Okay, knock this shit off right now. I read my statements so you’re not gonna slap me with a thirty-nine dollar late fee because you decided off-hand to up my due date by 5 days. This has happened to me twice now on two different cards and so instead of a nice spread between due dates I am steadily having my credit card bills fall due in one big glob, and it pisses me off.
Sure, I guess I could call and request a specific due date, and maybe I’ll have to, but I am not looking forward to having to sit and listen to your phone drones spewing all the extra shit you want to put on my cards like payment insurance etc all at a small monthly fee, like I don’t have enough shit on my cards now.
I pay my bills and on time so quit jerking me around! Literally! I like my due dates the way they are, so leave them alone, you fucking blood suckers!
Check to make sure they didn’t jack your interest rate too. One of my cards pulled this crap and then used the late payment as justification to bump the interest rate to 30%.
Was low balance, now no balance.
Enjoy your 30% of nothing, asshats.
I’ll probably use it to buy a pack of gum once a quarter just so it doesn’t get flagged for closure due to inactivity.
They close cards? I have one I haven’t used for years and they keep sending me promos trying to get me to transfer a balance. Maybe it’s because I had a bit of a balance for awhile, and they’re hoping to reel me in again.
Sometimes they “upgrade” your card without asking you, as if they’re doing you a favor.
Of course, this means you have to go around to every vendor with whom you have recurrent billing and change your information.
Last time they did that I canceled the card. I figured, as long as I’m being forced to do all that work, might as well punish the company and change providers. I don’t care that my credit rating might take a hit for that. Fuck 'em.
Discover just did this to me. They blamed it on a “system upgrade”. Since my payment was one day late, they charged the $39, plus jacked up my interest rate. However, when I called, the representative reversed the charge, reverted the interest rate, and removed the extra interest charged at the new rate.
My credit union is changing to a new system, and the due date will vary based on the closing date. At least they were nice enough to give a couple months warning.
I wonder if some card companies are trying to get in all the rate increases they can before the new regulations go into effect?
Pay them off and don’t use them anymore. Then they can’t screw you. I haven’t used a credit card in more than two years and I don’t miss it one little bit.
It is for this reason that I use the card issued by my bank, and have it set to automatically pay the minimum every month. I rarely carry a balance, but if for any reason I get distracted I will only pay interest - but no penalties.
I would LIKE to switch over to some other cards, but it is far more advantageous for me to just use my banks Visa and be able to log on an swap funds around my checking, savings, visa and home equity account.
First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the wimmin.
I’ve heard that due to the new regulations, those of us “deadbeats” who pay on time every month are going to start getting the shaft. They’re certainly welcome to try, I have no problem switching to a cash-only life.
This happened to a friend of mine. After explaining for the third time that he wanted the same card number he had before, he explained that since he now had to contact all his vendors with a new card number, he might as well switch to a new provider at the same time. Suddenly the original card issuer had all kinds of new ways to help.
Yeah, Visa doubled my limit unasked about 3 years ago. About 3 months ago, they lowered it below my original limit. It’s now about $50 above my current balance. It played hell with my credit score since it increased by debt/limit ratio.
I’m pretty easy going about most things, but credit card companies are the minions of hell.
You know, given all the shit that financial institutions get away with, you’d almost think they had inordinate political power. Don’t mean to sound like a radical, or anything, just sayin’, is all.
Portions of the law take effect Aug. 20, 2009, with most protections starting by Feb. 22, 2010.
<Cliff’s Notes> Limited interest rate hikes: Interest rate hikes on existing balances would be allowed only under limited conditions No more universal default: the practice of raising interest rates on customers based on their payment records with other unrelated credit issuers More time to pay monthly bills: Payments will be due no earlier than 21 days after they are mailed or delivered. Clearer due dates and times: Credit card issuers would no longer be able to set early morning or other arbitrary deadlines for payments. Highest interest balances paid first: a really good one. Companies previously applied payments to lower interest items first while the high interst transactions raked in moola Limits on over-limit fees: Consumers must “opt in” to over-limit fees. No more double-cycle billing: had been a way for companies to charge interest on balances paid in full Subprime credit cards for people with bad credit: opening fees can’t exceed 25% of limit Minimum payments: consequence disclosure
</Cliff’s Notes>
CC companies are trying to get as many revenue generating screw-you’s into place as they can before the deadline.
I have a MasterCard like that. A few years ago, they increased my limit (didn’t ask for them to do it). Just recently they lowered it. The excuse was some gibberish about low payment vs balance or something (I keep it paid offand when I do make a purchase I pay it in full the following month). And, I had one of those Providian cards - it was cancelled I guess for not enough activity (as if their stupid monthly fee for simply having it wasn’t enough).
The point is that IF you’re struggling right now,you might be likely to get out the old card. They may as well gouge you if you’re in that situation.
I’ve seen quite a few of the changing the due date. In fact, I had one card which just happened to have a due date on last Friday, the 12th. Hmm, I’m sure that’s NOT a coincidence for all the people who are paid on the 15th and 30th. Kinda funny that card had been due on the 15th for at least a years. It also fucks with the people who set up their payments in advance. Go in and set up the card to be paid on automatic payments for every 15th. Ooops, this month the date has changed to the previous Friday. Guess we’ll have to raise your interest rate and slap on a $39.00 late payment fee.
