We do this little thing to protect against someone charging us more when we swipe with a card for a good or service that doesn’t require tip.
credit cards
Personal Finance Bloggers Say "Maxed Out" Has Non Sufficient Funds
By 6.22.07
We’re not the only ones irked by the Maxed Out documentary.
US Airways Partners With Bait And Switch Credit Card Sales Company
By 6.22.07
So tonight, I was unpacking, I got the calculator out of the box, and – surprise – I find out that I’d applied for a Master Card with Barclays Bank. Not just any master card, this one had an APR of either 18.24% or 20.24%. What a deal – about double what any of our cards are right now…
Reader Shares Personal Financial Security Protocols
By 6.21.07
Reader and security researcher Nweaver has blogged the precautions he takes when managing his personal finances, from credit cards to debit to his brokerage account.
Maxed Out: Take It For What It's Worth
By 6.20.07
We just finished watching Maxed Out, the recent documentary about the viperous evils of the credit industry. We agree with the basic premise: Underinformed debtors are getting taking advantage of. And the stories are horrific, with three different people driven to suicide because of debt. The doc does a good job of outlining the links from debtor, to bank, to debt collector, to government representatives. It’s a nasty apparatus.
XBOX360 Consumer Pwns Microsoft Using Level 34 American Express Powers
By 6.20.07
Remember Richard? Microsoft and numerous commenters mocked him for trying to get his XBOX360 fixed under warranty repair because he had a random tech pry open the box, thus voiding the warranty.
Ridiculous Credit Card Fees From The Future
By 6.18.07
In recent Senate hearings, representatives took aim at the credit card industry for developing a matrix of fees designed to operate as income streams rather than merely recoup costs. Some of the contract verbiage regarding fees, our Senators said, are written at the 27th grade level. At the same time, everything is presented in a seemingly reasonable, and objective manner, reminiscent of the Machiavellian intent apparent in Parago’s patent application for a rebate system that, “provides a user friendly interface, yet retains hurdles sufficient to maintain breakage.”
6 Things To Do When You Lose Your Wallet
By 6.18.07
Losing your wallet is a major drag but if you act quickly you can mitigate the fallout, writes The Mint Blog:
Credit Card Companies Limit Gas Station Purchases
By 6.16.07
Thanks to gas prices reaching $4 per gallon and credit card limits on the dollar amount that can be spent at gas stations, some consumers now need more than one credit card just to fill up their tank.
“When I go to the gas station, I now have to use two credit cards just for one tank of gasoline,” said Paul Brisgone of Oxford, Pa. “Kind of defeats the convenience of pay-at-the-pump.” Brisgone, a field operations manager for a telecommunications company, said that he alternates among three credit cards when filling up the 32-gallon tank in his Ford F-150 pickup.
If you see a Hummer owner futzing with several credit cards at the pump, it’s because they are hitting the $75 limit set by MasterCard, or the lower $50 limit used by Visa and Discover. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Recording Of Capitol One Going Off On Customer
By 6.14.07
Great job, Crapitol One! You just lost a(nother) customer! — BEN POPKEN
Yes Virginia, Scammers DO Use Stolen Credit Cards To Buy Airline Tickets
By 6.13.07
After reading some of the incredulous comments on, “Easy For Fraudsters To Fool E-Ticket Kiosks,” we asked a former identity thief whether fraudsters ever actually used stolen credit cards for airline tickets. He said:
Yes, people card them and yes its very risky, however people have made a killing doing it.
— BEN POPKEN
Happy Birthday To Cancel The Account!
By 6.12.07
Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Vincent Ferrari’s famous “Cancel The Account” recording of his attempt to cancel AOL.
Ask The Consumerists: What Do I Do About Credit Cards I Never Requested?
By 6.12.07
I’ve gotten two of these unwanted cards in the last 12 months after signing up with two different financial institutions for two different reasons. The first was a mortgage I signed, the second for a business checking account where I was the primary account user. I’ve worked hard all my life to maintain good credit, and I don’t want these things to affect my excellent rating. What should I do now?
Read Beau’s letter and our advice, inside.
Bank Of America's Special New Amex For Rich People
By 6.11.07
Do you have over $100,000 on deposit at Bank of America? If you do, you might qualify for a special new Amex just for Bank of America’s wealthy customers. Oh my, the perks are fat!
Easy For Fraudsters To Fool E-Ticket Kiosks
By 6.11.07
It would be really easy for someone to steal your credit card and buy and use an airplane ticket.
20% of Americans Fear They'll Never Escape Credit Card Debt
By 6.6.07
According to a new survey by Lending Tree, 20% of Americans fear that they will never escape their credit card and other non-mortgage related debt and will be stuck with it for the rest of their lives. That’s depressing. Elizabeth Warren at Credit Slips says:”Lending Tree tries to put a happy face on some of the data (most people “perceive themselves as some day being debt free”), but I didn’t feel any better when I read it.” Yeah, we don’t feel any better either.
