Credit card pushers

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Credit card pushers
3
Wed, 05-18-2005 - 9:06am

As many of you know, dh and I are three years into our debt-free journey, and doing quite well. I recently transferred most of our remaining cc balance from a 0% offer that was about to end to another 0% offer. When I called to activate the card (I have no intention of using it, but I've found if you don't activate them when they come, they send you letters and make calls to ensure you received the card, so I just do it and get it over with), I faced a huge hassle from the "activation agent" (or whatever) trying to sell me their credit insurance plan.

As soon as she started to tell me about it, I cut her off firmly with, "Thank you, but I'm really not interested." She kept talking. I tried again, "Thank you, but I'm really not at all interested." She kept talking, now explaining the 30-day free trial I am entitled to. Me: "I'm really very busy and not at all interested in credit protection insurance. Please let's complete our business and close this call." Finally she stopped, only to ask, "May I ask why you're not interested?" I gave her the litany: Because we are quite well insured, because we have assets to protect us in the event of difficulty, because we don't intend to pay extra for insurance that we don't need, because the terms and conditions make it quite difficult to collect on that type of insurance anyway, because I would forget to call and cancel the insurance at the end of the trial, and don't want to be hassled with it anyway, because I know from experience that "free" trials are always a hassle to cancel. Of course, she seized on the only objection she could, "Let me give you that 800-number to call at the end of your free trial period, so if you decide you don't want the protection any longer, you can simply call to cancel" (all said in a tone that implied we had already agreed to sign me up for the insurance and all we needed to do was settle the details).

I finally got through to her after that, explaining again and extremely firmly, that I was not *at all* interested and that she was *not*, under any circumstances, to sign me up for the trial, and that I intended to end our conversation immediately if she continued to pursue the topic.

She thanked me and hung up.

Sheesh. I know they pay these people based on how many people they sign up, and they train them in the script, but good grief. It upsets me so much. And I know it's the only way they can make money off my card, since they're not charging interest. But honestly, I've paid my dues, many times over, in the loan shark rates they used back when my credit stunk. And if they're going to offer me a 0% deal, then I feel no compunction to give them extra money for it. If they want to continue to have my business (it's Citi, and if I liked their service, I might invest with them or otherwise do business that might end up being lucrative for them--but not with service like that!), they've got to do a better job with customer service.

Anyway, just another example of how our debt culture pushes people to spend money that they shouldn't. Sheesh.

Thanks for listening. :)

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-16-2004
Wed, 05-18-2005 - 10:02am
I understand it all completely, they are pushers and I get tired of it, they ask me again and I tell them NO! because if they offer a free gift you never get it because you'll actually have to sign up. So, they know basically NOT to ask me.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Wed, 05-18-2005 - 10:06am

I love dealing with those people! It's like a game to me. When I can't make them stop, I sometimes resort to "LOOK LADY!" or "LOOK MISTER!". That puts me back in charge without swearing, ha ha! When they ask, "May I ask why blah blah blah..." I say no, it's none of your business. When they say, "Well, I need to fill some reason in on my form" I say, "Make one up". This dumbfounds them. Or sometimes I say, "I'm going to pay the whole amount off this month anyway, so I don't need insurance". I very well could, by rolling it over onto ANOTHER 0% card!

You did very well holding your own Heather, you can be proud of yourself.

Lee Ann

Lee Ann

www.werenotafraid.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2005
Wed, 05-18-2005 - 10:50am

I hear you loud and clear!

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