Anyone Get a New Credit Card Lately? Gripe!

16 years ago

I applied for a new credit card--one of the major ones--because it gives air miles and the advertisement said it had attractive rates, no fees, etc. Currently I only carry 1 credit card but I would like to cancel it, eventually, because its miles are restricted to one airline and it has an annual fee. So this sounded like a good deal. The card came in the mail in early February but with NO documentation accompanying it that confirmed the APR, any fees, etc. The accompanying brochure was incredibly general covering all this company's many cards and had none of this specific information to my new card. It kept saying one had to refer to the Truth in Lending statement to get the specific information. But no Truth in Lending statement came with the card. Anyway, I've now called the card company three times telling them I cannot activate the card until I know what I'm buying into. They are completely disconcerted by my request as "no one," they say, ever asks them for such information. With great difficulty, I convinced a manager in the last phone call to send me a letter laying out the card's terms--he was unhappy--and I've still not received it. They tell me the advertisement I received in the mail even before I applied for the card is my "confirmation" of the card's terms. What? I guess I have two questions. Is this standard procedure--that one doesn't get this information along with a card? As mentioned, it is a major card (Mastercard) from a major bank. Second, I know the obvious thing to do is walk away from it, but do I have to cancel a card that I've not even activated yet? Or just destroy it? Thanks for any help on these questions.

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Comments (9)

Marilyn Sue
16 years ago
No, I haven't.

Sue
workoutlady
16 years ago
I just had this happen. I had to call the compandy and cancel the card even though I never activated it. I just called the 1-800 number on the back of the card. Funny but when I called one of the options was if you would like to cancel the card press 2. They had that on the message system. I thought they must get this alot.
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bulldinkie
16 years ago
i just ended one discover,they put a purse insurance on without my permission every month I deducted 20.00 from my bill not paying it didnt ask for it,theyre harassing me,I said every month I sent my check Im not paying it,every month its on.I said if its still on the next month Im quitting.It came ,it was on so I quit wrote company a letter,I got a letter saying it was removed I got a 40.00 bill yesterday.Just think if they add 20.00 on 1,000 customers how much they made....just with the 20.00
monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
The terms should be on the card company's web site.
Very possible that the snail mail containing the terms was lost in the mail.
kframe19
16 years ago
I think Federal law requires the card companies to provide you with the current terms, conditions, credit rates, methods of computation, etc., whenever you ask for it.

AS Monica says, it should be on the website. That's where I've found mine.
sue_va
16 years ago
I have had a Visa card, (from the bank where I have banked for about 50 years.) I decided to try the Discover card, and stopped using the Visa. Recently I received a new Visa card in the mail, along with info about a fraud protection that would cost $10 a month. I didn't sign up for it, but it showed on my next statement. I went to the bank (I prefer eyeball to eyeball rather than phone calls.) They insisted I MUST have requested it. Also the new card had to be activated by phone, which I did not do, but I found out they had done that for me!! I finally convinced them to remove the monthly charge. I decided I would never use the Visa card again, but I kept it. It came in handy when I went to buy a fifty # bag of sunflower seed, and they didn't take Discover. Haven't used it since and won't go back there to get my Bird seed.

I have liked the way Discover card handles things. Then, I got a mailing from them about a Wallet Protection for $3.99 a month. I didn't request that, but there it was on my statement last month. I emailed them saying I didn't request and please remove it. I got a reply right away which said they would remove it as of that day, but would begin "an investigation" into the matter and would go back over my history, which could take 4 months. It was time to pay my bill so I deducted the charge and paid it in full like I always do .

Saturday I got a letter in the mail from Discover saying the matter was resolved and the charge was removed.

I guess the lesson is: ALWAYS check your statements carefully. and if there is an error, stand up and don't allow yourself to be taken advantage of.

I thought it was humorous that the 4 month investigation was done in two weeks!

Still using my Discover card.

Sue
monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
I would never get a Discover charge....not accepted in a lot of places, and guilty over the years of a lot of the credit card company tricks.
Rudebekia
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for your replies. I logged into the website for the card and looked but the terms are not there. It does say that the APR is listed on the monthly statement. But because I haven't even activated the card yet, I have no monthly statement. How frustrating! The upshot is that you have to use the card in order to know what the terms are. Something is wrong with this picture. . .
jannie
16 years ago
the bottom line is, read your monthly statement every single month and question any charges you don't understand. I have been billed for "Disability protection", a travel plan, even an eyeg;lass plan. If you call within 30 days, they will refund the charge and stop deducting in future. I kepp credit cards only for emergencies. like the time my car needed a new radiator. I diodn't have enough cash with me, the gas station wouldn't take a check but bthey would take plastic. And I paid it off in fiull before the next bill.

Anyone Get a New Credit Card Lately? Gripe!

Comments (9)

Marilyn Sue

workoutlady

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Anyone Get a New Credit Card Lately? Gripe!

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