Despite the fact that I’ve got more pieces of plastic than I really need it really irks me that in order to activate the new card B of A sent me I have to listen to a two-minute spiel about why I really should consider signing up for a credit protection service.

No option to <press #> to opt out or even skip the message. I had to listen to two messages (the second slightly more shill than the first) in their entirety. Only after the lecture on dangers of identity theft could I proceed and activate my new card.

I put my trust in a bank to protect my identity in the first place. Something just doesn’t sit right with this very same bank saying “it would be a good idea” if I signed up for their service just in case. It smacks of protection money.

Credit is due to the B of A customer service rep though. He was nice enough to cancel my account without too much hassle (unlike other organizations) and when I suggested they go easy on the marketing messages in the future, he sighed with a knowing verbal wink.