Complaint Review: Nextcard

Hmmm, what a sad day it must be for the employees of Nextcard, or whoever or whatever it is they call themselves (Omaha what)? I wonder if they enjoy there jobs so much that they are enlivened to spring out of bed in the morning to rip off the masses. When will they realize there is another option.

I too have fallen into the typical pitfalls of this company.Like a moth to the bugzapper I was drawn in by illusions of low APRs, online billpaying conviences, etc etc.

I like most others have recieved late fees for not being able to use their online bill-paying service because it was down for OVER TWO WEEKS (this was a year ago when their demise was still unforseen by consumers). I was lied to and told that it was MY computer that couldn't reach their site. (Whoever came up with that fatty obviously knew less about computers than I did... )I also have been hung up on for asking difficult questions, "Why has the website I am paying 9.95 a month been down for two weeks?" But those are the long gone days when it was possible to get a willing rep on the phone.

I choose to write for another unique twist in the mess.
After an especially ridiculous late payment charge, (I sent the bill on time through their service 10 days in advance and still got a late fee)I decided to cut my losses.

I told myself a 9-12% APR with them wasn't so bad after all...

I decided to close my account and make payments through my personal bank's online services. I figured it would assure they were there on-time via a third party. It obviously took me a while to get the job done (hours on the phone waiting for someone to get off the internet or fix a down computer or whatever the excuse of the day was)But finally after a week of calling every day, it happened... ... My account was closed. I was quite pleased with myself to think that I had escaped certain chaos...

That is until I recieved my next statement.

From a 9-12% APR (can't remember which at the moment) they jacked it up to 19.99% for no reason other than that I was closing my account ( I infer this but have had no opportunity to get someone to prove it in the last year as I am even FURTHER off the radar now that my account is closed.)

That is certainly the only time this has ever happened and after a year of chucking away the minimum payments with no fouls (amazing in its own right) my balance is exactly the same as it was last year, and I STILL am not allowed a lower APR. Now if I were Bill Gates I am sure I would not have this problem because I could write a check and pay off the remaining balance.

Unfortunately I have not been gifted with being a rip-off artist myself and do not have this as an option. So what are my options as a pissed off credit company cashcow? NONE! I sometimes wander why our country's homicide rate is higher than all the others in the world.

Jon
portland, Oregon
U.S.A.