MBNA AMERICA HOLD PAYMENTS, RAISE RATES, LIARS, CHEATERS AND THIEVES! ripoff WILMINGTON Delaware

I have paid all of my cc bills online for years and never once had the bank make an unauthorized withdrawal from my checking account. I also used to work for a major credit card company in customer service and never once took a complaint on an unauthorized withdrawal. Customers would complain about the amount taken out but it was because they entered it wrong themselves. There is no need to go through all the trouble of changing your bank account number.

In answer to your question, if you have already given the CC company your checking account information, I would be inclined to ask my bank (or even better, credit union) to give me a new account number.

If you haven't then I would say you will be fine.

In regards to setting auto pay for minimums, you are putting yourself in the same boat by giving them open access to your account. You can also set up an auto pay at your own financial institution, for some pre-determined amount, and not have the risk of exposing your entire account to the CC company.

TIP: If setting up a Bill Pay, check to see if your bill pay service pays your payee company electronically, or by check. They generally tell you when they list your payees. If they pay by check, be sure and allow a couple of extra days for the U.S Mail. Even the accounts that get paid by check generally are credited faster because often the check is for a large amount and includes a numbers of customers, so the CC company wants to get that check cashed fast.

As a rule of thumb, I generally pay my end-of-month bills by the 27th, and have been good so far. I'm actually cutting it a little close, so don't take that date as a reccomendation, but it works for me.

With my particular credit union, when I do a bill payment, the screen shows an immediate balance change, and (by trial and error) I find that the withdrawal shows up on my ATM balance in about 20 minutes, so it seems pretty efficient.

On line payments are the way to go. Note - I did not say automatic payments. Just go to the web site and it allows you to pay however much you want when you want. No worries about late payments or lost mail.

I have MBNA and have used this feature for years. Never once had a problem. Also, most banks allow you to get your statements via email rather than regular mail.

Doing things on line also allows you see up to the minute transactions on your card. You can spot any frauds immediately.

On line payments are the way to go. Note - I did not say automatic payments. Just go to the web site and it allows you to pay however much you want when you want. No worries about late payments or lost mail.

I have MBNA and have used this feature for years. Never once had a problem. Also, most banks allow you to get your statements via email rather than regular mail.

Doing things on line also allows you see up to the minute transactions on your card. You can spot any frauds immediately.

On line payments are the way to go. Note - I did not say automatic payments. Just go to the web site and it allows you to pay however much you want when you want. No worries about late payments or lost mail.

I have MBNA and have used this feature for years. Never once had a problem. Also, most banks allow you to get your statements via email rather than regular mail.

Doing things on line also allows you see up to the minute transactions on your card. You can spot any frauds immediately.

On line payments are the way to go. Note - I did not say automatic payments. Just go to the web site and it allows you to pay however much you want when you want. No worries about late payments or lost mail.

I have MBNA and have used this feature for years. Never once had a problem. Also, most banks allow you to get your statements via email rather than regular mail.

Doing things on line also allows you see up to the minute transactions on your card. You can spot any frauds immediately.

Almost every credit card company has an autopay program. Sign up for auto payment of your minimum balance on EVERYTHING. That way, if your mail is late or lost, at least your minimum gets take care of without you lifting a finger. If you want to pay more than the minimum, send a check early and it will credit the check and not debit the autopay. Or, send it so it arrives after the autopay but before the next statement, and it's just an extra payment. I didn't know this existed in college and got myself into a lot of trouble with late payments. Didn't have any credit for a long time. Now I haven't had a late payment on any account in over two years.

Thank you, Ken, you saved me a lot of typing! The only place that I allow to take money OUT of my account directly is a brokerage firm so that I actually have some savings. Not sure why I honor them this way, lololol, but I would never let anyone else have access to my checking account.

Best idea I've heard so far, and from Ripoff Reports!, as far as online/phone/mail purchases go, NEVER GIVE THEM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION! Use a CREDIT CARD, NOT DEBIT that you use EXCLUSIVELY for those types of purchases.

When you are looking at your monthly statement on your checking account, little amounts can get overlooked because of all the charges on there for gas and groceries and bill payments, etc.

If you have a credit solely for internet purchases, you can easily review it each month, and any unauthorized charges will be immediately noticed. PLUS - they are not taking your CASH with those unauthorized purchases. It's a credit card and you can dispute it without ever having to pay for unauthorized charges.

Ken- Thanks for the tip. I have never authorized automatic payments myself, I do them manually once a month. If I switch to doing this through my bank, can the cc companies still take money? do I need to *gulp* close all my cc accounts and get new ones?

I agree that online payments are the only way to go... however... I would only originate the payment from my own account at my own bank or credit union. Never allow the CC company to originate the payment. Most banks and just about all credit unions now offer free Bill Payment online.

Once you have authorized a CC company to take money from your account, you have given the fox the keys to the henhouse, and they can, and will takes more as they please.

If you originate the payment, you control when it gets paid, and how much. Additionally, not only do you have concrete proof of payment, most bill pay companies will indemnify you against late payments, if the lateness is caused by a problem with their system.

FYI- Online payments are very convenient, but MBNA "schedules" your online payments for 2 days after you make them online, so make sure you are 2-3 days ahead of your due date if you pay them this way.

It's always good to check the online payment policies. Each card is different. Chase posts your payments almost immediately, for example, but Discover Card will bump you out a day if you are after a certain time (like in the evening).

I totally agree. Got some paperwork in one of my bills the other day explaining the new procedure for figuring your new monthly minumum payment. The reason for my post is an attempt to warm people about what is coming. Even so, we'll still see hundreds of posts from folks who have had their cc payments increased and what hardships it has imposed on them.

I think raising the minimum payment is a good thing. My minimum payments usually run in the $15 or $20 range but I always pay at least $100 -$200. The one time my minimum payment was $45, I paid $500. I think raising the minimum payment will help many avoid some of the credit card debt "trap". They might not like it, but in the long run, it's only going to help them.

I think raising the minimum payment is a good thing. My minimum payments usually run in the $15 or $20 range but I always pay at least $100 -$200. The one time my minimum payment was $45, I paid $500. I think raising the minimum payment will help many avoid some of the credit card debt "trap". They might not like it, but in the long run, it's only going to help them.

I think raising the minimum payment is a good thing. My minimum payments usually run in the $15 or $20 range but I always pay at least $100 -$200. The one time my minimum payment was $45, I paid $500. I think raising the minimum payment will help many avoid some of the credit card debt "trap". They might not like it, but in the long run, it's only going to help them.

I think raising the minimum payment is a good thing. My minimum payments usually run in the $15 or $20 range but I always pay at least $100 -$200. The one time my minimum payment was $45, I paid $500. I think raising the minimum payment will help many avoid some of the credit card debt "trap". They might not like it, but in the long run, it's only going to help them.

well before either of the hurricanes. I all too well understand the impact of these storms as I lived through them both. However, I still have to wonder why 3 payments can be consistently maild the same day and two of them clear my bank four days later yet MBNA takes ten days at best. I pay most of my bills online and MBNA is now going to be added to the list. I thought I looked once to see if it could be paid online but the only way I found at that time was to pay by phone with a $15 convenience fee added. When I looked earlier in the month to see if this month's payment had cleared yet, I saw I can pay it online and from now on, I will. I do love the confirmation number you get right away as well as having one emailed to you so that you have proof that you paid on time.

Donna,

Forget the mail service. Register all of your credit card accounts online to make your payments. The companies don't charge a fee for this (at least I think most don't--I have Amex, Chase, Cap. One, and another Visa and none of them charge anything). It's free, it usually posts the next day or the day after, and you don't have to worry about it getting lost in the mail. Also, you save yourself a check and worry about wether or not your payment got there. I love it. It is so convenient.

There are ads on the radio now about the NEW federal regulations that will RAISE your credit card payments. The ads are from some mortgage co trying to sell home equity products. I expect to see hundreds of posts on this site from people ranting about how their credit card companies have raised their minimum payment and how it's not fair and they didn't know about it. As I understand it, the new federal regulations require the CC companies to collect 4% instead of the old 2%. You minimum payments may more than DOUBLE. If you old payment was $100, your new payment might be $220. If you old payment was $160, the new one could be $330. One of the reasons they did this was because at the old rate of 2%, a person making the minimum payment could take THIRTY YEARS to pay their balance off. At the new rate it could still take TEN years. So, I expect to see plenty of posts. Don't say you haven't been warned.

I note your address is Louisiana.

Did you forget the Hurricane?

Mail is screwed up.

I think you have a good reason to be upset, and also they have no good reason to complain about the payment being "Late"

Legally they are right, But to use the "Late" excuse right now is just plain extortion.

Call them and ASK POLITELY to have this "Late" erased because of the Postal Delay (I'm assuming that you have records proving that it was mailed at the same time each month)

They will probably claim they are not responsible for delayed mail, Point out that this is this an extraordinary Occurrence and you are also not responsible for delayed mail in this unique situation (Disaster)

If they will not remove the "Late" charges and raise in rates then they intend to screw you.

In this case, simply stop paying until they realize that you are serious, you really have little to lose, the damage is done. And by wanting you to pay them then YOU have the strongest negotiating point.

Some years back MBNA held my payment, charged a "Late" fee and jacked the interest up, just as has happened to you.

I went to my bank and got proof that the check HAD cleared the bank (Money was withdrawn) a full 10 days before they claimed, and well before the "late date"

I asked politely, and was told "Nothing can be done" so I stopped paying them until they finally called me and asked what the problem was, I told them I had proof that they got the money and held the date, and after a bunch of threatening (By Them) finally they knuckled under, restored the lower interest rate, and credited the account with the bogus late fee (I did have to pay two late fees that happened after I stopped payment, but overall I won Big Time)

But you MUST ask politely FIRST.

I mailed payments to Providian, MBNA, and Capital One. All are due on the 15th. Minimum due is about $15 for each, I sent $200 to two, $100 to one. The payments for Providian and Capital One cleared my bank one and two days ago. MBNA has not cleared. Funny thing is I mail the same way each month and have consistently done this but for "some reason", last month, my MBNA payment was posted one day past the date the late fee "may be" assessed thus resulting in a $39 late fee. Over the past year, my payments to all three have always cleared my bank within a day or two of each other. I'm watching very closely to see if my MBNA payment clears my bank in the next two days. Sorry naysayers - I pay my bills on time and consistently pay much more than the minimum and usually pay 50% or better of my balances and I don't keep high balances. I know I am mailing in plenty of time which is shown by the other two cards actually processing my payment when they receive them. After this month, I am going to try the Checkfree method of payment as this is how I pay my electric bill. As to the person who says it's not MBNA's fault a payment got there late even if the post office was the reason and not the consumer, MBNA should be more willing to remove a late fee if it's the first time it happened and the consumer's payment history has been good.

Gary you hit it right on the nose! I also used to work for a major credit card company and if I had a quarter for everytime someone blamed their missed or late payment on someone else, I would be rich!!

Also, your account does not get sent to a collection AGENCY for nearly 6 cycles. A collection DEPARTMENT is different. After 30 days, you can expect collection calls. If your account was 30 days late, it's because you didn't pay it, not because it was MBNA's fault. To not pay something because you are in dispute with a company is not smart.

There is a reason why they call mail 'snail mail'. It takes awhile. It does take awhile to send something across the country. Keep in mind there is no one in on the weekends to process payments in most banks. It's 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS that you are advised of on your statement. I'm sorry but I think you need to take responsibility for this one.

Tricia,

It's always better to avoid taking personal responsibility for one's actions is it not? Instead of asking yourself if MBNA screwed up, could it occur to you that your local postal service could have misplaced it?

Also, if your envelope was not in the reply envelope enclosed please note that it tacks on a few days because it has to be physically opened on by hand instead of machine. MBNA processed literally millions of envelopes each week.

A deal's a deal. If MBNA agreed to honor 5.9 percent for life until a missed payment--then it is your responsibility to make sure the payment reaches the company. Most people don't read the contract. Some do. Those that do understand the rules of the game. Generally those are the people with 775 plus credit scores. They can get the same rate anywhere. Judging from your histerical letter I would wager a guess that your credit probably once was decent, however, I would say that it's in the high 575-625 now due to other outside influences.

Sometimes we drop the ball. Be proactive and nice on the phone when that happens. It's not personal and you will be startled to find out how helpful one human being can be to another if you're civil.

As an MBNA employee, I was able to pull a credit bureau while speaking to past due customers who would swear that MBNA was ripping them off and we must have lost the payment. Lo and behold, they were 30-60 days past due on everything and thus, lying.

I find it interesting that you urge others to declare bankruptcy. Breaking contracts entered into legally and knowingly is the hall mark of someone worthless in society. Those people are the same ones who cheat society in other ways as well.

MBNA will work with you. I did, when I thought that the customer was telling the truth. When their Credit Bureau said other wise I elected to arbitrate. You reap what you sow. Sometimes I left quite a bit of money on the table when someone had cancer, or was in an accident, or whose divorce turned bitter. Those people were honest, their CBR's indicated the truth, and they were respectful and open.

MBNA is in it for the money--they are a business in a capitalist system after all. Their shareholders include Teacher's Retirement funds, colleges, charities, and public employee funds as well as those of millionaires. Those investors would suffer as the financial rating of the company suffered. More delinquent customers equals more money owed equals higher rates charged by those that lend us money. It's a brutal cycle. MBNA has less than 5 percent delinquency than say Providian which charges well over 24 percent for basically everyone, before delinquency. I've seen over 30 percent on a providian card.

Lending has always been a dicey business no doubt about it. I've worked for shady companies. I never left work without feeling as though I didn't help someone get their finances together (not just MBNA's payment) and put together a budget. (surprisingly a lot of first time budgets)

I hope that you have a better time with another company. And by the way, MBNA does not consider the payment 30 days past due until it's technically 60 days out.

Cheers!