When a customer service representative at your credit card company lies to you on the phone, you essentially have no recourse. I learned this firsthand in February when my credit card number was stolen. On my first call to customer service, I was told a new card would be overnighted to me. On my second call, three days later, I was told it was overnighted to me earlier that day. On my thirdcall, I was told the card was overnighted to me the day before.
A week after my first call, the credit card arrived via snail mail. And I wasn’t the lest bit surprised. Lying, it seems, is a skill overseas customer service reps are required to list on their job applications.
My experience with dishonest credit card reps is not unusual. In my case, the lies were frustrating, but didn’t disrupt my life. But what if I were on vacation and had no other card to pay for a car rental or hotel? Or what if the customer service rep had offered to lower my interest rate and then did not? That’s when customer service lies can wreak havoc on lives. And this happens more frequently than you might imagine.
On Smart Balance Transfers, guests frequently share credit card complaints. And a common, disturbing complaint is that customer service reps will lie about everything from interest rate reductions to when payments are credited. In many instances, these lies can prove costly. A recent visitor reported that she was promised a substantial rate reduction if she partook in a payment plan requiring her to increase her monthly payment. After completing the plan, she was told that the laws did not allow them to reduce her interest rate. Really? You would think they could have come up with a better lie than that.
Unfortunately, credit card customer service reps, especially those located overseas, will essentially say and do whatever they can to get customers to send in money and get off the phone. Many are as unscrupulous as debt collectors.
To prevent the lies of a customer service agent from costing you money, I have two suggestions. The first, and best, is to send in all inquiries via email from your online account management page. Most companies have a secure contact form where you can submit your questions. Because the answer will be in writing, the likelihood of being lied to decreases substantially. Plus, in the event that the credit card company reneges on the agreement, you have proof in writing.
The second option is to record your calls to customer service. The legalities of this vary from state to state, but if you choose to go this route, you should state that you are recording the call and ask for their permission. One recent site guest posted that he likes to give credit card reps a taste of their own medicine. He tells them he records the calls to, “insure the quality of customer service.”
Now, not all customer service reps at credit card companies are liars. However, if you are negotiating an important financial arrangement, don’t stake your finances on the spoken word of a customer service rep. Try to get your arrangement in writing or on tape. With this evidence, you can prove wrongdoing should you need to fight back against your credit card company.
-Jeffrey Weber
Author’s Tip: If your credit card company has mistreated you and you have good credit, get back at them by utilizing balance transfers. With a balance transfer, you move the money you owe the bad company to a new credit card from a (hopefully) better company. In addition, you can get a 0% interest rate for up to 1 year when you do a balance transfer. This can save you hundreds on interest and help you get out of debt faster. For more information, please ee the 0% balance transfer section of Smart Balance Transfers.
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