GE Money (Gap Visa Card) Sucks - Part II

To continue the story (ahem griping) from the last post, the drama did not stop with the rejected charge. A week later, I try signing onto my Gap Visa Card online account to verify the amount of the charge for my wedding dress, so that I could pay it off (the cost of the dress was worrisomely close to my credit card limit on this account.)

I couldn't log on. No explanation, other than that my account was locked and I needed to call the number on the back of my card. I didn't have time to do so, but a week later, I tried logging on again with the same result. So I call customer service, and after barraging me with a laundry list of questions and not once asking the reason for my call or if they could help, the customer service rep at GE Money said, "Hold on" and transferred me to another department.

Needless to say, I was getting pretty frustrated, but it gets worse. The woman who answered also proceeded to put me through the litany of security questions, doesn't ask me the reason for my call and is unable to answer my question of why I'm being asked all these questions and what the hell is going on. Not to mention, she couldn't freaking understand anything I was saying and kept on saying, "huh?" "huh?"

Finally, I get it out of her that my account was locked because of the recent large charge and that they couldn't unlock it until I could verify them. Well, this was the first I heard of it! You'd think they could have sent me an e-mail or called me. After all, isn't it in their best interest that I be able to use my credit card to buy things and make them money? Regardless, I got my account unlocked.

A couple of weeks later, I finally receive a letter in the mail from GE Money, notifying me that my account has been locked, why and what I would need to do to resolve the issue. The fact that they had put me through such turmoil and made it so unpleasant for me to use the card... it was an easy decision to replace them with my Amazon Visa as my non-AmEx go-to credit card. It's just funny because a few months before this incident, I had received a promotional flyer from GE Money, offering me $20 if I used my Gap Visa Card 4x at a non-Gap family store.

I'm so used to the stellar customer service I receive from AmEx, this just felt like amateur hour.

GE Money (Gap Visa Card) Sucks - Part I

Yes, I'm embarrassed to say I have a Gap Visa Card. But there was a time when I was buying a lot of stuff at the Gap and it seemed to make sense. Then I never got rid of it because it's handy at Banana too.

Because I love my American Express card, I hardly ever use anything else. And as a result, my other cards have very low limits on them. This was really never a problem until I decided to buy my wedding dress in Jersey (a story for another time.)

The store that carried the dress I love did not accept American Express. So out came the Gap Visa. It was the only other credit card I had in my wallet at the time, and I was set on using it (it's not an easy proposition to find a friend to drive you an hour out from the city to northern Jersey .)

Long story short, the charge was rejected. I called GE Money (Gap Visa Card issuer) to find out what the problem was and they said that they had to enter my 3-digit security code at the register. I hung up and shared this information with the woman selling me the dress.

Problem (one of many) was, the machine didn't prompt her for a security code. She tried two more times and for whatever reason, the charge went through on the third try. This was all very embarrassing and annoying, but it didn't stop there. To be continued in the next post.

Things to Pack That You'll Appreciate

Keeping in mind the One Bag Vacation Policy, I wouldn't go on an overseas trip without a pair of tweezers. Not for personal grooming reasons, but because they're indispensable when you've inserted your ATM card into the machine slot and it gets stuck there.

This actually happened to me a few months ago in Venice, except that it was a credit card in a water taxi ticket machine. I was so relieved to have my tweezers on me, I just pulled that sucker out. Otherwise, I would have been up a creek without a paddle.

Sometimes your card will get stuck because the machine is old and crusty, other times it's because thieves put a sticky substance or a plastic insert into the slot, intentionally to trap your card -- then after you've thrown your hands up and given your card up for lost, they come back later with their own pair of tweezers to empty their traps. Bottom line, it's small and totally worth it to put in your bag!

The One Bag Vacation Policy - The "How" - Part II

Now that you're sold on why The One Bag Vacation Policy rocks and have transcended the mental addiction to packing for every possible contingency, here are some practical applications to travelling light:

1. Make a wish list of everything you would like to bring if you had unlimited space. For those of you who have undergone wedding planning, this is akin to the first cut of your guest list. Most likely, 3/4 of these items will not make it to the final cut.
2. For each item on your list, figure out if, at the end of the trip, you'll still think that it was really worth it lugging that item around the entire time. If it's something you might only use once or never at all, it's probably not worth bringing.
3. Exceptions to #2 above are things that might either save your life or get you out of a serious jam. For example, if you have a severe allergy, obviously bring your EpiPen even if you might never use it. Likewise, I highly recommend bringing a tweezer, not for personal grooming purposes, but in case your ATM or credit card gets stuck in a machine and you need to forcibly remove it (this actually happened to me in Venice and I am so grateful I had that tweezer in my bag).
4. Trust in yourself that you will be able to figure out a workaround for any situations that may arise, rather using overpacking as an insurance policy. As Rick Steves writes, "Pack for the best scenario and simply buy yourself out of any jams." By the way, I highly recommend his website as a great source of information on both this topic and travelling in general (especially in Europe).

So, those are the basics. The hardest part is to mentally divorce yourself from the need to pack everything you could possibly need on your trip. Once you get over that hurdle, you're golden. The practicalities of packing lightly are comparatively simple.

The One Bag Vacation Policy - The "How" - Part I

If you read my last post advocating the One Bag Vacation Policy, then you've probably started envisioning how absolutely amazing it would be to sprint off the plane with your one backpack - liberated from luggage hell at last - and be one of the first people on the immigration line to get a jump on your vacation. Here's how you do it:

The first part is mental. Get comfortable with the idea of wearing the same clothes multiple times on a trip. Overpacking is reassuring - it's your own personal insurance policy against anything going wrong on your trip. At least that's how is feels. In reality, it's a ball bearing chained around your neck. The fact is, things will probably go wrong on your trip and this is okay. You can handle it!

I once packed about 9 outfits for a weekend trip to Chicago and wound up wearing 2. Meanwhile, I had to lug a giant backpack and a duffle bag around the airport and train into the city. It was absolutely miserable and so unnecessary.

Why did I do this? Because I didn't want to risk wanting any particular item and not having it. I wanted to make sure everything went perfectly and wound up screwing myself over instead. If you are an overpacker, I'm sure this has happened to you at least once, if not regularly. How many times have you returned from a trip, unpacked, and stared at the pile of belts, dresses and lotions that you never even glanced at on your trip?

(Sorry, that last line was woman-specific. Men - feel free to substitute in jock straps, porno mags... whatever items you tend to overpack.)

This is the hardest part. Once you can mentally acclimate to the idea and embrace the prospect of luggage freedom, then you're ready for the next step.

The One Bag Vacation Policy - The "Why"

I would like to take a moment (or two) here and advocate something that has recently become very near and dear to my heart:

The One Bag Vacation Policy.

It also goes by the name "Packing Light".

I just returned to New York from a 10-day trip to London, Rome, Florence and Venice and the whole trip was done - comfortably - with one regulation size backpack. This would be the same size backpack as the Jansports or monogrammed L.L. Beans that you used to sling ever-so-jauntily (or maybe ever-not-so-jauntily) over your shoulder in middle school.

Assuming you grew up in 90's East Coast Suburbia.

This minimalist approach to packing was the one decision that had the biggest impact on my mental well-being during the trip. If, like me, you prefer to hoof it rather than take cabs, then you will face an endless barrage of planes, trains, buses and subways. You may also, over the course of your trip, net several hours walking from Train Station A to Hotel B - and not necessarily via the most direct route.

Now imagine the free and unimpeded travel that would be possible if you could just throw your backpack on and breeze by all the poor, mournful souls on the trains, hopelessly wondering where to stow their cursed luggage for the 3-hour journey from Rome to Florence. Or the faceless, dejected parade of tourists with their standard issue suitcases bump-bumping behind them on the cobblestone-lined streets, hands numb from the unforgiving vibrations.

Don't let that be you.

Tune in next time for my post on The One Bag Vacation Policy - The "How".

Save on Crate and Barrel Shipping Charges

If you're looking to buy something from Crate & Barrel, but they don't have the item in stock at the store, ask them to order it for you instead of ordering it yourself online. This way, you can avoid the shipping charge.

In the case of curtains, Crate & Barrel has the various styles they carry on display, but not necessary available for sale in the store. They ordered my curtains for me and had them delivered to my apartment free of charge. It was really convenient!

Just note that on your invoice, you may see a charge for shipping, but this amount is not actually charged to your credit card. I can't guarantee all the types of products that Crate & Barrel will do this for - furniture, for instance, is probably an exception - but it's worth a shot.