It's a dog of a fashion statement.
Send it or you can't spend it
A reader writes: "The Motor Trade Association has a great idea to get us to take the bait. Encourage people to spend $100 on a gift card. Great for our grandma ... she thought it was a terrific idea. Such a wonderful way to give without worrying that naughty cash will disappear. However, the sting in the tail is if you take too long to send the 'money' ... POOF it's gone. Money that expires. Morally wrong and reprehensible. That's what I said to them."
Arduous journey for bank card
An Australian man has flown thousands of kilometres trying to withdraw money from his bank account, after a security upgrade rendered his cash machine card invalid. Education consultant Robert Lewis tried to use his HSBC bank card, issued in Hong Kong in 2011, in Wagga Wagga, Australia, the South China Morning Post reports. He was told he would have to make a 10-hour round trip to the HSBC branch in Sydney to fill out a change of address application form in person to get an internet security device. But then the Hong Kong branch rejected the application, saying his signature didn't match their records. Lewis was left with no choice but to fly another 7400km to Hong Kong to show bank officials his passport and identity card, where the blunder was finally sorted out. "Hong Kong could have spoken to Sydney and faxed a copy of the documents," says Lewis.
