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Death Will Not Release Us
Or rather, Discover won't release us. As I suspected, rather than close our account completely as we requested, they did what's called a "soft" close - if anyone tries to do a charge against our card (for example, for an annual renewal), that will be treated as a request to renew the card and the whole pain in the ass continues unabated. So the card isn't really closed at all.
But worse than that: we received a new bill. Somehow they hit us with $44 of "finance charges" last month, and when Teri called and asked for our total, they must have "missed" a charge or two - in other words, we still owed $36. So now our balance is $80, and the card is not closed.
Incidentally, since I've educated myself so much on the subject, I took a look at the fine print on the back of our bill. Much of it is actually missing - it says that additional information is in our account agreement. Could you put your hands on a credit card agreement that you signed more than a year ago? I can't. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I ever signed it.
But I did see on the bill that they're using the most punitive possible method of calculating our finance charges, the "two-cycle method". Discover is really determined to screw us to the wall, and never let go.
So we're going to have to get more serious. The balance will be paid off again, in person and in cash, at Sears (with a receipt, of course). Then we're going to send a registered certified letter...well, all the information on what to do is here.
We'll go one further than he recommends, just because Discover is SO sleazy: we're going to make it clear that we will not accept any further charges against the card, that we want the card completely terminated, and that we want written confirmation that the card is closed. While we're at it, I think we'll also ask to to have no further contact with them by phone, mail, or email. And if THAT doesn't work, we're going to the Rhode Island attorney general's office.
But worse than that: we received a new bill. Somehow they hit us with $44 of "finance charges" last month, and when Teri called and asked for our total, they must have "missed" a charge or two - in other words, we still owed $36. So now our balance is $80, and the card is not closed.
Incidentally, since I've educated myself so much on the subject, I took a look at the fine print on the back of our bill. Much of it is actually missing - it says that additional information is in our account agreement. Could you put your hands on a credit card agreement that you signed more than a year ago? I can't. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that I ever signed it.
But I did see on the bill that they're using the most punitive possible method of calculating our finance charges, the "two-cycle method". Discover is really determined to screw us to the wall, and never let go.
So we're going to have to get more serious. The balance will be paid off again, in person and in cash, at Sears (with a receipt, of course). Then we're going to send a registered certified letter...well, all the information on what to do is here.
We'll go one further than he recommends, just because Discover is SO sleazy: we're going to make it clear that we will not accept any further charges against the card, that we want the card completely terminated, and that we want written confirmation that the card is closed. While we're at it, I think we'll also ask to to have no further contact with them by phone, mail, or email. And if THAT doesn't work, we're going to the Rhode Island attorney general's office.
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(Anonymous) 2003-10-19 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)Well, shucks. I get the impression that these guys would continue to bill you
after death (recall "Grimjack"). We can perhaps see why bank robbers were
sometimes regarded almost heroicly at times in the Old West; banks were
Evil.
Oddly enough, I got a letter from Fleet Bank asking if I wanted to get a
Visa Platnium card. Can't see why I'd want it since for most purposes my
check card is as useful.
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I had a telemarketing call from one the other day who wanted me to sign up for their no-annual-fee 0% APR card for a one-time application fee of $299. When I said I wasn't interested, the lady started to become belligerent and argue with me! I hung up, and she called back to argue some more!!
I finally spoke to her supervisor, and made sure he understood that if their number ever came up on my caller id again, I was going to sue his company for harassment, but I'm still amazed about it. Telemarketers are getting way out of hand.
Wow, sorry for the topic creep ...
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I know I do. I'm almost EAGER for telemarketers to call and get rude so I can hang up on them. :D