Chase Cancels Your Credit Cards With No Notification

If you have any Chase credit cards, call to make sure they haven’t been canceled out from under you with no notice. Huh? Are credit card companies allowed to do that? Don’t be silly. Of course they are.

Joey wrote in with this tale of annoyance and woe:

Last Friday, when I stopped at a gas station and tried to pay for gas with my Chase Freedom credit card, the machine told me it was declined. I thought it was a problem with the machine so I went inside and tried to use the card with the person working. The card was denied again. Frustrated, I called Chase Card Services to figure out what was going on.

The rep told me my card had been cancelled. Not only my Freedom card, but also my 3 other Chase credit cards (I use them for different rewards). I told him it was outrageous that I hadn’t received any early notification, and all he could say was that I would be getting something in the mail soon. I asked why my cards were canceled, and his response was that I had too many loans out so Chase considered me a risk. For the record, I do have loans that I’m paying off – my student loans and the loan on a recently purchased house. However, I’ve always paid the balance on my Chase credit cards in full every month and rarely ever am I late (the last time was at least 6 months ago). Nothing in my history with them would cause them to think I would not pay my bills. The rep couldn’t do anything for me so I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was told they were busy and that one would call me back. No one has since.

This angered me to no end and ruined my weekend. Not only did 4 out of the 5 credit cards I have get cancelled (I still have an Amex), the rep told me that since my credit cards were cancelled, I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the rewards I had accumulated on the card. I currently have over $100 in rewards from Chase that I’ve been saving to get the $250 check for $200 reward dollars program they had. So now they expect me to pay the remainder of my bill, but they’re screwing me out of money I could potentially get from them.

Today, my parents told me all their Chase cards had been canceled as well, and their credit history is probably better than mine. I assume there are many other people out there that have been affected as well. What the #*&@ is going on with Chase!?!?! Do they really have the right to do this!? Can I at least force them to let me use my rewards?

Fight back, Consumerist-style. If escalating things in the normal customer service channels doesn’t work, we have some ideas about who to call or e-mail. Be polite, professional, and firm.

Have you experienced similar cancellations at the hands of Chase? Have you fought back? Share your story in the comments.

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(Photo: frankieleon)

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