Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Friday, March 20, 1998

Credit card charges
cleared after mix-up

Fraud Alert Service in Minnesota charged my father's Visa account $45 for a three-year membership. They said he authorized it, but my father is elderly and wouldn't be able to authorize such a thing.

His Visa card is used only for medical supplies. When I called to cancel the membership, the person asked for his Social Security number and date of birth and said my father had to say he wanted to cancel. I refused to give out the Social Security number. Finally, they agreed to cancel and said the account would be credited. How could they get my father's Visa card number? Is this legitimate?

The Better Business Bureau of Hawaii checked with its sister office in St. Paul, Minn., which said a file on Fraud Alert Services was opened in April 1997.

It was "empty," said Lisa Henley, of the Hawaii BBB. That means there may have been inquiries about the business, but no complaints, she said.

Fraud Alert Services is part of Metris Cos., which specializes in various fee-based products and services.

All telemarketing calls are recorded on a master tape "to verify sales, confirmations, disclosures of price and benefits," said Metris spokesman Stan Stein.

"We went back and listened to the tape and (your father) in fact confirmed the purchase of the membership," Stein said. But after hearing your concern, he said there "obviously was a misunderstanding or confusion over the transaction.

"It happens, infrequently, but given (your father's) medical condition, you can see how this could happen," he said.

Stein believes Metris acted properly by canceling the charge on your father's account as soon as you called to complain.

As to how the company obtained your father's credit card number, Stein said it came from Bank of America, which issued your father's Visa card.

"Metris has a marketing agreement to sell Fraud Alert Services for Bank of America," he said.

"This is extremely common in the financial services business."

In the future, for whatever questions or complaints you might have with a company, here or on the mainland, Henley said you should write to the appropriate bureau and detail your experiences. That way, she said, there would be some idea of a company's track record for the next customer.

We live at Craigside, next to Nuuanu Stream. Recently, we took a walk along the stream. It was a clear path until we reached a lava rock wall below the two Japanese pagodas at the adjacent cemetery.

Below this wall were hundreds of plastic pots, cellophane wrappers and the green "foam" used in flower arrangements. It looks like they were simply thrown over the wall. Shame on the cemetery and whoever is responsible for this littering. I would guess that the property is owned by the state: If so, shame on the state for not having this litter removed.

"We're aware of it and working on cleaning it up," said Steve Ruble, general manager of Honolulu Memorial Park, which owns the property.

"We have four acres of property to take care of," he said. "Three weeks ago, (you) wouldn't be able to see that trash." Clearing up other debris led to the discovery of the trash that you saw, he said.

Mahalo

To Pearl City Cue and its patrons, the fire department, paramedics, Pali Momi emergency room staff and police officers for their assistance and kindness to my husband and our father on Feb. 1. -- Charles Kimura family

Auwe

To the person who walks a dog on Aliamanu Street. The least you can do is pick up its mess. -- Liz