Credit Card Late Fee Now $39.00. Don't Forget!

[HCE SuiGeneris]

You may have not been late in 6 years. You owe less than $400.00 on a $10,000 limit. You had family issue. You paid the balance in full a day and half after noticing your gaffe. You called politely to see if there was any recourse. You already knew the answer coming down the line. You asked to review your history. You knew it was for naught. You swore and said, "Damn, I hate this shit!" You were warned by the representative to watch your language and that they could fine you. I said, "Thanks a lot."

Just another day in Amurika...

Peace.

:rant:

[lligrd]

1. Oh Hell, They Can Fine You For Cursing?

Is that in the fine print too? :banghead: So glad I gave up credit cards over a decade ago. My life has been so much more hassle and frustration free without them.

[Bobbieo]

3. Pay off the GD thing and shred the card!!!

[roguevalley]

33. thank you, Joe Biden, for your dedication to your masters and I'm

not talking about the American people.

[JosephSchmo]

2. smartest thing I've done with my CC's

is to set up automatic minimum payments. Every card pays the minimum every month automatically. Never had a late fee, not once. I highly recommend doing this.

[lligrd]

4. Watch It, They Have A Solution For That

They simply change the due date.

[JosephSchmo]

5. I've never heard of this trick

seems pretty evil. If they ever did that to me I would be pissssssed.

[Tesha]

34. Our credit union just did that to us.

After years of the payment really being due on the
"Closing Date" (so that a payment could be mailed
on the "Due Date"), they switched the payment to
actually being due on the Due Date.

But because it's a credit union (owned by us,
its members), they're willing to refund the
interest one or two times as everyone finally
gets the word about the new due date. They had
the good sense not to assess late fees or some
CU directors would have been looking for new
jobs come the next board election.

Tesha

[cbayer]

6. Cash or debit. If you never use them, you never have to talk to them. nt.

[aquart]

19. How can there be a late fee for a debit card?

[KansDem]

31. I wondered the same thing...

I have a bank card issued through my account. It can be used as a debit card, however, I think it can be used as a credit card. Twice now I've replied with "debit" when making a purchase and asked "Credit or debit?" But then I noticed the payment didn't come out of my account right away. I believe the merchant ran it through as a "credit" card. Anyway, if one isn't careful, one might believe the transaction is completed (debit is supposed to come out of the account right away) and withdraw some money from the account, only to find the bank charges a overdraft fee when the "debit" finally is withdrawn a couple days later and there isn't enough money to cover it.

This has happened to me twice. I decided not to use my bank card for this kind of transaction anymore.

[aquart]

35. Thanks for the warning.

I have one sitting here waiting to be activated.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. Sorry for the hit and run post. Had to go a-Duzying to set my mind straight.

I just cleared all balances to zero and cut them up... except for 1 to make reservations. Thanks all for your empathy and suggestions!

:hi:

I feel much better, especially after being rejuvenated by the most amazing humor that y'all share. (da DUzies)

[cbayer]

9. Congrats.

And you don't need one to make reservations. You can do it with a debit card.

The DUzy's were awesome.

[zalinda]

8. And, now look for them to raise your interest

My son's went up to 32% after being 11% for I don't know how many years. He missed one payment, which caused it to go over limit, and of course was charged the $78, which he figured okay those are the fees. Then in the next statement he saw the 32% and he hit the roof. When he called, they said there was nothing they could do and they were keeping the interest rate where it was until he "proved" himself. Needless to say Citibank has lost a customer for life.

zalinda

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. It is a criminal enterprise. Wonder what we must now do to

"prove ourselves"?

It might not happen in my case. :smoke:

[pinniped]

24. One POS cc letter I read stated the "default interest" (33.49%) stays for at least six months.

Since these stupid "default" rates are all around the same for CCs, expect it to take at least six months to "prove" himself.

[varkam]

25. Citi did the exact same thing to me.

I didn't go over the limit, but the finance charges pushed me over. Therefore they slapped the fee on me and bumped my APR up to 32%.

Predators.

[Contrary1]

11. Call them and tell them to cancel the account.

They will ask why. Tell them that you will pay what you owe. But after 6 years of paying on time, and being rewarded by them in that manner, you will be taking your business elsewhere.

I did it a few years ago. They not only excused the late fee (added back as a credit on my next bill), they also reduced the interest rate.

And if they don't offer some sort of deal, wish them a fond farewell.

[Skittles]

13. absolutely

f*** that abuse of power; if the OP needs to use a credit card there are others who will take him on but more than likely that piece of shit company will back down

[aquart]

20. Maybe mention you feel insecure

dealing with a company that made so many bad investments that they have to punish people who have been honest and careful with their money.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. I will call them tomorrow. Thank you for your support.

[fortyfeetunder]

12. Can you name the company..or clue who it is?

I wanna make sure if they are the ones sending me cr@p in the mail, I can return it with an appropriate reply...

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. It is Chase. I have no problem naming them.

There is no slander possibility here, as all I have said is true. However, it seems they are all in bed together, without collusion there is no way they would get away with this crap.

[Cobalt-60]

17. I remember them

It was astonishing.
No matter when you sent the payment.
No matter how you sent it.
It was always late.
Providian ran a similar scam, I hear.

[elehhhhna]

29. it used to be the faster the co posted your payment, the more overnight "float"

i.e., interest, they got. Now it's in their interest to post them slow, since that 39 dollar fee is pure profit.

[Contrary1]

21. It was a Chase account I had too. (referring to my previous post)

I sent the payment in plenty of time to get there. They processed it the following Monday.

Good luck!

[KharmaTrain]

23. Sure There Is...Have A 6 Figure Account...

It's amazing how all those fees go away when you're making them more money other ways. Hell, they'll bring you coffee and wash your car windows in the drive-thru. Have a small account, and get soaked.

Remember, in the eyes of the credit card companies, if you keep a 0 balance, YOU'RE the deadbeat.

[eridani]

16. If you use credit cards, join a credit union

Their fees and interest rates are far more reasonable, and if you do have to pay interest or fees, they just wind up going on your own savings account there as interest.

[kath]

18. Maybe try callling again and ask nicely to speak with a supervisor - I have been in this situation

several times, and they have always waived the fee. Hasn't come up yet with Chase, (but it might have with Chase Auto Finance a few years back) but Capital One has always been real good about it, also one or two other previous cards.
In fact, I just spoke with CapitalOne this evening - payment was due today, I didn't realize it until 6 or 7 pm ( I pay online). Guy on phone was very nice, put notation in file to waive late fee and finance charges (I always pay in full). Similar deal with Macy's a few days ago - new card, for some reason they gave me 2 different cards with two different statements, unbeknownst to me. I missed the one statement, called to straighten it out and found out I was late on the one statement - they were VERY nice, let me pay over the phone without the usual $10 charge and waived the late fee.

I do have a very good credit rating - yours probably is good too, if you haven't been late in 6 years. I think once or twice in the past, when I talked nicely with the person and they were reluctant to waive the fee, I nicely asked to talk to a supervisor, who then did what I asked.
It's sure worth a try... Explain sweetly what you said here - you've been a very good customer, family situation came up, etc, couldn't they look at your otherwise good record and give you a break this one time, etc., then ask for a supervisor if that person won't budge.

[Common Sense Party]

22. And now any other credit card you have can jack up your rate.

You gotta love the "Universal Default" provision.

Read your fine print.

[varkam]

26. So if you're late on one card, all of your cards' rates go up?

:crazy:

[Common Sense Party]

37. If you have the Universal Default provision in your contract, yes.

If anything affects your FICO score--you're late with a mortgage payment, the utility company misplaces your payment, you're behind on your car payment--your credit card company can jack up your rates to 24% if they want EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN LATE paying on that card.

On Edit: Go to pbs.org and watch the Frontline special on "The Secret History of the Credit Card." You'll be shocked and amazed.

[MadHound]

27. Pay off the damn things, cut them up, and go to a cash only basis

Not only will you be screwing these asshole corporations, but you will be doing yourself a world of financial good.

[sarcasmo]

28. Paid off all of ours, no more balances, it's a good feeling, screw these credit WHORES.

[mattfromnossa]

36. they are whores.

screw them indeed.

[sarcasmo]

38. Welcome to D/U Matt.

[ellie]

30. They can fine you? That's news

I recently told American Express to fuck off without any financial repercussions.

[Th1onein]

32. THEY can't fine you.

But it's against the law to use profanity across the phone lines. THEY can't do shit. In my past days of financial difficulty, I have told creditors to fuck off a number of times without repercussions. They're just trying to scare you. (And by the way, telling you this IS against the law since THEY can't do shit.)