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Discover

Discover • Balance transfers • Cancellation problems • Delinquent accounts

Discover's always been sort of the third card out, trailing Visa, MasterCard and Amex by a wide margin. But that doesn't mean it lacks the ability to annoy, offend and aggravate its customers.

Kris of Grand Junction CO (01/15/09)
After a problem free ten year relationship with Discover Card, I am experiencing problems with not receiving statements, erroroneus late fees, and an interest rate increase to 29.9% without my knowledge.

I called Customer Care today to discuss an email I received about my account being over the limit. The representative stated they did not receive a prior payment before the due date which increased my interest rate. The payment cleared my bank before the due date which means Discover Card cashed my bank's check and then held the payment until after the due date. After speaking with the representative who offered to credit the late fees, I felt very offended. The representative stated that all credit card companies are doing this (raising rates for default payment) as more and more people are filing for bankruptcy.

THe representative stated it was my responsibility to make sure I was receiving my statements and everything was correct. She did not tell me when the interest rate changed and would not credit any of the interest rate charges which is over half of my monthly payment. The representative stated she would send me an account reconciliation and a letter applying for a lower interest rate but that she didn't have to do this - she was doing it to be nice. I was very offended and did not feel I was treated as a loyal ten year, seven month, customer.

After speaking with this person, I feel Discover Card is cashing payment checks and holding payments until after the due date to charge late/over limit fees and change interest rates - all to make up for those customers that have defaulted through bankruptcy and soften the burden of the recessional economy.

Raymond of Morley, MI January 15, 2009

Raymond of Morley MI (01/15/09)
In December, we were invited to make use of Courtesy Checks to pay off the remaining balance of 1,085.23 to renegotiate at a lowered interest rate of 3.99%. We issued a check from our checking account in the amout of 85.23, and wrote a courtesy check for the remaining 1,000.00 to be carried over at the lowered interest rate.

The payment was mailed December 31st. On Tuesday, January 13th, we received our Discover statement. It did not reflect a credit of 85.23, and we were charged a late fee of 39.00 plus a payment protection charge of 10.19 for a total of 49.19. In addition, there was a finance charge of 21.29 bringing the total charges to 70.48, or roughly 5.00 less than the payment, which was not credited.

We are in receipt of a letter dated January 8th with the return of the courtesy check for 1,000.00 stating that we are not entitled to use it for the purposes proposed in their offer. We are also in receipt of the canceled check for 85.23 that shows a date of January 9th, or three days past the required due date.

Since the payment was sent on December 31st, and allowing for the New Year's holiday, the two business days reaching Illinois from Michigan would have placed receipt on the 5th or 6th at the latest. A letter dated the 8th and a canceled date of the 9th is indication that the check was indeed received on time, but deliberately held to inflict a late payment.

We are in the process of contacting Discover to have the proper credit adjustment to reflect the 85.23, and are willing to settle for the remaining 1000.00 on this balance and nothing more. With this action, we look forward to terminating our relationship with this company.

Raymond of Morley, MI January 14, 2009

Raymond of Morley MI (01/14/09)
We are offered Courtesy Checks every month, and recently were encourged to use on to pay off the remaining balance to renegotiate at the lowere interest rate of 3.99%. On the December statement, there was a balance of 1,085.23. I wrote a check for 85.23 on December 31st, and used one of the courtesty checks made out for the remaning 1000.00 clearly marked in on the memo line, Balance Transfer.

The January statement arrived yesterday, January 12th. The payment of 85.23 was not credited, and we were assesed late fee charges totallying 49.19 in addition to finance charges of 21.29, or a total of 70.48, bringing the balance to 1,155.71. This is disturbing for a number of reasons. First, the statements allow for only three weeks to be paid. While the due date is the 6th, they are not receive until the 12th.

Last month was particularly trying since my mother was hospitalized for four weeks and finally died on December 21st. My father, who is 87 was concerned about getting the Discover billed paid, and a check was issued on December 31st. Allowing for the New Year's holiday, there was enough time to arrive on January 5th. Today we obtained a copy of the cancelled check for 85.23 showing a cancelled date of January 9th. Further, we received a letter from Discovery today dated January 8th returning the courtesy check made out for 1,000.00, denying us the offer that was proposed last month.

The fact that our check for 83.23 was not deposited until three days after the due date suggests a deliberate effort to hold the check to charge a late fee. We have been prompt on this account, and these actions are most disturbing to us. We will be contacting Discover directly about this unethical action, and are prepared to settle for the remaining 1000.00. After this, we will have not further interest in using the services of this company.

Mo of Bellows Falls, VT January 12, 2009

Mo of Bellows Falls VT (01/12/09)
i used their credit card at an atm machine in a local bank. it was declined! thinking i had put the wrong pin number in, i did it again. it was declined, again! about a week later, checking my transactions on their web site, i find the two charges along with the two transaction fees. i sent a complaint in by e-mail and the said they would take a couple of weeks to investigate. well, i'm still waiting!

i'm just glad it was only 214 dollars! i incinerated the card and vow to not deal with that company again. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lani of Harrisville, RI December 30, 2008

Lani of Harrisville RI (12/30/08)
We have a Discover Card which is primarily under my husband's name, me being only an authorized user. They have been calling our house 9 times between 12/1 - 12/20. A few of the times when they called I was actually working from home and picked up the phone. Everytime it was always a different person, and each time they would always ask for my husband by his first name only, and when I replied he was not in, the person would hang up, no thank you, no nothing. It was very rude each time.

Well, last Saturday when both of us were home, the same phone number called again and that's how we found out it was Discover. My husband answered the phone and gave the guy an earful and hang up on the telemarketer. We then proceeded to call Discover to cancel the card (and I have to check now to make sure it has really been cancelled). My husband got transferred to their retention department, and he proceeded to tell the lady what had been happening. The lady asked for the # from which those phone calls had been coming, and said to my husband it looked like it was an external marketing company that Discover had hired to do telemarketing on their behalf.

My husband also reminded Discover that we are on the do not call list, and we had requested them several months ago to stop calling us but obviously they ignored our request. Well, they just lost our business.

Garry of Woodhaven, NY December 29, 2008

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