anda pemegang atau memiliki kartu kredit? kalau ya tentu tidak apa-apa. kalaupun tidak punya tak menjadi soal. ada teman yang hanya punya satu kartu kredit dan tiap awal bulan datang lembar tagihan selalu nilainya nol karena ia jarang menggunakannyan. namun ada teman lain yang memiliki lebih dari dua kartu kredit. hebat ya? pernah suatu saat dengan bangga ia memamerkan tagihan yang harus dibayar (kebanyakan dari hasilnya clubbing).

setiap orang tentu mempunyai kebebasan untuk menggunakan kartu kreditnya. penerbit-penerbit credit card kesohor mempunyai petunjuk penggunaan kartunya dengan bijak. bisa dibaca di sini juga di sini.

nah, kemarin saya mendapatkan e-mail tentang kartu kredit yang bikin senyam-senyum. dan, saya belum pernah terpikirkan hal ini. seperti biasa bagi yang sudah pernah membaca silakan lewati saja. bagi yang belum saya kutipkan di sini:

It's all about money for Xxx-bank Credit Cards when you die. This is too funny! It takes all kinds to make the world go round. Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die. This is easy to see happening, customer service being what it is…

My Aunt died this past January. xxxbank billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge... the balance had been $0.00... Now it was somewhere around $60.00. I placed the following phone call to Xxx-bank:

Me: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

Xxx-bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections"

Xxx-bank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."

Me: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

Xxx-bank: "Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to the credit bureau maybe both!"

Me: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

Xxx-bank:"...excuse me...?"

Me: "Did you just get what I was telling you... the part about her being dead?"

Xxx-bank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor!"

(Supervisor gets on the phone)

Me: "I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

Xxx-bank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

Xxx-bank: "…(stammer)" "…Are you her lawyer?"

Me: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given…)

Xxx-bank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Me: "Sure."

(Fax number is given)

(After they get the fax.)

Xxx-bank: "Our system just isn't setup for death"

Me: "Oh..."

Xxx-bank: "I don't know what more I can do to help."

Me: "Well...if you figure it out,great! If not, you could just keep billing her...I suppose... Don't really think she will care...."

Xxx-bank: "Well...the late fees and charges do still apply."

Me: "Would you like her new billing address?"

Xxx-bank: "That might help."

Me: "Nilai Memorial Park Cemetery (North South Highway and plot number given.)

Xxx-bank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Me: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?"

entah ini benar terjadi atau hanya rekaan belaka, saya benar-benar tidak tahu (:d). tapi pernahkah anda semua pemegang kartu kredit berpikir tentang hal di atas?