Complaint Review: Juniper Mastercard - Barclay Bank Of Delaware - Internet

Many months ago I switched to "paperless statements" as boasted about on the Juniper web site. On each monthly statement, there is a message link to send & receive messages for our convenience. A couple of months ago, inside my "secure online billing statement," there was a message from Juniper stating that the interest rates were going to increase. I responded to that notice from my "secure online billing statement message center" and told them I wanted to OPT OUT. At that point, the cards were destroyed and I continued to make my monthly payment online. As my balance decreased, I continued to pay the original higher monthly payment. I have always paid above the monthly minimum payment. I have never been delinquent or over the limit.

Two days ago, May 10, 2009, I received my monthly statement from Juniper and my minimum payment had increased by approximately $40.00!! I thought maybe someone had accessed my online account & made fraudulent charges to this account but further investigation proved that was not what happened at all. My 9.9 (non-introductory offer) APR had increased to 14.9 and I was outraged! I had OPTED OUT via their secure message center long before the deadline of April 10th! At that point I sent a message to them and told them I wouldn't pay it. I had destroyed the cards, they had not been used after their message was received, I sent the OPT OUT message and this was totally unacceptable! I told them I wanted to work with them on this and the response I got was a joke! I didn't OPT OUT via USPS as I was told to do so therefore I was SOL and had to pay the higher rate!

I responded to that email and in return I received one from another person saying they wanted to work with me........and then went on to say the same thing. I hadn't responded in writing by April 10th and therefore I was SOL. I did write.......via their message center!!

I wrote back again & got another response from a third person saying exactly the same thing.

I told all three I had NOT received any written notice from Juniper concerning the increase. The only notice I got was online via the supposed secure web site and that's how I responded to their action!! I also explained that we moved to another state at the end of January 2009, I had put in a change of address with the post office before leaving AND I had notified all my online creditors of the new address, etc. If they mailed something out and I did not receive it, I shouldn't be held accountable for a USPS error!

They are so screwed up! I know they can reduce the rate to make it easier and be fair about the whole thing but they refuse to budge at all. I told them the cards were destroyed and to close the account. I was very willing to continue paying my original over-the-minimum-payment amount that I'd been paying all along but I REFUSE to pay anything at the current rate of 14.9!! If we aren't suppose to use their "secure message center" to corresponde with them then what good is it having that link? If that isn't an acceptable way to OPT OUT then it shouldn't be there!

I'm too old to care about my credit rating any longer, which BTW is "excellent." I'm on social security disability...........let them sue me!

Jerry

El Reno, Oklahoma

U.S.A.