Bankcard Services told me to go out and use my VISA credit card because

[dArKeR]

I don't use it enough.

I just called to ask a few questions about signing up online https://www.ibsnetaccess.com
The guy helped me than gave me a pitch how he could see I haven't used my credit card in a long time and he TOLD me to that he "wanted me to go out and use it." And emphasised this in a few other worded sentences. I swear to God!

[supernova]

1. Well, sure

They make money off the merchants everytime you use your card. Not to mention the fees they charge you.

[bertha katzenengel]

That's disgusting. I am speechless. eom

[wryter2000]

2. LOL

Did you apologize for being delinquent? I hope they paid that guy a lot to spew that crap.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. If you do it you'll be hosing the merchant in favor of the CC company

They get a tithe on every purchase through them. That's why I don't use CCs anymore.

[flamin lib]

4. Using your credit card can be good for your credit score.

The reporting agencies report not only late payments but paid as agreed as well. Having a long history of paid as agreed is good for you. I'm not suggesting that you carry a balance, only that you use it regularly and pay it in full immediately.

[7th_Sephiroth]

5. my uncle, made barely $100 a month

5 years ago, and every month he would put a pack of gum on his card and pay it off on time, he ended up with a $50,000 credit limit

[unblock]

6. this is true but transient

that is, it only affects the score in the month or so after they report a balance. once you pay it off and revert to disuse, your score will also revert.

also, be sure you balance it less than around 30% of your credit limit. otherwise, "carrying high balances" can start to adversely affect your score.

[dArKeR]

7. You reminded me. He also said you have an "excellent limit card"

before he told me the above.

Or something like "excellent rating limit card".

I'm sorry if I offend anyone but I think American Capitalism is just too sleazy! I'm not saying the world hasn't seen worse but I'm saying for what we are supposed to be in the year 2005; our Christian Religion, our HIGHEST educated citizens, our basic morality... America, by using some kind of "times morality/education/religious factor", is a very sleazy place.

A "love it or leave it' argument doesn't work. A comparing America to the Philippines doesn't work. Sure we're better off but America should be doing so much better than our current state of sleaze.

[AP]

14. Everybody can get credit today! Not using your card can be good for

your local economy since it will keep more dollars close to home.

[drb]

8. Yeah, I get calls like that from Discover Card...

Next time, I'm gonna tell the person: "OK, I work for an electric utility. I want you to go home and turn on every light in your house, and leave them on 24 hours a day for the next month. Will you do that? Will you? Huh? Will ya'?"

[Toucano]

10. Uh oh! They probably will do it!

LOL!

[Freedom_from_Chains]

9. That actually has been true of the CC companies for a long time

As they don't want to have credit lines open that aren't making them money. If you go too long without using it, they will close the account.

[MadHound]

11. Pfffft! Get rid of that card, in fact, get rid of all of your plastic

You don't need it, your credit rating won't suffer, you won't have to worry as much about ID theft, and you won't be feeding the beast.

I've never had a card, have excellent credit scores, and have been able to get a loan when I needed it. Yes, sometimes it would have been more timely to pay for a catalogue order with a CC, but if you plan ahead a little, sending in a check works just fine.

Stop with the plastic people, it's a suckers' game.

[uppityperson]

12. I tried to cancel Discover card today, had a heck of a time doing it.

I was on hold for less than 10 seconds and a nice person comes on to help me. Questions why I want to cancel, why chose this card to cancel, do I know I get credit if I buy gas with this card, would I like to transfer charges from another card to this card. My responses: I am canceling all my credit card because I want to, I don't care about gas credit and I want to cancel, no I don't want to transfer charges I want to cancel. The very nice person expressed concern that I wasn't going to keep even 1 credit card "in case of an emergency" and wanted to let me know that my car had no fee and I could keep it in case of an emergency. No thank you I want to cancel it. Are you sure you don't want to keep it because you should keep 1 card.... No, no , no ,no , no, don't give me any more offers or anymore advice I just want to cancel it! You know you should keep 1 card in case of emergencies. (sigh) I know, I want to cancel it now!

ARGH!!!!!

I think it is canceled. And I am keeping the other 4 active for now. I lied. I just didn't want to get into the discussion about why I was chosing that card. No reason, just because.

Edited to add name in subject line

[AP]

13. I've been getting that from my credit card companies recently. You call

for information and they give you a big a pitch encouraging to use the card.

I've never gotten so much sales pitching from credit card companies before. I noticed the phone company started doing this in the last couple years, but it's really spreading.

It's so incredibly unnatural. I know they think they have to take advantage of the live contact to try to get you to spend money, but come on, but come on!

I wonder if they can afford to do this because now they have phone call centers in india where they pay them so much less that they can hire more people and have them spend more time with you on the line which they fill by talking to you about their products. (If they did this in the US, they'd have to hire three times as many people to perform the same amount of customer service).

[amazona]

15. did you ask him about incentives for using the card?

One of my cards recently sent me a letter telling me if I charged $100 on my card that I hadn't been using, I would be given a credit of $25. Charge what you're going to buy anyway -- hey, everybody eats and grocery stores have been taking credit cards for a long time now -- and enjoy the bonus.

Almost all of the incentives I've received lately have been cash, however, one card gave airline miles instead, which is just as good to me, since I'm a frequent flyer.

When your credit card company asks you to use the card more, it is proper to ask, "I'd like to use your card more, but Citibank XYZ is giving me 5 percent cashback (or whatever). What can you offer me?"

You might be pleased.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[dArKeR]

16. Every time I call Century Tel, after the purpose of the call is over they

try to sell me cordless telephones. America shouldn't be like this!

[applegrove]

17. How sad is that? They have killed the 'goose' that layed the golden

eggs. Trust of their 'lending motives' is at an all time low. And we used to pretty much just ignore the credit card companies.