I was almost a thief...

So my car got totaled on a Friday, the following Monday night, I lost my wallet, by Thursday I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to find it, so I canceled everything and reordered my credit/debit cards.

Fast forward to this morning when I REALLY need gas. I was 10 miles to empty. I leave a bit early for work, knowing that I would have to write a check since none of my credit/debit cards had arrived yet.

So I pump my gas (all 20 gallons of it!) and go in to pay. I get my drivers license out and everything. Apparently this was one of the gas stations where they have to hand key all the check information--I assume they are doing it as an electronic check.

Five minutes go by, and she finally looks up at me and tells me it's been declined. What!?!? I tell her to run it again because there is no way that check would be declined. She does so. Says it's still declined, so she's going to call it in. In the mean time, people are lining up behind me. Getting frustrated. I really wished I had some other form of payment I could use, but what do you do? My bank was next door, but it was too early to go over there. She finally gets off the phone and tells me that it's been declined as a "code 2" and there's nothing they can do. I ask her what a code 2 is...she has no idea. (But she did give me a nice number I could call to find out.) Finally, I remembered that I got my Healthcare Savings Acccount card in the mail the day before and never took it out of my car. So I call and activate it and use that for gas. That ordeal only took a half hour. I'm very surprised that it even went through, given the fact that you aren't allowed to use the money for anything not relating to healthcare, and I'm not sure gas qualifies. So I need to get that paid back before the IRS comes knocking at my door...

But wait. It gets better.

I call the number and after giving her my name, address, phone number, checking account routing and account number, driver's license number, and location, the lady tells me that my check was declined not because of anything relating to my account, but the check clearing company didn't have enough personal information about me to guarantee my check, I had never run a check through them before, and wanted to "protect me from fraud." How thoughtful. Given the fact that I had just given her almost all my personal information and the fact that I have been using checks for the last week, I wouldn't think that would be a problem.

Ugh.

She did tell me though that if I wanted to have my checks be accepted, they could send me out a waiver to release all my confidential personal information to them.

Hmm...I think I'll just go across the street to Speedway for now on.

I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to find out what happened if you can't pay for gas...