Direct Merchants Bank - HSBC Bad business practices & Strong arm tactics Scottsdale Arizona

My wife has been a credit card holder for a number of years. The balance has been paid off repeatedly. Last Oct we received notice that they were raising the interest rate on her account to 27%. I figured I'd just pay it off this month and be done with it as I'm not going to pay those types of rates. My statement was SUPPOSED to be current as of the 19th of this month. I paid the amount in full online, which posted yesterday. Today I called them to close the account and was informed that I still had a $30.89 balance. I told the rep that I just paid the account in full according to my statement, particularly since there had been no transactions since the 22nd of Dec. She started giving me the runaround that it was interest from the last transactions that weren't current on my bill. Instead of arguing, I just paid the $30 and told her to close the account. They needed to talk to my wife (primary account holder) I handed her the phone and they put a different rep on the phone with her. They offered to drop the interest to a variable 19% - 25%rate or 6 months @ 0% then it resumes to current levels. After she told them no thank you, close the account, their rep started telling her that if she closed the account it would affect her credit and she'd never be able to apply for their services again.

At this rate...WHO CARES. They're business & customer service practices are dispicable and I for one refuse to cave into them.

Peej
smyrna, Tennessee
U.S.A.