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Credit card tips
I
was charged $38 as a "late payment fee" recently. So, I
called the company. The rep said I paid "out of the billing
cycle." That was true. I paid my current bill online a day
before it was
due. When I asked to talk to a supervisor, I was
told I would get the same answer. I stewed over this unfair treatment
for a month then I called back to complain again. This time the credit
rep gave me a refund. Be Persistent!
Learn how to complain. This is an art and must be practiced.
Remember, the purpose of complaining is to get what YOU want. Check
out these complaining
tips.
"Complain before you pay".
My credit card company will allow a dispute and give me credit
immediately. However, that may not be true for all credit cards.
Credit
card fraud is rampant since the year 2000. Check your account often
online, at least weekly.
Cash advance checks - avoid them like the plague. Easy
solutions? Use a real check or just pay with cash!
Pay off cash advances as soon as
possible. This substantially cuts your interest payments.
You should be very aware that you are
potentially under surveillance when you use your credit card.
Using cash is your secret to privacy.
Almost every credit card these days
allows a 25 or 30 day interest-free grace period from the billing
date. If your credit card does not offer this benefit, find another
card!
If you find a credit card with an annual
fee, find another card. Paying an annual fee does not guarantee
greater benefits.
If you think that interest rates charged
by different credit cards are close to the same throughout the
industry, think again. Some rates are low and reasonable. Some rates
are needlessly much higher.
If you cannot determine how a charge got
on your statement, be sure to call your financial company within 60
days of the posting of that charge. Explain why you think there
is an error. Your company is required to promptly investigate the
error and it will often issue an immediate credit on your card.
If you dispute a charge posted to your
account, dispute the entire amount even if some of the charge is for
goods or services that were ok. This makes sure you will be covered
for all charges you want to stop payment on without violating federal
rules.
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