i sent 49$ for 250 worth of credit on a mastercard. i ask for rush delivery and where they send federal express for 29 dollers. now i see that there have been tons of complaints against them.has anybody out there had any luck getting their card fast. tom
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb Tom, when I first received my invitation to apply for a DMB credit card I called first because I noticed that nowhere on the application did it indicate how soon I would receive the card even with the rush delivery. I was told that normal delivery would be about 6-8 weeks and their "rush" would be about 2 weeks. (You mentioned 29 dollars, my rush was only 19 and that was just about 3 months ago). So I sent my stuff in and did get it in about 2 weeks and was upgraded to a Titanium card with a $500 dollar limit. So far, I've been pretty happy with them but there are a few things that you should know: Any payment, even if it's a money order will be held for about 15 days before it's released against your credit. It will be posted to your account as a payment right away but it won't be available as credit for 15 days. I think I've figured out though that they will usually hold it if it's over $100 dollars. They say that they are trying to get the policy changed so that at least if you send a money order that it is released immediately. I always send checks anyway--so if you want it released earlier, you have to either have your bank send something saying that your check has cleared or fax over a copy of the cancelled check. A real pain. I'm told that they only put you through this for the first year provided that you have been responsible with your accounts, payments and haven't bounced any checks. After you're through this probationary period, your credit limit will automatically increase and other benefits will kick in. It may sound like a real pain, but I had very poor credit and am willing to make these sacrifices now if they will pay off later. I've had my card since early April and so far, so good. They also have a website where you can view your account on line. I like that option as well. I think it's well worth it--I couldn't get Capital One and most of the others aren't available in my state (Wisconsin), so my choices are limited. I have one other one but I prefer my DMB Mastercard over it. Just be responsible and expect to have to go through a little more if your credit is poor. I think it's worth it!
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb My daughter applied online, and it took at least two months for her to get her card from them. She was beginning to think she had wasted the $99 she sent in by auto check. The check was cashed after a couple days, but they too their sweet time in sending a card. She received their Titanium Mastercard with a $500 limit. It includes a whopping interest rate. Unfortunately, she's not too thrilled with them. They accidentally cancelled her card out of the blue. She says that their customer service department is a MESS, and if you have to call them for anything, be prepared to stay on the phone for hours and talk to many incompetent people. If you go for this one, proceed with caution. This would include checking your statements online and sending in payments on your own, just in case your bill becomes "lost in the mail." Whether it be Direct Merchants Bank or any other sub-prime lender, this is a good practice. Your good credit rating is not in their best interests.
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb Read my post above, nothing this bank does is in the interest of the customer. Their incompatent customer service department is a joke. No one has any idea of what their doing when you call. And yes you will get the run around. When you call their customer service as Doris say's be prepared to spend some time trying to get your answers, and then there's no guarantee you will get a answer to your problem. I would stay away from this company, In my opinion they are ranked close to CCB and that's at the bottom of the sub-prime lenders.
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb I got an offer from these guys in the mail in March thinking there was no way I could get approved, but did. I got $500 for a $99 deposit. So far, they have been quite fair about all things except for two. They automatically enroll you in a purchase protection deal that charges $60 to your account, and you have to go through intense sales pressure to get it taken off. Also, the waiting period for getting payments put back into available credit is forever (fifteen days). Getting this card has saved my behind a couple of times, and I don't keep much of a balance on it, mostly using it to rent cars. Actually, as far as customer service, I have been treated really well and have been impressed.
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb I have had the DMB card since March( I applied in December,1999) and I have had to fight them for unwanted fee-based products, payments that had cleared my bank 2 days BEFORE the due date yet were posted 1 day late(last month it took 21 days to post to my account AFTER it cleared my bank). I spend at least an hour a month on the phone with CSR that will blame other offices( was told they have 3, even blamed the people on the first floor once;got transfered and then was told there is only 1 floor). They will, however, fix whatever it is that you complain about if you are patient and nice to the supervisors. Works everytime. I even got 1 to fax me in writing the remedy to my account. Just make sure to keep all documents and get reciept of delivery of your payments. When you have all of that they seem to want to bend over backward to fix their "honest" mistakes! God Bless, leamen
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb I agree--I've been one of the lucky ones with this bank. My experience so far has been a pretty good one. I have never had to wait on the phone for more than 5 minutes which I really impressed me. I have found their CS department to be very helpful and pleasant. I think it is important to try to keep a cool head even when you're upset, because even though "the customer is always right", and your attitude shouldn't make a difference, let's face it--it does regardless of who the merchant or creditor is. Having this card has helped me out tremedously--no, it's not the same as a regular first rate card but that's there is a price that I must pay for letting my credit get so bad in the first place! I say, give them a try!
RE: direct merchants bank-anyb Tom, this Bank has a CS dept that borders on CCB's CS dept., no one seems to know what's going on, and they pass the buck so much that by the time you get an answer your blood pressure has boiled over. And the fact that it takes 15-21 days after your payment is posted to get the use of that credit is unheard of. This is moronic as it gets. I would be very careful and do some thinking before I except this offer.
