Sears MasterCard

I just re-discovered an interesting fact. When you use a credit card to order on line or over the phone no one cares whose card you are using. However if you decide that you want to pay your bill and it happens to be in your husbands name, forget it! No can do!

"You must put him on the phone and we will grill him, forcing him to give his SS number and date of birth and mothers madden name etc... If you don't we wont let you pay!"

What is wrong with this picture? I could charge and charge and charge, and no one would even be curious whether or not I had his permission, but let me try to give them money and watch them freak out!

"You have no business, paying your husbands bills for him. How dare you try! Now that you understand this, could I interest you in purchasing a new bedroom set with his Sears MasterCard? Or how about some jewelry, we are having a half price sale?"

This leads me to the quandary, is it ethical for me to impersonate my husband, and pay the bill that he has explicitly placed in my care? A step further, should I go-ahead while impersonating him and add myself to his account so that it never happens again? This feels dishonest, I can't believe that they have actually created a situation that I need to lie in order to pay a bill!

I understand privacy issues, but need I point out that if I'm holding the hardcopy of his bill in my hand I already know what he has been up to? It's a little late to worry about me finding out that he has a Sears MasterCard and that he bought a fishing pole, it's all on the bill!! I believe this is a ploy that the credit card companies are using to create more late fee income. This is their bread and butter you know.

Gin