So here in HK, if you drive, you might have an account with Autotoll. You get a little plastic thing that goes in your car’s window and it pays tolls electronically. It also works in Wilson carparks and they have a “club” where you can get some actually useful stuff like discounts on petrol.

The thing is, to top up your account automatically, the only way I know of is to do it by Visa, and the only Visa they accept is a special “Autotoll Visa” from Dah Sing Bank. So I’ve got one. A few years back, they “upgraded” me to a “Platinum Autotoll Visa” account (though the card is still made from plastic) and that account has a different number.

After I got the Platinum card, I stopped using the non-platinum one. I never bothered to activate it when they sent it to me and I’m pretty sure I canceled out the old number.

So now I move. I need to send out change of address notices.

I send a fax to Dah Sing. Platinum account number. Old address. New address. They send me a letter in the mail saying that I have never activated my card (non-platinum number) and so they can’t change my address.

Next I take the monthly visa bill from Dah Sing, which has the number of the platinum account on the front. I fill out the change of address and mail it to them. They send me a letter in the mail saying that I have never activated my card (non-platinum number) and so they can’t change my address.

Soon they call me up telling me my account is overdue. I tell them they are idiots because they refuse to accept my change of address notice and it’s their fault. The woman takes my change of address info on the phone and tells me how much I owe. I pay the bill by PPS.

I still haven’t received a new bill or statement from them.

At least it means I’m not getting an envelope stuffed with useless promotions and sales brochures.

And yes, I have mail redirection service from the post office but for some reason their bills aren’t coming to me at all. Perhaps they are running their service in a new way – I should guess how much I owe them each month and pay that and then they can tell me how close I came. Maybe if I guess the amount within $1 I win a prize?

Hongkie Town
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