Check USBank CC, charged me late fees, it wasn't late Options

[momto2greatkids]

Try to make this short.

I misplaced my cc statment from USBank. I called to find when it was due, which was Dec 8th. Called back the day it was due and paid it over the phone. Found my statement and seen a late free on it. Called to find out what that was about. She started talking about the late fee for Dec., not the one I was talking about for Nov., I had 2 late fees! I know they weren't late, I paid the day they were due, had the confermation #s(part of the con. # is the date it was paid). She tried telling me I paid after the 5:00 cut off time, I know I paid before that, I pay in the morning or early afternoon before the kids get out of school (I'm in the same time zone). Asked what time I paid than, they couldn't tell me, the computer doesn't give the time. Asked to talk to someone above her, put on hold for a while. She came back and said they would wave the late fees, but not actually remove the lates. Told her if they are leaving the lates on my account I want proof I paid late. "The computer doesn't give the time," I said "okay, I called an 800 number, you get a record of every call you receive, you can look up what time I called." Her reply, "I'm not doing that". My reply, "I want to talk to your superviser." The lates won't be reported to the cra, and it shouldn't affect my interest rate since it showed them being one day late. If my rate does go up, they better be able to prove I paid late like they say. I'm going to do a bt and put that card in the sock drawer. Sucks because it's my lowest rate card (6.9%)except my Bank 1 with 0%. Guess it's time to get another card. I've had this card since 94 and never had a late fee(only had one late fee in my life on a different card), I've been paying over the phone on the day it was due and never had a problem until now.

[Googie]

[lakpr]

Check your reports asap.

With regards to reporting to CRAs, the first late bucket that FICO has is 30-day late. And lenders are not supposed to report that you are that late unless you actually go more than 30 days late.

From your description it sounds like you paid on the last day due but it may have been posted to your account the next day due to their glitches (or greediness). So as far as reporting goes it must say you are current on this account, or you have a FCRA violation, willful at that, on your hands.

Don't argue with the rep, take the waiver of the late fees, BT the balance away, and sockdrawer the card to show your displeasure. But don't cancel the card.

In future, if you have bill pay, arrange for e-bill with automatic minimum payment due, which should prevent these kinds of problems. In addition, I always schedule a payment to every credit card that I have currently balance on, $20 once every week, irrespective of whether a statement has been cut or not. Avoids those pesky late fees. If I know I don't have a balance on the card, I simply cancel the future payments to that card.

Get bill-payment if you don't have it. It's worth the money even if they charge you $6 per month. Even if it avoids 2 late fees per year, you have made your money back. Additionally it helps keep your credit rating good, which is priceless. Thankfully, my financial institution -- DCU -- offers FREE bill pay with checking.

Best of luck.

This post has been edited by lakpr: Jan 13 2005, 12:11 PM

[JerseyBaby]

Probably not a good idea to make payments by phone on the due date.

Also, if the due date falls on the weekend, the payment may not be credited until the next business day, regardless of when you actually called.

[Caramel_Pinay]

To add insult to injury, many CC companies will charge up to $20 to make a payment by phone on the due date and still post it late.

[JerseyBaby]

And there is that.

[InsultComicDog]

Wasn't there a huge class action lawsuit a few years back about late posting of payments resulting in late fees and other problems?

Seems to me I got a settlement check from someone or other.

[JeepChick]

I received my providian statement today, showing a late fee on 1/3 and a payment on 1/4. I'm looking for my printed receipt so I can see when I paid. That just irks me. I'm trying to be so good and I waste $36 on a late fee.

This post has been edited by movintoIdaho: Jan 14 2005, 01:47 AM

[daisy]

Wasn't there a huge class action lawsuit a few years back about late posting of payments resulting in late fees and other problems?

Seems to me I got a settlement check from someone or other.

yes indeed! there were class action lawsuits against both FUSA and Fleet around 2000-2001.

But those "late" payments were checks sent by snail mail which had arrived in time--and these banks were not crediting the payment to the account until after the due date. Some people had evidence--checks are dated, some people keep evidence of the date mailed, and the most damming was that for some people the money was actually taken from their account before the due date--but not credited until after it.

In this case--I sympathize with the OP--and really if they are a good insitution and she has been a good customer, they should goodwill off the lates this time. But--when I pay by phone--I always allow 48 hours for the payment to be posted. Sometimes it happens a lot quicker--but better safe than sorry.

[GEORGE]

Wife's US BANK bill is ALWAYS DUE ON SATURDAY or SUNDAY or a HOLIDAY!!!! (90% of the time)

"IF" I knew how to program...I would eliminate SATURDAY and SUNDAY and HOLIDAYS from the available due dates...BACK DATE IT TO THE PREVIOUS DAY!!!

But I guess they "MAY" be trying to get more LATE FEES

You pay on SATURDAY (DUE DATE)...YOUR LATE BECAUSE THEY WILL POST THE PAYMENT ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY (MONDAY)...BUT THIS MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY...SO IT WILL BE POSTED ON TUESDAY...you will be 3 days late "IF" you didn't pay on THURSDAY or FRIDAY...even if you really paid on the due date.

I paid her bill on THURSDAY at the bank during lunch!!!

[peachjuteux]

thats how US bank is... i had them automatically draw for 9 months (hardship case to get me caught up)with the promice of no late fees because they controled the payment date no process fees- 0 interest during the hardship or was it 10% cant remember off hand-
- guess what- each month they drew after the draw date and i got socked late payment every darm month- im so po'ed still- they refused to credit my acct and i always had the payments in the bank 2 weeks before each draw- basically they told me each month i was SOoL... so now its been charged off- because i couldnt keep up the payments-

[GEORGE]

thats how US bank is... i had them automatically draw for 9 months (hardship case to get me caught up)with the promice of no late fees because they controled the payment date no process fees- 0 interest during the hardship or was it 10% cant remember off hand-
- guess what- each month they drew after the draw date and i got socked late payment every darm month- im so po'ed still- they refused to credit my acct and i always had the payments in the bank 2 weeks before each draw- basically they told me each month i was SOoL... so now its been charged off- because i couldnt keep up the payments-

THEY FAILED ON THEIR END AND YOU LOSE???

This post has been edited by GEORGE: Jan 16 2005, 04:20 PM

[peachjuteux]

yep..... i lost big.