I used a Cross Country Bank credit card for two years. My problems were similar to other complaints I read. My very first fradulent experience was NOT receiving the very first statement... And I didn't miss the statement because I had not ever received one yet AND I had not used the card at all. Charged $35.
Well, there were other instances over the 2 years of wrongful charges... How about me "forgetting" about the interest charge? Well, when is this charge applied? Anyways... The charge was applied sometime in the middle of that billing cycle which threw me over the limit...$35 charge.
I realized that Cross Country Bank was rather 'sneaky' and not forthright with their fee billings. I only had a balance of $318.90 and I knew that my annual fee would be coming soon. I didn't want that fee or to continue my account so I wanted to close the account.
I read the credit card agreement very closely regarding how to close my account properly. I sent a letter requesting the closure of my account and that I would pay the balance in full once the account was closed. According to the credit card agreement I had 30 days, from the notice of the annual fee, to pay my account in full. I received my statement and of course the account was NOT closed.
I still had time (in regards to the 30 day pay-off time limit) to pay off the account so I began the now 9 month quest to straighten out this crap! I called, was given some mumbo jumbo. I sent certified letters. Return letters of explanation contradicted what the credit card agreement stated as far as the pay-off and closure of an account goes.
Whoops... Here's that $50 annual fee. You see the 'catch' to closing your account and paying it off to avoid the annual fee is that you must do BOTH. Close it and pay it off in 30 days. When they neglected to 'close' my account I knew exactly what was going on...
Yes, they don't close the account, I send in my pay-off... They still charge me the $50 annual fee because... You guessed it... My account wasn't 'closed' AND paid off.
After months of written and verbal argument... My balance more than doubled due to fees... A letter from me to the "Presidential Unit" in Virgina... They offered me a payoff amount... incredibly with all of those fees GONE. I jumped for joy! Until I sat down and did the math.
Even though I had been disputing the non-closure and the fees still continued to make my monthly payments for a handful of months. The math I did regarding the pay-off offer showed me that although they reversed all of those fees... They neglected to give me credit for ANY OF MY PAYMENTS.
How convenient! Sneaky bastards. When I inquired about this I was treated as if I were an idiot for not accepting this "generous offer". I was told to "don't be a fool"..."just take the pay-off offer and run"."Don't ruin your credit over just a little bit of money".
I figured, if Cross Country Bank ripped off every person who just "gives in to get them off of their backs"... Let's say just $35... Well that adds up for them incredibly!
Am I fool for not just taking it and running? Now I have this on the credit report that I was supposedly trying to build in a positive way. I do not know what to do to fix this... Or if I even can... All of this nightmare over a measely $318.90.
Unbelieveable!!!
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