The saga starts just over a year ago, when Bancaja issued me with a new credit card as my old one was due to expire. Fortunately, I had made all of the necessary travel arrangements (flight and accommodation) for a conference in London which I was due to attend using my old credit card, just before it expired. When I tried to use my new credit card to book a coach from London to Newport, it didn't work.
So off I went to the Bancaja office, to ask what was going on. They informed me that, whenever I wanted to use my credit card on the internet, VISA would send me a text message including a security code to my mobile phone, and I should enter this security code in a box which (depending on the web site) sometimes shows up and sometimes is illegible as it doesn't contrast enough with the host web site's background colour.
I pointed out in return that I don't have a mobile phone, and they said, er, they would get back to me.
Fair enough, they did get back to me. They had got in touch with head office in Valencia, and head office had got in touch with VISA, and VISA responded that (I paraphrase slightly) VISA were a big important American financial institution and Bancaja were a piddling little Valencian building society and if Bancaja's customers didn't like the way VISA went about its business then Bancaja's customers could fuck off.
So I told the people in the Bancaja office that in that case I didn't want a credit card, and they could take it back and cut it up. They asked me if I still wanted to remain a Bancaja customer, and I replied that I did, as my problem was with VISA, not with Bancaja. So they took my credit card and cut it up. After checking that I had never used the new card, they even refunded the 10 euro fee for issuing it.
I don't know how many other people have had similar problems. Quite a few, I imagine. It may not be a coincidence that Zapatero plans to abolish the cajas, forcing them to convert themselves into banks.
But I do know that VISA got themselves in the news towards the end of last year when they attempted to suppress the right (guaranteed by Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998) to impart information. The people who want to see VISA crash and burn have my full support.
Since then, when I want to buy something, I pay cash, just like any normal Japanese person would do. If you want me to buy something, no matter how good it may be, if it isn't in the shops in Castellon, you're wasting your time.
The main reason why I don't have a mobile phone is simply that I don't want one. I'm not worried about the supposed health issues. The health issues aren't a problem if you use a mobile phone with a headset. They're only dangerous if you put them close to your head, and who would be stupid enough to do that?
But they're irritating, for any number of reasons, including:
. They are hard to use. The buttons are too small and too close together.
. You get sent junk calls every hour of the day. OK, you can switch it off, but buying something which you keep switched off seems rather an odd thing to do.
. The Spanish Government can track mobile phones to find out exactly where you are. I don't know how malevolent the Spanish Government is, but governments do not get the benefit of the doubt and I would rather not have them spying on me. AIUI, this only works if the phone is switched on, but again, buying something which you keep switched off is an odd thing to do.
. Telefonica, Orange and Yoigo have all been sending door-to-door salespeople round, knocking on the doors of flats on the off chance that someone will answer. This is not only irritating but downright immoral. They keep lists of doors where no-one answers, and those lists would be extremely useful to burglars.
The latest development (May 2011) is that it is now impossible to file a tax return online without a mobile phone.
Under the old system, in use until last year, the tax agency sent you a letter containing an access code. You could use this access code to read, accept or query your tax return online.
The system has still changed. You still need an access code of sorts, but this can be found on the previous year's tax return. When you enter this, you are prompted for the telephone number of your mobile phone - the system sends you an SMS containing a second access code which must then also be entered online.
So why is the Spanish Government trying to force people to own and carry mobile phones? I don't know, but it has to be said that it looks sinister. Fortunately, it is not my problem any more. I shall be leaving Spain before the end of the year.
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