Cross Country Bank is a ripoff. I don't want this card, haven't used this card, help! Boca Raton, Florida
My husband apparently applied for credit online from some pop-up ad, and here we are!
He thought he was applying for something with a $1000 credit limit. When the card came in the mail, and he saw that it was a $350 credit limit, and that he would be charged a $100 origination fee, and a $50 annual fee, it was laughable, and considered a WASTE. The card was never used. Today we received a billing statement saying we owe $152.01 for those two fees, as well as $.67 for finance charge purchases, and $1.34 for cash advance... again, this card has NEVER BEEN USED.
Then I find this site, and all these complaints, and now I'm afraid that they are going to ruin our credit, and afraid we don't have any recourse to fight it.
This whole idea, from a couple of the rebuttals I did read, that all these pathetic people with bad credit should be happy to be given a chance, etc. is total BS. We don't have bad credit... perhaps a LACK of credit, but not bad credit. We are homeowners, have paid off several cars, have had personal loans that are all paid on time, but we avoid CREDIT CARDS... so we lack a revolving credit history, which often gets us denied for credit. This is exactly why we avoid credit, and I don't know what possesed my husband to apply to that stupid pop up ad, but apparently it's going to be a LOT more trouble than it's worth.
I think our first recourse is going to be to write to them at the address for disputes on their billing statement, and inform them that we want the account closed immediately. However from all your stories here, I'm sure we will somehow be forced to pay this idiotic $152 fee.
Irritated,
Angelique
Lancaster, California
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Natalie
Friendsville,Tennessee,
Be extra careful dealing with CCB!
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, August 15, 2002
Please take extra precautions when dealing with these people. They will do anything to cheat you out of your money. Their accounts gain interest daily and if you use their automated information line you will be charged A .50 cent fee so you may never know your exact balance.
They say the call if free for the first two,but it is NOT! I think they do this to keep accounts open, because they know many people don't even know how to begin to fight this, and give up.You will probally have to pay these fees reguardless.I recommend sending A certified check, if you do.Then contact the FDIC in writing immediately.
I battled with these people for 2 years,lost money, and never got anywhere.I wrote an explanation of what happened with me to the FDIC.
Not even 1 week later I recieved a letter from CCB telling me their records were accurate and I did infact owe the money,BUT they were removing the the" charged off collection "from my credit file and they now consider the account closed.
All this out of COSTOMER COURTESY! ya right. I recently checked my credit file, it now reports PAID , NEVER LATE! Hope this helps. Natalie
#30
Thu, April 25, 2002
Ok, here's what I've decided to do.
Because my husband did apply, we have to deal with our losses and pay the idiotic $152.01 in their fees. Tomorrow I will be mailing them the payment in full, by check, for my own records later, that they cashed it, but on the back (as per a post i saw here) I wrote "By endorsing this check, Cross Country Bank agrees that account #______ is paid in full." I have written them a letter stating that the card has never been used, and that we have no need or desire for the card, and that we are paying the amount in full to zero out the account because we know that disputing it will only drag out the transaction, and by way of their reputation, we know this will only be a disadvantage to us. The letter then asks them to cancel the account immediately, and to inform the credit reporting agencies that the account was closed per the CUSTOMERS request.
I carbon copied this letter to their West Virginia address, as well as to all three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and am including photocopies of the front and back of the check.
This payment is due May 12 (a Sunday?) and by sending it on 4/26, this allows 16 days (10 working days) to receive and post this to my account. I'm hoping they don't come up with some story about not receiving the payment in time, and trying to drag this out. Which has a lot to do with why I'm sending my correspondence with them to all the credit reporting agencies, in case I have to dispute something later. I will not be sending them one more penny over this $152.01.
I'm posting this in the event that this method actually works... perhaps someone else can use it as a recourse for getting their account closed.
I will try to update again in the future regarding the outcome.