|
We welcome
responses from anyone, credit card companies or their associates |
Kathryn
Rincon, GA
Complaint_against: Collection Agents
Complaint: I have recieved calls when my account is 1 day late. Granted the
payment was in the mail but due to the past holiday weekend the payment was
delayed. Oh my so sue me. I got 8 phone calls in one day and 2 of them after
9pm. When I asked the guys calling why were they calling me after 9pm. They
told me that they were not in the US and didn't know what time it was for me
because they used the west coast time and it wasn't 9pm there yet. And what
is the deal with the collectoin agents barely speaking english. I can't
understand a word some of these folks say |
Benb
Mesa, AZ
Complaint_against: Complainers
Complaint:
First, I'll take responsibility for my own actions. I went bankrupt in
1999, and then got divorced in 2003. Is it a legitimate excuse for
chargeoffs and delinquicies? Well, it may not be a good excuse, but I had
no alternatives at the time since my now ex-wife decided she wasn't going to
help pay bills anymore, opened her own checking account in her name, and
just blew money on whatever she wanted. Yes, this included not paying
credit cards after a certain amount of time and my inability to keep up with
all of it.
So, a lot of it is starting to get into the past. I just recently paid off
2 credit cards that had been charged off. Well, even if the company that
issued the card doesn't actually get the money (since they sold the account
to a collection agency), I still felt good about paying it off. I have one
more to go, plus a situation with Americredit that is far too long to go
into here.
I lived on cash only for almost 4 years. Recently, I decided that I better
get out of that mode and start rebuilding my credit. BUT, I learned a LOT
of invaluable lessons about money. Living on cash only, I had no credit
cards (by choice), no checking account, nothing. I got my paycheck, cashed
it at the bank it was drawn on, paid my bills with a PRE-PAID DEBIT card or
money orders. I learned to live within my means, whatever I was making,
that's all I could spend. Emergencies? Oh well, if you can't pay for it,
you can't do it. I lived for a while without hot water because the heater
broke and I couldn't afford to replace it.
Now - I applied for several credit cards, was accepted for 3 of them, 2 of
them are unsecured with low maxes and the other is a secured card. I don't
really WANT credit cards, but I had NOTHING showing any kind of monthly,
recurring payments, and I want to get a loan for a house. Reading a LOT of
material, I figured I wanted at least 3, and maybe 4 credit cards.
Oh, these cards are no gems. Loaded with fees, I knew what I was getting
into before I got into them. One card had almost $200 in fees dumped into
it before I bought a SINGLE THING. But, I am not complaining, as I said, I
read the fine print, I knew what they were going to charge, the purpose was
to raise my credit score, not to have some sort of emergency money
available. I don't need emergency money any more. If I can pay for
whatever is broken or needs replaced, I replace it. If I can't - then it
doesn't get BOUGHT - PERIOD.
I paid the fees, got the monthly payment going, and BAM, my score raise
almost ONE HUNDRED points in less than TWO MONTHS!!! I went from a POOR
credit rating to a FAIR. Fair is good enough, I applied for a mortgage and
now am getting into my own house.
Okay, so I read about all these people complaining about their cards. TOO
many of them are people that "sent it in the mail but it didn't get there in
time". Well, if you really WANTED it to get there in time, you would have
sent it in LONG before the date it was due. You are complaining, actually
you are whining, about your own stupidity. Are your cards maxed out? WHY?
WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT YOUR LACK OF DISCIPLINE?
Sorry, but some of these excuses are extremely lame. No, I'm not sorry, I
used to make the same, stupid excuses. How do you think a person from a 3rd
party perspective sees it? If you know or suspect your payment is going to
be late, why don't you make the payment online? I make ALL of my payments
online, WELL in advance of the due date. YOU KNOW WHAT THE MINIMUM PAYMENT
IS GOING TO BE, YOUR EXCUSES MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A 2 YEAR OLD!!! Maybe you
folks just don't care about your credit score?
One thing's for certain: credit cards are a convenience, and should not be
used as an emergency thing that you can't pay off at the end of the month.
Credit card companies love you people that max out your cards and have to
pay endless payments that seemingly never go away.
I've read a few complaints that are legitimate, but a lot of it is - your
own doings. Get in your bed, sleep in it. If you can't afford MINIMUM
payments, then you can't afforda credit card. Contact the issuers, cancel
the cards, make payment arrangements - GET OUT OF THEM!!!
benb |
Kathryn
Rincon, GA
Complaint_against: Collection Agents
Complaint: I have recieved calls when my account is 1 day late. Granted the
payment was in the mail but due to the past holiday weekend the payment was
delayed. Oh my so sue me. I got 8 phone calls in one day and 2 of them after
9pm. When I asked the guys calling why were they calling me after 9pm. They
told me that they were not in the US and didn't know what time it was for me
because they used the west coast time and it wasn't 9pm there yet. And what
is the deal with the collectoin agents barely speaking english. I can't
understand a word some of these folks say |
Carol Bixby
Colorado Springs, CO
EmailAddress: betchya1111@aol.com
Complaint_against: Advice from a former collector
Complaint:
Here are some tips from a collector. I worked in the business for ten years
and learned a lot - about people. Keep in mind I was also a consumer at the
same time I was collecting. I learned that people in debt are ashamed of
their debt, because they are hardest on themselves. In my experience I
found out I was more than someone who tried to work out a way for the person
to pay their debt. I was someone with a shoulder to cry on, or in other
cases I was "the dog" for consumers to displace their emotions upon (kick
the dog syndrome), and in other cases just someone fun to talk to. I
enjoyed the last one. Always loved the customers who allowed themselves to
kick back and just talk for a while. Nice break in the day from people who
had regressed to playing little songs on their phone keypads, people
screaming at the top of their lungs four letter words follow by YOU PEOPLE,
people who took the phone off the hook and let me hear their TV (always
wondered what was that on!
e all about? lol). I acutally liked the "silent TV treatment" though,
because we were audited on how much time we were connected with a phonecall.
So, this gave me time to catch up on paperwork or eat my lunch. (So a big
thank you to those who take the phone of the hook and leave it. Loved every
single one of you!)
But...here are some of my questions that I was never allowed to ask you
folks. Why did you even pick up the phone in the first place if you didn't
want to talk? Why not shut off the home phone and use your cell phone?
Why did some of you say, "Oh, well, I haven't used that card in 4 years"?
Sorry, but that was my pet peeve. Say the card has a balance of $5,000.
Does not using it anymore exempt you from paying it, because you no longer
use it? How about this one then? If I buy furniture for my house and no
longer use it for whatever reason, does that mean I don't have to finish
paying for it? As in the case of the credit card, it always made me want to
say, "Good, dear one, if you're not using the card anymore, then GIVE THE
MONEY BACK! A loan is a loan is a loan is a loan. You knew that when you
BORROWED it. If it were a car I'll bet you'd be on the phone talking,
because they can come and take your car back, right? (Hey, I have a right
to vent too! lol)
As for the high interests, I often had people calling in, telling me what
they were going to offer. We had payment programs with interest rates that
were very, very low (like 6 percent, sometimes even no interest) and we were
ready to offer these really helpful plans. But when people call up and ask,
"Well what can you do for me? What do you have to offer?" Pardon me? I
felt like saying, "Sorry, but I'm the one offering the help and this isn't
an ice cream store where you come in and pick your flavor."
Unfortunately, circustances happen that are frequently beyond our control
that cause us to go into debt. Yet, as consumers who owe the debt, we must
remember that once in debt, we learn that stating the circumstance honestly,
and then waiting and LISTENING, may very well bring the answer to make the
whole situation easier. I helped a lot of people who said they had no idea
there would be a plan that would be so simple and actually help them. The
people I helped, ALLOWED me to help them though.
Also,don't go into long out detail. State what happen and then let the
collector ask the questions. Just try to let the collector guide you. You
might be surprised. You don't need to give any apologies. Contrary to
popular belief, many collectors are intelligent and very caring individuals
who have themselves been in debt. They know what it feels like, but they're
not likely to tell you this if you're screaming your head off. Won't really
get the chance now, will they?
As for those who say they have other credit cards in good standing - well,
not for long. Once the credit bureau gets a hold of one card in debt, soon
enough you can watch the others go up or get closed.
One other thing. Good piece of advice for calling collectors or any
customer service even if you're not in debt. If you're having trouble with
the help you're getting, politely say you have a sudden emergency or your
cell phone is going out, then hang up and try again for someone different.
I assure you, the chances of reaching the same person twice are low, and the
next one may be a much kinder personality who suddently can offer a much
better deal than the last one.
Good Luck. |
Nancy
NC
Complaint_against: Consumers/Collection Agencies
Complaint:
I'm a consumer and have worked for business collections years ago. I see a
lot of postings for WFNNB and others. This is really not a complaint, but a
'let's get real'..
In the past, I was one that didn't send payments in on time- for whatever
reason.Some may call it youth, others irresponsible,etc. The fact was I
would receive collection calls and think- "How dare they call me. I'm gonna
pay the bil." A few years, marriage and kids later,I also made a point to
pay my credit bills on time. It felt good not being afraid to answer the
phone. But as life would have it, I was extremely ill during my last
pregnancy, the baby was born ill and remained ill for nearly a year and I
suffered another illness as well. Amazingly, when I was truthful about the
reason for my delinquency,all of the collectors understood & tried to work
with me (including WFNNB. Sure, I may have encountered one or two that
weren't quite nice, but there was nothing I could do to change that. I've
said all of that to say this- We are all adults, collectors and customers.
If we as customer's receive a call from a rude collector, we don't have to
accept the abuse. Send a writte!
n complaint to the company- believe me, they respond. If you know you're
late , don't get mad with them because they're doing their job. Just be
honest. You can't get blood from a turnip- so, no matter what they say, if
you don't have the money, you just don't have the money. Their call doesn't
change that. End the call and finish your day. Collectors- you can't force
people to pay when they don't have the money. Yes, some consumers are
irresponsible and others have hit rough times. Because your job is
difficult, it's hard to determine when someone is being truthful. Whether
you think they're lying or telling the truth, you don't have to become
snappy or overly arguementative. Regardless of what you say, if they have
the money, they'll send it. If they don't, they won't. There's nothing you
say that will change that. Unless you're about to repossess their car or
foreclose on their home- many have to feed their kids and pay their light
bill before they pay a credit card bill.!
If you haven't found yourself in that situation before, count yourself as
fortunate. But it doesn't mean that you won't- no matter how many contracts
you read, first or how financially sound you are. The truth is, unless you
are born into wealth or hit the lottery, we are all at risk of losing our
job and thus our ability to pay our bills. |
James
Colo
Complaint_against: credit card companies that charges 32%
Complaint:
Yeah yeah yeah, we're all irresponsible consumers. That is not true but
lets concede for the sake of argument. What I want to know is how does a
company actually get away with charging 32%? How can that NOT be illegal?
I had every intention of paying that card but not now. This is out of
principle, not that I am a deadbeat. Of course I know what that's going to
do to my credit. I have other debts that I pay responsibly. Just like I did
with this one. But, like some of you, I was simply reevaluated as a 'credit
risk' and they jacked my rate. I would ask what are the board members
thinking? I am not homicidal but it makes me wonder how many people are
when they get a rate jacking to 32%? Luckily, they do not control the
police. Could you imagine: You are considered a gov't risk-we're locking
you up for 20 years. Could be worse I guess.
One person above states that GE actually lowers the rate when financial
difficulties arise, what a brilliant idea. How goddamn simple! They are
not going bankrupt b/c of this gesture, but merely shows that the company
does have some compassion AND common sense...not that they are required to
have either. Of course why would they have compassion....the board members
dont live paycheck to paycheck like 80-90% of their clients (they know
this-that's why their tactics are often considered deceitful) Admit it all
you credit card people who complain about the cussing and abuse. (for which
I agree there is no excuse for that- you are just doing your job and
certainly are not on the board of trustees making up these assanine rules)
But admit it. The crdit card companies have engaged in deceitful practices
by offering pre-approved cards to people not approvable by any kind of
idiot. But still you approve them. Then you put fine print in there, why?
Not to save paper I'll tel!
l you. To save your ass. Why not make it bold print. Because the idiots
might not get the card and then you cant charge 32%. 26%, 32% it's all f-ing
rediculous.Sorry to you folks getting the abuse...it really should be the
brass that sign the dividend checks to the shareholders-the ones getting 5
million dollar bonuses eventhough the company supposedly "lost money" this
fiscal year. I suggest you send all your rude tapes to them. As for you
rude consumers ask for the voice mail of the president of the company and
leave all you four letter words for him/her. |
Corey
winter springs, FL
Complaint_against: All who complain about Credit Cards
Complaint: I work at Sears,and yes my job is to sign people like you up for
our 26% interest rate cards. Dont blame us when you go into debt, it says
the interest rate right under where you signed. O...I forgot you just
wanted the 15 dollars off your purchase. Credit cards are not your enemies,
just dont buy things you dont have the money for! That is it, so stop
bitching! |
D.S.
AZ
Complaint_against: GEMB Card Holder Complaints
Complaint:
So time and time again we hear the same story...I have never been late, yet
there are 10 late pymnts in a 1 yr span and I hear well those were not my
fault I mailed them out ( pymnt due on the 5th and you decide to mail it out
on the 3rd) Here is what I dont understand, When we as consumers charge
something on a credit card or have something financed..WE know we owe money
on it, it wasnt free and as adults we should be smart enough to make pymnts
on time and be proactive in finding out more about the terms and conditions
before signing up for financing. If you know you owe and you dont get a bill
with in the first month, I would be calling someone about it if I were you
in order to protect YOUR credit...I hear complaints every day and most of
them are valid and I bend over backwards to help out when I can, but if
there is nothing I can do then its not personal its me doing my job. I have
a family to feed and in a previous complaint where the gentleman said "I
really hope th!
ese people's cars do cartwheels on the freeway." Wow that is really
ignorant. THOSE PEOPLE are just trying to make a living and pay there bills
and raise their families too and to wish something like that on to another
person is plain ignorant. GE Money Bank treats their employees better than
any other company I have ever seen. And it is no wonder why their employees
love to work there. If you dont want financing and dont understand how
credit works might I suggest the next time you buy something PAY CASH.
Because GEMB is withing the guidelines set up by the federal government and
the terms and conditions are clear. The promos that are expiring that "no
one seems to know anything about" Those expiration dates are on EVER
statement....
-READ YOUR STATEMENTS -READ THE CONTRACTS BEFORE YOU SIGN THEM -
before you call and scream and cuss at the next service rep please
understand that we are not stupid we are not being mean WE ARE TRYING TO
HELP YOU AND DO OUR JOBS.....Which is hard to do when we get those very few
that dont understand credit calling in and cussing us out for something that
WE PERSONALLY did not do to them. -MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR MIN AMNT DUE
IN THE MAIL IN PLENTY ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO THE PAYMENT CENTERS -THE
PAY BY PHONE FEE IS CHEAPER THAN THE LATE FEES
-IF YOUR BANK MAKES A MISTAKE REALIZE IT IS NOT OUR FAULT EITHER AND TAKE IT
UP WITH YOUR BANK
-IF YOU ARE A SPOUSE, PARENT OR FRIEND and NOT on the acct BY LAW we can not
talk to you without speaking to the card holder - FOR SECURITY (Your
protection) We can NOT give out account numbers over the phone -LAST
but not least... If you call up screaming and cussing BY LAW WE CAN
DISCONNECT THE CALL, BUT WE WOULD RATHER YOU CALM DOWN AND LET US TRY TO
HELP YOU Next time you need help might I add please call in and we
will be glad to help and if the rep you are speaking to does give you
attitude (because Im sure it happens) ask to be transferred to a supervisor
BUT IF THE REP ACTUALLY HELPS YOU OUT PLEASE COMPLIMENT THEM BECAUSE IT DOES
HELP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE
CUSTOMER ITs easy to tear someone down and make everyone around you in a bad
mood but one word that is nice goes a long way as well |
Lynn
Complaint_against: credit card companies
Complaint:
I am one of those customers that had my interest rate raised from under 10%
to 29.9%. I was never late paying ANY of my credit cards and always paid
more than my minimum payment (usually rounded it up to the next hundred
dollar). When I called the bank (Bank One) they gave me the excuse that hey
had mailed me a notice with my statement a couple of months earlier
explaining this change of terms. I can't say I ever got it and they can't
prove to me that they actually provided me with it. I asked them why they
raised my interest rate and they said I was a credit risk. I told them
about my excellent payment history and they said "it is too late now, you
had time to opt out". They also said that if I didn't close my account my
rate would probably go even higher! Now you tell me how I was not being
financially responsible. I was paying every month and I was never late.
Then explain to me how you can call me a credit risk and then expect me to
pay 20% extra in finance cha!
rges??????? Now I'm definately going to struggle to pay my bills. I knew
that if I paid late or missed a payment that my rate would be affected, but
I never read that if they "consider" me a credit risk they can raise my
rate. Me being a credit risk is strictly their opinion. I was not charging
on my accounts, only paying them down. PS - I was NOT rude to the rep. at
Bank One. I only asked how they can consider me a risk if I'm paying my
credit cards. She was just telling me that was irrelevant.
To sum it up...I was being responsible and paying my debt and you raised my
finance charges to make it harder for me to pay them off. |
The rude person on the other end of the phone
Complaint_against: WFNNB
Complaint:
WFNNB is in fact, a legitimate, federally sanctioned bank. We abide by the
laws laid out for that. If there is a problem, then take the time to
complain to the appropriate entities that govern banks. If you had a problem
with Chase bank, you wouldn't merely stop with a supervisor, would you?
As a FIRST PARTY GRANTOR we are not obligated to abide by FDCPA, as that
governs the actions of THIRD PARTY COLLECTION AGENCIES. However, we do abide
by most of the regulations, including calling during acceptable times (as
in, 8 AM to 9 PM in YOUR TIME ZONE), and not calling you at work when you
request us not to. If you did get a call at work after we've told you not
to,request the call to be pulled. We tape 100% of our conversations. The
representative will be dealt with accordingly.
Our collection practices are aggressive, yes. And you know, when I am at
work and I hear some people sometimes I wonder what in the world are they
doing that for! I've done collections for the credit card industry for five
years, and I know some good people in this field. I also know some bad
people. I KNOW that you won't get any results being rude. In my experience I
have found that if there is an issue with someone, a legitimate issue, they
will tell me, "My daughter is in the hospital." "I've had a death in the
family" "The payment slipped my mind" "I have lost my job"... And i will go
out of my way to ensure that they get help they need. We have hardship
programs avalible, but as it is with every credit card grantor in the
industry, it is a ONE TIME DEAL! Why in the world would I want to use that
when you are only one-two payments behind? What happens when you have a car
accident a year later and you get six payments behind and owe a payment of
500$? I would rather be !able to help you with that. Near all of our clients
offer web pay, with NO CHARGE, except for chadwicks.We have another company
THE PARENT COMPANY of the card you are applying for research your
application. Once it gets to us already approved, we have no control over
the information. o those of you receiving calls on a wrong number :I want to
apologize to you, as you have it the hardest. It's frustrating to get a call
for someone that you don't know. My job requires me to call a number three
times to confirm that it is a bad number, and for every legitamate wrong
number, there are 100 people that it is a right number for. Our regulations
state that if you say it's a wrong number and don't call this number
anymore, then we are not to call it, and we are to note the request. If you
get a call again, call back and have them pull the tape. The representative
will be taken care of accordingly.If you have a rude person on the line,
hang up on them. Don't deal with them. We then cannot call you for seven
days. When you calm down, call customer service and explain, CS will pull
the tape, forward it to the rep's sup and then disciplene them accordingly.
I see 91 complaints noted here, most of them legitamate gripes, and I feel
for you. I really do. If you feel that there is a legality issue, call an
attorney. Look up your laws. We are not permitted by law to tell anyone -
parents, children, friends - that we are calling about a debt, an account,
anything. All we can do is leave a number. In the case of the people that
got calls for thier daughter - request that we do not call your number
anymore. To the husband : the only places we cannot speak with a spouse is
in Iowa and Mass. Other than that, we will disclose that we are calling
about an account because nearly every single person we talk to says "Oh, my
husband/wife pays the bills". We aren't even OPEN for business before 8 am
so there is NO WAY that we called at 7:30 am. on SUNDAYS we don't even open
until 12:30 PM. That's 8 AM in hawaii, and within the calling laws
nationwide.Understand that we understand that for the most part, people
don't want to be behind on thier bills, and that the rep you talk to will do
what they can to help you, but ya know what? Most likely we have just been
screamed at by someone before you and are frustrated too. I can't speak for
everyone, but I will tell you that if it's me on the other end of that phone
calling you - i'mnot calling to cause problems. I'm not calling to be rude,
i AM calling to collect a bill or get a payment arrangement. But, if you get
rude with me, then i'm not going to be very empathtic with you. Refuse to
pay, hang up the phone, tell us what's going on, whatever makes you happy.
Scream, yell, vent about the five previous people that called, but when
all's said and done, unless it's identity theft, you still owe the bill.To
you bankruptcy people : Don't just scream into the phone "I"M FINLING
BANKRUPTCY" and hang up.In order for us to stop calling you one of two
things need to occur:
Give us your attorney's name and numberortell the attorney that you are
paying your hard earned money to, to get off his ass and send a cease and
desist letter.also - the reason why we don't give out our full names is
because of the comment above about the guy with his "federal id" that's
going to get past our security and take care and "discuss" his account with
his manager. Look to your own defenses. |
A Collector
Ohio
Complaint_against: WFNNB
Complaint:
I just wanted to provide some information and insight on WFFNB. It is a
bank that finances credit for over 90 clients. It is a fortune 500 inductee
and voted as one of the top places to work. there are thousands of
employees and millions of customers.
For every rude collection person there are at least 100 who are not. I know
there are some rude collectors as I work with them every day.
For those of you who want to pay online but can't find a web site: Almost
every client has web site that you can make a payment through. Victoria's
secret, Limiter, Express etc. Just pull up their web site go to my acount
and sign up for web payments. Make sure that you do not sign up for web
statements or you will not get paper statements in the mail. There is a
charge for a payment by phone bvut this is not a charge set by
collectors. It is a bank charge for the payment. Each store has
different billing processes. Some stores charge a late fee if the
payment was made after the due date but before the next billing. This
is not a WFNNB charge but a store charge.
When you use your license to apply for the discount the information on your
license is the information applied to your account. If the address is old
the computer doesn't know and will use that as a billing address. This is
why some of you don't receive bills. As collectors we just have the
information provided by the stores.
The WFFNB is a federal bank and must comply with federal law. Our computer
will not allow us to contact account holders before 8AM and after 9PM. It
is an automated dialer system. That is why there is delay when you
answer the phone or are asked to hold for the next available represenative.
That is why it seems like you have been hung up on. The computer will keep
trying to contact that number until it is answered that is why you may
receive multiple calls on your caller ID in one day.
If there is a report made to the credit bureau against you, you have the
right to submit an explination not to exceed 100 words to explain the
delinquency, error or incorrect information.
The majority of people will ignore a call from a creditor especially if
they are unable to pay. I am living proof of that. I have learned
from my job and personal experience that if you talk to the creditor there
may be options available to you that aren't public knowledge. Most
companies have a hardship program that enables a customer to stop late fees
and repair payment history without paying the balance or minimum due.
You may have to ask buty these programs are there.
If you are treated rudely by any WFNNB employee do get their name ask to
speak to their supervisor and if nessecery that supervisors supervisor.
No one should ever be made to feel bad, called names, or treated with
disrespect by any employee of WFNNB!! I know it happens, but you have the
power to change that. Keep detailed notes and keep calling until some
one at WFNNNB hears you!
I have been with this company as an employee and customer for some time
now. I have been treated excellent as an employee and would recommend it as
an employment opportunity to any one looking for a job! As a customer I too
have had rude collectors, been called a dead beat, been told my credit will
be ruined ect. Not very often but enough to know that all of you are not
spouting off about something that didn't happen. Please remember that the
majority of the people who work for WFNNB have been in your shoes and do not
treat people the way you have all described. If you have an issue stay on
top of it untill you get it resolved. We can only do what our rules and
regulations allow us to do as collectors. For every honest complaint or
problem there are many more that open accounts max them out and never make
a payment. There are people who open multilpe accounts max them and never
make a payment. We are told people are dead, in jail, missing, kidnapped
ect. !
We are called everything in the book and out of the book, we are told to
do things that are physically impossible and crimes against nature and
God. I have heard every exuce in the book about why a payment hasn't
been made and been told the checks in the mail by the same client so many
times that I want to ask where are you putting that payment. This
doesn't excuse any behavior you might recieve from a collections
representave!
Just remeber: Store web sights except payment, rude collection people
should be reported, you are allowed to use the hardship programs twice in a
five year period, you are protected by law against illegal collection
activity and you are the reason I have employment. Everyone falls on hard
times and it is our job to help you remain a client and continued use of
your credit cards!
I want to apoligize to all of ypu who have ever been mistreated by a
coworker and I hope the information I provided helps you in the future. |
rsu
Complaint_against: collectors
Complaint: I'm a reasonably intelligent person I had no choice but to run up
large balances on several cards to help out my mother she was kicked out of
her home when my stepfather died by my step sister I had to gut grandmas
house and replace most of her belongings so she could have a place to
live...I made my payments on time everymonth and when it started feeling
like to much I went back to work.. I had ruptured disks in my neck and
wasn't able to work for 6 months and got behind now creditors call me
everyday talking about garnishment and legal action even though I'm working
with a debt negotiation company and still they keep calling I know I'm
behind and I know i'm responsible for the debt I don't have a problem with
that I have a problem when they ask me if I can geve them twelve thousand
dollars in a week If I could I wouldn't owe you anything and no I will not
refinance my house sell my car or borrower from a neighbor sometimes they
make the most ludicrous statement!
s I will work with you I am not a loser because I have had medical problems
or personal problems I am just an ordinary person that got behind. and just
because most creditors have heard these problems before doesn't make it a
lie or an excuse maybe it's an explanation and you should show some
compassion....!!!!! |
Wanda
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
EmailAddress: Beemeuplease@aol.com
Complaint_against: Credit card Collectors
Complaint:
I had a pretty bad night last evening. Earlier in the day I called Chase to
uncover why I was not getting the 1.99% interest rate that I was promised. I
was told that my payment posted a day late............
I mentioned to the Customer service person that I had never been late on a
payment before. That it seemed odd I would increase my balance and then
forfeit the promised low interest rate? She told me, very matter-factly,
that she would not remove the finance charge or lower my interest rate. I
told her I was going to file a complaint. To this, she responded: "It's your
fault. Why would you do that?" I couldn't eat dinner last night. I
kept thinking, why no good grace? Why was she so heartless? I couldn't shake
a very very miserable feeling........ This morning I saw here that
Chase has more complaints than any other credit card company. I felt better.
Good enough to read the posts of Credit Card Collectors. Then I got angry. A
collector is someone who collects for pay. I thought, what right does an
employee have to tell me that I could have avoided this? That I am
responsible? I know I did nothing wrong. I sent my payment in the same time
every month. That it was, suspiciously, received by Chase a day late is
speculative at best. It was, for certain, a wake up call for me. Since
I listened to Chase tell me that they would not do the right thing and I
can't figure a legal way to make Chase sorry, I'm suppose to settle for
filing a complaint with the FTC. I no I want to do so much more........
|
Anonymous 4/15/07
Complaint_against: customers
Complaint:
I recently got a job in the customer service dept of Premier Bankcard. I
never fully understood the harassment that credit card company employees go
through on a daily basis. I you, the customer, would read the fine print
when you apply for our credit card, you wouldn't have to call in all the
time complaining about hidden fees, payment verification holds, etc. When
you apply for this credit card, nothing is "hidden" from you. If you don't
understand something when applying, call and get your questions answered,
don't wait until your acct. is assessed any late fees, over credit limit
fees, etc. to call in. SOME fees that you are assessed can be waived as a
one time courtesy. Don't repeatedly send your payment late or go over your
credit limit, etc. and expect those fees to be waived. YOU are responsible
for your own bills, so be responsible and take care of them. If, when you
first receive your card in the mail, and you didn't "remember" those initial
start up fees woul!
d be billing to your acct., you can call and close your acct. and those
start up fees would be credited back to the acct. Also, pay at least your
minimum payment by your due date. Don't rely on the 2-3 day grace period
before your next statement prints to try to get your payment there before
you are assessed a late fee. Also, for those of you who think that you will
get a "better deal" by getting rude, using profanity, etc., you won't. If
you remain pleasant to me on the phone, I will do likewise. Also, don't try
telling me that we are the only credit card company that charges late fees,
etc. I don't know where you came from, but the credit cards that I have
charge those fees also. As for the fees to make your payment online or over
the phone, that is our bank policy, which you were informed of when applying
for the credit card!! If you don't like paying those fees, send your payment
in. It's as easy as that!!! Whether or not making an online payment is less
work for u!
s, who cares, it is our bank policy that you be assessed a $7 fee to do that
payment online. It does beat a $25 late fee if your payment were to be late,
correct?!? When your application says that you were approved for a credit
limit of $5000, that doesn't necessarily mean you will get that $5000 limit.
It could be anywhere from the minimum credit limit of $200 to the maximum
credit limit of $5000!!! Stop and think about that when applying for the
credit card! You would save your time and mine as well!
TO OUR NICE CUSTOMERS: THANK YOU!! It is always a pleasure to be able to
help you in any way that we can!! We look forward to YOUR calls, and it also
makes our day go by faster and a lot less stressful!!! Thanks again!!
TO OUR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE NOT NICE: Also, thanks for calling anyways. If you
are not smart enough to read all of the terms and conditions of the credit
card when applying, or ask about them if you don't fully understand them,
then you probably aren't smart enough to even have a credit card, and I am
sorry that one has been offered to you!! |
Esther
Phoenix
Discover Card
This isnt a complaint.
I work at Discover. Here are some things you need to think about before
posting a complaint: 1. If you make payments on time, you wont have
problems. ALWAYS check to make sure your payment went through. 2.
Customer Service never calls anyone. We have a balance transfer team and
usage team. Balance transfer team will call you if your bt rate was lowered.
Usage will call you if you havent used your card in a while and see if we
can get your interest rate lowered. 3. If we call you, then yes you do
have a Discover Card. Cutting up your card doesnt close the account.
4. We have to read a discosure for everything we do on the account, whether
its doing a balance transfer, enrolling you in a service, raising or
lowering your credit limit, anything. You also have to authorize everything
before we're able to do it. 5. In every discosure we read, we state
all the terms. Its not our fault if you're not listening or don't ask
questions. 6. For the balance transfer offers that has you make 2
purchases a month, in the disclosure it reads "purchases are subject to the
APRs applicable to your account." It also states that in the letter we send
you after the BT has processed. 7. We don't tell you everything that
comes with a Discover Card because we assume you have read the damn users
manual we send you. 8. Yes we will call you if you dont make a
payment. You cant expect anyone to loan you 6 grand and expect you not to
pay it back. 9. Closing your account does not cancel your balance.
10. Finance charges accumulate daily, if you pay your balance off a week
before your due date, there will be those 3 weeks of finance charges. So
call us to pay it off and stop being dumb. 11. We have a department
that only lowers interest rates. If you request your interest rate to be
lowered, then we will go as low as the computer allows us. |
Anonymous
Complaint_against: Not a Complaint but an FYI
Complaint:
I work for WFNNB,the bank that finances the Limited Brand credit cards,
Value City Furniture, Maurices. Ann Taylor e.t.c. Most of the complaints
that i have seen posted here are from people that are deliquent on their
bills trying to justify being late?? But some are justified.WFNNB has it's
own collection department and the customer service department that you call
is also WFNNB they are not separate.WFNNB is not a collections agency but
they are the Bank that provides you with the credit to Victoria Secrets and
so forth.And since they are collecting their own debt, they do not have to
follow the FDCPA, but they do and have a very strict code of conduct (Code
Of Ethics).As said even though they do not have to follow the FDCPA by law,
since they are collecting their own debt,they follow it and abide by it
strongly (please look up the FDCPA for referance-The Fair Dept Collection
Practices Act online)
For those that have legitimate complaints call the Customer Service
department they will be more than willing to work with you but also remember
they are human. And for those that are late on their bills just pay them on
time to avoid the collections calls!!!And by the way i have seen people that
open more than 3 credit cards for example Maurices, Victoria Secret or The
Limited, if you get late on them @ the same time you might get 3 separate
calls, if you are just a payment poastdue, your credit score is good and
have just fallen a payment pastdue a few times they might just give you a
'courtesy' call..For WFFN to call you several times then it means you are
really deliquent so pay your bills and stop complaining!!..WFNNB does not
own the stores they just finance the credit cards!! |
Complaint_against: Don the Collection Guy
Complaint:
Yea all those losers that you have to call daily:
1. Lost Job, was probably the losers fault. Hey you hiring??
2. Illness, losers always get sick.
3. Terminal Illness, these losers should come find you and discuss their
problems in person.
4. People with every excuse in the book. Hey, maybe they could write a
book??
5. Even losers are people just like you and I. Same problems just
different times and venues. If credit card companies would help out by
suspending the person's card and lowering the interest rate until the
balance became managable, then maybe things could be different? Aww no
credit company does that do they??? Too bad if you believe
that.............. GE Financial does it all the time for customers
................
We are all the same in the end....... |
doug funneh
oh
Complaint_against: wfnnb
Complaint:
just like this says in the header, post your complaint. obviously if you
come here you are not unique in having credit card problems. i work for a
transparent company of wfnnb, and just because you are posting something
here means something didnt work for YOU. in my experience, the people who
call in that have the biggest problems with their credit are the ones who
have a lot of other issues in their life as well. they dont know how to
communicate effectively what they need, almost all of them get caught up in
their own financial psycho-drama and misplacing blame onto someone else...if
you're polite and willing to conversate, you will be helped much easier.
look: dont make purchases you cant pay for. or it will cost you. theres no
secrets there. settle down when you call in, answer the questions we have,
we already know that you know it all, we're trying to help you. but dont
expect to make us feel sorry for you if you cant do what you signed a
contract to do. if there is a!
legitimate problem, you will be helped, but if you are negligent or
irresponsible, please look deeper within before you lash out.
peace you consumers of the nation |
Discover Card Employee
Complaint_against: Discover CardMembers
Complaint:
I cannot believe the complaints I have been reading!!! I am disgusted. Let
me tell you the FACTS about Discover Card:
*EVERY credit card company charges overlimit fees & late fees. That should
be expected. Please make your payments on time! We make adjustments and
remove fees on a case by case basis, but if you have been delinquent 6 times
in one year, and your mother has died 4 times, chances are we will not be
able to help you. Perhaps you should not have a credit card. We have a neat
way of documenting calls.
*If you request a 0% balance transfer, read the offer completely! Make sure
you know the expiration date, if you are required to make purchases to keep
it active, etc.... be INFORMED. Call if you have questions.
*Yes, payments are applied to Balance Transfers FIRST. So if you do a 0% BT
and are required to make purchases to keep it active, you will have finance
charges on the purchases!!! You CANNOT allocate your payments how you see
fit.
*Discover does offer cardmembers several benefits-cashback bonus, complete
fraud protection, etc....more than the other credit card companies. Yes I
have researched.
*All calls are NOT recorded in our call centers!
*Yes, Discover could close your account based on periodic reviews of you
credit rating with other credit card companies. This helps you stay out of
debt.
*AND---My Biggest Complaint of all--If you are on vacation and do not make
your payment because you didn't receive your statement, that is not
Discover's fault!!! Do you skip your mortgage or utility payments when
you're on vacation? Do you call the mortgage company and say...hm..I didn't
receive my last statement because I was on vacation in the Bahamas. Darn,
can you waive that fee for me? NO NO NO
Discover cardmembers are greedy and selfish.
Trust me when I say, Discover is not trying to steal your money. The
managers and team leads in my department encourage the entire staff to
provide excellent customer service, at all times. |
B.D.
N.J.
Complaint_against: Credit collecters
Complaint: Yes I am will a ware I owe you money ! As you refuse to let me
forget it. you say I refuse to talk to you! Well could that be because yo
call me and insult me by treating me as if i am the most stupid person you
can talk to today. As you speak to me rudly from hello! to the end of the
call? You say I refuse to listen to what you have to say about the bill you
are collecting for? Could that be because you make me wont to hang up? You
say I refuse to work with you on my bill and get it payed ?Why should I,
after you Talk to me as if I am stuped, are rude to me, Threaten me with
going to jail? fine send me , at two dollars a day it will take you longer
to get a payment. ask me to talk to family and friends to get a loan to pay
you. If i could do that why am I still talking to you? I tell you I am out
of a job you say find one well i have been looking I am amost fifty when i
went to school jobs trained you ,today you are the job. when i got a job in
constion you sa!
y but you can't work winters.I say I am trying. you say sell what you own, I
own nothing of any real value. I live with my sister, she has troble
saporting her self how can i get her to carry me? Making excuess you say?
NO stating facts you refuse to hear. you wont your money and you don't care
how I get it. just so long as you get it. I would pay you off just to get
you to leave me a lone. And for your infomation when i got the credit,I felt
I knew what I was getting in to at the time. AT that time I thought I could
hande payments late fees ECT... I could not for see what problems that where
to come my way in the future. you assume that I am in the group That feel
becouse you were stuped enough to extend them credit thay dont have to pay.
You ASSUME ASS/U/me ASS OF YOU AND ME ASSUME get that? I wont to pay
you but MURRPHY has other plans for my life at this time. sorry! I vote for
the barter sistem to do a way with credit. |
Christina
Complaint_against: consumers
Complaint:
Hello,
I currently work in a low-risk area of collections. Most of my calls are
people who are 1-61 days behind.
1. READ YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS!
2. IT is not my fault if you paid a day late! you will get a late fee.
3. It is not the credit card companies fault your min due went up a year
ago! That federal government that you want to write and complain about is
the one to blame. min due used to be calculated with 1/48 of the balance,
plus finance charges, late fees, and some times insurance you have on the
card. BEcause you complained it's now 1% so your min due went up and you can
pay sooner!
4. Don't cuss me out because it got lost in the mail. You can take to a
store, call it in, or pay online. You made the decision to put your money in
someone's hand with out a confirmation# or a reciept from a cashier.
5. WE have programs ask talk to us we have options to help you out, you may
not like them but we do have them!
6. In your time zone we can call your from 8 am -9pm in the USA. WE can call
7 days a week. IF you choose not to talk to us or let us help you that is
your choice-we do have options!
7. There is also a way to stop the calls-pay your debit. OR write a cease
and desist letter-must be written-key word write!. Telling me to stop
calling doesn't work!!!!! However if your account gets current and there is
fraud on the account we can't call you!!! so it's a double edged sword.
8. My company only calls 5x's a day till we reach you, if you hangup we
won't call back that day, but will call back the next. If you talk to us as
the cardholder we don't call back for 5 whole days! By law we can call more
then 5, but we don't.
pay your fucking bills! you made the charges you didn't misplace that
washer, heater, car, or shoes-just because you didn't get your statment you
had bill do call! I've heard all the sob stories. I don't have credit cards
for a reason! If I can't pay cash I don't need it!
Jobs get lost, people die, people get sick, if you can't pay it then you
don'[t need it!
Thanks! |
B.K.B.
Complaint_against: employees of credit card companies who whine and have
Complaints against Customers
Complaint: If u don't like the negative cr@p
thrown at you by ticked off customers, get another job. People know what
they do, they know that they will one day be at the wrath of a credit card
company and they will fight back, they will complain and attack, even
something that is partially their own fault.. Hey, want it to be twice as
bad as it is now, the second they hear there is a sound in your voice they
do not like, they well say even more nastier things to u. However, if credit
card companies put some thought into what they do and quit sending out
application for new card and the issuing them to any person, including some
homeless guy in a cardboard box, maybe they would not have to deal with all
the people who end up hating you.. NEVER TRUST A CREDIT CARD COMPANY. (they
are no better than collection agencies.) In the end, one way or another they
will $crew u up your @$$.. why, because they can.. As for employees of the
credit card company, if u don't like any of the !
negativity that is being thrown at you QUIT and find a REAL AMERICAN job.
|
anonymous supervisor
Complaint_against: the people who are upset with credit cards
Complaint:
I'm also a supervisor for a reputable credit company. I am the "law" of your
credit account when you call customer service. If you do not like my
decision, you need to write in like most terms and conditions state to do to
preserve your rights in the first place. Failure to take these steps leaves
you hurting, and I feel for you, most of you.
We have credit cards too, and I've never had a problem with any of them as
you have, and believe me I've had credit cards for a long time. I read my
terms and conditions at least twice before even using the account. I want to
know just how bad I can get screwed if I'm not careful, and I wish you'd do
the same before ranting and raving about most of the injustices that could
have been prevented if you just paid attention.
Using credit is like using cash, except it's like borrowing the cash from a
friend, except this friend charges interest and there are no excuses for not
paying it back in a timely fashion. Instead of breaking your legs, we're
going to ask for money back if you don't pay it on time, and we may charge
you more for being late or up the ante to get it back faster.
Spend within your means. Quit trying to spend $3,000 if you know you can't
cover it in a timely manner. Be aware that you will encounter an emergency
and it's possible you will run low on money. Try saving some instead of over
extending through credit.
My biggest pet peeve with credit consumers is their inability to manage
money. Almost 90% of these complaints are due to lack of knowledge. Try
saving your money, and only use as much credit as money you have saved. If
you lose your job and are not able to pay your bills, use that saved money
to at least clear your debt and help you break even. You're not doing
yourselves any favor prolonging the pain by leaving balances unpaid. Paying
more than the minimum due is a good idea as well.
I love it when you start cussing me out, because it means you can just write
in and I have nothing else to say to you because you've already lost
control, and technically you have no preserved rights by calling in. If you
want to continue to cuss me out I will simply hang up. You have no right to
harass me or verbally abuse me. If I could cuss at you back I might
reconsider hanging up on you the minute you say, "This is bullshit," because
I could say, "What's bullshit is you wasting my time."
Just think about it before you blow up.
Don't cuss out the associates you first speak with. Yeah, there's some bad
ones who are short or simply not helping, that's when you ask for a
supervisor and let us know. Associates don't just transfer to me and say,
"This customer is cussing and raving" because they feel like it. I love how
you get a supervisor and all of the sudden you are just the perfect person,
especially when I was sitting right next to the associate and heard you cuss
them out, which brings me to my next point.
I'm here for you, and I do my hardest to make good with those who are honest
with me and honest with themselves. A lot of calls come in trying to commit
fraud or try to pull one over on the business, and my job is to stop those
ruining it for everyone else. The more honest and straightforward you are
with me, the better I can sincerely assist you, and wow, I've been able to
do some great things for people who really hit the deep end simply because
they had it together and were able to get me the right information the first
time.
This is a business first and foremost. We aren't here to give out free
money. I have to get paid to feed my family somehow. Each time I give you a
courtesy fee waiver because you "goofed" and didn't pay on time is another
chance that I may lose my job because my business is losing money. I have no
problems once in awhile a payment is a day late, and it happens, but rules
are rules, and legally I don't have to waive any fee whatsoever no matter
how you feel or how nice you tell me you are. Refer to the paragraph just
above this one. Also, remember you agreed to be charged these fees the
minute you used the account. This is also why you have a finance charge in
most circumstances. Pay your new balance in full and avoid it altogether if
you don't like it.
Don't ask me if I read the fine print on everything I sign as if you're
going to make an argument. As a matter of fact, if I put my name on ANYTHING
I'm taking the time to read ALL the fine print. If I don't have the fine
print in front of me I'll ask to wait until I can review it myself. Don't be
that person, just ... don't.
For god sake's, if you are applying for a card, DO NOT DO A BALANCE TRANSFER
AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. You're basically stating no matter the outcome
of the processing of your application that you want this balance transfer to
be processed (short of your application being declined). Save yourself some
inadvertant pain and just wait until you get all of your paperwork in front
of you. I wouldn't do this if they told me they'd buy me a new house.
Many of these troubles I've read could have been prevented simply by
removing negligence by the customer, and I've had many customers fess up and
admit they should have known. They have then tried to claim its only my
company that does it. Word to the wise, people, it's all of them. |
Anonymous
Complaint_against: deadbeats
Complaint:
It's amazing how people think they're legally entitled to a credit card. I
get calls all the time from people who applied for a credit card and we
reject them. WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A CREDIT CARD BECAUSE YOU AREN'T
WORTH THE RISK. Get over it, stop whining and go elsewhere. The more you
whine, the more of a loser you are.
And the people on this forum is right: If you don't want to be in debt,
don't overspend.
FACT: if you get high interest rates and contacted by collectors, it's
because your credit score sucks and you're a frequent deadbeat. PERIOD.
You feel powerless because of your irresponsible behavior. Because if
you're a decent customer, credit card companies will fight for your business
and go out of their way to appease you. That's how the free market
functions.
I'm not denying credit card companies are greedy pigs. But everybody is
greedy. Stop being naive by thinking corporations exist to help you. They
exist to make a profit...just like you go to work to earn a paycheck.
That's how the world works in our glorious capitalistic system. The sooner
you understand and accept this concept, the better off you'd be. |
Response to the Collector below that is trying to give advice:
He says: "pay on time"
This is a reflection of this collector and typically "most" collector's low
I.Q. What is the "assumption" here? That no one wants to pay on
time or no one cares? Obviously, paying on time is just NOT possible
all the time or he wouldn't have a job. So, to ALL collectors, be
sympathetic! You yourself, someday, may have to pay late.
"Don't wait for the "statement" to remind you.
OK. No one has anything better to do in their lives. I can see
everyone waiting around anxiously to get their statement, that everyone
knows exactly what day it comes in the mail and that if it's a single day
late, panic!
"Don't think of credit cards as long term debt".
I never met
anyone that would like to think of it in this respect!!
"Don't carry large balances".
Could you repeat that, over and over again? Gee, I thought EVERYONE liked
large credit card balances and interest rates. Thank you. We now
have an "11th Commandment"!! Could you ask your credit card company to
advertise this on TV, Radio, the newspapers, etc????
Last: "Maintain a huge buffer between your balance and credit limit".
Give us a break! We're all financial neophytes. Is this a goal
we are suppose to work for? When did this become a reason a have or to
use a credit card?
And he says "99% of the problems consumers face is because the consumer is
irresponsible with credit or too stupid to know how credit cards work".
Yeah, he thinks we're the "stupid" ones! This collector is
probably not even embarrassed about his lack of intelligence and out right
stupidity. |
Anonymous
Complaint_against: Nobody
Complaint:
I work in the credit card business.
Don't get me wrong, credit card companies screw up. But 99% of the problems
consumers face is because the consumer is irresponsible with credit or too
stupid to know how credit cards work.
If you do the following, I promise you'd rarely have a problem with your
credit cards:
- Pay on-time. If you have to, pay on the credit card's website
- Don't wait for the statement to remind you to pay. Statements do get lost
in the mail. Check the company's website the same time of the month to see
what you owe.
- Don't think of credit cards as long-term debt.
- Don't carry large balances
- Maintain a huge buffer between your balance and your credit limit
In short, if you don't want problems, don't spend like an idiot and don't
blame the credit card company for your irresponsible behavior.
Also, if you have a complaint, raise them in a diplomatic fashion. I can
100% assure you that you'd have a far greater chance of getting what you
want by being nice than by being rude. If you're nice and need to ask a
supervisor to do something, be assured I'd argue your case far more
convincing than if you're being an a--hole. Yes, a customer service rep
should treat everyone equally regardless of whether you're nice or mean.
But people are people. And a rep will more likely go the extra mile trying
to find a solution for you if you're being courteous. |
J
Complaint_against: Customers
Complaint:
I have been working for a credit card company for over two years now, and I
have lost count on how many times I have been verbally abused and degraded
on the phone. I realize that sometimes when you call, the person on the line
is an absolute moron. Trust me I know, I am a supervisor - my duties include
escalated calls from customers and also calls from customer service reps
needing help. But no matter how stupid they are - I never yell at them,
swear at them or insult them. If you are not having success with a rep, ask
for a supervisor. If the person you are talking to is not assiting you, call
back and get someone else. Don't yell and swear at them, your just making
your self look stupid and not very intelligent. The nicer you are the more I
am going to want to help you. If you start off swearing at me and being
rude, then expect the same treatment back. If your going to be rude then I
am going to help you as little as possible. If you are extremley nice I will
do everyth!
ing possible I can. When I say no to something - it's not because I want to
piss you off, it's because I can not actually fulfill your request. If you
are not satisfied, write a letter of complaint then. Here is a list of the
insults people have called me and said to me:
1. Called a "Dirty Fucking Foreigner" because I live in Canada.
2. Was told to speak english because of my Canadian accent (the guy
who said this was from the south and I could barely understand him but was
still patient and didn't comment on his accent)
3. Loveley old lady told me to jump off a bridge and die.
4. Stupid little faggot.
5. Told to go suck my mother.
6. Lady told me the man who planted his seed into my mother and gave birth
to me should be shot.
7. Told to shove the credit card up my ass (sorry there is already too many
of them up there)
8. The F word used everyway imaginable
9. One woman offered me her daughter to have sex with to make changes on her
account
Theres a lot more, but would take way to long to list them. Because of these
American's I speak to on a daily basis - they make me hate Americans very
much. I am sure there is some nice ones out there, but unfortunatley they
never call because they are smart enough to read their bill.
Here's a list of common sense regarding your credit card:
1.A credit card is not a right, it's a privlege. You have to be "credit
worthy" for it. When you are approved - you do not own the account, the
credit card company does.
2. Read your terms and conditions. I can't not beleive how many people have
said - you expect me to read all of that? Yes I do!!! It's no different than
a loan or a mortgage.
3.Don't ASSUME!!! If you are not sure call and ask. I always hear: I just
assumed it would work this way.
4.Just because one credit card company gave you credit, doesn't mean another
one has to. Every company has their own qualifications.
5.If your declined for credit, don't call me and have a hissy fit. Or don't
tell me how important you are and how you have a Gold card and a Platinum
card with $20,000 credit lines, or how much money you make. If you make so
much money, then why the hell do you need the card? If you have so many
other credit cards, why do you need this card? Did you ever think you might
be being declined because you have too much credit.
6.These are some factors taken into consideration when deciding on whether
to approve you or not for credit: Your credit bureau score, How many credit
cards you have open, how high your balances are, how much available credit
is already open to you, how high your balances are compared to your annual
income, how many times you have been late, etc. Also it's not usually a
person deciding whether your approved or not, it's the computer.
7.Late fees are not a scam. If you are late you are going to be assesed a
late fee. Don't call me and yell " I Don't pay late fees!!!!. If you were
late yea you do. It doesn't matter if you are 1 day late or 10 days late -
your getting a late fee. It doesn't matter if your balance is $50 or $10,000
- your getting a late fee. Most companies will credit a late fee as a 1 time
courtesy in a 12 month period. But if you just opened the account and your
already late they probably won't, why you ask? The account hasn't been open
long enough - they need payment history to look at. Also it's usually a
computer deciding if the late fee can be waived not a person. So don't yell
at the person!! It's just not nice.
8.When you are talking to me the supervisor and you don't like my answer and
want someone above me, and I tell you if your not satisifed you can write
in, I'm not lying! If I was lying and my call was taped - I would be fired.
9. I am not lying to you when I say, I am legally not allowed to give you
information on your spouses account. I realize you pay the bills but it's
still your spouses account. That's how privacy laws are setup. I can't
verify your the spouse. Don't yell at me!! I didn't make the law. Just have
your spouse call. And to all the wives out their, dont try and threaten me
with your angry husband - it still doesn't change the law.
10. Companies have the right to close the account and not notify you if you
are in default of the terms and conditions. Again you don't own the account,
the credit card company does.
11. Yes your interest rate will go up if you are late with your payments.
This is mentioned in your terms & conditions. Normally it's if your late
twice in a 6 month period - this will vary from company to company.
Companies can also: reduce your credit line, increase your apr, close your
acct, etc if you are in default with other creditors - why? because this
reports on your credit report and all creditors can view this information.
If you are late with other creditors -then you are a risk.
12. If you don't recieve your statement, then call right away. Don't wait a
few months for calling and then bitch about all the late fees. If you would
of called right away - then we could of worked with you. You know you
charged so you should know there is a payment due. Just because you don't
receive a statement doesn't mean you have to pay.
13. Just because you paid more than the minimum payment does not mean you
don't have to pay again the next month. If you pay more than the minimum
then the extra money goes towards reducing your balance.
14.If you move, call all your creditors to update your address. Just because
you are having your mail forwarded with the post office doesnt always mean
you will get it - we all know the post office isn't perfect. Also just
because you updated it with the post office it doesn't mean the creditor has
your new address. It's the consumers responsibility to keep their
information updated, this is also listed in the terms & conditions.
I know that no company is perfect. Companies make mistakes, and sometimes
they are stupid and not willing to fix them. But yelling, swearing,
insulting the person on the phone is not the answer. Do the right things:
ask for a manager, write letters, make copies of all the letters you send.
If no resolution with the company, take it further: contact the approriate
goverment agencies and take action.
Also keep in mind, just like you can have a bad day, so can we. Were not
just a voice on the other end, we are human beings with feelings. No company
or person is perfect.
Thanks for listening
|
kusko
Complaint_against: collectors
Complaint: Hello everyone. I used to work as a rep for citi and so have
been trained on customer service and credit ins and outs. I always dealt
with customers respectfully, understanding that not everyone chooses to be
late or have something tramatic happen to them. In fact, while working
there my son died and I decided to take time off for a little while to get
some counseling. I was told by their insurance provider Metlife that I
would have no problem with this and was soon fired because I took a week
off. Metlife had told me I was approved for the time off but then turned
around and denied my claim. I was naturally furious and citi then fired me
saying their "hands were tied." That is something I still struggle with
putting behind me because it was a terrible experience. But it was my first
experience in how completely uncompassionate some people are when it comes
to money. All of us in this world are numbers. People treat us as if we
are soul-less dollar signs!
and if you think about it, everything in the world is based on numbers.
After I was fired when my son died, as a single mom I found myself unable to
pay bills very quickly. Then naturally the calls began from creditors. I
expected it and understood it and always answered because I was happy to
tell people what was going on and that I understood if they needed to report
it to my bureau etc... Unfortunately I am still in this situation because
although now I am remarried and my husband works, he makes barely enough for
us to pay rent (due to child support at 600 a month) and I cannot work
because I have a new baby that has cerebral palsy. If I work (making little
money without a degree) he loses his medicaid which pays for all his
therapy's and doctors. His health is number one and anyone who cant see
that is a foolish being. My son had a twin sister who died a year ago too.
I am still getting calls for credit cards that are charged off years ago
when all this started!
. I am not out trying to get new cards or anything either. I am not
stupid. The kicker though was the other day when a collector for my student
loans called. The loan amount with interest is now up to sixty grand (ex
husband consolidated his and mine into my name before we divorced without my
knowledge). After I happily explained every bill I have and the income
coming into the home and she asked me how much I can afford to pay (which I
said is only 150) she put me on hold. When she came back she said ok you
need to pay 450 a month for a year and have a down payment of ten grand to
get this account out of default. I had told three other people all the same
things every week for the last month. I reminded her of my finances and
that if I don't have it I can't pay and asked for her advice and she very
rudely said I needed to get a job like everyone else and pay for what I
agreed to pay. I was furious simply because I had explained to her why that
wasn't possible and sh!
e completely dismissed it as an unacceptable reason. I don't take to
injustice lightly and I will not stand for myself or anyone else to
experience such rude moronic behavior. I could understand if I was just
being lazy or if I had been rude or not answered my phone or not wanted to
give her any financial info but I was fully cooperative and expressed my
interest in getting my account out of default. It's unacceptable and all I
can say is that karma will catch up to those that practice this type of
behavior. And believe me, it will be ten times worse for you, and you all
know who you are!
|
j
il
Complaint:
I work for one of the major credit cards companies, though due to contracts
I signed at the initial time of my employment I cannot disclose which one.
And yes, at the time I thought it was rather gastapo-like, as many of you do
I'm sure, but can also understand the reasoning behind it.
Everyone has bad experiences with every credit card company in existence,
myself included. But as an employee, some of the top complaints I have seen
about all the credit cards listed on the website I feel I can address-not to
the complete satisfaction of all viewers I realize, but perhaps to provide a
different look on the situation.
Yes, I know that you have to hold for quite some time almost every time you
call. We know-we have screens on our phones that tell us exactly how many
people are on hold, and how long the oldest person has been waiting. We
completely understand, so it doesn't help if you tell us exactly how long
you've been holding-we already know, and I have found people generally
exaggerate this time by about 50 %-( i.e. say twenty minutes when really
ten, etc.) We also cannot help you or the next person as quickly if we are
lambasted, full profanity included, about this problem-that just means
everyone after you has to wait that much longer, and will react the same way
you do, further complicating the problem. So i know you have had to
hold-I'm very sorry. If you succinctly state the reason for the call, have
your account number ready (with that twenty minute hold you had to have
found the card or a statement by now), and call in about your own card, not
someone else's (or have someo!
ne else call in about yours-I know you've been married for twenty years and
that you pay all the bills-my marriage operates the same in terms of
finances. But since it's not your name on the card, and you're not an
authorized user, we can't talk to you-privacy laws. Sorry,)-we should have
you off the phone in five minutes or less. If we don't, not only are you
inconvenienced, but we get in trouble for a "slow handle time". So believe
me, we want you to get on with your day as much as you do.
Also, I know that sometimes you have to be transferred to multiple
departments. As someone who as worked as a general customer service rep,
collections agent, fraud analyst, dispute rep, payment specialist, and
currently takes nothing but supervisor calls from all these departments,
sometimes they are unecessary transfers-many of the calls I field as a
supervisor involve just that. If I look at the notes about you account and
find that to be true, I would be more than happy to oblige your request for
a lower interest rate/credit line increase/something that will keep you as a
customer. However, there are situations where this is necessary-with fraud,
for example. If you've had an account for ten years, and have never used the
card out of New York, and all of a sudden are making purchases in
California, you will automatically be routed to fraud. They want to make
sure those transactions were you. oh, you went on vacation? Okay,
great-I'm sorry for the inconvenience-jus!
t seemed a little out of character. Now you were calling about a
payment-let me get you to a payment specialist. Also, as someone who has
listened to recorded calls for specific job duties, many times you, without
knowing, initiate the transfer. You may call initially for collections due
to a missed payment, and while on the phone the rep mentions a possible
lower interest rate. Sounds good-you want more info? Fine-they'll get you
to someone who can help you with that in customer service. They do
collections-they know very little about anything else, because they are
trained to be experts in collections. Conversely, a customer service rep
will know a little bit about all aspects of the organzation-they can tell
you that a dispute can be filed for damaged merchandise. If you need any
more detailed info, they have to transfer you to a dispute rep-they do not
know intimate details about any one department, because they field all calls
with general questions-at 9:00 AM o!
n any given Monday (typically the heaviest call volume in a week), there's
about 1000 people waiting on hold they still need to talk to.
I know this is very lengthy, but I hope this sheds some light on the reason
for many general problems many of you have had with credit cards companies.
Oh, and I almost forgot-the customer service reps in India? yes, they can
be hard to understand, but they are trained the same way everyone here in
the States is-and the reason for their inception is to battle the long hold
times so many of you loathe. With centers in India, it's that many more
people available to answer your call.
Thank you. |
Anonymous
There are pros and cons to every argument. Here is my humble point of view.
Before starting at the major firm I'm working for, I knew *nothing* about
credit cards. Our training for the collections department consisted of,
essentially, credit education. This includes the "legal" rights of the
credit card companies to:
-report your card to the credit bureau at the first cycle that does not
receive a payment.
-call your home, work, or cellular phone *until they reach you* and identify
yourself. (note - if they leave a full message, they are not allowed to call
back that day. If the cardholder ID's themself, we're not allowed to call
for a whole week.)
-Increase your APR to the max on your contract at any rate of delinquency.
Once it gets *beyond* the collections department, they are allowed even more
leway to get the money back.
So where does this leave the cardholder? Typically unaware of their
situation, and *furious*. I talk to roughly 50 people an hour, and of that
there are enough people swearing, talking pornographically, and hanging up
that it really makes a young girl sick. We get four year olds on the phone
swearing. Really...
If you *educate* yourself about the contract you've signed (and yes, if
you're over 18, they are legally binding).
In some cases, there is honestly nothing a collections agent is allowed to
do. Is it disrespectful of a company to allow CA's to waive late fees for a
customer who has missed 3 entire payments, but won't do it for a customer
who sends in $50 a month on a min payment of $150? Not at all. But it's
policy, and you got to shop for free on the contract you signed.
So, in sum, a credit card company pays my bills. I am not spiritually guided
by this path in life, however, I don't have collectors calling my house
thanks to the lessons I learned in this job.
IF YOU DO have collectors calling you day in and out, here is my advice:
SPEAK RESPECTFULLY to your associate. They understand you are frusterated.
They deal with people like you *all day*. The nicer you are, the better your
chances of finding the best alley for saving you money and a shitty credit
score.
LISTEN to their advice, however try to get as much out of them as possible.
We have standard lines to say to people, and a limited number of programs
for people in different situations.
The minimum payment *does not* include any of the fees, except as a
percentage of the balance. Guaranteed. Don't try to tell me otherwise, I've
done the math.
Most important, BE EDUCATED about your contract. Talk to someone who works
in the industry. Credit councelors only want the money you'd be sending to
the credit cards to go to *them*. Regardless of what they say, it still
damages your credit (though, in some cases, not as bad as the credit card
would have). And, if I have done the math right, it winds up costing you
more, just over a longer period of time (like the f*ing student loans i'm
paying on now)
Telling an associate that you're (as I've heard recently): "writing to the
government", "having my lawyer sue for harassment", "never paying you stupid
bitches" will just have them call you back in a week to let you knwo you
just got $70 dollars worth of fees for ignoring the statements. . .Plus, the
government must know that these companies are squeezing every penny they can
from the people they've loaned money too. However, you have also agreed to
this in a contract. Find the loopholes, I dare you. The companies are, most
certainly, viscious. I havn't heard of a successful lawsuit coming towards
our company (then again, I am on the other side of the fence)
And if you feel like trying to make us feel like assholes, uncomfortable, or
angry, good luck. I'll say it takes a *lot* to get under our skin,
especially after years in the industry. I'm nicer than most as I've been
there less than a year. But it's one of the easiest jobs to let the day
slide off your back when you leave. And, you're fun to talk about in the
office (we don't have confidentiality laws like doctors do).
Honestly, the most imnportant piece of advice is to find a job where you can
get by *without* having a credit card. Or at least pay the minimum every
month on time and keep it under the limit. WE KNOW sometimes things are
rough for everyone. It's understandable. Fucking human!! But don't ignore
it. Once the snowball is ignored, the avalanche is almost inevitable.
All the best,
Collections |
Anonymous
Complaint: Credit card companies do NOT by any means have to credit an
overlimit fee that is placed on the account by the finance charges putting
the account over. It is the customer's responsibility to keep control of
the balance and to know when the finance charges are going to acrue. They
bill on the SAME day every month unless that's on a Sunday because
statements do not print that day. It's when the statement printing date
is. Overlimit fees have nothing to do with the payment due date, if your
account is over the credit limit after the statement printing date, you're
subject to an overlimit fee on the account. If you're over, the best thing
to do is call customer service (ask for an account manager if you feel more
comfortable) and ask for your balance and how much of a payment you should
send, by just paying the minimum it won't bring you back under the credit
limit. I know this because I'm currently a supervisor with one of the top
credit card companies and I'!
ve learned more in the years I've been with this company then I have
throughout my college experience. |
anonymous
Complaint_against: This Site
Complaint: You guys are a bunch of Jackasses. For one thing Citi/AT&T
requires the Customer Service Rep take a 3 hour test prior to being hired. A
high school diploma is a requirement. I am a Customer Service rep from
Citibank and have worked there for 6 years. The wages are very competitive.
Starting at about 23,000 for customer service. Also did it ever occur to you
that Citibank has so many complaint versus the other companys because the
have 10x the card accounts these others have? Citi don't forget isnt only
the largest company in the United States but the largest in the world. I
wonder if Citibank knows about this site I'm sure the lawyers would love to
see it. Ever hear of slander? |
Roger the Customer Support guy.
Complaint_against: Nobody
Complaint:
I too, used to think credit card companies were loan sharking, uncaring,
money hungry monsters. When I retired, I went to work for a very large,
world-wide bank in their Customer Service Credit Card dept.
I have never been subjected to more profanity, degrading and insulting
conversations, than I have since I began this work. I would say the vast
majority of card holders are gracious, pay on time customers. We don't hear
from them. We get the calls from the 'good customers' who are only 4 days
late & wonder why they are getting a late fee, or why they get a fee for
being over the credit limit, or a fee for a returned check.
Gee, I wonder what would happen if you were late on your mortgage or car
payment. What happens when you overdraw your checking account? Of course,
you don't get any fees for that, right? Fact is, the credit card
company/bank extends a line of credit to you, and in return, you are asked
to make a monthly minimum payment. That's all you have to do.
Sure, we have some people working for us that are rude, but I can assure
you, if we discover them doing this, they are history. This website only
shows complaints, and in most cases, you can see that the person complaining
has done something that results in a fee of some sort.
If you're responsible for not abiding by the terms of your contract, put the
blame where it belongs. If something happens that is truly our fault, get
in touch with a supervisor. It you are not satisfied with that person, get
another.
I was always taught that if I did something wrong, stand up & admit it &
take whatever you had coming. I agree, the default APR's are extremely high,
in fact they are way too high. But we restore the regular APR's on default
accounts every day. The only accounts that won't qualify are those that have
a history of late or non payments, or other negatives on their histories.
How may times have I heard that "I've been an outstanding customer" and when
I look at their account, they've been late paying 8 out of 12 months...yeah,
great customer.
OK, your turn to let me have it. I'm sure I'll get blasted, but that's
alright. Once you've worked both sides of the fence, you find out quickly
which side has the most manure. |
|
John Doe
Complaint_against: CHASE EMPLOYEE SPILLS THE BEANS
Complaint:
WANT A GLIMPS OF INSIDE CHASE. I work for chase and let me tell you if
you think your treatment as a customer is bad try working for them. As
a customer service representitive when you rate goes from 9% to 30% I am
supposed to explain to you why this is reasonable in 171 seconds on
average. This becomes considerably more diffacult when customers have
been waiting 10-30 minutes to disguss this. To top it off the latest
word from managment is that I am supposed to greet you with scripting
(This is ______ with chase and my goal today is to give you the best
customer service you have ever had.) Gas on the FIRE! I am to have
customers on hold on average no more than 10 seconds. I also have no
more than 10 seconds after the call to complete whatever maintenence is
need to fix the problem. If my potty break exceeds 4 minutes I am to
provide an explanation. As far as I am concerned they can send this
Freakin job to India.
Let me give you a few examples of ethical delimas at chase.
1. When you recieve your statement to inform you that you are over the
limit with a 35-39$ fee you are already in a new billing cycle and will
encounter another 35-39$ fee on you next statement reguardless if you
send a payment to get under the credit line by the due date or not. So
really you fee for exceeding your credit limit is going to cost you
70-78$.
2. Pre Approved at 0% right? A guarantee based on your credit
worthieness. WRONG pre approved only means pre approved to APPLY. Only
then do they have your consent to veiw your credit report and give you
an offer based on what they see.
3. Fixed APR? There is no such thing any fixed rate, at any time it is
subject to possible changes based on periodic updates provided by your
credit bureau. Correct or incorrect.
You have every right to be steamed about you rate going through the roof
and let me tell you, you are not alone. Last month alone over 500,000
people got the same notification you did. Below are a list of reasons
they can give you as justification for your MOB rate. These are based on
anything that is on your credit report. NOT just you account history
with CHASE.
1. Amount of Balance Owed on Revolving Accounts Too High
2. Amount Owed on Loan Finance Trades Too High
3. Average Length of Time Accounts Have Been Opened is Too Short
4. Balance as a Percent of Credit Limit Too High
5. Credit Amount of Mostly Recently Opened Mortgage Loan
6. Delenquency
7. Few Satisfactory Accounts
8. Finance Loan Balance Too High Relatice to Total Balances
9. High proportion of Accounts Opened Recently
10. Insufficient Satisfactory Real Estate Loans
11. Length of Credit History
12. Length of Credit History on Bank Cards is Short
13. Rapid Increase in Revolving Balances
14. Recent Delinquency
15. Recent Delinquency on Retail Trades
16. Too Many Bankcard Accounts
17. Too Many Delinquent Trades
18. Too Many Inquiries
19. Too Many Installment Loans
20. Too Many New Accounts Relative to Time on File
21. Too Little Available Credit
22. Total Balance Owed on Real Estate Trades
23. Average Open Revolving Outstanding Balance
24. Amount of Balance Owed on Revolving accounts
25. Number of Satisfactory Accounts
26. Number of Bankcards
27. Proportion of Accounts Opened Recently
28. Number of Trades with Usage
29. Outstanding Balance on Open Bankcard Trades
30. Loan Amount on All Open Trades
31. Well you get the point right. If you have a pulse you are at risk.
By the way if you considered bankruptcy due to your unreasonable
interest rate they have got there bacon covered there too with a revamp
to the Bankruptcy Laws spurred on by heavy lobbying from ALL credit card
industries now it will be more difficult than ever for you to get a
second chance.
ANY CREDIT CARD WILL IN TIME BURN YOU. These policies are now industry
standard. Anyone who thinks one card treats them like gold and the
others are a bigg bad bully are in for a shocker.
If this angers you I suggest Sending a letter of complaint to the
(COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY). This is the body that regulates the
credit card industries. A company this large does nothing with your ten
page complaint exect get a good chuckle. They will laugh all the way to
the BANK.
Sincerly,
Disgruntled Employee
|
Email: kxc8@yahoo.com
Good day Folks,
I am a former employee of MBNA. I worked 8 years
with MBNA in various Mid Atlantic offices. Before leaving the
company I was most recently a Credit Analyst, making the decisions
of approve or decline, credit limits, and yes, forwarding accounts
for 'Risk" review. On more than one occasion I could not sleep at
night knowing what I did on a daily basis was 'just not right'.
You probably are aware of their practices, all
legal though seemingly unjust, but if you've any questions I would
consider a response.
Kevin D. Cornish
|
Don the Collector
Complaint:
Complaint Against CitiCard Cardholders
Yes, that's right. I'm a collector for CitiCards and I can tell you a lot
about the kind of people we have to deal with on a regular basis. The
service representatives you speak with are no where near as abusive as the
customers. We have thousands of hours of recordings which prove this.
Basically, collectors are doing a job. They are closely monitored and can
be fired for cursing, unlike our customers. And, yes, they have to work on
Sunday morning calling people who don't pay their bills on time.
Most of you can buy things on Sunday, so why can't you pay for them on
Sunday?
Credit card companies are unforgiving for sure, but that is the price people
pay for the nearly universal access to credit many enjoy (but probably don't
deserve or can't handle).
The agreements pretty much spell out the consequences of being late, so just
pay your bills on time and all is fine.
Collectors have access to a lot of information, so they are probably being
blunt with you for a good reason... you are probably a poor credit risk.
The people who have good credit often welcome the calls and are more than
happy to pay their bills when called. We just love those calls. Some even
thank us for reminding them to pay.
But if you cop an attitude just because someone calls you for being "only" 5
days late or because you "only" owe $20, then you are simply a loser.
I've been paying my bills on time for 30 years and have a credit rating in
the 800's, so I don't have to take crap off ANY credit card company, unlike
many of the losers I have to call on a regular basis.
And unlike them, I DON'T get calls on Sunday mornings...
|
Bill
Complaint_against: Don the Collector
Complaint:
Sorry Don; Yeah you're right, the public can be jackasses. But just count
me as one more who, having never missed a payment on three CC's, got jacked
to 30% and when asking for a supervisor, though I didn't hear any swearing,
the attitude and tonality were noticibly hostile and condescending.
If you guys can't tell the difference between this and chronically late, and
abusive payers, you have the abuse coming.
Bill |
|
