[LINK] refusing contactless cards

Craig Sanders cas at taz.net.au
Fri Aug 2 10:37:13 AEST 2013


On Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 10:19:24PM +1000, Kim Holburn wrote:
> > This doesn't prevent RFID card skimming; the concern raised by
> > Craig.
>
> No but it stops Craig's liability.  That is the point surely.

no, that's only part of the point.

the two other main problems with RFID credit cards are:

1. it increases my risk of fraud and identity theft. even if liability
issues are resolved 100% in my favour (i.e. i get all of my[1] money back
and there's no long term damage to my credit rating), there's still a
lot of hassle and stress and drama until it is sorted out.

*nothing* is going to compensate me for or undo the stress. the damage
is done and can't be undone. i've known for years that stress can have a
serious negative impact on health but since i've been seriously ill for
most of the last 10 months or so I have become very much aware of just
how much worse my health gets as a result of stress.

and even if the bank cancels the card number and issue me a new one,
I'll be subject to exactly the same risk the next time I go anywhere
with it in my wallet - every single time I go anywhere with it.


2. it infringes my right to anonymity and privacy. just as with stress,
there is no remedy to that.




[1] yes, it is MY money. i have debit cards, not credit cards. i have
a very old-fashioned attitude to personal debt - it's a bad thing and
something to be avoided. with the sole exception of purchasing a house,
I don't believe in going into debt for anything. avoiding debt is easy -
if i can't pay for something outright, then i can't afford it and don't
buy it.


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>



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