I'm furious with Chase credit card services; they claim that the check I mailed on May1, due on May7, was late. It cleared my checking account on May8.
I have heard that this is a common complaint, am hoping that someone will know how to contest this late fee as the reps I spoke to tell me the only recourse I have is to fax or post a letter that'll be replied to within 30 days of their receipt of it. They have no email or phone communication available for those of us they've stuck with late fees, claim that the only way it can be adjusted is if there's a bank error that caused it.
UPDATE 2
Yesterday's mailbox had the notice of late fee.
Today's mailbox had the notice that my interest rate on that account was being hiked by almost 50%, to 14.24. What a coincidence! Boy, that USPS sure does work with magical efficiency when it's coming in my direction, doesn't it?
When my account was with WAMU I always payed online, on time. When Chase took over and changed the online access, the link redirected me to a 'speedbump' that wouldn't go anywhere, so I had no online access. I mailed the payments for April and May, and they tell me that May wasn't received until May 8, a day after the due date, with a $39 late fee that there's nobody to speak to who can reverse it or even lodge a disagreement with.
Is there a special black hole in the USPS mail service that only seems to affect credit card payments? Or is this just another scheme that the banks have come up with to screw us, yet again?
The first person I spoke to told me there is nobody who can reverse the late fee unless it was a bank error. Nobody. Anywhere. That's policy. Shortly before my head exploded and splattered venom all over her, I ended that call.
My second call was to find out who to speak to about contesting the fee. She said I can write a letter or send a fax. They'll respond within 30 days. I have a strong feeling that the response will just be a form letter telling me that it was late if they say it was late. That's not good enough.
Since I'm certainly not the only person who's had to deal with this system, I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me what constructive avenues I can pursue towards getting the system fixed, and I'm curious about how many others have been in this position.
Many thanks, and my apologies for not composing a more lucid diary. I'm too wound up to edit decently right now, and I'm too worried about what this is going to do to my interest rates since they've decided I'm now someone who pays late.
UPDATE 1: Wow! Thanks to all of you for all the input! I'm going to step away for a bit, fluff my aura and then try some of those phone numbers when I'm less.... vivid.
I'm not in a position to cancel and pay it off, otherwise I'd have done that already, trust me. I'm like millions of other folks nowadays. Three years ago I had a modest nest egg, self employed, making it but far from financially secure. Got cancer, nest egg wiped out, relied on credit cards for expenses, accumulated big medical bills that I'm slowly paying down. Banks went kaput, my credit rating was re-evaluated, limits reduced dramatically, interest rates raised. Meanwhile, my income has reduced by half due to the recession. I'm fortunate that I can get enough work to keep things going, barely. Still paying on time, but unable to pay much more than the minimums, now. Swapping to another card won't solve this problem for me, I've gotta work through it. That's ok, nobody forced me to use credit cards. But that doesn't make it ok to victimize those of us who are meeting our obligations while the banks get taxpayer bailouts.