WaMu Visa card sucks
OK, I am a sucker. I wanted free access to my credit score, and when I got the offer from WaMu for a card that had free access to FICO scores, I signed up.
There were no balance transfer fees, so I did a small balance transfer from a higher interest (3.99%) credit card. I planned to pay it off in full before incurring any interest charges. I would get free access to my credit score, and everyone would be happy.
After a couple of weeks, I had not gotten my card, but the balance transfer had occurred (I knew this from checking the card the transfer had been from). I called Customer Service, and asked where my card was. After being treated like a two-year-old (I understood I had done a balance transfer, but they wanted to keep explaining this to me), I was told that I couldn’t pay the card until I received mine in the mail.
It did come a couple of days later, and I paid off the balance in full, still a week ahead of the due date. I checked my balance today, and guess what? A finance charge had been assessed.
I called Customer Service, and was given the run-around yet again. After explaining my situation to a supervisor, nothing was done, so I paid the finance charge (less than $3) and canceled the card.
Ironically, every time I tried to access my FICO score online, I got a message saying that the service was temporarily unavailable.
Have you experienced anything similar with a WaMu card? Or was I an isolated incident?
Wow! I would be ticked!!! (and I’m sure you are)
I’ve never used WaMu, and you can bet I won’t now! I can’t believe they refused to remove the service fee. Ridiculous.
Becky@FamilyandFinances’s last blog post..Frugal/Green Things I Do
Not WaMu, but Capital One and similar results.
Scams all of them!
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Margaret’s last blog post..Doing My Part to Save the Planet
I got the card and while it took almost a month for me to access my credit score I am able to see it. I only had one tiny purchase on my card and I paid it online so I did not have the problems you had.
Lulugal11′s last blog post..Tracking My Finances In May: Day 26
Margaret : I ‘ll stay away from Capital One!
Lulugal: Ironically, I am now able to log in and see my credit score for the first time, but am concerned because my account should be closed. Wish me luck on calling back!
Thanks for posting
Hi, I came across your post, and I had a similar experience. I also wanted to take advantage of free FICO access, but also a 0% APR until 2009 August (If I transfer a balance when opening the account).
I transfered over $7000 from an account that I did not carry a balance on, just to try and get a higher credit limit (usually if you transfer a large balance banks have tended to give me higher credit limits, and you can request a rebate check from the bank you balance the transfer from if you have a negative balance), but before doing so I had specifically asked the person on the phone if there would be a finance charge if I paid it off in full before the due date after getting my first statement, and was told that if I did so, there would not be a finance charge.
Sure enough, I had a $29 finance charge on my first statement. I called about it, and they agreed to reverse the charge no problem (after being on hold for 25 minutes before being able to talk with someone), but I also told them to make sure that I would not get a finance charge on my second statement since some of the time before my first due date was already in the next billing cycle, and my balance transfer was still there at that time. I was told no problem, and besides the long hold time to get in touch with a person at customer service, I was fairly satisfied with the level service.
On the next statement, however, there was a $48 finance charge (looks like the first person didn’t care or know enough to actually make sure that I wouldn’t incur one), so I called them back, and after some arguing, was told it would be taken off.
Almost a month later when I checked my online statement, the charge was STILL THERE so I called once again.
This time when I called, I was told “there is nothing we can do, the system is not allowing me to reverse the charge, and there was nothing noted indicating that that charge should be reversed” The guy on the phone did not seem to understand that they had LIED to me 3 times now, and that I was quite upset… After arguing for some time with the first guy and giving him a lecture about contract law and how ridiculous it was that they have not corrected THEIR mistake, I was finally transferred to a supervisor, Eric, who quickly said he would fix the problem, assured me he had made a note of it in the computer system, and he gave me his employee number without me asking for it.
I think they might have a system of trying to screw over people who aren’t as aggressive, or who don’t know how to talk hard with these guys, and when someone does bring it up, and threatens legal action, they fix the mistake.
I will continue to use the card, with caution, to take advantage of the 0% rate, and 20,000 bonus points if I make one purchase each year for 2 years (which is good for a $200 gift card), but after 2 statements, I still don’t have access to my FICO score….
Thanks for commenting! I am sorry that you also had a bad experience, but am glad you got it fixed.
I agree – proceed with caution!
eek! i just signed up for the MyPoints Visa card and it is through WaMu…I hope I don’t run into any problems!!!
tiffanie’s last blog post..why pay if you can get it for free?
Tiffanie,
Maybe if you never charge anything to it, you won’t have any problems
I have been a card holder of Wamu (Formerly Providian) since 1997. Funny, I have neverever hada problem with them. Am able to acess my credit score every month and on the rare instances I used Customer service, they were always polite and helpful.
Ken,
I am glad to hear that you have had a positive experience! Thanks for posting.
Ya they’re all crooks….really watch out for HSBC bank sponsored cards….they like to send due dates on long holiday weekends and try to spin you into lots of unregulated and unethical “fees” and such….parasites…all of them