I saw an ad on TV one night for Cross Country Bank.
I got the number. First it sound idea to rebuild my credit, a low-limit credit card I could make regular payments on. So I gave them a call; they took my application and determined they would give me a credit limit of $300 and to expect the card in the mail.
Two weeks later I got the card in the mail called to activate it. But I did not charge on the card at first because I wanted to wait for the first billing statement. I thought I did the smart thing and not long after first billing statement arrived. It showed that I had an account with them and nothing else, no signup fees showing.
So I decided it was OK to start using the card. I made 2 charges on the card; one for $20 and another for $40, a total of $60 against a $300 limit. I charged no more until the bill arrived. Then I would pay the $60 on it no problem to pay it off right away.
To my surprise the billing statement showed $230 of "signup fees" for a card with a credit limit of $300, fees which were undisclosed and never mentioned in any of my contacts. The two charges were there, yes, as well
as the 80% signup fees. Eighty percent. Not even loan sharks charge that much.
I picked up the phone and gave them a call. No 800 number; a long distance call from Washington to Florida. After a labyrinth of transfers and menus, all on my dime, I finally got someone on the line and explained the
situation. It was like talking to a wall; no matter what I said, the person on the other end had only one line "Sorry sir I can't help you with that. You have to write to the bank yourself "
I asked for the bank direct number and I got the same line again Then I went on the web looking for a mailing address. I wrote to them and asked them to removed $230 charges, charged never disclosed to me, or close
my account and would send it the $60 which I charged.
Weeks late I got a letter from them state the they won't take off the $230, and my account with them is closed so I can't use the card anymore. At this point I had the card less than two months. Then come the next billing
statement, now with a "late fee" charged. A "late fee" of $40! I made the payment, but the next bill showed another $40 "late fee" anyway.
I talked with them for months. Then they began calling me; from 20 to 50 calls per week, at all times of the day and night, 5 AM on Sunday mornings. The callers were abusive, threatening, blustering. I made some more payments but it didn't matter; another $40 was added every month regardless of how much I paid.
Finally they offered a deal; if I would send $140 with a check number over the phone on that day then they would close the account. I did this; I sent the money. But that wasn't the end; the next billing statement showed
me owing over $500. What the hell?
I called again and they denied ever making any deals, and continued to threaten, continued to call. To this
day they are calling me every day, all times of day. I have paid over $400 to them in all, and they show on my credit report as owing them over $700. Despite the account being closed they continue to add $40 every
month and continue to threaten, and to add insult to injury, they are still offering "deals" to finish thing off.
I will declare bankruptcy before I will give the racketeers at Cross Country Bank another penny. These people are liars and crooks and their collection agents are the rudest people I have ever run into on the
telephone. I doubt there is any "bank" here; I was getting calls from their "collections" people before I had even missed a payment.
This is a fictitious bank that issues credit cards for no other reason than to collect from people. They are not collecting any more from me.
DON'T GET A CREDIT CARD FROM CROSS COUNTRY BANK. Run screaming instead.
Edward
Woodinville, Washington
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