Best Buy and HSBC use tactics to add charges to your statement.
I signed up for the no interest for 18 months Best Buy charge card. The sales rep said I needed to sign twice on the application to get it approved. He did not inform me whatsoever about the "Debt Cancellation" program. This is a scam so they can get more money from you. Something needs to be done about this because it is wrong! I will never do business with Best Buy or HSBC again.
Best Feature: 18 months "No Interest"
Worst Feature: Debt Cancellation Charge
Overall Rating: 1
Benefit Rating: 1
Service Rating: 1
Recommend: No
Credit Card: American Express® Platinum Card
Provided by: American Expressk
Total Posts: 63
Average Rating: 4.35
Category: Charge
Date posted: 1/18/2008
Review:
Generally speaking, the Platinum card is only useful if you travel a great deal or require the conceirge service. However, where they really excel is in their ability to stop fraud in it's tracks. Twice - once for me, once for my husband - we have had fraudulent charges made on our cards and both times Amex called immediately and alerted us. With no hassle, they eliminated the charges - no paperwork to fill out, no need to justify the other charges made - and overnighted us new cards. Remarkably, I had a receipt stolen from a cash register in a store at the World Trade Center in Manhattan; the thief went to Brooklyn and made three purchases at Rite Aid. Amex immediately knew that the purchases weren't mine. Ditto with international travel. I have never had my card declined overseas but a fraudulent overseas charge was flagged immediately. You may not need help having 1200 thread count sheets delivered to the Amazon by tomorrow morning, but you should want this kind of help when protecting your credit record.
Best Feature: Fraud protection
Worst Feature: None
Overall Rating: 5
Benefit Rating: 4.5
Service Rating: 5
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Credit Card
Provided by: American Express
Total Posts: 29
Average Rating: 3.93
Category: Reward - Airline
Date posted: 1/17/2008
Review:
We had the Delta Gold for years with both personal and business use. We decided to up our "privledges" by upgrading to Platinum. We never have recieved the companion ticket - 2 years in a row. Miles tickets take double the points than the Gold tickets did.
They also keep changing the credit limits. First up, which was good. Then they kept chopping large chunks off the credit limit, sometimes $500, sometimes $5,000 - the new privledge for paying on time, paying more than the minimum and in general using the credit responsibly.
My advice, if you have and like the Gold, don't switch. If you don't travel weekly use a discount internet site for your tickets, they are frequently at the same or better price.
Best Feature: website access to nearly everything, higher than averge limits, slightly lower interest
Worst Feature: constantly changing credit limits without warning
Overall Rating: 3.5
Benefit Rating: 4
Service Rating: 2
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: Merrick Bank MasterCard®
Provided by: Merrick Bank.
Total Posts: 20
Average Rating: 1.95
Category: Regular
Date posted: 1/4/2008
Review:
I have had a Merrick card since my BK discharge 2 years ago. I pay on time every month and my credit limit has doubled. I have spoken with customer service twice -- once when I locked myself out of my online account and once when they were concerned with some charges on my account. They have been polite and helpful both times. They have been a gateway to rebuilding my credit and getting higher limit cards from other companies.
Best Feature: Credit Limit Increases
Worst Feature: None
Overall Rating: 4.5
Benefit Rating: 2.5
Service Rating: 4.5
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: Target® Guest Card
Provided by: Retailers National Bank
Total Posts: 45
Average Rating: 3.72
Category: Retail
Date posted: 1/14/2007
Review:
I applied for this account back in 2004 when my credit score was in the low 500's and was denied. I am an authorized user on my hubby's account (which was recently upgraded to the target visa) but decided I wanted my own account. I was approved for the standard $200. The limit is not a big deal. Target increased my husband's limit after 2 months. I'll make sure I use it and pay in full and hopefully I will see a fast increase. It feels good to see the words approved!
Best Feature: Rewards
Worst Feature: Interest rate
Overall Rating: 4.5
Benefit Rating: 4.5
Service Rating: 5
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: Washington Mutual Bank Card
Provided by: Washington Mutual Bank
Total Posts: 37
Average Rating: 3.19
Category: Regular
Date posted: 12/30/2007
Review:
I love this card if only for the free monthly peek at my Trans Union Fico Score! I only use this specific card for PAYPAL Purchases and make sure to pay my balance off montly so I don't have to pay finance charges.
Other than that, I probably wouldn't care much for it. I have no issues with it because my APR does not affect me as I pay it off before I have to pay them extra money.
I never use this card for anything else, though.
Best Feature: Fico Scores Available Online!
Worst Feature: APR Rate High even with 800+ credit score
Overall Rating: 3
Benefit Rating: 3.5
Service Rating: 2.5
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: Bank of America WorldPoints™ Platinum Plus™ MasterCard® Credit Cardl
Provided by: Bank of America/FIA
Total Posts: 11
Average Rating: 3.55
Category: Reward - Other
Date posted: 12/30/2007
Review:
After spending $10K on this card (and never paying Finance Fees) I just received $80.00! I think that's pretty good...free money. Let me put a caveat out there though - you must be diligent in paying off your balance before a finance charge acrues if you're going to use this card for the Cash Back Benefit. I'd like to research more about cashback offers, but since I have been debt free since May 2006, I use this card to up my points value and make sure I never carry a balance. I pay it off every month and don't spend more than I can afford.
I'm not a fan of Bank Of America, so I like getting their free money without them taking more of my money. Just know to play this game, you have to be on top of yours! Good luck!
Best Feature: Rewards Program (Cash Back specifically!) & Low APR!
Worst Feature: Their Customer Service has yet to mail me a Key Chain sized card and I've called twice!
Overall Rating: 3.5
Benefit Rating: 4.5
Service Rating: 3
Recommend: Yes
Credit Card: AirTran Airways A-Plus Signature Visa® Card
Provided by: Juniper Bank
Total Posts: 11
Average Rating: 2.86
Category: Reward - Airline
Date posted: 12/30/2007
Review:
I found this card was not beneficial to me because everytime I turned around points were expiring with no warning. It would have been nice had the statements provided a heads up. You have to call customer service and have the points converted to a voucher which expires in one year. Who can remember to do that with all the other things in life you have to worry about! Not worth the trouble. I have shredded the card and I am paying off the balance now.
Best Feature: The ability to earn credits if you spend enough.
Worst Feature: Points expire quickly! Use it or lose it! I have lost many points!
Overall Rating: 3
Benefit Rating: 2.5
Service Rating: 3
Recommend: No
Credit Card: Disney Visa® Card
Provided by: JP Morgan Chase
Total Posts: 12
Average Rating: 3.46
Category: Reward - Other
Date posted: 12/13/2007
Review: I have to tell you -- whether it's the card or the company behind the card, this is a good one to have. Not so much for the Disney name, but for the sense of security one gets behind it. I rarely use the card personally, unless we're at Disney World -- and somehow, that ended up being a good thing. I got a call earlier this week from their fraud department - two charges for overseas purchases. Well, needless to say, they weren't for me - but then again, Chase already suspected that or they wouldn't have initiated the call.
It's nice to know someone is on your side during these times of credit card and identity theft! Chase definitely is. They are an excellent company and I'd recommend any of their cards.
Best Feature: Fraud alerts
Worst Feature: None so far....
Overall Rating: 4.5
Benefit Rating: 3
Service Rating: 4.5
Recommend: Yes
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