Citibank Protects Big Business First, Bank Customer Second

Today, I opened up my Citibank account online to do a transfer and I noticed I had a message.  I opened it up and saw that it was a message telling me that Citibank had recently discovered that my debit card had been compromised and they had put a block on my card, for my own protection.

My immediate response was suspicion and confusion, because I had just used my card to purchase an Amazon Instant Video rental and the message was dated yesterday.  If my card was blocked, how was I able to make a purchase with it?

I didn't trust the message.  I wasn't sure (and really I'm still not sure because I forgot to ask) if those messages only come from bank employees, or if they can be spoofed somehow.  I used the Live Chat feature to connect with an online representative who immediately told me to call a phone number, which I thought was a little silly. What's the point of having a Live Chat if you can't get anything done through it?  Maybe it's just for asking basic questions.

Anyway, the first guy I talked to asked me questions about my account, which was normal.  Then he started asking questions that seemed a little unnecessary.  When he asked me for the security code on the back of my debit card, I started questioning the whole phone call and wondering if I'd accidentally gone to a fishing site and screwed myself.  So, I politely declined to answer any more questions, hung up, double checked everything and called back using their regular number.

The second time I called, the guy that answered had a thick Indian accent, which, oddly enough was completely reassuring.  I was in familiar territory again.

Jokes aside, the guy basically told me I needed a new card and arranged to have it shipped overnight to the nearest branch.  That's cool.  I get that.

The thing about the whole process that upsets me is why it happened.  More specifically, the fact that I don't know why it happened!  When I asked the first guy I talked to for details, to explain to me why my card was blocked, he said that a retailer had alerted Citibank that they might have been compromised and it immediately flags any Citibank cards that might have been used not only at that retailer, but anywhere in that area.  That could have been a diversion though, because when I asked specifically who was compromised, he refused to tell me the name of the company.  When I asked him why, he said it was to protect the business.

Now, I'm not opposed to forgiving a business that might have had their online storefront hacked, or accepting that once in a while a brick & mortar might have had a bad employee.  I appreciate the fact that the business took the time to notify the bank.  However, I feel that as a customer I should have the right to know what business it was, so that I can make my own decision about whether or not I feel comfortable shopping there again.

It's my money.  It's my card.  It's my discretion.  The bank shouldn't protect businesses.  It should protect its consumers by letting them know that it may be unsafe to shop at certain stores.

I can guess that the reason Citibank won't release that information is because they have an agreement with businesses that if they guarantee anonymity, the businesses will guarantee reporting of potential fraud or theft of credit card information.

So, I don't know that I can really blame Citibank.  The only entity I can blame is Congress, because if my theory is right, then the fault lies with a lack of appropriate legislation to require reporting and require informing customers of where their account information was compromised.

It should be the customer first, all the time.  I shouldn't have to keep getting my account compromised until I can guess which company is at fault based on my shopping history.  Having my debit card locked is a big issue.  What if it were a day when automatic payments for bills were supposed to be withdrawn?  Those would have all been declined, and I would have been up shit creek, and Citibank would have apologized but said they did it for my own good.  As it is, I'm almost going to miss a good sale on a camera bag I need.  Thankfully, they ship the new card overnight (which means Saturday, since it's late in the evening already).

Well, at least there's no debit card fee yet.  I wonder how Hitler would react to this?

Gong Xi Fa Cai! NYC Chinatown 2012

For the first time since I was a kid, I was able to check out the Chinese New Year celebration in New York City.  It didn't quite live up to my memory, but I have a feeling that we missed the best part of it.  There was already confetti all over the ground.  Next year we'll have to go check things out earlier in the day.  I must have gotten bad information about the start times of the events.

We wandered around Chinatown for a while but didn't see much.  At first, we only found one lonely dragon dancer.

Then, we passed through the Roosevelt Park area.  There were some booths set up selling Chinese New Year decorations.  There was also a stage where performers were singing traditional Chinese songs.  I don't understand Mandarin, so I have no idea what the songs meant, but it sounded pleasant.

We were about to leave Chinatown when we stumbled onto Mott Street.  It seems as though that's where all the fun was.  The place was packed with crowds of people shooting off tubes of confetti and generally having a good time.

Pretty sure this little girl, her brother (I assume) and her mother were from Singapore,
judging by the accent, which was interesting, having lived there.

Like I said, I'm pretty sure we missed most of the festivities due to bad information, but it was still a lot of fun to go down to Chinatown and look around for a few hours.  We managed to get in some shopping while we were there too!

For more pictures, click here.

Hawkers: Southeast Asian Food in New York City

Hawkers, located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues on 14th Street in Manhattan, is a restaurant that serves Southeast Asian food.  I've passed by this place almost every day for over a year, but I've never gone in because I assumed it was just a bar, and judging from the layout, serving alcohol is its primary function.

The restaurant seating is laid out as one long bar that covers the center of the space from front to back.  It's simple, but functional.  The layout maximizes space, but sacrifices comfort.  The seats aren't exactly something you'd want to spend a lot of time sitting on, so don't plan on spending a lot of time enjoying your meal.

The food itself is excellent.

The satay tasted authentic.  The peanut dip was a little off from what I remember, though it could just be a difference between recipes.  The only satay I have to compare this to was satay my wife and I ate in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  I'd go back to Hawkers just for this, if nothing else.  It's simple, but satisfyingly tasty.

The green curry was really, really spicy and completely awesome!

The popiah was ok, but not something I'd order again.

My wife cleaned her plate, so I guess the grilled eggplant "lunchbox" must have been delicious!

The bill for what you see in the photos (including a gratuity they helpfully add to your bill for you) added up to about 74 dollars.  That's a little on the high side for me for a two person meal, though it was quite a bit of food. In fact, it was too much food for two people.  The only reason we went with this option was because of a Groupon deal.  When we go back, we're going to stick to the lunch menu, or whatever they have for smaller portions.

The last two things I'd like to mention about this place is that its empty in the photos because we went early on a Monday afternoon, and the service was really great.  The girl that served us is from Thailand and we chatted with her about our trip to Phuket, Thailand in 2008 I think it was.