The Bitter End

Today is pay day. This should be great news for me. I have been incredibly short of dough for some time. This being because I sacrificed working in order to carry out my studies. Now I am able to work more and today it should pay off, and I can stop being the sponge that I have been for some time now. I don't much like it when I go out with friends and they feel they have to pay my way. I could just say 'sorry I'm not going out', but they do pressurise me somewhat, and I am weak to the forces. I have good friends. For some people it's a bit of a lifestyle to have people pay their way all the time. I know I am refering to the pubs again, but we've all met them. Those who always need a wee when it's their round, or just simply go home. This is not me. I'm a very gracious and appologetic acceptor. And I will repay my debts, my friends, I hope know this. So today is pay day. Two days ago I recieved a letter from my bank 'We're concerned that your Barclays debit card may have been used fraudulently.' And it had! Somebody in America tried to debit from my card £393.91, without success (the funds weren't available) then £1.10 in Canada (once again the funds weren't available, I know). However, back to America they did on one occassion succesfully draw a whole pound from my account. (it just struck me, exactly a pound, in America. How does that fit? Some exchange rate, but this is what I'm told). So, as the letter suggests I call the 'Fraud hotline' which I dutifully do. And indeed some one has managed to get my card details. I'm given another number to call, to which I have to apply for a dispute form. Effectively I have to call this number and ask 'can I have my pound back please?' I know I am skint, but really, do I have to do that? I'm told I must follow the procedure. It's going to cost me 26 pence in postage, and I don't know what to call these 0845 numbers, reeling of numbers and numbers, telling them the 8th letter in my secret password, and who my direct debits go to. I should be pleased really, I haven't been robbed, but the upshot is the bank has turned my card off, so I can't get at my wages, and I still haven't managed to go out and sufficiently celebrate that my degree is over. Or at least not in a guilt free fashion.
I am somewhat puzzled about where these fiends got my card details from. I probed the woman on the fraud hotline team, and she asked 'Had I ever used the internet?' I thought I'd just leave it at that.

I'm reminded now of a time when I did purchase over the internet from www.play.com A reputable CD and DVD supplier. The second time I bought from play.com it was a CD purchase, Placebo - The Bitter End. A great CD, which was subsequently stolen from my car. The CD I was sent for some reason, only the first song played on it. I find this odd, I've never had a problem with a brand new CD before. I'm digressing slightly here, but with good cause. I'd like to consider why we purchase over the internet. The three most cited reasons I suspect would be a) it's cheaper because the suppliers have smaller overheads, b) I can't get the product locally, or I am imobile and c) it's an anonymous way to make a purchase. There are many other reasons too I'm sure. Back to Placebo. I phone play.com to register my complaint and find out how I go about getting a replacement. The nice lady asks me which of my purchases is faulty 'Is it a Placebo CD or is it a DVD?' she asks. Damn it, my annonymity had been blown. I think the DVD I had previously purchased was entitled along the lines of 'Gay Stalions do it Sideways' or something similar.