for want of a phonecall...

I have been boxing along without my credit card. This is normally not a problem, as to spend money you must earn it. However, the budget does extend to occasional visits to family.

I booked a ticket online, but was a bit worried about not having insurance. I thought I would stick with at least a language I know well (fine print being fine print in any language), and contacted my New Zealand bank to inquire about their insurance policy. They referred me to the Visa section.

The ever-so-helpful young man at the end of the phone assured me that all was possible, and should I care to upgrade my visa then the next time I booked a ticket using the credit card my insurance was automatic. Too good to be true, I thought, but having had that in place on a previous card I hoped it would work again.

He talked me through the process, set up a new card, and cancelled my old one. I needed a business address to send the new card to, as private addresses were not accepted. I found my bank address and contact details, but didn't have the name of the manager. Phone back, he said, and I will leave everything set up and ready to go.

Luckily, or unluckily, because of the missing name, I called back the following day. This operator called up my file. Yes, everything was ready to go. Something made me double-check. No, she said, such insurance was only for flights out of, and returning into, New Zealand. Oh, I reply, not surprised but very disappointed. Then in that case, I don't want to upgrade to the more expensive card. Can I please just have my old one again?

Not possible. However, the kind lady said, she would give me a distant expiry date so I don't have to worry about having cards sent to me very often. She also said she would make a training note for the other helpful operator...

The card didn't arrive... or at least, the promised phonecall didn't come. I went to the bank, taking all necessary documentation. No, my card wasn't there. No-one had heard anything about it. They would call me.

Today, having had to inconvenience daughter number two to get my flight booked before prices went up any higher (usually it works the other way... mmmm... I quite like this new scheme!) I decided to go and jump up and down, burst into tears, or do whatever it took to locate my credit card which I was sure was in the bank all that time.

I explained what I wanted, handed over the old card and all my documentation just to show the teller what he was looking for, and gave him the name of the bank director it should have been sent to. At that moment the director walked into the building, saw me, went over to the open safe and retrieved my card.

Why wasn't he there when I needed him before?

Today I am grateful for security.