It’s one thing for a bank to nag customers who are late with credit card payments, but quite another to be rude about it and insist they’ll have to cough up $75 late fees in addition to interest.

Lindsay says BofA treated her like a deadbeat when she was four days late with her payment:

I have been a Bank of America customer since 2004 when I signed up for a checking account and credit card as a freshman in college. I have always been responsible with my credit card, had a low limit and maintained a low balance. I was 60 days late on a payment once when I was studying abroad in India but otherwise have always paid my credit card bill on time, typically paying off the full balance and almost always more than the minimum due. The one time I had a problem with BofA, it was related to my checking account but it was minor and 4 years ago.

Today, I received my first ever “courtesy call” from a blocked phone number, from a woman identifying herself as a BofA agent. She had all my information so I can only assume it was real. She sounded like she was 10 years old and had the most condescending voice I think I’ve ever heard on the phone. She was calling to tell me that I was 4 days late on my credit card payment this month. I was aware of this (having a hard month financially) and had planned on paying the bill on Friday. I told her such. She pressed me for the exact date and time I would be paying it and also the exact amount I would be paying toward my balance. I told her that I simply didn’t know but she continued to ask me for this exact information 4 more times. I asked her if this was a new policy to check up on customers who were a few days late in their payments. She said “No” and continued to demand the exact time and amount I would be paying.

Finally, I told her that she was being extremely rude and treating me like I hadn’t been a responsible customer in the past. Four days late is hardly absconding without paying, especially since I have always been a reliable customer. She finally told me that I would have to pay a $75 late fee, to have a good day and hung up.

Is this some kind of new BofA policy? I had already strongly considered switching banks but being treated like a deadbeat and getting a $75 late fee for 4 days is ridiculous. Not even my 60-days-late payment received a fee like that. What should I do?

Whenever I’ve been in danger of missing a payment deadline, my banks have been cool about adjusting my payment date. What sorts of fees have you had to pay on late credit card payments?

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