(Re)bate and Switch
Written: Sep 08 '01
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Pros: Smooth rebate procedure.
Cons: Return reduced from 1% to .5%.
The Bottom Line: When this card offered a 1% general credit, it was a good deal. When it was reduced to .5%, it became a below average deal, in my view.
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| Nuge's Full Review: L.L.Bean Visa (MBNA America) |
When the LL Bean Visa card was first introduced, it offered a very respectable deal. At that time, if offered a 1% rebate on all purchases, and a higher rebate on LL Bean purchases. I am sure that a lot of customers were lured in by this offer. I, for one, was not aware that this return percentage would only be offered for a limited time.
I liked this deal so much, that I made this my primary credit card. Unfortunately, after I carried the card for about a year and a half, the rules changed. Non-LL Bean purchases would only be credited 1/2 of 1%, and LL Bean purchases were credited at 3%. This good deal became a mediocre deal overnight. Since there are other cards which credit at least 1%, I have completely deemphasized this card.
When $10 is earned in rebates, an LL Bean coupon is sent out with your monthly credit card bill. You do not have to worry if you lose the actual coupon. When you call to place an order, the telephone representative can look up how much you have available in credits. Your credits can be applied to any LL Bean purchase, up to 100% of the purchase price. I found their bookkeeping concerning rebate credits to be accurate and the rebate credits were very prompt.
There is no annual fee for this card, but the APR is nearly 17%. The only reason that I continue to hold this card is the fact that, if you use it, you can get free shipping on all of your orders, including gift orders. It is worth it to hold onto the card for this reason, if you are going to order from LL Bean anyway.
When I used the card heavily, I found the MBNA customer service to be good. One time I lost the card, and they issued a replacement very promptly. There was another time when my payment was a few days late, and I was assessed a charge. When I called up to protest, I was able to get the charge quickly reversed, with no difficulty. I was informed that if it was late again, they would not be able to reverse the fee, which I thought was reasonable.
Perhaps for some, the extra .5% is insignificant, but for me, it amounts to a big enough difference for me to switch my allegiance elsewhere.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Nuge
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Reviews written: 182
Trusted by: 135 members
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