Cross Country Bank

I have been reading the messages on this board for about 4 months and have heard horror stories about Cross Country Bank. I recently began helping a friend with her credit problems and discovered that she has an account with them. I immediatly told her to pay the balance and close the account with the advice I've seen posted here. Today she called to tell me she received her statement and there was a charge for $79 she did not authorize.
When she called the 800 number next to the charge she was told she had authorized it and there was nothing to be done about it. (The charge was for magazines ordered over the phone as explained to her by the rep). She spoke to 3 supervisors who all gave her the same exact speech as if reading a script. She got nothing resolved. She then called Cross Country Bank and they told her she had to make a formal inquiry with the company first, then she could dispute with them. She was then told the process would take 60-90 days and that there was no way to put a hold on the charge during the dispute. Since there are so many credit savvy people out there, does anyone have a suggestion? She can't close the account during an inquiry and I'm afraid that this "magazine" order is somehow linked to CCB as she paid the balance to $0 and was waiting for 1 more statement to be sure she didn't miss anything.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Sincerly,
Leamen
PS- I appologize for the lengthy post as this is my first on any board. I hope to better phrase my thoughts in the future.

 

First thing she needs to do is stop calling them. All future correspondence should be in writing via certified mail. She should cut up the card and mail it with a strongly worded letter claiming the charge was fraudulent and her intent to close the account. Include in the letter that if this issue is not resolved to her satisfaction she will notify the delaware banking commission. She could request reciepts from the magazine co. but Im sure it wont help her situation. Remember the faster she gets her CCB acct closed the cheaper she will get off. In my opinion after reading the numerous posts about CCB on this board 79$ is cheap to get away from those assholes.

 

I'd just refuse to pay, if I were her. Get a lawyer, file a police report for credit card fraud. Then sue CCB for unauthroised accesss to an electronic device with intend to defraud.

 

I am so glad I was declined for a CCB account last year. I "did not meet the income requirements" though i was working and receiving disability. Thank goodness I didn't!

 

This brings up an interesting point:

The more dishonest the bank, the more they worry about you ripping them off. Legitimate subprime lenders (the number of which seems to be shrinking) are content to collect interest on an account that you keep current. They figure they'll get the principal back sooner or later. Real crooks, on the other hand, have no faith in the future. They just want current fees coming in the mail, whether legitimate or not.

Have you ever noticed that most of your "credit line" with banks such as CCB gets subtracted for application fees, annual fees,
"credit protection", "purchase assurance", etc? No money at risk, lots of fees coming in--that's their fantasy world. Then other people buy into the fantasy, hoping to build or rebuild their credit record without ever getting any real credit. It can't possibly work for the cardholder, and probably doesn't even work for the bogus banks. They have to keep stealing off the top because the whole system is unsound.

Neither of my subprime lenders ever even asked about my income, let alone tried to verify it. That's because they know what they're doing, and figure out other ways to measure risk. The scam artist, on the other hand, is essentially a random thief who can't look past the present moment. Burglars, con artists, and CCB all have to "qualify" their victims, because without lots of current income there's nothing for them to steal and run away with.
Congratulations to anyone who didn't qualify to be fleeced, and thanks to the victims who were fleeced but tell us about it. Any victim feels shame about being singled out by a predator. Overcoming that shame is a great achievevment.

 

I would reccomend sending them a check for 100$ and requesting a credit balance refund and closing the account. You can try to fight them all you want all they will do is tack on the fees baby soon it will cost 300$ to close the account and you will have gotten no where with the dispute. It sucks but things like that happen to the best of people, if interested in suing them contact me by email, I am filing a lawsuit for them changing my interest rate because of their error, correcting the error and not changing it back.

 

On Saturday a customer service rep called me from CCB and told me I was pre-approve for their MC, and if I agree I would have to answer a few questions in which I did she told me it would be a limit of up to 2,500 and the minimun would be 350 I told the rep could she put on my application that if they would only approveme for the minimun I did not want the card and she agreed, now on Monday another customer service rep called to verify some information that I had given the rep on Saturday I ask her did she have the application in front of her she replied Yes I ask her to disregard the application I an no longer interest in applying for this card she said this card will help you build a good credit record I replied that I have 2 other credit cards and I don't need another one also I told her I heard alot of horror stories about CCB and after I said that she ended the conversation. My question is is DO you think that was the end of this or they will try to send me the card anyway? freednJust

 

Thanks, RichGuy! I really did feel ashamed about being dumb enough to get a Cross Country card. Especially since I put down those folks who complained about Cross Country for the first two years I had the card and didn't believe the truth until I became a victim of Cross Country's predatory scams myself. I hope warning other potential Cross Country victims and posting about my horrible (and Expensive) experiences makes up for diminishing the Cross Country nightmares of fellow victims in the past. I learn the hard way, but I do learn.

 

leamen, Don't feel bad CROOKS COUNTRY BANK
has been doing crap like this to good people
ever since they have been in business. I
suggest you take Meredith's advice, SEND THEM $100 IMMEDIATELY AND REQUEST A BALANCE REFUND WITHIN 7 BUSINESS DAYS AS REQUIRED BY LAW. AND TELL THEM IN YOUR LETTER THAT YOU WANT THE ACCOUNT REPORTED CLOSED BY CONSUMER!!! Len you need not be ashamed for
supporting CCB, and then have them shaft you
I have seen countless people do as you did,
and then realize that what people were saying about CROOKS COUNTRY BANK was true
after all. Joan with CCB you never know, but
I remember one person not long ago with the same story you have, they first told CCB they wanted the card, but changed their mind,
well good ole CROOKS COUNTRY BANK sent them the card and they had to pay application fees, and a annual fee because the application fee made the account have a balance, so the annual fee was legal. I hope this doesn't happen to you, but you never know with CCB. Everybody who has dealings
with CCB has a horror story, myself included. So anyone out there looking for
a credit card, stay away from CCB, this bunch of crooks will steal you blind. The
people in Customer Service at CCB are well
trained Crooks also the less you deal with them the better send everything return receipt mail. Those of you who think CCB is the greatest thing indoor plumbing, Well lets
just say you will learn the hard way as most
have. Good luck to you leamen!!

 

BOB Could you resend your comment on Cross Country Bank I keep getting an error when I click to view it.

Thanks,

 

Bob, I have repeatedly expressed my shame and sincerely sought forgiveness here for what I did.
I hope you don't hold it against me. I was stupid enough to have to experience the criminality of Cross Country personally before I believed any financial could treat its customers with such ruthless contempt. Believe me, I feel both foolish and ashamed

 

BOB wrote:
-------------------------------
leamen, Don't feel bad CROOKS COUNTRY BANK
has been doing crap like this to good people
ever since they have been in business. I
suggest you take Meredith's advice, SEND THEM $100 IMMEDIATELY AND REQUEST A BALANCE REFUND WITHIN 7 BUSINESS DAYS AS REQUIRED BY LAW. AND TELL THEM IN YOUR LETTER THAT YOU WANT THE ACCOUNT REPORTED CLOSED BY CONSUMER!!! Len you need not be ashamed for
supporting CCB, and then have them shaft you
I have seen countless people do as you did,
and then realize that what people were saying about CROOKS COUNTRY BANK was true
after all. Joan with CCB you never know, but
I remember one person not long ago with the same story you have, they first told CCB they wanted the card, but changed their mind,
well good ole CROOKS COUNTRY BANK sent them the card and they had to pay application fees, and a annual fee because the application fee made the account have a balance, so the annual fee was legal. I hope this doesn't happen to you, but you never know with CCB. E....

 

RE: JILL DID IT WORK!!

Jill were you able to view this one?
Let me know

 

RE: JILL DID IT WORK!!

Yes, thanks

 

RE: Cross Country Bank aka CRO

GOOD NAME FOR A CROOK BANK!

 

Don I commend you for your ability to be so nice when you slam CCB, personally I can Not.
but your so right about the scum part. Mr.
Shaw is a trip to work with, I have never seen anyone who can talk out of their ass
because their mouth knows better than Mr. Shaw.