It has been a long, long time since I saw such a bad example of sharp practice as this, whereby someone has gone to such lengths to blackmail one into parting with one's money having sewn up every loophole that would enable you to ignore their terms and even return the card. It preys on the less knowledgeable in our society and hoodwinks citizens to part with vital information such as their bank account number by the manipulative process contained in the questions on the phone when you call and the unfair terms.
When we received CCA's letter today, it included a credit card (so called). The most notable thing was the line of credit of $6,500 followed by suspiciously oversized terms and conditons (as if they did not have the technology to make them miniscule in the NORMAL way!!!
Eventually, we came across the part that tells you that if you dont want the cards whether you received them or not!!! (if you never got them, how would you know whether you wanted them??!!!)-you could phone a number to tell them you dont want the cards.
Strangely (we thought) all the phone numbers in all combinations direct you towards activation of the card (the last thing you want if you dont want to be billed $99.99), this line encourages you to give out the number on the card they sent you (this would serve to prove you received it if they later denied receiving your phone call!) then they ask for things like your SSN, something you would not dream of leaving on a recording.
Soon you realize that there is not a number that will connect you to anyone that will in any way ever cancel the cards, but you are ransomed with the knowledge that upon the expiry of the trial period, whether or not you want the card, they will debit the annual fee from your line of credit (or your bank account if you give them the number), and presumably send you a demand for that sum and no doubt the minimum payment.
Presumably, if you just mail the card back, they will just debit the card and send you a statement as if you never returned it.
I plan to make a copy of the envelope containing the credit card which can be seen through the window. I then intend to send it back to them by certified mail and ask the postmaster at the post office to sign the photocopy of the envelope with the card enclosed that he saw me put in the certified mail envelope. This precaution is designed to prevent the recipients from denying that the card was in the certified mail envelope. It remains to be seen if the teller will signe to say that the copy represent s what went into the envelope. Best of Luck.
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