Monday, March 29, 2010

Why We Need Consumer Protection From Banks (Chapter Elebenty)

We've all heard the stories. Here is one more.

I just got my Visa statement. Visa is my backup card, usually when I forget to put the other one back in my wallet. I didn't have any charges on it this month. However, I did in the previous month.

The current statement shows the payment made in full but also shows finance charges of $1.50 tacked on after the payment was received. When I called to inquire about this balance, I was told I had no balance. Why does my statement show a finance charge? It's a mystery.

It was easy for me to spot the extra charge because it was the only charge. How many people simply send off the check or use automatic bill pay without noticing extra charges?

If there were a consumer protection agency that covered banking and financial products, that would be my next call. As it is, the worst I can do is cancel my card and send a letter to the auto club, through whom I got the card, and explain how Bank of America lost them a credit customer.

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