My story is about the same as everybody else's on here. I do believe the power in numbers...
I was sent an offer for a credit card from Cross Country Bank in 1998. I had never had a credit card before and was excited to be offered one. I accepted the offer and received my card. Not long after I received my card, my husband was sent the same offer and he accepted as well.
Everything was fine for about a year. We rarely made any purchases on the cards and always paid our balance in full. We felt that this was best way to build credit. My husbands card was increased to a $1000 limit. Mine was increased to $500. Whoopee!
Over time, we did use the cards more, but DID NOT max them out. Our statements, however, started to show late payment fee's. We had never been late on our payments. I always allowed plenty of "mail" time to get the payments in. Calling Cross Country Bank was about a joke and waste of time. Never could I get through to anyone who could explain this sudden "late" fee. $35 a pop.
I started writing letters. I was told on one of the rare occasions that I did speak with someone that all disputes had to be put in writing. I started to receive 2 bills a month on both cards. Each one with a late fee and eventually an over limit fee. I refused to pay the fee's. I continued to pay the REAL balance due.in fact, I had a statement showing that even after Cross Country Bank had added an over limit fee, I still was NOT over my limit!!!
I called, wrote letters, got absolutely no where. Every late fee and over limit fee was disputed.
My husband started looking over our canceled checks. He discovered that every check was conveniently deposited by Cross Country Bank the day after the due date on the bill. Every bill for over a 6 month period. It did not matter when we mailed them, we allowed 15 business days just to test our theory... Same thing, one day after the due date.
I started sending my payments certified so that someone would have to sign and I would have the exact date that it was received. The payments were always received in plenty of time by Cross Country Bank. I was told by a rep that accounts are not credited until my check clears MY bank... Conveniently up to 20 business days...
By this time we had been receiving the phone calls. Most of the phone calls that came through, no one was there. Like most red blooded Americans, when I answer my phone and no one responds to my HELLO, I hang up. Well, come to find out, it was CCB's computer system calling automatically... If a representative was available when the call came through, then someone would respond, otherwise, I was getting several calls a day that were basically hang ups. I would talk to a real person when one was actually on the phone and make the same payment arrangement several times a day. I would ask them not to call me so many times a day especially when I have already made these agreements. I was told that it was out of their control, the computer did it automatically. I got pretty angry one day... I asked them who programmed their computers. Of course the answer was "my supervisor" who can never come to the phone.
I would try to reason with these people when they called me, but that was impossible. I had proof in black and white that they did me wrong... The bill with the added over limit fee that was still not over the limit??? Even though the rep could see it plain as day, I was told that I had to dispute it in writing. Talking to a supervisor was impossible... Funny how they are always busy.
I started logging phone calls.in one day, from 8am to 11pm, I received 44 phone calls from Cross Country Bank. This became a daily thing. I had to leave my phone off the hook. From my understanding, creditors cannot call you more than one time a day. If you have made an agreement, they are not supposed to call you until you have NOT fullfilled your end of the agreement. This varies from state to state, but that was the "law" in my state. (I no longer live in that state) CCB violated that law many times. I had no recourse without hiring an attorney, which I couldn't afford.
I threatened to sue for harrassment, they threatened to sue for non payment. I told them to bring it on!!! I begged them to sue me. My husband and I both had proof that any judge in the country would have laughed them out of court.
Well, suing costs money, which I didn't have.
In I started to receive offers from CCB. These "offers" told me that if I paid by a certain time, I would only owe a partial amount of the bill. It was still much more than I owed... But after so many months of harrassment, just to get them off my back... I paid them the agreed (not really) amount.
Of course, they didn't receive it on time, so there were more late charges and fee's... After a long fight and pay off, I thought it was over. This was done in 2000.
I have checked my credit report periodically, no sign of CCB. Whew! Until last week. My husband and I applied for a loan... We were denied because of 4 delinquent credit cards...
Come to find out, CCB has filed delinqencies under 4 other collection names. They are basically trying to collect on 4 cards. We only had 2. I had one, my husband had one. Both were paid off under one of those "agreements".
The balance and account numbers are the same as what CCB had.
Our fight with CCB is far from over. This company is out to ruin people. We the people need to fight this. One person may not make a difference, but many will.
I have warned everyone I know NOT to get a card through Cross Country Bank! Anyone who is just trying to make it will end up in bad shape. This company does NOT help you build credit, it only helps you ruin it.
How they have stayed in business I will never know. I had received a letter from them when I made my "pay off" that they were bankrupt. Apparently they are not!
If anyone has any ideas count me in! Class action lawsuits are filed every day!
In one of the settlement offers that I received this is a quote: "It's time you closed the door on this one thorny issue that just won't go away." They mean it, they will screw you every bit of the way no matter what you do.
Lisa
Alabama
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