Target National Bank lost this holiday season because they chose to charge me $30.00 on a $10.00 balance.
It was one of those situations where I thought that the entire balance was paid off. I guess it wasn’t and I owed a measly $10.00.
I was shocked and in disbelief when I saw that my credit card statement had been charged an extra $30.00 on a $10.00 balance. I know I keep repeating myself but I still could not understand why they would treat me this way.
I always pay my balance off on time and most of the time it’s the balance in full. I have been a good card paying customer for 7 years.
In our family Don and I usually carry two or three cards for emergencies and most of the time they help to carry us over. We always pay off the balance ASAP.
After this Target National Bank fiasco I decided to go ahead and not use my Target VISA for any purchases this holiday season. Why should I? This is how they treat their good customers?
Instead of using my Target Visa via Target National Bank, I decided to use my DISCOVER card and my two mastercards instead. Guess what? Those balances are paid in full too.
Credit Companies are being horrible to their customers. They take advantage of those that are struggling to pay their bills, raise their interest rates, etc.. and they do the same thing to their customers that are not struggling quite as hard to pay their bills.
I am speechless at the fact that I was charged $30.00 for a $10.00 balance. How dare they do that to me. I am seriously going to give them a piece of my mind if they call me to ask me how come I haven’t cashed in on my reward points OR taken advantant of their so-called lower interest rates.
I’m also getting quite sick and tired of those voice recorded telemarketing calls insisting that I am about to run out on taking advantage of a new lower interest rate. Uh excuse me, I don’t need to take advantage of a new lower interest rate. I have no balances on my credit cards, remember?
I’m also getting tired of stores promising to take money off the total balance of your purchase if you fill out a credit card application. Uh no, I either already have that card OR didn’t you know that filling out too many credit card applications can ruin your FICA score?
Uh Hello!?
This is the very reason why I pay CASH for EVERYTHING! Credit cards are way more trouble than they are worth.
Its just sick what they do to people. In this type of economic melt-down, you think that customer retention might just be a priority. Apparently not.
this is so typical. I auto pay so many bills online, because, let’s face it, we are busy and it’s all about convenience. that is one way they stick it to you, if you aren’t on top of it. no wonder we are in crisis. we are being ripped a new one all the time.
$30 on a $10 balance??
I think I’d be calling them ASAP and reaming someone a new one. That’s totally ridiculous and excessive.
Oh, that irritates the crap out of me! The filling out the credit card app for a discount. It’s stupid.
I hope you’re having a great holiday in spite of it!
~ Annie
Hi Jason! We have always been very responsible with our credit cards. We use them for emergencies only OR with the understanding that the balance can be paid off. If the balance can not be paid off we don’t use them. This holiday season because of what the credit card companies have been doing with their interest rates and their “fees” we have made sure not to use them at all.
Hi Erica! Yeah, I know what you mean. I was shocked when I saw that they had initiated a $30.00 fee on a $10.00 balance. I still can not believe that they did that to me.
Hi Linda! I will never go to auto paying anything online. I have on occasion tried it just to see how convenient it was but in the end there is something to be said for writing out a check and mailing off your bills. I prefer not to pay my bills online and if anything out of the ordinary should ever happen (like not getting paid on time) I don’t want to suffer those consequences.
Hi Annie! Yes! We are having a wonderful Holiday Season in spite of what Target National Bank has done to me personally. Hope you are too!
Angela,
I like your blog. I found it through Blog Catalog when I was doing some research for one of my own posts.
I had a similar issue with my Target VISA, so I feel your pain. Discover is not much better in my opinion. They once charged me a fee for paying my account too fast if you can believe that.
Like someone said above, I find myself paying for everything with cash if I can these days.
CK
Hi CK – I don’t think I’ve looked at Blog Catalog in a long time. I thinks it’s because I’m on social networking overload.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Yes, credit card companies as well as other financial institutions are really sticking it to everybody lately.
More and more we are paying w/cash too.
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and have an AWESOME 2009!
Hi Angela
Just saw your topic about Target Visa. I have been trying all morning to reach someone re a charge on my credit card that was for a trial period of 30 days (which I cancelled in 15), but the people that have been responding to me are in New Delhi, India. I am waiting until I get the next statement, then am going to cancel my card. From now on I am not going to be doing ANY business with companies who are out-sourcing out of the USA. I haven’t been able to talk to a single person today. Very frustrating….
I don’t think we should be talking to anybody over the telephone that is in another country when it comes to our financial affairs. I had no idea that Target National Bank was outsourcing. I may have to cut up my card AND cancel my account. Thanks for the tip!