I am paying my credit cards online. The account management websites are especially slick–especially that for Chase bank. Chase not only has the best website, they also keep policies and terms of service (along with updates!) on an easy-to-find tab. But on all the credit card websites, I have noticed how cleverly they hide the monthly assessment of fees from the main page. It is often hard to find interest rates and fee assessments, not to mention late fees. Of course, if they wanted to, these banks could easily put this information on the main account page. But they don’t. Hmm, I wonder why.
As one salesman said, buying is the pain. Owning is the pleasure.
In other news, Citigroup has recently announced major financial difficulties. The welfare of employees notwithstanding, this does not surprise me. I had the worst customer experience in my life with Citibank a few years ago.
In other credit card/collection news, I have a landline which I never use. I only use it to connect to DSL (it’s the AT&T tax, as I call it). I have an answering machine attached to it, and my mother is the only one who calls that number (it’s a long story). I never use this phone, but I receive three computerized collection agency notices. These collection notices are not for me, but for any of a variety of names whose names I do not recognize.
At first, I thought that these were simply calls about a person who used that last number. But over time, I’ve to the conclusion that either 1)someone at one point in time gave the same number for multiple identities or 2)companies are using the pretext of delinquent accounts to sell me something. Most of the time, I have to call the company up (and am put on hold!). If I just ignore the message, the computerized system will continue calling me over and over and over.
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