WaMu debits cards about to stop working?
From a reader this morning:
Was just wondering if you’ve heard of anything weird about this.
I was a Wamu customer before the changeover. Was in my local Chase branch about 2 months ago and the teller told me that my old Wamu debit card was about to stop working. The expiration isn’t until 2011, so I questioned her and she said all Wamu debit cards are about to be turned off and I should order a new Chase debit card.
I didn’t think much about it until I was in the branch again about 2 weeks ago. I asked one of the CSRs about it and he said yes, those “old wamu” cards were scheduled to be turned off “any minute.” He was surprised mine worked at all and said mine was probably one of the last ones still working.
I have never received any official notice from Chase about this, only words from the people in this one branch.
Well, I had him order me a new debit card and I asked if it would be the same card number. He said “no” because they would be switching from Mastercard to Visa.
Fast forward a week or so and my new card arrives. It’s a Mastercard just like my “old” wamu card, but with a new number. The thing is, my old wamu card still works fine. I haven’t activated the new card yet.
I’m wondering why the hard push to get me into a new Chase branded card? Any thoughts?
Anyone had their card stop working without any notification?
Customer service, WaMu failure | admin August 25, 2010
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By Former Chase Banker, August 29, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
Well, the real reason they wanted you to “replace” your card is they wanted you to sit down with one of their bankers and get there full sales pitch and review all of your accounts and hopefully get you a “new” annual fee debit card with a “superior” rewards program in addition to trying to get you to take a new credit card, possibly open additional account, meet the securities sales person, their business banker and the loan officer. Because the banker gets paid a commission and the branch gets a kick back at annual review time for all of its “sales”. Plus many of the tellers are browbeaten about how many referrals they can get each day from their teller line transactions and the bankers are judged by how mand widgets (debit cards, checking accounts, loan aps, referrals) they generate each day and if they aren’t doing enough they have to go to special training classes or sit with the branch manager, district manager or special “sales coach” until they can basically sell up a storm. All the Managers, District Managers and on up judge by production, not by how many customers stay. Oh and by the way they expect 10% production improvement year over year? Isn’t that insane, what business that is basically mature would in their right mind would have that kind of expectation of growth numbers year after year after year? I worked there for 10 years and this was the case for 10 years. They have no concept of how to retain client or keep them there. Don’t expect much after the bells and whistles sales pitch, because after you sign on the line that is the end of service for you.