Page 2 of 2
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 23, 2009 4:35 pm
by TropicalTroubador
Bicycle Bill wrote:Caribbean Soul wrote:I haven't noticed my credit limits dropping (
actually, since I pay all my balances in full every month ... I'm honestly not even sure what the limits even are 
)
HOWEVER that late fee BS
did happen to me last month on two of my gas cards - Shell & Mobil.
Both companies credited my payment
exactly 1 day late incurring both finance charges (
one was $1.00 the other $2.00)
and "late payment" fees (
one for $10.00 and the other was $20.00 ! ! 
) Mind you the original bills were both only for about $20.00 - or one fill-up each
as I pretty much only use Sunoco around here, (
those were from a road trip).
That's why they did it. You pay your balance in full every month, and they're not making a nickel off of you. So when they had the chance to sock it to you, they did.
Caribbean Soul wrote: Like you, the checks were both mailed well in advance - 10 business days, in fact!
I called both companies and they agreed to wave both the fee and finance charge as a "one time courtesy"
From now on
if I use their cards, I will pay by phone (free in MA) or online as I don't trust them to
not pull the same $hi+ again.
As long as you pay the balance in full each month, you've obviously got the money already set aside. So why not just get a debit card from your bank and use that?
Frankly, if the CC companies would do to me something like you outlined, and then waived fee & finance charge as 'one time courtesy'
(and I can just imagine how smarmy they were about it), I'd maybe wait a month — making sure I hadn't used the cards in the meantime — and then contact the companies and cancel them. And I'd be sure to tell them why I was doing it.
-"BB"-
The one issue I have with using my debit card is that, unless I remember to take out my checkbook and write down what I just spent, I lose track of how much money I have. Not good. I pay my credit cards pretty much in full every month, with rare exceptions, and I still use paper checks to pay for everything going out of my checking account unless someone forces me not to. Annoyingly, more people are going away from paper checks.
And I really, most sincerely, hate those stinkin' commercials which have everything running smoothly until someone tries to pay with (*gasp*) CASH!!!
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 23, 2009 5:00 pm
by Caribbean Soul
Bicycle Bill wrote:Caribbean Soul wrote:I haven't noticed my credit limits dropping (
actually, since I pay all my balances in full every month ... I'm honestly not even sure what the limits even are )
HOWEVER that late fee BS
did happen to me last month on two of my gas cards - Shell & Mobil.
Both companies credited my payment
exactly 1 day late incurring both finance charges (
one was $1.00 the other $2.00)
and "late payment" fees (
one for $10.00 and the other was $20.00 ! ! ) Mind you the original bills were both only for about $20.00 - or one fill-up each
as I pretty much only use Sunoco around here, (
those were from a road trip).
That's why they did it. You pay your balance in full every month, and they're not making a nickel off of you. So when they had the chance to sock it to you, they did.
Caribbean Soul wrote: Like you, the checks were both mailed well in advance - 10 business days, in fact!
I called both companies and they agreed to wave both the fee and finance charge as a "one time courtesy"
From now on
if I use their cards, I will pay by phone (free in MA) or online as I don't trust them to
not pull the same $hi+ again.
As long as you pay the balance in full each month, you've obviously got the money already set aside. So why not just get a debit card from your bank and use that?
Frankly, if the CC companies would do to me something like you outlined, and then waived fee & finance charge as 'one time courtesy'
(and I can just imagine how smarmy they were about it), I'd maybe wait a month — making sure I hadn't used the cards in the meantime — and then contact the companies and cancel them. And I'd be sure to tell them why I was doing it.
-"BB"-
I prefer not to use a card tied directly to my bank account (
yes, I am just a wee bit paranoid... ). I've had both of those accounts over 30 years (
yes, I am older than dirt too 
) going back to the days when the only cards accepts at gas stations were their own and I got them to help establish credit when I got out of school. HOWEVER after this BS I am planning to cancel both (
once I see the zero balance statements, of course) as I can easily use my Visa instead.
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 24, 2009 1:58 am
by ragtopW
Bicycle Bill wrote:Caribbean Soul wrote:I haven't noticed my credit limits dropping (
actually, since I pay all my balances in full every month ... I'm honestly not even sure what the limits even are )
HOWEVER that late fee BS
did happen to me last month on two of my gas cards - Shell & Mobil.
Both companies credited my payment
exactly 1 day late incurring both finance charges (
one was $1.00 the other $2.00)
and "late payment" fees (
one for $10.00 and the other was $20.00 ! ! ) Mind you the original bills were both only for about $20.00 - or one fill-up each
as I pretty much only use Sunoco around here, (
those were from a road trip).
That's why they did it. You pay your balance in full every month, and they're not making a nickel off of you. So when they had the chance to sock it to you, they did.
Caribbean Soul wrote: Like you, the checks were both mailed well in advance - 10 business days, in fact!
I called both companies and they agreed to wave both the fee and finance charge as a "one time courtesy"
From now on
if I use their cards, I will pay by phone (free in MA) or online as I don't trust them to
not pull the same $hi+ again.
As long as you pay the balance in full each month, you've obviously got the money already set aside. So why not just get a debit card from your bank and use that?
Frankly, if the CC companies would do to me something like you outlined, and then waived fee & finance charge as 'one time courtesy'
(and I can just imagine how smarmy they were about it), I'd maybe wait a month — making sure I hadn't used the cards in the meantime — and then contact the companies and cancel them. And I'd be sure to tell them why I was doing it.
-"BB"-
I pay off my balance.. most every month (some months I have a credit)
last year I ran the balance up to over 1100$ Yep I about died (3 airline tickets
and concert tickets)
I got a note from my c/c that since I carried a zero balance most of the time . They would waive the interest if I would pay it off in three months
I did not ask for it.. they offered..
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 24, 2009 4:16 am
by britparrothead
Cant' you pay your card off each month in your bank? That is what we do. The card is a Master Card, not affiliated to the bank we have our account with, we just walk in and pay over the counter.
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 24, 2009 8:10 am
by Glorfindel7
I pay most of my bills online using a service based off CheckFree that is offered by my bank. In some cases the companies themselves send "eBills" which I just have to click and pay. Otherwise I set up an account using the contact phone number and my bank takes care of setting it up, I just have to schedule payments.
This has saved me from having to worry about a lot of late fees (this is also why even those I have a Chase and Bank of America credit card I very rarely use them, because the credit card I currently have is less likely to charge me any "sneaky" fees.)
Re: Latest scam
Posted: March 25, 2009 12:58 pm
by citcat
They try to pull that crap with me, after being a good customer (Discover and Visa cards)....I'll cut the damm things up and shove them down the garbage.
[citcat runs to the desk to pay her Visa bill]