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  1. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    29,354
    #21
    Quote Originally Posted by ess View Post
    When I got home last night, there was a blue envelop on our dining table addressed to me.

    Inside the envelope was a BDO Mastercard, pre-activated.
    It had a sticker on it which read, "No need to activate, your card is already ACTIVE. For your protection, please immediately sign at the back of the card."

    Unfortunately, I was not at home when the courier brought the card. Had I been home, I would have refused to receive the card. Pero nandon na eh.

    I immediately called up BDO and had the card cancelled.


    I've had my share of credit card spam over the years but all of them were decent enough to do one of the following:
    - They would CALL ME UP and ask for my approval (as in the case of BPI, HSBC and Standard Chartered),
    - Or would send me a CCard which I then need to activate. If I don't activate within a set deadline, the card is automatically void. (Amex)
    - Or they would send me a letter saying I'm pre-qualified ek-ek, and I just have to call their phone banking center to have a card sent to me (Citibank).

    BDO is the first ever pre-approved, pre-activated card I've received.
    WTF?! Is this even legal?

    WHAT if I were lazy or stupid or ignorant enough to ignore the CCard and not have it cancelled? After two years, I'll be surprised to get a statement charging me a yearly membership fee, which I'll then have to contest, and would probably lose out on because I had two years to cancel but didn't?

    So now, the burden is upon me to cancel their "gift"?

    It is not just BDO who does that. Even BPI did it. A couple of years ago, I got a bunch of credit cards from BPI. Gas card, gold card, red card, blue card, etc. Since I don't need so many credit cards (from one bank), I just used the gold card and kept the rest in my desk drawer.

    One year later I got a billing for "annual fees" for ALL the cards they sent. I gave them a call asking about it. They said the cards were pre-approved and already activated. I reasoned that I never used the cards since I got them so they can just terminate the (unused) cards and reverse the charges. After a few minutes, they did reverse the charges and had the unused cards canceled.

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    21,244
    #22
    Quote Originally Posted by andywesteast View Post
    Matagal na ginagawa ito sa US.

    If you don't want to accept the card, just cut it up.

    Don't need to stress yourself up and get emotional.
    The problem is the card might fall into the wrong hands. The one who gets the card can use it and you'll be the one who'll get charged.

  3. Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    2,053
    #23
    Quote Originally Posted by boybi View Post
    The problem is the card might fall into the wrong hands. The one who gets the card can use it and you'll be the one who'll get charged.
    And that can easily happen!

    Case in point --

    I was in office when the courier came to my home with the BDO card. Hence, I was not able to receive the card in person (..but if I was there...sigurado hindi ko tatanggapin yon... )

    It was my daughter's yaya who received the card! I did not give any authorization letter. (Hindi ko nga alam na may parating na card eh.)

    I have cards from Citibank. The Citibank courier will never leave a CCard to a 3rd party unless I explicitly leave an authorization letter. I also have a card from BPI. I think BPI has the same policy.

    Pano kaya kung walang tao sa bahay...malamang iniwan na lang siguro ng BDO courier yung CCard sa mailbox namin na pwedeng sunkitin ng kahit sino.

  4. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    21,244
    #24
    Nangyari pala one time sa amin, nagpadala ng new card ang citibank sa amin. May kapangalan wife ko dito sa subdivision dati, middle name lang magkaiba. Dun napunta yung card sa kapangalan. Buti nalang kakilala, kundi baka ginamit na.

  5. Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,179
    #25
    Quote Originally Posted by alwayz_yummy View Post
    di na ako bago dyan.. sa family namin pinapadalhan ng card talaga... it means na may malaki kang deposit/s sa kanila...
    kaya pala ive never had this problem.

  6. Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Posts
    1,463
    #26
    similar story:

    I also received a pre-approved card from EastWest bank. It was delivered in our office, the envelope was put on my desk. I just open it to see more what's inside- it's a cc with 15K credit limit. I didnt activated it since I already have 2 CCs (BDO & HSBC).

    Until one morning, someone from the bank called and informed me that they have activated the card and ready to use. wtf.. I told the caller that i dont need an EXTRA card at this time. She tried to covince me that I can use the card whenever I need it or JUST KEEP it for the meantime. I replied again and ask her about annual fee. She's quite excited to tell that first year (annual fee) is waived.. Eh standard naman na waived talaga ang first year annual fee..

    But after some exchanges and (maybe) she noticed/sensed that I "was not born yesterday", she said they will just deactivate the card. After that, I havent received any call from them ..

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Pre-activated credit cards -- are these legal?