I recently discovered what a good idea it is to put an address label inside a person's eyeglass case. I thought I had lost a pair of reading glasses. For weeks I've been searching the Lost and Found of every store I frequent. This morning, while changing purses, I felt the case underneath the lining of that old purse. Don't how they became wedge in there, but it's such a relief to know where they are. While I was hunting for this pair of reading glasses, it dawned on me to put a label in the other case, in case they came up missing. If someone found the missing pair, they wouldn't have known they belong to me. I neglected to put my name and address in them. [Live'n learn]!!!

This suggestion may be an over-simplification to some, but I hadn't thought about it before a pair of reading glasses came up missing. I spent like three weeks running around to stores and eateries searching for these darn things. And they were in my possession all that time. It's a big purse; that's why I didn't know they were there.

And now WB and I are waiting for our new cards to be issued by
one of the credit card companies we use, because somebody stold
our number and charged $100.00 worth of iTunes this past Saturday! The number must've been taken at a store we frequent since we don't use ATM Machines. Geese! A person can't win!!!

Hi Jabber,

I'm so sorry to hear that your credit card was compromised. It's happened to us several times recently, so I know what a pain it can be.

With us, both times our card was stolen this year happened at restaurants. The whole concept of paying at a restaurant is so out of our control -- we surrender the card to a waiter, who then totally removes it from our presence!

Don't know if that's what happened in your case.

But I recently read of a new wireless device designed for use by small merchants -- something that connects to a mobile phone or iPad type device that allows credit cards to be used by people like your cleaning lady - or even a Girl Scout who stops at your door to sell cookies. Maybe we'll start to see restaurant waiters using those in our presence -- and that might improve security. I don't know...

On the other hand, we could always go back to paying with cash.

Hope you get your new cards soon!

The card company caught this and contacted us. They shut down the card and are sending new ones. Guess they knew we wouldn't be buying $100.00 worth of iTunes or any iTunes for that matter.
Glad these folks are on the ball. I don't carry a lot of cash, because that attracks the bad guys, too. Geese. There's so much corruption, it's gettin' scary out there.

I agree. The first time our card got stolen last year, it was part of a huge scam in our community in which hundreds of people's cards got compromised. I believe it was a major crime, though I haven't read in the paper that the "bad guys" have yet been caught.

The second time was last Thanksgiving at a local - and very fine - restaurant. That time, I think the problem was human error -- and while our losses were bigger, I don't think anyone else's cards were involved.

We'd attended a lovely Thanksgiving buffet held in the ballroom of on of the largest resorts here. OUR card ended up getting used to charge the dinners for 5 different groups.

We first noticed the error when the waitress gave us the wallet to sign for the charge they'd just run for our two dinners. The ticket inside was not ours. It was for a couple of bottles of very fine wine, totaling several hundred dollars.

We immediately pointed this out to the waitress. She was embarrassed, as she hadn't looked at the ticket -- just brought it to us.

She took the wallet back to the person running all the charges for the whole buffet, and when she came back, she gave us credits for two other group's meals, which had accidentally been charged to us.

By the time we got back home, and checked out account online, we discovered that a total of 6 party's meals -- totally over a thousand dollars -- had been charged to us.

Given that it was Thanksgiving weekend, it took several days to get this all straightened out. But in the end we did get all the erroneous charges removed from our card.

And the resort management also sent us a letter which apologized and gave us two free meals. We used that to go and enjoy a prime rib buffet at the resort, a month later.

Bottom line what I learned from this: Pay cash for our meals whenever possible. And if that is not possible, no matter how busy you are,be sure to read the charge receipt -- don't just sign it!! Beyond that, one last thing: Check your monthly statements religiously...mistakes DO get made.

By the way, I think your idea to put an address label in your eyeglass case is a good one, Jabber.

Checking receipt before paying is wise. A few months ago, Groovy Lass aka Linda Sunshine and I went to a new restaurant on the "Elmwood Strip" in the city and was charged for the lunch of the man sitting next to us. Our two veggie salads added up to over $70.00. I mean, maybe in New York City, but NOT here where we live. Sunshine checked the bill before I paid it and caught the mistake. Putting address labels inside of eyeglass cases came to me when I was running around trying to find my glasses. I still can't figure out how they worked underneath the lining; I had to cut it open to get them out. But believe me, I've been praising God that I recaptured them. I might've thrown that purse away, with the eyeglasses still in the lining. Oh my gosh, what a thought!!!

I've lost too many pairs of glasses over the years. I lay rhem down and forget to pi ck them up. I now have a crocheted glass string around my neck so never can accidently lay them down.

Chatty,
That's an excellent way to solve that problem. Good thinking!