dark_star
join:2003-11-14
| Need Credit Card Recommendation
Not really wanting to get into the why of it, but I've had it with the idiots and liars at HSBC.
I have excellent credit (my FICO is 813 with Equifax) and I have five years with the same employer.
My wants:
No annual fee. Any annual fee would be a deal breaker.
Although I never carry a balance, due to my credit rating I think I deserve a low rate.
Cash back would be nice, but I care zero about air miles or vacation points.
A card with virtual accounts (one time use account numbers) would be nice.
I've never had to make a charge back, or put any charge in dispute. But if I need to, I want that ability and good customer service.
Also, I know there are boards dedicated to discussing credit cards. Google isn't what it used to be, and the best sites aren't always listed near the top. So if someone can recommend the good credit card discussion boards, I'd appreciate that.
All recommendations will be considered and appreciated. |
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Laramar
join:2002-08-23
Minneapolis, MN
| Fatwallet
»www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/711457/
CardRatings
»www.cardratings.com/
myFico
»ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board···editcard |
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psafux
Got Grep?
VIP
join:2005-11-10
1 edit | reply to dark_star
My wife and I have been very happy w/ Citi for many years. The few issues that have cropped up were resolved very quickly. Like any call center there will be rude agents but I have found a majority of the phone agents easy to speak with and pleasant.
Others have complained about APR's jumping up for no reason, especially with Citi, but we have not experienced this (yet).
Of our 3 cards with Citi, none have an annual fee. On their website, you can choose what kind of plan you want to go with and apply if you want. We have one that applies a percentage of purchases to our mortgage, one is a cashback card and the 3rd one has no perks.
edit: removed irrelevant info.
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Yes. the cat in my avatar is indeed mine. |
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dark_star
join:2003-11-14 | reply to Laramar
@ Laramar
Thanks for the links, that is what I was looking for. |
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Loco
Premium
join:2002-11-09
So Cal
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to psafux
said by psafux  :My wife and I have been very happy w/ Citi for many years. Same here.....we never had a problem with them. |
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dark_star
join:2003-11-14
| reply to psafux
I'll check out Citibank.
Reading some of the other boards, it looks like the best card offers are going away even for people with excellent credit.
For example, a 2% cash back card with Charles Schawb is now 404, and the post was only a month or two old. |
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way2evil
Premium
join:2007-09-14
Great River, NY
 ·Verizon FIOS
| said by dark_star :I'll check out Citibank. Reading some of the other boards, it looks like the best card offers are going away even for people with excellent credit. For example, a 2% cash back card with Charles Schawb is now 404, and the post was only a month or two old. The Citi cards are great. They have good rewards, but are not easy to file chargebacks. I'm not sure what other banks have you do but Citi has a ton of paperwork that needs to be filled out for each chargeback.
Take a look at the Discover More card. It has 5% cash back in specific categories that rotate throughout the year, and I believe 1 or 2% back on everything else(not sure though). |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
1 edit | reply to dark_star
I have a Discover More card (no annual fee) and currently cashback at 5% is on grocery stores (Oct-Dec). The 5% cash back changes categories every three months and 1% on everything else. I'm not very impressed. (I prefer mileage cards to cash back ones). This summer department stores and clothing stores were 5% back. I bought at Macy's, Sears and Ross. I got 5% back at Macys and Sears but not Ross yet Ross is a clothing store. When I have called Customer Service, if I call at a convenient time ...evenings...I get either dead air...not a busy signal...it goes through to a click and then dead air or I get a recorded message to call back during "business hours" but nothing about when those hours are or what time zone. Discover advertizes 24/7 customer service. When I have called during the day, I get customer service quickly (after the menu). I asked about this and was told on several occasions that I must have dialed the wrong number and that Discover is there 24/7. That is simply not true. So, combining the refusal to see Ross Dress for Less as a clothing store and the no customer service in the evenings Hawaii time....well...The one nice thing is that I can pay the card at Sears and Discover has one time numbers when shopping on line.
As for Citi, there is a current thread about Citi in Rants and Raves. Read that. I have a Sears MasterCard from Citi and they have now put a $15 annual fee on it (in the thread one person says they are putting a $40 annual fee on all the cards) and upped the interest rate from 9.99% to 29%. I have a card with AT&T which is Citi since a few years ago. Not only has Citi greatly hiked a lot of APRs but they drop the credit limit now without warning (at least that is what is being reported in the thread). I had my AT&T card credit limit increased by quite a bit (and I did not request this) a couple of months ago but I also had the APR raised to 29% like most everyone else who has cards with them.
»[Rant] Citi....ARGH!
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
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Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
·Time Warner Cable
 ·Time Warner VOIP
3 edits | reply to dark_star
said by dark_star :Not really wanting to get into the why of it, but I've had it with the idiots and liars at HSBC. I have excellent credit (my FICO is 813 with Equifax) and I have five years with the same employer. My wants: No annual fee. Any annual fee would be a deal breaker. Although I never carry a balance, due to my credit rating I think I deserve a low rate. Cash back would be nice, but I care zero about air miles or vacation points. A card with virtual accounts (one time use account numbers) would be nice. I've never had to make a charge back, or put any charge in dispute. But if I need to, I want that ability and good customer service. Also, I know there are boards dedicated to discussing credit cards. Google isn't what it used to be, and the best sites aren't always listed near the top. So if someone can recommend the good credit card discussion boards, I'd appreciate that. All recommendations will be considered and appreciated. wellsfargo is great they offerd me a credit card gave me 9.99% for 6mo and 19.99% after that 25days grace period 0.0% one of the few that offer 25days most are less then 20days or none at all
1% cash back
(i have NO credit History that is why i got that rate) they use Visa
you also get a 1 year FREE extended Warranty on Electronics
excluding food,car or car items and services
it's good for Electronics |
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Bobcat
Volvo sucks donkey balls
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
 ·Verizon Online DSL
2 edits | reply to Mele20
said by Mele20 :I have a card with AT&T which is Citi since a few years ago. Not only has Citi greatly hiked a lot of APRs but they drop the credit limit now without warning (at least that is what is being reported in the thread). I had my AT&T card credit limit increased by quite a bit (and I did not request this) a couple of months ago but I also had the APR raised to 29% like most everyone else who has cards with them. My AT&T/Citi rate was raised to 19.99% several months ago. My credit limit is $22,000.
Just last week, I finished paying off a sizable balance at 2.99% interest for the past 4+ years (2.99%, not 29.9%). It was a balance transfer offer that was valid until it was paid-off, and I didn't use the card for anything else for the entire 4 year period. It was basically a low-interest, unsecured loan. |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| Yes, I had a huge transfer balance with them at 3.99% until paid off. I am still paying on it and I have never used the card for any purchases (I don't think but I guess I did way back. I am a Charter member, but their deals on balance transfers were great and that is what I mostly used the card for). They raised my credit limit to $27,600 recently.
I have to take back what I said about the APR! I just went and checked it. (I was going on memory when I posted earlier). It is now at 19.99% like yours. I was confusing the rate for it with that of Sears MasterCard from Citi that went up last month from 9.99% to 29% and added a $15 annual fee.
I didn't even know until recently that I get 30 minutes a month free on long distance with the card.
So, AT&T card is not bad considering what is happening with some other cards. My Chase MC that changed to that strange new name and color is still at 9.99%.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
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Bobcat
Volvo sucks donkey balls
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ | I have a Capital One card that went from 2.8% to 10%. |
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dcurrey
Premium
join:2004-06-29 | reply to dark_star
A lot of CC companies are starting this but you might want to check out the thread »[Rant] Citi....ARGH!.
Citi hit me with a $40 annual fee on sears MC with them. |
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dark_star
join:2003-11-14 | reply to way2evil
@ way2evil and Mele20
Discover does have some great offers. Better than anyting I've seen for Mastercard or Visa. Due to Discover being less widely accepted than Mastercard or Visa, Discover wasn't really on my list. But that might change. |
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Bobcat
Volvo sucks donkey balls
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| I never liked Discover's balance transfer offers. They required you to continue using the card to make new purchases. Meanwhile, the payments would go to the low-rate balance. No payments would go to the higher-rate new purchases until the entire balance transferred was paid-off. |
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dark_star
join:2003-11-14
| reply to dcurrey
@ dcurrey
Yeah, I read the Citi rant thread.
I've got my own rant regarding HSBC. I'll try to make it brief.
In early October, I got a rate rise notice from HSBC, they said it was due to my Equifax report. Fearing identity theft or other snafu, I immediately pulled my Equifax report. It was spotless with an 813 FICO. Not even one late payment or derogatory item.
So as the HSBC notice allowed, I wrote to HSBC requesting the specific reason, in writing, for the rate increase. I did not opt out, but a few day ago I learned that HSBC treated the request for information as an opt out. They closed the account.
So I spent an hour on the phone with them. In that one hour, the lies and misinformation they threw at me:
I previously called in to opt out. (I didn't.)
My letter asking the reason for the update was taken as an opt out request. (the entire body of said letter: “I wish to know the specific reasons for the changes in the terms to my account.”)
I should contact Equifax to learn the reason for the decision. (Equifax does not make decisions about HSBC rates. Equifax only provides credit reports)
I am no longer a union member. (My HSBC card is a Union Plus card. I am still a Union member in good standing).
My Union is no longer in their Union Plus card program. (At last, a lie that I could not refute on the spot! Later, one call to the Union Hall proved that this was another lie. My Local is still affiliated with the HSBC Union Plus program.
So after the hour on the phone, they agreed to “research the matter”. They said they might even reopen the account.
I already know the real reason why HSBC does not want my business. I pay off the card in full whenever I charge anything, so I never pay any interest at all.
These days, that kind of customer does not match their greedy desires. |
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tahoejeff
join:2001-07-01
Wisconsin Dells, WI
clubs:
| reply to dark_star
I've always been very happy with my American Express Blue.
No annual fees, warranty doubled on all purchases up to an additional year, car rental insurance, purchase protection, etc.
I had to look it up because in 10 years I've never paid interest, but my apr is 10.24%.
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The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| reply to dark_star
USAA has some of the best no annual fee credit cards and has great service. For those that have no issues with credit cards (uses them responsibly) - they don't play the games other banks do - even AmEx.
»https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_utils/McSt···ditcards
»www.creditcardguide.com/?s=y1&ch=b1 - more info here - I do not believe that USAA advertises their services at this site.
Our local paper has a money section and USAA is usually listed in the top 3 of credit cards for those that pay off every month with no annual fee.
I have had Citi - I will never have them again. I have had several other cards by mega-banks and would never have one of those again.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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dark_star
join:2003-11-14
| @ CylonRed
Ok. I put USAA on my short list. The cash back is weak (less than 1 %) and confusing (website says “up to” but their own examples show less than 1 %). I don't charge much anyway.
They do seem to have a reputation for excellence in customer service, good rates, and no annual fee. After my HSBC experience, a company that treats good people like they are good people is just what I'm looking for.
But from the USAA Wikipedia article, they serve only government and military and former government and military.
I'm not a veteran, and I don't work for Uncle Sam. So I might not be eligible. Do you recall if they asked about your service when you applied? |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
| They asked - I never served and I told them my father worked for the Air Force at Wright Patt Air Force Base (all true) and they sent me a card.
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Brian
"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain |
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