No Apologies from Chase Bank
by Richard
(Texas)
I received a notice in the mail stating that the rate on my wife's chase card account would change from 16.99% to 27.00%. Outraged I contacted Chase Bank Credit Cards to see what was up. I asked what the rate was and the rep told me that it was 16.99% but that in March it would go up to 17.24%. I asked to re-verify and she kept stalling. She sounded really unsure so I asked if she could mail a letter to me to confirm our conversation and that on the day that I called the rate was 16.99%- being clear that it was variable - this was so I could feel at ease. She said she could not do that, but could not explain why and told me to wait for the next bill.
I explained that I was concerned because I had a letter telling me it was 27% and wanted a letter showing the correct amount. She said that the rate used to be 27% in October when they mailed me a statement but now it was 16%. I was never mailed anything until recently and I sure would have remembered a nearly 11% percent increase. I asked for a supervisor and she was more than willing to get one.
Keep in mind this was my wife's account and the only info I was asked to verify was my name, then they gave me our contact #, that is completely against CPNI rules....
The "supervisor" gets on the line and tells me my rate has been 27% since October and is not changing. They said it was due to my credit score and I was informed in October. I explained that I had a bill from December showing I had a 16.99% rate and asked him to try to explain it again. After explaining it I made a comment that if the rate went up that much I would think about canceling the account, he told me it was done and I would receive a confirmation letter in the mail in 7-14 days. Just like that.
I asked if he even cared because he did not show any empathy and he said that they honored my decision as a customer and that canceling was a choice I had and they could not stop me. I asked again why he did not even say he was sorry that this happened and I was not informed and he said they had proof that they mailed the info to me and that he would mail that proof.
The guy was very condescending and sarcastic, especially when I called him out for not showing any empathy. I asked for his supervisor and he told me I could call back tomorrow, I told him I was the customer and they could call me back but he refused and kept trying to wrap the call up by asking me if there was anything else he could do for me.
I am not normally a rude person but in this case he pushed me and after asking if there was anything he could do for me the third time I told him to "go do something" with his mother and hung up.
I really do not say things like that but Chase brought out the worst in me. And remember when I said this was my wife's account? How could they let me cancel the account when it is not even mine?
I really hope that their customers show them that they cannot bully us around anymore. I have made a plan to pay them off very quickly and I will NEVER do business with them again. (after I find a new bank that is)
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Sounds like you got the famous 'runaround' that many of us are getting, Richard. I found myself in the same position as you did. Frustrated and outraged! I am normally the sweetest, most caring, overly nice person in the world. Chase Bank Credit Card Services brought out the worst in me too. I normally deplore anger but when push comes to shove, I push back.
Had I known Chase was going to raise their rates, I would have paid cash for everything at Christmas and not charged a damn thing. Nice of them to let us know after the new year started! and Christmas season was over. Why didn't they let us know before hand?
The supervisor I talked to said that she was waiting for her rates to go up too. I asked her why she hadn't gotten notice yet but I had? She said the new letters were mailed out on January 12th and she simply hadn't gotten her's yet. I wondered??
She blatantly told me under no uncertain terms, that Chase Bank simply needed to make more money. Hell, it's stated right on the letter they mailed us. Banks can do what they want I guess. Somebody needs to do something.
One more note: If you close your account(s), always ask them to state in their notes: 'Closed per Card Holders Request'. That way it reflects better on your overall credit score. Closing any credit account, (except for small ones), affects your credit score negatively. What a paradox and crock of crap huh?
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