Greetings All: Things are going well here. Moved into a new place that's much better than the old place and we're getting geared up for Pride here this weekend in Boston. Well, the moronic boobs at FirstUSA are at it again. I got yet another bill stuffer change of terms notice from them. This is the fifth time they have tried to change my last credit card with them from the 9.9% fixed rate that it was first offered to me at. Originally it was a 'Titanium' card, but then they unilaterally changed it to a 'Platinum' Card. They did this to wiggle out from under the fact that their promotional material about the Titanium card said "Your interest rate will remain a fixed 9.9% as long as you make you payments on time and comply with the other provisions of your cardholder agreement." Guess they learned their lesson from the Chevy Chase debacle. Now they want to change the fixed rate of 9.9% to a variable rate of Prime + 5.49% with a floor of 12.99% and no ceiling. Well, they can forget it. I just got a Cap One Platinum with a rate of LIBOR + 2.12%, with a floor of 8.9%, no cash advance or balance transfer fees, and (get this) no telemarketing, and a Chase Platinum with 1.99% balance transfers for one whole year. The reason they cited for that change was: "This change in terms is due to our determination that current pricing is uneconomical in conjunction with the other terms and conditions of the account." In other words, they weren't screwing me enough to make up their losses from settling all of the class action lawsuits they came out on the short end of the stick on. Gee, I guess they haven't been paying attention to the fact that interest rates have been going DOWN the past several months. I will be gleefully cutting up this crummy card from them and returning it post haste along with a letter closing the account. I'm all done with these idiots.
ONE OF MY FIRST USA CARDS...12.40% JACKED UP TO 22.49% (CLOSED AND PAID OFF). WIFE'S BANK ONE CARD WAS 9.99% EFFECTIVE JULY 1,2001 12.99% (WE SAID NO THANK YOU)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting that as the Fed lowers the rate that banks borrow on, they raise our credit card rates. -Dave
EVERYBODY THAT CAN WILL SAY NO THANK YOU... I WONDER IF THEY WILL GET TO A POINT WHERE THE WILL LOSE SO MUCH OF THEIR BUSINESS THAT THEY WILL CHANGE THERE MINDS??? I would go back to FIRST USA when they give me a $50,000 credit line, no annual fee, and 2.99% FIXED on balance transfers and purchases AND IT WAS A "REAL" PRE-APPROVED (NO CREDIT REPORT)....BUT THEY WON'T, SO THEY ARE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
2.50% FED DROP WAS UNKNOWN TO FIRST USA BANK... When we called to complain about the 12.99% and 22.49%...they said the 2.50% FED DROP HAD NO EFFECT ON THEIR DECISION!!!!
I gleefully read your article with interest. Welcome back J Edgar. Pride stuff in SF is June 23 CYA Dogman
Gosh forbid if they should lower it anymore! Imagine what that would do to our credit card rates. I smell Aspire here.
I SAID ALMOST THE SAME THING...when my interest rate went up to 22.49%...what would happen if they lowered the interest rate another 2.50% ???? 35.99% 45.99% ONE CAN ONLY WONDER...
Guess again. I work evenings training agents in a call senter. They just don't say the name of the CCC until after you have purchased the product. You said: ... and (get this) no telemarketing, breeze
Greetings Dogman: Yes, SF and NY Pride are always the 4th weekend in June to coincide with the Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Boston's is always the 2nd weekend in June, Providence RI is the 3rd weekend. Yes, it's Pride season again, and I haven't a *thing* to wear....
I've found a good way to deal with not getting telemarketed. Whenever I absolutely must give my phone number for something, I give them my cell phone number. If they should happen to squawk about it being a cell phone, I tell them that I'm living in the new millenium and that I have a broadband connection at home so there's no reason for me to have a land line phone. Third party telemarketer's dialing equipment will NOT dial a cellular phone number (They know it's a cell phone from the Area Code and Exchange) because it's a violation of federal law to telemarket someone on a cellular phone, as you also have to pay (in many cases) for the incoming calls as well as the ones you place. I have used my cell phone number on every credit application I've submitted in the past 4 years and only one creditor has balked at it. That was Providian and I'm sure it was because they had such an active telemarketing campaign to cram charges on you bill for useless services. That was until they got sued for that and a number of other things, like sitting on payments until they were late. Prior to getting a cell phone, I just used to give them my modem telephone number. It was only connected to the computer, so it was either busy, or there was never any answer. Bet that frustrated alot of telemarketers.
Good to have you back, J. Edgar! And good to know you've left FUSA. Now if history has taught us anything, I'm sure you won't mind getting a few convenience checks for the account you just closed Saar
Welcome back, J.Edgar... It is WONDERFUL to see you again & hope to see more of you(smile). I have changed everyphone # w/anyone I do business w/to my modem line too(why pay for Privacy Manager @ 8.oo per mo when the solution was to just give them a phone # that is either busy when online or answered by computer). Now my private line is just that...PRIVATE ! Don't have to second guess the phone ringing anymore. You obviously know that you don't need the load of crap that FIRST USA is handing down;they act as though they are the only game in town(they don't know how to take it when an educated consumer won't go for it.They don't care if you should close the account because they aren't making anything off of you anyway & that is why they take the risk). Here's to you....BRAVO !!!! Sister Girl
