Frist USA
First USA Bank consumer rip-off scam
- 09-29-2000
- 2
Charging above 25% for any reason.
Offering a 'fixed' interest rate, then raising rates once the customer has built a balance.
Receiving and holding customers' payments until they can apply a late fee.
Mishandling customer disputes by failing to investigate, attempting to collect disputed funds, charging late fees and interest on disputed funds, and reporting disputed funds as non-payment to credit bureaus.
Not notifying customers of changes in the cardmember agreement, notifying them by printing changes in fine print on unrelated promotional material — for example, those throw-away ads that are stuffed in the envelopes with the bills.
Mishandling balance transfers.
Adjusting billing delivery and date-due cycles to make it more likely a customer will pay late and incur a fee or trigger a rate increase.
Telemarketers charge customers' accounts for products they did not agree to buy.
Failing to respond to letters of inquiry.
Raising APR based on credit report information that was essentially unchanged or improved since the First USA account was established.
Removing a mistaken late fee but using the "forgiven" late fee as a reason to increase APR later.
Failing to make an ordered electronic transfer, or failure to make it on time, or failing to credit it on time, or failing to make it in the appropriate amount.
Reopening closed accounts, charging items on closed accounts.
Selling customer information long after the customer relationship is terminated.
This list is taken from the Hall of Shame and current discussions where, in the customers opinion, First USA acts or acted, if not unlawfully, at least deceptively or improperly.
We know that Bank One has lawyers that guide their business practices. We have observed that many of the complaints about First USA's practices involve their propensity to ride the fine lines between lawfulness and fairness. We have observed that customers generally desire to do business with companies they can trust to be fair and honest.
Company: Frist USA
Country: USA
State: TEXAS