Fight For Your Rights

I guess you could call this topic a "lifehack." But here's the deal; every once in a while I pay my credit card bills late. And then their response is to stick me with a) a late fee and b) a new higher interest rate.

But I fight it. And MOST of the time I win.

See today is Sunday and time to pay the bills and as I was looking things over I saw that one of my credit card bills was three times it's normal size. And unless it's the heart of the Grinch at the end of Dr. Seuss's book something being three times its normal size is usually not a good sign. Examining the bill it appeared I had missed the payment date by a day, so they had attached a late fee and bumped the interest rate up by 22 percent. Not good under any circumstances, but in the case of this particular card (who shall remain nameless, since I don't want to be bitten in the ass somewhere down the line) totally unacceptable.

Fact is, a long time ago they offered me a one time only balance transfer deal. At the time they were really hurting, because the low interest rate of the balance transfer was for the LIFE of the loan. Not 3 months, not 6 months, not even 12. But until I pay it off. That rate was under 5 percent (again I'm not going to give the actual figures in order to keep my low profile). But basically I transferred a few THOUSAND dollars of debt from other cards where I had been paying a higher rate every month. So this low interest card is my backbone card. I don't USE the card to buy anything (since the purchase interest rate isn't great) but because of that low interest rate the amount due every month is super small.

Hers the deal; I have a lot of credit cards. Like 7 or 8. I'm not proud, but I'm not getting any new ones. Most of them are from my "youth," and about half are for my business. And at this point all I'm trying to do is pay off the debt. By the way-for those of you who don't know; it's actually not a good idea to close accounts-just stop using them. It will actually HURT your credit rating to close them out; because your "borrow ratio" decreases but the amount you've borrowed has not. Oy vey, I feel like one of those people who used drugs in the past and is now telling people why THEY shouldn't use drugs.

Now...you might not be able to tell, but I CAN be a total bastard. Most people I interact with think of me as a nice guy. However one group of people, the world over, have the exact opposite opinion about me; customer service people at credit card companies. Even when I'm wrong, as far as I'm concerned, I'm RIGHT. That's how I approach the conversation. It's the "so bold he can't be serious" approach. It's the attitude people use to get into swanky clubs, get women to talk to them, etc.,. I have had people do it to ME in lines a lot. I've had people just walk right in front of me while waiting in a line. But when they do-I check their ass fast (hey I'm not just a client I'm a MEMBER of using that technique-don't try that crap with me!)

But back to the cards. When it comes to being late the companies usually charge a late fees AND they usually take the interests rate to the highest possible amount chargeable by law. But I call them up with my bill in my hand and I go on the offense and tell them I've been a loyal customer, will take my business elsewhere with a balance transfer, tell them I KNOW they can reverse it if they want to, take their name and ID number and ask if the supervisor is available. But that last strategy better BE your last strategy. Once you go to the supervisor, you're done with the person you were just talking to and now have to try to use all that same stuff on a much tougher supervisor.

But I do it.

BUT here's the thing; if they do right by me, I very honestly express my gratitude. I tell them thanks for "setting me straight" about why I got charged, and I know they can't do this for me again, how I'd be happy to have my bills emailed to me instead of sent via tradition mail. And leave them with both relief for not having to talk to me any more and not feeling like they did a favor for somebody who didn't appreciate it. If you're going to do this let the person have the victory of having done a good deed