Hello dear readers,
I had a conversation with a credit card company yesterday, and it went like this:
Me: “I’d like to cancel my credit card, please.”
Annoying Representative (henceforth known as AR): I can certainly help you with that, but may I ask why you’re cancelling your card?
Me: “Because I’m being fiscally responsible and no longer using credit cards.”
AR: “But you realize that you will still need a credit card for some purchases. For instance, you will need a credit card–”
Me (interrupting diatribe of reasons I need credit cards): “I have another credit card. I just don’t need this one. I’d like to cancel it, please.”
AR: “But you have a long history with this bank…it’s highly advisable to keep a credit card with us.”
Me: “Actually, I’m planning to move my business to another bank.” (Unsaid: because when I needed one small change made to my line of credit, after DECADES of being a PERFECT client, you did absolutely NOTHING to help!)
AR: “I understand that you want to move your business to another bank, but it’s a good idea to keep a credit card with a different bank….(yak, yak, yak)
Me: (interrupting diatribe about why I still would need this particular card) “I’m not using this card, and I don’t need it. I don’t see any point to keep it lying around.” (A new one was sent to me in May, and I haven’t even authorized it yet.)
AR: “You do know that you can lower your credit limit, right? You have a significant amount of credit on there….”
Me: “Yes, but I’d like to just cancel the card, please. I’m not using it.”
AR: “But you might need it someday, and it’s not costing you anything to have it.”
Me: “Actually, I read that after a year, I will be charged for having an inactive account.”
AR: “Oh, that’s only if you have a balance. But you don’t have a balance.”
Me: (Unsaid–that’s not what I read, and in any case, if a customer ran a balance and made no payments for a year, I’m sure you’d do more than charge him a $25 fee.) In any case, I’d like to cancel this card, please.
AR: All right, I’ll put that through for you.
FINALLY!
In this age of recession, defaults on debt and mortgages, etc…does anyone else see a problem with this? No wonder “How to Cancel Your Credit Card” was nowhere to be found on the website or FAQs.
How have you chosen to jump off the consumerism wagon?
I left a bank because my account over drew once and the manager threatened to bounce a cheque. It was the first time it had ever happened and as I recall, I was on mat leave and my income had been cut by 2/3rds.
I tend to use only one credit card and I’m trying to use them less because I found myself falling into that trap of making a big payment on pay day and then not having any disposible income and then using the card and never getting rid of the balance. You can’t pay stuff down like that. So I have been working on not using it and I haven’t had a bad month.
I used to be able to carry no balance and pay it off every month. But that was before I developed expensive habits. Healthy expensive habits but pocketbook damaging none the less.
I actually had no trouble cancelling most of my credit cards when I got divorced. I think the reason is because when they asked why I was cancelling and My responce was “I’m going through a messy divorce,” the ARs had no ready comeback in their instruction manuals.
I have to say, we haven’t had a credit card for over twenty years.. Haven’t missed it yet. I do imagine that somewhere in the future we’ll get one, just in case.
I’m surprised more people weren’t driven to rant about banks.
@ Kim – I know all about healthy expensive habits! Good job on cutting back on your credit dependence.
@ kungfusinger – Hmm, interesting. Maybe I’ll try that approach next time.
@ Laura – Nooo! Haven’t you heard? You need a credit card in order to function, apparently. If your story got out, civilization as we know it would collapse. 🙂
I think it also helps if you start crying…