Just Say No! to Associates Visa Gold

Here's a list of the fine, excellent service you can expect from Associates Visa Gold.

1) As soon as you get your card, every telemarketer in the nation will start calling you to sell you something, all claiming to be an affiliate of the Associates Visa Card. Requests to be removed from the call list are ignored. These "affiliates of Associates" just keep on calling, claiming that they use a different "call list" and therefore aren't subject to the "Do not Call" request. It's maddening.

2) When making your first purchase, expect that purchase will be declined-- not because you forgot to activate the card or anything logical like that, but because some operator thought "a book purchase of $115 looked suspicious didn't match" your spending history (as if you had one on record with company. When you call to complain about the embarassment and inconvience, the Associates representative will argue with you that they've actually done you a favor.

3) Expect strange fees for Credit Card Theft Insurance to periodically show up on your bill, even though you never authorized such a service or charges.

4) Don't expect to get regular monthly statements. Instead, expect only that person will call you on Sunday afternoon, claiming threatening to file your account with a collection agency unless you pay-by-phone. Be prepared to hear "Statements are only a courtesy, and Associates is not obligated to send statements" with insistence that you pay the outstanding balance by telecheck, even though you have no idea what you would be paying for and don't necessarily know whether or not you are truly talking to Associates Bank.