Stew
Oak Forest,#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, December 14, 2005
I know of many of these scams,, most will get the card and tranfer a large sum to that card, then they charge 5 bucks in gas and start paying interest on the whole amount, you have to watch that. 1st. when you get the balance tranfer make sure it was applied to the right card. 2nd. when you get the card, sign up for online bill payments (not automated) and you decide how much and when they take the money from your bank account and save the price of a stamp. also this will alow you to see all account activity and see your statements as soon as they are issued. and you hold your money until its really due, adding interest to yur checking account. 3rd. put the credit card away preferably a safe so noone including yourself will use it. 4th. I have a password protected computer which i do my transactions on, nobody can use it unless they can get my fingerprint on the device attached to it, also i put all bills including auto, credit cards and utilities in one folder for easy access, and once a week you should check these accounts for payments due and other activity. this just makes life much more simple and keeps your credit looking good. hope this helps someone out there as this is a growing problem with finacial institutions of not sending bills out right away (partly because they are doing them in some forein country and not the usa. thanks for the info....sk
Buddy
Eureka,#3Consumer Comment
Wed, December 14, 2005
Because your speech sounds exactly like the one that mythical attorney Alan Shore delivered to a "big bad credit card company" lawyer. Use of a credit card is voluntary. There is no law that you have to have or use a credit card. Sure, sometimes it's a little inconvenient having to do it the "old fashioned" way and pay cash, but let's not blame credit card companies because people use them. That said, I have seen first hand how credit card companies will get you six ways to Sunday with their games and extra fees. I have only one, American Express, now and I must pay that off each month, so it keeps me disciplined not to overuse it. I keep track on line, and when my spending gets to how much I know I can pay them when my bill comes in, I quit using it. Only between 10% and 15% of BK filers are affected by the new BK laws -- the rest can get out of their obligations to credit card companies (raising the rates for everyone else).
Alan
Cave Creek,#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, December 14, 2005
Mark, You are a victim of something much bigger then the problem you describe. The banks/Credit Cards have been getting much friendlier with our elected officials, and are getting away with everything. The new bankruptcy laws are a dream come true for the banks, at the expense of longtime consumer protections. But the Banks respond by getting more aggressive with their rates/fees & evolving contracts. Customer No Service will tell you "We do not reverse fees". You must write to your congressman, and tell them this! http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm http://www.house.gov/writerep/ Please send them a letter, include your address, use your own words (form letters are ignored??). Alan
Alan
Cave Creek,#5Consumer Suggestion
Wed, December 14, 2005
Mark, You are a victim of something much bigger then the problem you describe. The banks/Credit Cards have been getting much friendlier with our elected officials, and are getting away with everything. The new bankruptcy laws are a dream come true for the banks, at the expense of longtime consumer protections. But the Banks respond by getting more aggressive with their rates/fees & evolving contracts. You must write to your congressman, and tell them this! http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm http://www.house.gov/writerep/ Please send them a letter, include your address, use your own words (form letters are ignored??).
Steve
Tempe,#6Consumer Comment
Sun, December 04, 2005
Sorry to hear about your situation...but as unfair as it may seem..Chase does not have to send you a statement...as do most Credit Card Companies. It is not mandated. Read the cardholders agreement. I know it sucks..but is true. The other crappy thing are these so called minimum payments. Most companies ask for so little that people do not do the math and realise that they are adding more debt by paying that tiny payment. It is almost like buying a few days of life until the eventual end by death of cancer. Hopefully the new legislation will allow for the payment to equal a difference in the balance..so people do not foolishly charge up debt they eventually cannot pay. Glad to hear that you resolved your situation though Mark