Re: [privacy] preserve your privacy and avoid reliance on flawed systems (was: Dispute Credit Card Charges at Your Peril)

[coderman <coderman () gmail com>]

On 6/14/06, Drsolly <drsollyp () drsolly com> wrote:
> ...
> Me too, but for different reasons.
>
> My wife just abandoned customer loyalty cards because they are now credit
> cards, and use chip and pin, and she has to A) either use the same pin
> everywhere (bad idea) or B)  she has to write them down (not too good) or
> C) remember them all. I never did use them.

i hadn't even considered the PIN aspect; that is indeed a horrible
side effect, similar to people using the same password at different
websites and systems.
(most of the programs here go by phone number)


> I don't use ATM's, because I can't imagine how they could possibly work.

i used to withdraw cash twice a month in large sums directly from the
bank.  my wife absolutely hates doing this for security purposes and
holes burned in her pockets, so i've given in to debit from ATM's.

(win some, lose some :)


> I use cash except over the internet, in which case I use a credit card,
> because I can always repudiate any transaction, and the merchant is
> helpless. And I read my cc statement each month. I don't use debit cards
> because you don't get that protection.

agreed. never use debit online or whatnot.  that's just a horrible
idea and it's disturbing when you see sites that offer payment via
"debit or check".  eek!

the pre paid visa/mastercard allows you contest transactions, but they
also have a higher cost.  usually a $5 fee to buy each card, plus a
few bucks to reload cash into it.  so that in addition to the fact
that it's pre-paid makes them more costly by far. (pre paid also
doesn't build credit, but i try to avoid credit whenever possible so
this is a feature to me :)


> I don't use mobile phones, because I really don't like the idea that
> anyone can interrupt what I'm doing wherever I am and demand to talk to me
> (I also rarely give out my landline phone number).

true; i love being able to preserve my sanity (no tedious / unwanted
interruptions) more than i appreciate the privacy aspect.  some of my
friends regularly turn theirs off for this reason as well.


> And ... see if you can beat this ... I don't wear a wristwatch, and I'll
> leave you to make wild inaccurate guesses about why.

that's funny.  you're one of the few other people i've talked to who
does this.  my friends give me crap about it, and strangers look at me
funny when they ask for the time and i have to say "no idea" or
"around X".

i quit wearing watches because they were annoying and i like not
feeling time pressure unless i choose to.  your rationale?

best regards,
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