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The 7 - Random - Credit Card Woes Any Advice
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Ozzysun
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#1 Posted on 24.1.05 0928.19
Reposted on: 24.1.12 0929.01
Little background:
I don't have the best credit and about 2 years ago I got one of those your credit sucks heres a Credit Card with a 400 dollar limit don't screw it up card.
Now I've been using it for 2 years and made all my payments ontime, I've gotten 1 credit increase and everything is hunky dory.
This card has a free 24 hour check your balance line.
I call it frequently to make sure I have money on my card before I try and purchase something.
Now a few months ago I made a payment for $200.00. I didn't charge anything for several days and had nothing pending. About a week of having this balance I called in to check my balance and it was down to 199.00.
Now a dollar missing isn't much but still I wanted to know how many other times I've "missed" a dollar so I called the company. They politely explained that they couldn't find a charge for a dollar and no fees were taken out. I was like, fine wheres the dollar, anyway they couldn't explain it and that was that.
So last week I'm gonna by some gas, so I call and check, I have 15 dollars on the card. I put in 15 dollars.
I check my card today, I'm 14 dollars over limit, I call them they say that putting in the gas put me over the limit and no other explanations could be given.
I was frustrated but what can I do?
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too-old-now
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#2 Posted on 24.1.05 1045.28
Reposted on: 24.1.12 1045.38
Are you looking for serious advice, or the wisecrack type like - "Don't buy it if you can't afford to pay cash"

There are a lot of FREE Credit Counseling Services that can help you out.

Also, do you get the Clark Howard syndicated radio program in your area?
jfkfc
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#3 Posted on 24.1.05 1055.17
Reposted on: 24.1.12 1055.25
Out of curiousity, do you receive periodical statements via mail? I have found that even the smallest discrepancies, whether its $100, $1, or 25 cents, can usually be accounted for by combing through your statements. I had a situation like that with American Express a few years ago - they just couldn't account for $1.50 or so. Someone actually (in their customer service department) said, "Hey sir, it IS only a buck fifty." After I told him he was right, and since it was such a trivial sum, he could transfer said sum from his personal checking account into my account (since it was ONLY a buck fifty), and the point was made. Keep nagging them until they account for everything. Every penny should be accounted for, and every fee, however small, should be easily explainable also.

I have learned the magic of the words, in dealing with customer service or billing deadheads: "Hey, I really appreciate your time and effort, so with all due respect, since you cannot help me solve my problem, please transfer me to someone who can."
A Fan
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#4 Posted on 24.1.05 1104.02
Reposted on: 24.1.12 1107.05
As someone who works with credit, I can say this, you are doign the right thing. Credit is everything if you want to get a car, house or even a regular everyday loan. I do know that some credit cards like my debt card take out the first dollar and then hit me with the rest espically when I get gas. I would suggest getting a statement for all of your transactions through out the last few months and see how they match-up. I would also google for these three credit report companies that my company uses, Experian, Facta Beacon and NEw Empirica. If your score is the mid 600s or high 600s, you could probably apply for a new credit card with a zero transfer balance and just dump them. I would first get the statemetn though.
orangeman
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#5 Posted on 24.1.05 1601.02
Reposted on: 24.1.12 1601.09
I'm missing something here. You had $15 open to buy, bought $15 worth of gas and they say you're $14 over the limit. That makes it seem like you're being charged $29. +15 to 0 to -14 = 29 total, right? Unless you're information (from them) about the OTB was wrong, or there were other pending authorizations that debited, I don't see how you can be over your limit. Are there any kind of fees associated with the card that might have hit and used the money?

jfkfc is right though, keep on them and follow up. Keep track of who you talk to, what their position is, what they tell you, etc. Don't let it slide.
Toast Jr
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#6 Posted on 25.1.05 0538.58
Reposted on: 25.1.12 0542.15
Some gas-pump credit card readers will over-charge you when you first put the card in, then credit it back to your account. It doesn't even show up on your statement. It has something to do with you putting in your card before pumping the gas, so it reserves a set amount (say $30) on your card, then when you only only spend $15, credits it back. But this can mess things up if you only had $15 on your card to begin with. There was a guy bitching about this at the bank in line in front of me just the other day, asa matter of fact.

Snopes explains the situation pretty well:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/gascharge.asp

I don't know if this is what happened to you, but it is interesting reading.
wordlife
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#7 Posted on 27.1.05 0738.34
Reposted on: 27.1.12 0738.39
Just call them and do what jk said, just be nice about it and they will solve the problem. As someone said, if they can't help you, just keep moving on up, the buck has to stop somewhere.

I have been exactly where you were Ozzy, I screwed myself in college and got a card with a $500 limit. Just pay the minimum each month and keep working on it and your score will increase again rather quickly.
too-old-now
Bockwurst
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#8 Posted on 27.1.05 1020.58
Reposted on: 27.1.12 1021.01
    Originally posted by wordlife
    Just pay the minimum each month and keep working on it and your score will increase again rather quickly.


Sorry, paying just the minimum is exactly the worst thing to do. Pay the entire balance in full each time, you won't be hit for finance charges that will hurt your rating.

If you can't pay for the whole thing by the next statement due date, DON'T try to buy it. You can't afford it. The reason so many people have credit problems is that they are enticed to buy stuff they either don't need or can't afford.

Seriously, sit down and figure out what your income is, and what your fixed expenses are. Any left over can cover variable expenses. Otherwise, find a way to spend a few $ less, or take a part-time job to both increase your income and stop yourself from spending more in your free time.

Obviously, Ozzy, none of us know your situation well enough to give you good advice - you should seek a competent professional to help you. This may take time to fix, but it's better to fix it sooner rather than later.

I hope the above doesn't sound unsympathetic - I have a few friends and several relatives who have gone through credit woes and it almost always comes down to a lack of restraint. But most of them have worked things out and learned from their mistakes. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

The old saying goes that there are 2 kinds of people. When you tell them the stove is hot, don't touch it, some will thank you for the warning, and others need to smell the burning flesh. But the burns can heal.
Ozzysun
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#9 Posted on 27.1.05 1205.08
Reposted on: 27.1.12 1205.16
Thank you everyone for your help and advice it has helped greatly :)
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