Originally Posted By nemopoppins Okay, everyone, another tip to avoid problems with Chase cards: In straightening out one of my holds, I found out that double charges raise a red flag and that's why sometimes a hold is placed. Actually, that's why all three of my recent freezes took place. I had mistakenly thought it was because of the large purchases (freezer and dryer), kind of like the holds that were placed the last two years when I Christmas shopped and during our summer vacation this year. Originally, I charged something at Target. My daughter then came to me with another item but the first charge had already been entered. So, I made another charge at Target immediately after the first one. Chase froze the account so then Target's credit card machine kept my card. (I was distracted so I didn't realize at the time that I didn't get my card back--I just thought I had lost the card at Target because I didn't have it when I needed to use it the next time.) So, I called Chase and they closed the account (not telling me that I really didn't lose it) and issued new cards on a new account. Meanwhile, I had to use my other credit card, which happens to be a Chase card also. It soon froze. I had assumed that it was frozen because we started frequent use of a card we rarely use, but... it was actually frozen for the same reason, a double charge. My very same kid came to me with another item after I had just completed a charge purchase at 7-11, so I made another charge immediately after it. That charge was refused by Chase and my other card was now frozen. I straightened that one out by their automated phone service. But not before it refused an Amazon.com order of a birthday gift for my boss that I had added a $20 charge for shipment so that it would arrive in time. The gift was not even that much. Then we received the new Disney cards from the account that I had reported my card missing. We started using those. I went to buy gas. Again, a double charge: Our Suburban has a very large tank (and appetite) and most gas stations stupidly shut the pump after $75.00. These days, that doesn't do it, so I had to submit a second charge to finish filling the tank. Now I do this at least every week but since the card was now a new card, they had a tighter freeze control, so the second charge was refused and I once again had a frozen account. Plus, the automated system didn't really clear the other card, so when I was speaking to a person in clearing the Disney card, she said she cleared the other card too. She is the one who let out the fact that it's been the double charges that were my downfall. Then, I got another notice from Amazon.com that my charge couldn't be processed. I spoke to Chase again today and they said that the Disney card is clear, but the other one wasn't. So, this person assured me that both cards are clear today. (But today was my boss's birthday.) Come to think of it, it was buying gas on the way home from our vacation this summer when the card was refused. It was probably that same double charge thing again!
Originally Posted By poohbear14 What a hassle! Maybe you should have a second card that isn't Chase. :-D
Originally Posted By nemopoppins ^^^I kind of do, but it's my mother-in-law's account. She wants me to use it for emergencies (like when I'm stuck with no other card, but the problem is that she won't let us pay her back) or when she want me to purchase something that she wants to get for us. But, like I said before, I put up with the hassles because it is, after all, a "Disney Rewards Card". Yes, my second should be from a different company, but I'm tired of spending time on credit cards right now.
Originally Posted By nemopoppins well, poohbear14, I took your advice. I couldn't believe it. They still haven't straightened out the mess on the second Chase card and I've spoken to them five times. Again today I had an internet order refused, so, I cancelled the card. They even connected me to a specialist when I cancelled the card (because of THEIR mistakes!!!) and she actually threatened me that in cancelling the card they will have to report it to the credit bureau and that might hurt my credit rating??!!??!! I told her that I resent those strong-arm tactics and I'm not only not scared, I just might report them!
Originally Posted By mickeynewe I have cancelled non-used cards several a couple of times in the past and I have never had a company threaten me with reporting me to the credit bureau. That is absolutely outrageous! That would totally just torque me off! Reminds me of a story.... I went to the bank to close an old account that we rarely used with the intention of depositing the funds into another account. The teller (who was a very chauvanistic man) insisted on knowing WHY I wanted to close the account and kept badgering me about it. It went past the standard "May I ask why? Is there a problem?" I politely said I didn't need the account any longer at which point he told me that wasn't a good enough reason to close my account. What? Hello? It's my money! If I want to close the account I will! Instead of saying this and getting hostile, it took everything I had to keep my cool. His attitude was very condescending. Instead, I asked for the manager. When the manager came over I explained that I had originally come in to close one of my accounts and his teller insisted on knowing the reason and I went on with the whole conversation. When I was done explaining the situation to the manager, I told the manager that instead of just closing one account that they could now close out ALL my accounts! The manager did his best to convince me not to close all my accounts but I told him that I would not bank with someone that tried to tell me what I could and could not do with my own money and said I had to answer to them, only to be told my reasons were not good enough. I promptly took my cashiers check and deposited my money elsewhere that day. I have been at the other bank faithfully for a good 10+ years, if not longer.
Originally Posted By TinksBestFriend If you cancel a Credit Card it should show up on your Credit Report - you have 4 of them - as "closed by custoner request". It is not negative.
Originally Posted By nemopoppins Thanks, TinksBestFriend. I figured it was actually something like that. Chase's account closers must receive some kind of commission for not closing accounts and this one was hungry. I like your story, mickeynewe (the happy ending). I only wish I could close my other Chase card, but it's my Disney card!
Originally Posted By nemopoppins By the way, does anyone recommend what new card I should get to replace the second card I cancelled? I feel more comfortable with a second in case the first gets lost or frozen.
Originally Posted By fidoprincess I love my Discover card because you get real cash back, actual money, not points pretending to be money that you can only spend at certain places! I let it accrue for a few months and then apply it to my account! It is like "free money" but there are no strings on how to spend it. They do have promotions for getting double cash back but I never do those, just give me the straight cash please-lol. The problem is that sometimes stores don't take it, will only take visa or master so your Disney visa would be good as a back up then I guess. Every day I get a ton of card offers in the mail but most of them are for air miles! I do not want to deal with that hassle of booking a milage reward flight so those don't interest me but others rave about them, getting free flights! I am sorry you had such trouble with your card. We don't like chase but had to have the disney card and feel that we have gotten a lot of freebies to make it worth having. We had another chase account in the past and there was some class action lawsuit about them posting the payments late to collect more fees! It had never happened to us, but they were required to send out a notice to all the customer and offer them ammends! Now that is crooked! Why Disney ever decided to go with them, I don't know, but we miss the old days of Disney and American Express! Those were great perks. Good luck picking a back up card!
Originally Posted By knightnfrees <<By the way, does anyone recommend what new card I should get to replace the second card I cancelled?>> Try Discover, but it's not as widely accepted as MC or Visa. There's also Citi cards...They have a Thank You Rewards program...Alot of things to choose from. <<We don't like chase...Why Disney ever decided to go with them, I don't know.>> Originally, the Disney Visa was run by the Bank One cc company. Chase took over Bank One a year or two ago. I've had the Disney Visa since the 1st year it came out. I've had no problems with it. I miss Bank One. I have never been fond of Chase. Too big for their own good, IMHO.
Originally Posted By nemopoppins Yeah, I'd be hesitant to get a Discover because of they're not as widely accepted. Maybe as a third card. Thanks, I'll try Citi. I know I get their solicitations all the time. I'll respond to the next one. And they're probably not likely to sell theirs to Chase like my Disney and my (now closed) formerly known as GE Rewards card.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Another Rewards Card question. I have a Rewards Card with $5.99 left on it with an expiration date of Dec. 06. Anyone know if the expiration date is Dec 1 or Dec 31? DH swears that we called and asked the same question the last time our card was expiring and they said it was good through the month. I don't mean to be second guessing him but well, I guess I am I do know that the $5.99 can't be transfered to my new Rewards Card (just ordered it) and we are going in Dec.
Originally Posted By nemopoppins Yeah, I think it's just like the actual credit cards; they are good through the expiration month.
Originally Posted By fidoprincess That is right, end of the month! I noticed on my bill they put a "warning" that my old rewards card will be expiring and to call and check the balance of my points on that card. I was surprised they even tell you. nemopoppins, while at the dr with dd yesterday, there was a whole article in one of the magazines about the best "rewards" card. They said the top card for cash rewards (not air points) was the Citi Platinum Mastercharge! We are switching from our Disney Visa to that one now!! This is probably our last trip to Disneyland for a good long time since our APs are expiring so I have been looking for some alternatives and have been doing a bit of research. Imagine my surprise to find that article at the right time!
