but later when i reviewed my own accounts (yes, i pride myself in keeping tabs on my own personal earnings and spendings), i found out that my balance should be $0! so i called UOB credit card division again and asked them why i was charged this $45. and this was what happened:
i bought a mobile phone through Gmarket.com.sg in March 09, which i paid via Gmarket paying system, using this credit card. one week later, it turned out that the seller was a freaking fraud! and no one from Gmarket informed me of this and i only knew it when i complained to their support, which they replied one day later.
the support people told me that i had been duped (not their exact words, but you get the drift...), and initially asked me to fill out some forms so that they could send me a refund cheque. i told them: what the heck? i paid via credit card to Gmarket, so just debit back my credit card! (again not my exact words to them...) they did so three days after i found out that i was duped...
anyway, fast forward to today, apparently the UOB credit card officer told me that UOB DOES NOT recognise refunds as payment! so this freaking $45 was charged based on the amount i paid to Gmarket in March 09 (see 3rd paragraph above). how freaking stupid is that?
then another thought immediately came to my mind: if UOB does not recognise that, what happened to those people who had the same experience that i did but they pay their credit cards via GIRO??!?!? (GIRO is an automatic payment system in Singapore, in case you are unware of it). UOB will then debit these people's account with the $45 (which they are authorised to do), and that's it. UOB will not be bothered to call you. they will take the money and shut up about it!
therefore, i stressed to my wife all the time not to use GIRO if possible because it is always better to keep track of your own expenses (even for 15 minutes a day) to avoid headaches like these. and does she listen? no! sigh...
subsequently, i cancelled my account with Gmarket and it did not want to ever buy anything through them. as for the UOB credit card, i am currently waiting for them to waive off the late charge. i also asked the officer whether this will affect my credit rating, but he assured me that it will not, AS LONG AS UOB waived off the $45 charge. if they have not done so before 22 may 09 (which is my next credit card payment due date), there will be hell. i promise.
banks are just a bunch of blood suckers...
