An Impulse Buyer's Nightmare. It always works...
Written: Sep 10 '01
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Pros: Excellent Service, Easy to get, Great rates, Hassle free.
Cons: The price of that Phillips Flat TV is approaching my available credit. Bad News.
The Bottom Line: It's just a great card backed by a large bank using MBNA to manage their credit cards. Other than AMEX, I haven't found a better card yet.
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| turboglow's Full Review: First Union |
I hadn't really intended to get a credit card from First Union, I was only trying to sign up for a checking account. But to my surprise, the new accounts rep told me that I qualified for a First Union Gold Card with a $5,000 initial balance. A college student with a Gold Card? The thought sounded ridiculous to me, but then again, since it would indeed be me I figured I should do the honorable thing and accept. My other card was a MBNA Suntrust card and had a rather unflattering $1100 credit line that paled in comparison to the new star of my wallet's center fold.
We went through the rest of the checking account setup and the third and fourth run through of my mailing address. I wanted no mistake to delay my newfound wealth from arriving. I patiently waited two weeks, even though First Union only said 7 days, and finally, on the 14th day exactly, my new card and those paper things that don't incur debt, arrived. I eagerly tore the wrappings asunder in exquisite glee as I dialed the 800 number to activate my fortune. My card was active. I decided to christen it at the only place I deemed appropriate for the task. Hooters. Took some friends out and had a blast, Hooters wings aren't that great but then again, if you go there for the wings you must be daft.
Grinning like an idiot I took what the waitress handed me, as I looked at it and everything was in order. I signed where indicated and went on my way. This continued for a week or so until it became somewhat commonplace and no longer much of an event. Seems as though more students than I ever thought possible had gold cards, I wasn't all that special. Oh well. The bills came on time, were paid on time, and I never had a problem with delayed or lost payments. Everything has always arrived where it needed to be when it needed to be. I liked it so much that I thought I might as well try a balance transfer.
I decided that I didn't really need that Suntrust card from MBNA seeing as how I had this nice fancy one from First Union. I call up First Union, toll-free, and ask them to transfer a balance to my card. They would be happy to help me, seeing as how I was outside of my intro rate for balance transfers. I gave them my Suntrust Account # and the amount I would like to transfer, all of it. To my surprise a second time, they told me that both cards were MBNA and it would be no problem to just fold the Suntrust Card into the First Union Card and I would get a new balance of $6,100. Excellent. More credit for me.
I have never missed a payment so I can't comment on how they deal with that, but I can say that the customer service has been no less than top-notch, even when I needed the card replaced. They handled all my requests and inquires with ease and speed. Every time I've called to try and get my rate reduced they have complied, I think this has more to do with never missing a payment than my negotiation skills, but you'll never convince me otherwise. I haggle until I get one every time. Total haggling time is about 1 minute. I'm good. My current rate is somewhere around 12% I believe, I usually don't carry much of a balance but it's nice to know that I can buy a big ticket item or emergency purchases if I need them/want them/must have them.
Recap:
Excellent customer service, great rates for preferred customers, very lenient with credit requirements. I would recommend this card to anyone looking for a hassle free and reliable card. First Union branded MBNA gets my business any day. That, CitiBank, and AMEX, those are the only cards I carry at the moment.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
turboglow
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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