb and deducted $30.40 for a DDDP Mnthly Singapore. What the heck is that anyway? But comparing the amount, it seems something like a charity donation or smthg... but since its stated 'Mnthly' as its title, it'll likely means that I am going to be deducted for this amount, every month?! What the.... and moreover, 16 Feb I was already happily in Malaysia, so how could I charge that?

Anyway, so I called the UOB Card Centre. First call, they only picked up after trying for half hour or so. So this guy answered and verified what they need to verify and asked me to wait. So I waited. Finally he came back and told me that DDDP merchant in question, is Club Rainbow. I was like, fine but the only donation to Club Rainbow was like in 2005 and that is for a one time donation only. So I asked him what can I do now. So he asked me to wait again... and thus I waited... and waited.. until the phone went *toot... toot... toot* dead. On 23 Feb, I was very busy you know.. no time to wait. So didn't call them again as I need to prepare for an external meeting at client's site. So seems like UOB guys did try to call again but during the meeting so I couldn't pick up the call as well... and on the same night, I had to board the train back to M'sia so will continue with this problem when I'm back.

So today, I called the UOB Card Centre again, and today the response time is much shorter. So I repeated my problem again ('coz I can't recall the previous guy's name, though I suspect he's the same one that I am speaking to now!) and he asked me to wait again. After like 10 minutes, he came back with 2 numbers, 1 for Club Rainbow and another one for the company that runs the DDDP programme for Club Rainbow (think the company is called APPCO or smthg like tht). UOB says its best for me to call the merchant and ask for a refund.

So I called Club Rainbow and a lady called Stephanie (or was it Daphne? Sorry la but cannot catch the name) answered my call. So I explained everything again, and she checked her computer system and came back with this, "Hmm.. Ms Lee, seems like the only transaction that you did with your this credit card was a one time donation to Club Rainbow.. and that was deducted in 2005?" I was like, yeah.. correct.. but what about this latest transaction dated 16 Feb? She reiterated that there is no record for any request for any deduction for 16 Feb for this credit card number and usually the amount should be $30.60 if its really from Club Rainbow. Hmm... back to square 1.

Oki, never mind.. although the mood level had dipped to -20. So I called back UOB Card Centre and this time, a lady answered and her name is Liza (or Lisa.. not sure but from her accent, likely she is a Filipino.. not that it matters..) Anyway, I repeated my problem again, and she needs to verify whatever that needs to be verified again and as you may have guessed it... she asked me to wait. After like 10 minutes, she came back but she has more manners that the guy, 'coz she apologized for the waiting time (not that it really made any difference anyway...). She can't confirm anything but she said she'll call back in half hour's time to advise on next step.

So she did call back after some time, and she said from their records, the merchant is Club Rainbow. She said I would have to request for a written letter from Club Rainbow to state that they have never intended to deduct the amount from my card, and then fax the proof to them. I was like silent for a while, and then said, "Hmm... this is strange, for UOB to start deducting anything from customer, it would have meant that UOB had received instruction from merchant (with prove and everything) but now the merchant had claimed that they did not instruct. Shouldn't it be like UOB work it out with the merchant instead of the customer having to do so?" Simple question, right? Immediately, she said "Ms Lee, its ok if you cannot get the written letter from them, just simply fill up the form to state that you did not participate in this transaction." I was like.. WHAT? First you asked me to get letter and now you say its not necessary? WHAT IS THIS...? So never mind, 'coz she's just the poor customer service person and the problem didn't start from her anyway. So I said, ok.. send me the form.

But I am still curious (although curiosity should kill the cats but me not a cat mah!), so I called the second number, to the company called APPCO. A lady answered and thus I repeated my problem again for the 101th time. Again, she punched the numbers into her computer and the record only showed the 2005 transaction (but no one was interested in 2005 transaction!). Again, I said, it's very strange as UOB claimed to have received the instruction from merchant and now, none of the merchant (Club Rainbow and APPCO) said they had instructed for the deduction. Its like a mystery waiting to be solved... So I did asked if APPCO is running anything for other charities besides Club Rainbow. She said yes and rattled one but it didn't sound anything remotely like what I would donate to. So she said, she will get back to me as this is indeed, puzzling to say the least.

Questions: WHO, HOW, WHERE and WHY?

WHO:
1. Was it UOB that for some reason, entered the wrong digit and thus poor me had to pay for it?
2. Was it Club Rainbow for some reason, submitted the wrong number to APPCO?
3. Was it APPCO for submitting the wrong number to UOB?
4. Was it myself, who signed up for the donation and then became amnesiac and thus had no memory of it?

HOW:
1. It was obvious, the transaction was via credit card.. but for the past 1 month, my main credit card was Citibank Visa and not UOB... and the only thing I used UOB for, was for a monthly instalment for something else (definitely not a charity donation).

WHERE:
1. On 16th Feb (transaction date), I was physically in Malaysia (together with the suspect, UOB credit card). So how could I have signed up for that? (of course unless a post-date transaction was instructed but no leh... don't have this in my memory bank)

WHY:
1. I'm not rich, cannot donate to so many charities (currently is supporting S'pore Cancer Society and NKF Children's Fund through the UOB credit card) and Club Rainbow I distinctly remember is a one time payment (and indeed the organization itself have confirmed that I was only a one-time donor)

Therefore, there is no conclusion at this moment... Only the frustration level has dippped to -30, but ahah, the mystery and curiosity level has increased to +15. Is this somehow connected the the alien lights that I had seen last year? Was I abducted during that short 2 seconds (not very likely as I was with my brother at that time.. but then time need not run in sequence as we know in our dimension. If the aliens runs in a parallel dimension and what I saw was when the dimensions somehow intersected and thus created a pocket whereby certain objects came into our dimension view... ). So no one knows...

--------------------- to be continued -------------------------------