What should one say when speaking to the credit card hasslers?

[Naive-n-Texas]

THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU GUYS. I took one for the team.....

I may have done a No-No last night, but I had a blast. I was in one of "my moods" and decided to answer Citi Banks call. Right off the bat they "have come up with a program to help us." (Now, this is the same Bank that I called 4 times asking for assistance in which there was none. I stopped paying. The programs they come up with are a joke!) Still, I informed this young lady in my always nice manner, that I couldn't afford the postage stamp to send in a pmt, let alone the crazy figures they come up with. I told her I was speaking to an attorney about this matter and that's when we started to have fun.
She tells me "an attorney can't help you!" And Just like kids on a play ground...
" Oh, yes they can!".....
"no they can NOT!".....
"YES they can!".....
"NO THEY CAN NOT!!!".....and she hangs up on me.

Well I never! (giggling) I found the number and called them back. Once again I get a very nice young man who listen to my long story. I told him that none of this had to happen if only they had worked with me in the beginning when there was "no programs available". He was nice when he started in on the "coming after me, "effecting my income" ,"destroying my credit", blah...blah....blah!
I got a very asstonished answer when I informed him "that my amount of debt was chump-change and a judge would find it funny that I tried to work with you, along with my oustanding credit rating before this misshap, not to mention the amount of money the bank would spend to even take me to court far exceeds my debt."
Of course he tried to respond with a scare tactic remark, when I asked "what state he was in....."Iowa"..........
"well sweetie, I'm in TEXAS" .......
"oh, can you pay $xxx a month, for 60months, at 1.0%?"......
"NO sir, I can not"........
"I've NOTED YOU ACCOUNT!" ...click........

Can you believe that? He hung up on me! Well, I never... again! Think they will you use our conversations for traing purposes? Priceless.

Okay, my bad girl stunt is over (did have a good laugh), but what should I say or not say?

[BKTango]

Ugh...Citibank there's a nightmare I am glad to be rid of. They were the first to sue my husband (his cc debt was seperate from mine) While I had MBNA and BOA after my hide right from the start it was Citibank that was the most obnoxious people ever. I to am in Texas and it didn't do a dang thing for us. Citibank retained their collections law firm in Texas (the law firm's website actually does state they handle all of Citibanks default accounts in Texas.) Now our payment when we stopped paying was $75 monthly w/ about a $3000.00 balance. Their proposal after being told we couldn't afford the 75 bucks a month anymore and needed help? $250.00 a month. So much for that old stand by of "if you have trouble making your payments please call us we will work with you" yeah right. Oh but it gets better, after they served us and we were in the time of answering the lawsuit, they told us and no way am I kidding here. "If you agree to paying us back $6500.00 we will let you do so at $35 a month" We filed BK 3 days later.

[Naive-n-Texas]

!!!

Are you saying that you owed them $3000 and then wanted you tosettles for $6500 because they were going to lose it all? What was the $3500 increase? Would that be what you got behind in on pmts and over limit fees? I just got my first $900 over limit charge. What was the interest rate for the payback?

I have MBNA and Chase. MBNA had been great. 2days late and they send my FIXED 7.0 rate straight up to 32.24. Oh, they could change the due date and credit me the late payment, but they could not change the interest. Suggested I check out Take charge America which I didn't quailify for. They closed a 3 of my accounts even though I was current. Chase, so far, has not touched me. We will see if they fallow the same road the others are heading.

It's WRONG...Just Wrong.

Well guess what? Now they wont get a dime either. After all is taken care of, never will I use Bank credit cards again!!

[BKTango]

It's been this month exactly one year since I had dealt with these people and well, between all of that and then filing BK I don't remember the exact details of the offer, but the increase to "If you agree to pay us $6500 we will let you pay it back at $35 a month(and I remember the interest was ungodly)" was solely their way of saying "pay me this or I will continue with the lawsuit" the balance at the time we stopped paying was $3000 by the time that outrageous offer was made we had been 7 months behind. They served us, and then offered up the deal to scare us into paying it instead of them continueing the lawsuit. Both of our Chase accounts went to arbitration law firms. MBNA sued me when I was 30 days late! MBNA was another nightmare that started 2 years prior, all I could afford to do was pay the minimum and I was no longer using the card, they doubled my interest which was 12% fixed to 24%, upon calling them I was told by their lovely CS that my account, since I was only paying the min. and not using the card and hadn't used it in about 5 months was not evolving as fast as they would like it. I asked the guy how doubling my interest will make it evolve any faster since only now double the amount is going into their pocket for finance charges, he hung up. I could write a book on the shady dealings of these companies.

My husband was right, it would almost be better to deal with a loan shark.

[Naive-n-Texas]

As I say.... That's Wrong...Just Wrong! It's amazing it's legal. And I bet if you look at it real close, it probably isn't. But who's going to take on the BIG Banks and remain in Govt offices?

When my mom filed some 15 years ago, she cried while waiting to see the court. Her lawyer told her she had nothing to be ashamed of. That is why there are laws in place to protect you from CC companies and there practices. I'm glad to hear that too, but I'm having a hard time understanding why they still are allowed to keep on with there tactics for each generation.

Well, I guess I can expect to hear from MBNA. I have received "the letter" asking me to cut up my cards. NOT A PROBLEM....just had my scissors sharpened.

After reading posts, I take it they really can't do anything to you on un-secured debt. I'd like to see them come and get all the crap I've bought with the cards. Wonder how they would like to have camping vacations that have already been taken?

[Spartan]

May be you can offer them a lifetime pass for free tanning?

(On second thought. Don't mention you own a business. It will just make them more eager to work on your case. )