Monkey Business by Credit Card Companies

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I’ve got rid of most of my credit cards. I did keep one, though, as it got me points with a favourite department store. I decided to use this for anything I could think of, but pay it back immediately and thus accrue lots of points.

I assumed, wrongly it seems, that the card would not let itself be used if there was not enough credit it on it. I was a little doubtful about whether I had enough to buy yet more books, but I thought if there wasn’t enough credit there the card would not be approved.

Wrong. The payment went through. This caused two problems. First, I had to pay twelve pounds for going over limit. Second, I knew that I had enough money in my current account to cover the amount I was spending on the credit card – if it was in limit. There was no accounting for the extra £60.00.

The bank might argue that I should keep track of my money, but actually aren’t we asking them to do that? We are busy doing other things now. Money is complex. We have standing orders, direct debits, cheques and card payments going out. You’re often not in a position to make notes or look up details. Some payments take a long time to show up. Looking up details of your state of affairs on Internet banking takes time and one does not always want to do that on a public computer. Did we give them permission to let us go over and then charge us £12.00 for the privilege?   

I called the customer help desk and put in a complaint. The call-centre face worker there actually agreed with me.  

I actually suspect it’s a well thought out ploy by someone very high up in the food chain. It is evil and yet another ploy to rob us of our hard-earned cash.

I cut my card in half and returned in their self-addressed envelope. I shall also make a point in the near future of going to the department store in question and expressing my dissatisfaction.