Update on lying companies

I posted the other day about how Fieldstone Homes and Chase Visa are ripping me off and not providing the services they promised. Here’s an update:

After I posted that crazy long entry the other night, I faxed a slightly tweaked version of the Fieldstone part to Fieldstone’s corporate offices. The next morning, Glenn finally returned my call, informing me that their final decision is to not fix my wall. I let him know, once again, that I was disappointed, and that was that. I strongly recommended to him that he make sure the rest of the work that was supposed to be done by March 29 gets done early this week, and he promised he would. Yesterday (Monday), I got a call from Jason, the construction manager who got mad that I didn’t like him lying to me, who wanted to go over the list and make sure he had a complete list of things that had not yet been completed. I resisted the urge to say, “Matt and I made a list last week; anything that hasn’t been fixed since then still needs to be fixed,” and instead I just went down the list with him. He promised to get it done soon. He was as friendly as possible, and I was as friendly as possible, although when his list didn’t contain a particular item that I had both mentioned to Matt (twice) AND left an unanswered voice mail about, I was forced to bring up, once again, the fact that he doesn’t really return calls. Beth punched me in the arm when I did that, so I let it drop. So anyway, hopefully they will get everything else done in the next day or two, and then I will be done dealing with them forever.

As for Chase, we’re not so close to a resolution. As I mentioned the other day, they had me send an email through their website. Well, the first time I went to send it, it logged me out while I was writing, and it didn’t save a draft the way it was supposed to, so I had to type it again. I have now sent four emails to them and received three responses. I am waiting on their next response. Here is a transcript of what has transpired so far:

Date: 04-07-2006 18:25:44
To: Credit Card Support
Subject: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
PRODTYPE:CCS
ACCOUNT NUMBER:****************
FEE-FC TYPE:Finance Charge
FEE AMOUNT:$27.68
CHARGED DATE:03/28/2006

I just sent a message, but apparently I spent too long typing it up, so it logged me off. The message said it had saved a draft, but it didn’t, and it isn’t showing up in the Sent Messages folder, so apparently it didn’t get sent OR saved, which upsets me. I will repeat what I wrote in the last email, but I probably won’t be as nice. Please be aware that I understand that the person reading this email isn’t personally responsible for any of the mistakes that I am upset about, and my anger and frustration are directed at Chase in general, not any individual specifically.

Here’s the situation: on either August 10 or August 11, 2005, I received a phone call offering me the Payment Protector Plan. They told me I could try it out for 30 days and cancel if I didn’t want to keep it. In exchange for trying it out for 30 days, they said, I would receive a 0% interest rate on my Chase card for two years. I agreed to try it out. I had no intention of keeping the plan; I was just in it for the 0% interest rate.

I forgot to cancel it for a few months, and finally got around to cancelling it in about February of this year. Today, when I went to my online account, I see that we were charged interest charges on March 28, 2006. Obviously, with an interest rate of 0%, I should not have interest charges.

I called Chase, and the guy I talked to told me, “We are not allowed to give a two-year, zero-percent interest rate.” I asked, “Why are you allowed to PROMISE it if you aren’t allowed to deliver it?” The best answer he could come up with was that I never should have been promised it. He then said my next recourse was to come on the website and send an email about the situation.

Here’s the bottom line: I don’t care who made the mistake here. I don’t care if the Payment Protector Plan people never should have promised me the rate. I don’t care what happened. All I care about is that I get my zero percent rate until August 2007. I was told on the phone that no one at Chase is able to adjust the interest rates, and I find that absolutely unbelievable. Someone there has the power and/or authority to make this right, and whoever that person is, I would like him or her to take care of this.

I have a carefully crafted plan for getting completely out of debt, and one of the factors I used in calculating my plan was the knowledge that I would not be paying any interest on my Chase card until August 2007. That needs to be the case.

Please correct this error, reinstate my 0% rate, and refund the $27.68 that was charged on March 28, 2006. Please let me know when this is done.

Sincerely,
Jeff J. Snider (on behalf of my wife, Elizabeth Snider)

***

Date: 04-10-2006 10:09:27
From: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
Dear Elizabeth Snider:

Please accept my apology for the delay in responding to your inquiry.

Thank you for your request for a lower rate. At the present time, there is no lower interest rate available on your account. However, accounts are periodically reviewed for promotional rate sales and we request you contact us in the future.

Thank you,

Phyllis R Taylor
Email Customer Service Advisor

1-800-436-7927

***

Date: 04-10-2006 10:44:11
To: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
Please read my previous email, as it is apparent that you did not do so. I am not requesting a lower rate. I am demanding the rate that I was promised. If you are unable to give me the rate that I was promised, then forward this email to someone who IS able to make this right. If the next message I receive from you shows as much disregard for my concerns as my telephone call and initial email did, I will be contacting my attorney.

***

Date: 04-11-2006 08:01:47
From: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
Dear Jeff Snider:

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Payment Protector is a fee based benefit that allows you to defer payments to your credit card based on specific life events for up to 24 months or a 3 month leave of absence, without a negative effect on your credit history. The 2 year period or 24 months of deferment that was outlined to you, is based upon activation of the Payment Protector program for one of the specific life events covered under the plan. The plan offers the deferment of your payment for up to 24 months, but not a 0.00% fixed rate sale.

For more information on deferring your payments, or in order to cancel the Payment Protector Plan, please contact them directly at 1-877-752-8572.

Representatives are available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

If you are unable to call in to Payment Protector, you also have the option of requesting cancellation and credit in writing. Please send your inquiry to the following address:

Payment Protector Cancellation
P.O. Box 1055156
Atlanta, GA 30348-5156

Please be sure to include your account number, full name and signature, as well as your reason(s) for cancellation.

Thank you,

Ryan Case
E-mail Customer Service Representative

1-800-436-7927

***

Date: 04-11-2006 10:16:48
To: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
As I mentioned in my original email, I have already cancelled the Payment Protector plan. I can’t tell if you people are really missing the point, or if you are just being difficult. Let me spell it out very clearly: When I was originally contacted about Payment Protector, on either August 10 or 11 of 2005, the lady who called me told me that if I tried the Payment Protector plan for 30 days with no obligation, I would receive a 0% interest rate on my Chase Visa card for two years. She was very clear about it, and I am being very clear about it now. I was promised a 0% interest rate until August 2007, and that is what I am demanding.

Please fix this now. Forward this email to whoever has the authority to actually fix problems, rather than reply with unhelpful emails. I know for a fact that those calls offering Payment Protector plan are recorded, which means I will have no trouble proving in a court of law that this was offered to me. There is no reason to take that step, though, if someone at Chase will just make this right. Put my interest rate back at 0%, refund the finance charges from March 28, and let’s move on. I am tired of dealing with this.

Jeff J. Snider

***

Date: 04-11-2006 15:36:06
From: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:
Dear Elizabeth Snider:

As your credit card company, we value your business and want you to be completely satisfied with your credit card account. We appreciate this opportunity to address your concerns regarding the Annual Percentage Rate(APR) for your account.

Our records indicate that your account reflects the correct APR. Therefore, we are unable to make changes to the APR for your account. If you have documentation reflecting a different APR, please send a copy of this information to us at the following address:

CARDMEMBER SERVICE
PO BOX 15298
WILMINGTON, DE 19850-5298

You may prefer to fax a copy of this information to us at 1-888-643-9628. Once we receive the information, we’ll be able to review it and provide further assistance to you.

If you have any further questions, please reply using the Secure Message Center.

Thank you,

Laura Trevino
E-mail Customer Service Representative

1-800-436-7927

***

Date: 04-11-2006 15:45:49
To: Credit Card Support
Subject: Re: Fees/Finance Charges
Message:

My “documentation” is the verbal statement I received over the phone in August 2005, telling me that in exchange for trying out the Payment Protector plan, I would receive a 0% interest rate for two years. I can’t make this any more clear than I already have.

The only way for me to provide you this documentation would be for me to file a lawsuit and subpoena the recording of the original phone call. I think a more suitable solution would be for Chase to retrieve that recording without a subpoena, listen to it, hear for yourselves that I was promised a 0% interest rate, and make it right.

And for the record, I will not be corresponding via mail on this issue. I will be working either in email, over the phone, or by fax. There is no way in the world that I will be dealing in a form of communication that takes weeks to receive a response.

Jeff

*** [End of emails]

The moral of this story: don’t go into debt. If you didn’t have enough reasons already, the fact that credit card companies like Chase are lying and unresponsive should be reason enough.