Part 2

If you are new to reading my blog, first you need to read part 1, and you also need to know that my hometown is Paris, Texas.

She heard it in my voice. I quickly grabbed my cell phone and called my dad since I was on hold from my landline phone.. I told him the address which they gave me to where the beautiful lacy items (not sure of the package contents, but I do like to think it was some really sleezy stuff) were shipped. I confirmed with him that we haven't ever lived at the address listed or he hadn't been at a rent house at this address. He told me the general area of this address, and let's just say it isn't...well a nice neighborhood. He wrote down the address. I hung up with him as I was taken off hold from VS. They were having trouble with their computer, so they told me. At one time they even asked if I planned on reopening my account to remain a VS customer since I had closed my account back in October when all this started. Uuuu. NO! They kept asking my name and continued telling me they had no record of an order that Paige Pearson had placed. My blood pressure at this point was boiling. WHAT DO YOU MEAN you don't have an order placed by Paige Pearson on this account. WHY am I on the phone with you then? They informed me that the order was placed by a PAIGE BOWDEN!!! EXCUSE ME!? What did you say!? ( For some of my readers who may not know me...my MAIDEN name is Bowden) I flipped out! For the next few minutes I had a moment with the VS sales representative to something like this:

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME...someone from my hometown, where I haven't lived since 1994, or had an address there since 1998 used my card to ship to an unkown address using a name that I haven't had on THIS account since 2000 and on a card that hasn't been used since 2003 and at no time was a red flag thrown!!! You have got to be kidding me!
(again, just a summary)

The VS person on the phone then proceeded to tell my how many thousands of internet orders a day they receive and there is no way they can monitor them all, and I must say NOT in a very nice tone! She continued to ask me how someone in Paris got my account number. I told her they must have done one of the crazy free panty give away things trying to get business and sent it to an old address or someone got a hold of a NEW credit card they must have sent out to a Paige Bowden, just like dogs and 4 four year olds getting approved for credit cards. She assured me that there wasn't a record of that on their computer. Great. She again asked me if I knew someone who lived at that address. I told her no, and I think at this point is where I totally lost it. I actually began yelling. I told that sweet little girl on the phone that I had been nothing but nice to each and every collector that had called, and I did everything VS had asked me to do, and that VS needs to take the ENORMOUS charge off my account immediately!

I was shaking...sweating...my heart was going crazy! I really can't remember a time I have been so mad. That sweet little girl then told me then I must go file a police report! WHAT! I still don't understand this one because I don't know how this person in Paris got my account number. Her tone did change after I raised my voice, which is crazy! She became a nice, cool toned customer service representative.

My dad called back and told me he had called the Paris Police Department and asked who lived at that address. It was not registered at all. So after work my dad and Sid actually drove by this house!!! I can't really see my dad being the Perry Mason type! He wanted to stop and go look in the windows but Sid wouldn't let him! The house was in the slum part of town like he thought, but get this, the house the package of unmentionables were sent: vacant! The next morning an officer went to check the house out and confirmed that no one lived there. He then told my dad some things I need to do, like report it to the police department which I live, that it was really out of his hands even if he were to find someone at the house. It looks like the person who used my card, had it delivered to this vacant house on purpose and probably did drivebys to see when a package appeared.

SO...I am still waiting to hear from VS on where this all stands, but for now and probably forever, my feet will not go into that store. I don't think they handled this professionally and with all the fraud that goes on, that 1 of the things that happened didn't SCREAM fraud!

Thanks for letting me work through this again! A special thanks to the PPD! How nice of them to go check out that house! I just wish that could have caught someone! It is just a puzzle! I will keep you readers updated!

(by the way, when my wallet was stolen back in 2004, my VS card was not used before it was cancelled)