Friday Was a Challenging Day - LOL

Friday turned into a very challenging day. I knew Elizabeth was going to contact me for payment for the treadmill, and of course, my new Discover card had not yet arrived *sigh*, so I was stuck putting the purchase onto a different card. I decided to use a CitiBank card that we've had for ages. We rarely use it, really keep it for emergencies, but it seemed an appropriate use, and the credit limit wasn't a problem. Of course, that had its' own set of problems, because apparently with a purchase of this large amount, they wanted confirmation, and DH's phone was the phone contact. So he got this *ping* on his cell phone, but he was in the warehouse and didn't have his phone with him. 

Our actual card isn't quite this advanced - no chip, for one 
thing. But it's good for another 1-2 years, and we rarely 
use it, so I'm not too concerned about getting the physical 
card upgraded. Our credit limit is still just fine, so no 
problem getting the treadmill paid for despite the fact that 
I couldn't use my Discover card for the transaction as I 
had planned. 

Of course, I also hadn't told him that I was putting the purchase onto CitiCard, so he texted me on the order of "Why is CitiCard trying to get in touch with me?" and, after the explanation, a few expletives. *sigh* And then, since he hadn't responded to the quest for authentication of the charged amount, the charge was declined. I spent some time with CitiCard trying to get myself at the head of the line, but it was dealing with AI bot after AI bot and was a VERY unsatisfactory event. (The sale did, eventually, go through, but I had to go through a lot of rabbit holes to contact a real human being who could make that happen.) 

Chase actually scores pretty high on comparisons, but 
Discover is with them neck and neck, and ahead of them 
in some features. If I was still doing a lot of travelling, 
Chase would be the winner. It's perfect for the business 
traveler. But, I'm pretty stay-at-home these days, and 
there, Discover takes the lead. I'm just grateful that I had 
a second card available when my Discover was hacked. 

Late that afternoon, I contacted Discover to find out when my new card would arrive, and what a breath of fresh air. A human being - right away. No bots at all, just real people. I almost cried with happiness. In fact, after my business was concluded and I was signing off, I had to tell her how very much I appreciated their customer service. "The fact that I can call and I'll always have a real person on the other end of the phone - someone who's not talking from a menu or an approved list of responses, is amazing and wonderful. It's one of several reasons why Discover is my favorite credit card, and as long as you keep up with the great customer service, you always will be my #1 card." She appreciated the positive comments very much. Discover is truly a unique credit card and it's been my favorite card for years. I should have my new card today (ideally), Monday at latest. 

I'll have my new treadmill set up within two weeks. I can 
hardly wait! I have to hold off while DH and I are working 
and Chickie is in New York state for her family wedding. 
Then, I can get the treadmill set up and get back to my 
full exercise regime once again. So pleased! 

I texted my treadmill sales rep late in the day, apologizing for the credit card sale issues and wondering if they still needed a card for payment. She said the sale had gone through and texted a copy of the completed invoice to me. So, although CitiCard was being a total pill, at least the sale went through on the 2nd or 3rd try. What a mess! However, the treadmill will be delivered the week that Chickie is back from her vacation so that either DH or I will be at the house to oversee the delivery and set-up. I can hardly wait to get back into a sic-day exercise regime once again. I know I'm going to totally LOVE my new treadmill. 

It's hard to believe, but Summer is almost over and 
the leaves are turning, making our usual spectacular 
color arrangement for Fall. Time moves on, no matter 
what I might want. LOL

Have an excellent Saturday and Sunday. We'll be at Renaissance Festival again on Sunday, and next week is the final week of the Fest. The summer is almost over, and what a summer it's been. Between the fence and the treadmill, it's certainly been an EXPENSIVE season - LOL. I'm also quite sure that we won't have a snowless winter this coming cold season. We can't possibly luck out two years in a row - LOL. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday with a link to my latest story and a request for you to read, and hopefully vote. But that's Monday. See you then!