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Vindication! Chase Continental Card Drops Foreign Transaction Fees

In January I was really upset to learn my Chase Continental Card had foreign transaction fees. I replaced my AMEX with the Chase Continental card due to their partnership ending and was hoping to find a card that replicated those perks to the max.

So when I went to Israel and noticed dozens of foreign transaction fees on my card, something that was 'foreign' to me because I have been spoiled with my American Express card, I was upset.

So I decided to give Chase some ideas on how to improve the benefits of the card, to put it more on the same level of the AMEX. But when I did that, Chase, Continental's partner, recommended I use British Airways credit card.

As you can imagine, I was even more upset now. So I forwarded this suggestion to Continental, who after a few weeks replied to me that they will send my email to the right people at Continental.

I guess it worked because I received an email from Chase today that there will no longer be foreign transaction fees! I am so happy, this was one of the biggest draw backs to the card for me - being that I put the SphinnCon conference costs on my credit card and getting charged 3% on top of those costs, well, that is just wild!

Chase emailed:

Designed from its inception to provide unparalleled travel benefits, your Presidential PlusSM Business Card has now been further enhanced.
As of February 15, 2011, you will no longer be charged foreign transaction fees. That means that you'll now save 3% on all international purchases made using your Presidential Plus Business Card.

This exciting new benefit is sure to make your international travel experience even more enjoyable. Best of all, you needn't do anything to take advantage of it – the change will automatically take effect on February 15, 2011.

I doubt they will give me any credit for my charges in January, but that is okay with me. They listened and did what is best for their Continental customers. Very happy!

Posted at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Category: Business , Travels | Comments (0) (0)

Look Who Is Checking In To Tanning Salons On Foursquare

Not much to say here... Here is a recent check in by someone I follow on Foursquare:

I don't think I know who this is, but found the face priceless next to the check in.

Here is his larger photo and his 4sq profile.

Posted at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Interesting | Comments (0) (0)

Hey Expert, There Is A Hot Story On Your Subject Matter, Bet You Didn't See It

So I write about search topics, mostly Google stuff. My friends, co-workers, and family all know it.

So when an article from the NY Times named Search Optimization and Its Dirty Little Secrets is published, I likely know about it before you tell me.

I received several e-mail forwards about this article from friends and family. I am thinking to myself, "you seriously think I haven't seen it?" And yes, this is 24+ hours after the article was published.

In fact, I knew this article was coming out. The NY Times reporter asked me a few questions towards the article, stuff he cited (but did not credit - it's okay) in the article as past examples of Google penalties.

In any event, I always find it interesting to get forwards from people on important stories related to the industry I cover. I mean, do they think... "Barry would love to see this, I have to send this to him now!" Do they think, "wait, if it was published in the NY Times, he probably has seen it."

It is not like they are asking my take on the story. They just want to make sure I saw it.

You see, I am a thankless, heartless guy who has no appreciation for people looking out for me.

I think it is about my email OCD.

In any event, for a good recap of the story and news surrounding it, see Techmeme.

Posted at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (0) (0)

Phone Survey People Are Liars!

A couple hours ago I received a call to take a phone interview about the costs of health insurance.

I didn't have time to be polled, I was pretty busy at the time.

The nice sounding lady said the interview would "only take about a few minutes..."

I was in a rush, so I said, "That is a lie."

I think I shocked her with that response. I went on to explain that I don't have time now and I am not interested, I am sorry, I told her.

She then replied, "Okay, actually about 8 minutes is my average."

I laughed and said, "I'm sorry," and then hung up the phone.

Those phone interviews never take a few minutes. I've done a bunch, because I know the importance of many of those surveys. But when I don't have time, I mean it. They typically take 10 or so minutes, at least.

Posted at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (1) (0)

Weird: A Verizon iPhone

So one of the guys at RustyBrick was crazy enough to wait ~3 years for the iPhone to come to Verizon. And he got his last night.

He showed it to me and it was really weird to see "Verizon" at the top left of the phone. So weird.

I've travelled with the iPhone and I've seen other networks, such as Orange, Cellcom and others. Just Verizon is weird to me.

Posted at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Category: iPhone | Comments (2) (0)

Payback Snow Style

Via NY post. Just watch this video on how this guy gets back at his neighbor for stealing his shovel.

Posted at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny | Comments (2) (0)

Continental Recommending British Airways Credit Card

I hate it, absolutely hate it, when I see company partners not supporting the brands they partner with. It seems under handed and downright wrong!

That is what happened when I reached out to Chase on the Continental credit card.

As you know, I left AMEX for Continental's credit card because the AMEX/Continental partnership ended. But when I used my Continental Credit Card last month in Israel, I was hit with tons of foreign transaction fees.

So I decided to politely email Chase to tell them what changes I would like to see in the future, so the card is more on the same playing field as the AMEX I had, which costs about the same. I emailed those suggestions to Chase and received a response recommending I switch from the Continental card to the British Airways card!

Can you believe it! A Continental Partner stabbing them in the back! I don't want to switch, Continental is my airline. What I do want is them to say they will pass my feedback to the right people. Let me quote the email sent to me by Chase:

While I am unable to suppress foreign transaction fees from being assessed on your Continental Mastercard, I would like to offer the British Airways card as an alternative, which does not carry a foreign transaction fee. Although the option to switch to the British Airways card is not available, you may apply for this account on our website at http://www.Chase.com/

For real?

So I forwarded this email to Continental a week ago and said:

I am not sure where this should go. But I suspect the folks at Continental would love to know this.
In short, I had some suggestions for the Continental President's Club, which you can see below. Chase, the ones who manage your credit card, replied saying I should get the British Airways credit card.

I'd thought you would want to know your credit card partner is recommending other competing airline credit cards to your loyal customers.

Again, all I want is for them to consider my suggestions of:

(1) Shortening the wait time for calling the 800# on the card for "Presidents Card" holders.

(2) Be flexible with pausing a credit card when you travel overseas, this is an international credit card designed for airline use.

(3) Drop the Foreign Transaction Fees, like I said, it is an international credit card designed for travel.

So in response, Chase tells me to go with the British Airways card.

Posted at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Category: Business | Comments (2) (0)

Need Quality Support From Verizon? Try Twitter

Last week I began having major issues with my beloved Verizon FiOS. I was so sad, my FiOS internet, which has been incredibly reliable and super fast was failing me.

At first I thought it was DNS related. Web sites and emails would not load or send and then on second or third try it would work. I thought it would fix it self over the day but it did not. So about 24 hours after the issues persisted, I decided to call for support. As you know, I don't like hold times with Verizon support but I ended up speaking with a nice guy.

Thing is, although he was nice, he couldn't do a thing to help me. So I decided, it has to be DNS related, I'll wait another bulk of time, and let it see if it fixes itself. It did not.

That is when I took it to Twitter. I tweeted:

@verizonsupport having major issues, i think DNS related... Love you 99.999% of the time...less than a minute ago via TweetDeckBarry Schwartz
rustybrick

Guess what? I received a reply from someone at the Verizon Twitter team and they bent over backwards to get everything working. It took a few things but ultimately he was able to get an engineer to "rebuild my profile" at the OCT or something like that.

I was really impressed that the Twitter support was way more helpful than phone support.

But in hindsight, it does make sense.

Posted at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (0) (0)