Never Waste a Tree

Tired of offers for credit? Gary More was, and since he didn't read my blog entry on how to get rid of those pesky offers, he did the next best thing. He wrote "Never Waste a Tree" and sent one particular offer back in.

To his surprise, Chase Bank issued a card and sent it back to him. The name on the card? "Never Waste Tree."

Does this story sound too weird to be true? Not really. Credit card companies have long since moved from the realm of responsible to outrageous. They now target what was described by one company as an untapped marketing pool--high school students. These companies brand their logo on kids' play toys. In fact, a former coworker has a daughter who received an offer for credit at the age of six. It is not uncommon for dead people and pets to receive credit offers all the time.

Are you surprised that Chase Bank would issue a card such as "Never Waste Tree?" You shouldn't be. Credit card companies have much less to lose with new federal bankruptcy laws. It is now harder for the consumer to file chapter 7 bankruptcy and creditors are given greater recourse for collection.

I wouldn't want to take the credit industry on. Banking and credit card companies have one of the most powerful and well-funded lobbies on Capitol Hill. A recent episode of ABC's Boston Legal made credit card companies out to be the new "big tobacco". Debt is the new number-one-most aggressively and expensively marketed product on the planet.

I applaud Gary More for his conviction, but ultimately he probably just wasted his time. Maybe the issuing phrase should have been "Never Waste My Time" instead?!