Lost Wallet

This past Halloween in Chicago I was unfortunate enough to lose my wallet. Something I have never done and something hopefully that never happens again. When losing a wallet, a person is immedietly thrust into a potentially frustrating experience that involves many brands that provide the contents of a wallet. Below is a report card of how the brands performed in my mini-crisis along with some quick suggestions on improving the process for future wallet losers.

Chase Bank:

The star of the show. Was able to call Chase late at night on a weekend to cancel my card. Was also advised on next steps to go to a local branch and withdraw cash. Secondary process involved going to the local branch and working with banker to prove my identity. The banker was very clear and helpful in regards to what I could provide, then afterward made sure I withdrew enough cash to get me through the week. Overall friendliness and concern for my situation was stellar. I have nothing to suggest in regards to Chase. They are a true asset to the Chicago market and they have quite easily sold me on being a customer for years to come. (Even though I make no interest off my holdings)

Discover Card:

Same late night call as above. Discover rep suggested I sign up for a $2.99 a month identity theft package in case this happens again. I declined. If they had said they would retroactively give me this service for my current situation, I would have gladly signed up.

UPDATE: DISCOVER DOWNGRADED TO A C- FOR BEING RELENTLESS ON PHONE TRYING TO GET ME TO SIGN UP FOR HORRIBLE ROI PROGRAMS DURING CARD REGISTRATION PROCESS. I HAD TO SAY NO 3 TIMES TO 2 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AFTER EXPLAINING THAT I ALREADY HEARD THIS ALL THE FIRST TIME I SIGNED UP.

CTA (Chicago Transport Authority):

As a whole, this organization can use some MASSIVE help, especially if Chicago seeks to secure the 2016 Olmypic games, but as this topic is in reference to replacing the contents of my wallet, I will keep this suggestion topical. The website (transitchicago.com) made it relatively simple to order a replacement card and indicate that my previous card was stolen/lost.

Chicago Bears Ticketing:

By far the most valuable item in my wallet monetarily and emotionally was a ticket to my first ever Chicago Bears game as well as entrance into the United Club Brunch. At first, this particular organization was going to get a much lower score than what it currently stands at. According to the Bears website, single game tickets CANNOT be replaced and season ticket holders can older get a reprint after filling a police report.

After reading this I decided to write an email to the Bears essentially telling them that I was a blogger and planned to write about my experience online and that they could choose to comment on it if they wanted to. I pretty much assumed my email would be ignored, but on the Sunday of gameday I actually did recieve a call from the Bears ticket office and spoke to a person who did offer suggestions on helping me out. Now whether what I said made a difference (them wanting to avoid bad online buzz) is something I'll never know, but several back and forth phone calls were made, and in my mind, the Bears did their due diligence to make me happy. Only suggestion I have is for them to update their site and make the process as a whole less cumbersome. It shouldn't be hard to replace a strip of paper that cost you $350.

DMV:

I want to avoid giving myself a stroke, so I'm going to leave this organization out of my constructive grumpiness. One minor suggestion I will make is in regards to their website. Finding the right documentation needed to secure a certain type of ID is a struggle. There are multiple columns and A,B,C, etc, etc. Having a documentation generator would be IDEAL. Type in what you need, type in what you have. The application tells you if you're golden. Would save people a lot of time at the DMV and potentially the hassle of a return trip.

Wallet Finder:

Again surprisingly, someone mailed the wallet to me. All Cash and Credit Cards were missing. Luckily all insurance cards, old ID, and social security were inside. My business cards were also inside with my number and email so I wish that they had just called me and let me pick the wallet up, but in any case I am grateful to the kind soul who took the time to return my valuables to me.