My first problem is that when I was with Washington Mutual (I use to work there) my interest rate was 16.74%. On February 11, 2009 Chase notified me that my annual percentage rate for purchases would be 27.99% or prime rate plus 22.99% whichever is greater and it would be the same for cash as well. When I opened my Washington Mutual card back my credit score was very low after I had to file bankrupticy in 2005. I took great pains to raise my score and from the time Washington Mutual opened my account until the time Chase took it over I raised my credit score 72 points. I can not fathom how my interest rate can go up so high when my credit score is actually better now than when I first opened the account.

On February 14, 2009 I called the customer service hotline for Washington Mutual at 866-892-9268 to notify them that I was laid off and that I needed to utilize the credit protection I had been paying for. The customer service representative asked to put me on hold. After holding for quite some time he came back online and said that my credit protection had been canceled . I asked him by who and how and he said there were no details. I asked to speak to a supervisor at which time the man I was speaking to said “My manager will just tell you what I’ve just told you.” I told him that was unacceptable and that I wanted a supervisor.

I was on hold for an additional 10-15 minutes when the same customer service person came back on the line and said that after researching my account further  that he was able to tell me that I had called and canceled my credit protection. Not only is that not true but on the date I supposedly canceled it I was out of the country.  I never called and canceled and I had been paying for it. My company had been having lay offs and I put the credit protection in place in case I was laid off.  I told the customer service representative that his information was not correct.

I asked to speak to a supervisor for a third time and was put back on hold for a considerable amount of time. Again, the same customer service person came on the line and told me that there was no manager available. I told him I’d hold until one was and he said that there would not be a supervisor available on Saturday, that even if I hadn’t canceled my credit protection that it was no longer offered because Chase was taking over my card and that basically I was out of luck.

I believe that the customer service representative lied to me and that he put notes in my account saying I had canceled when I in fact hadn’t. After all he had me on hold the first time to “research” the account and couldn’t give me any details other then my credit protection was cancelled. I find it very odd that he was later able to find a note somewhere about me having called in and canceled when I didn’t and the date he chose was one where like I said, I was out of the country.

I decided that I would not make any further payments on this account because I am laid off and my credit protection should have been turned on to protect me during this difficult time, which is after all why I was paying for it. This week Chase has had bill collectors calling me every night, very late. I finally spoke to one yesterday and she was very difficult for me to understand and she didn't seem to understand me. I think it was an outsourced call from India.

I explained the situation to her and she said that yes she could see that I had been paying for credit protection and that she could go ahead and turn it on if I agreed to make a payment agreement with her. I explained that the credit protection was to be used when I was unable to make a payment and that I wanted it turned on as it should have been done when I was laid off. I also told her that I quit using the card when I was laid off and my last balance with Washington Mutual was $5,783 of a $6,000 credit line. My first bill from Chase is $6,217.12 it does show a last payment to Netflix of $18.39, a paypal charge of $85.00, a late fee of $39.00 and an over the limit fee of $39.00 and that I want those fees removed.   I'm worried that my good credit rating is going to be ruined by this company but I refuse to pay a company that took my money for a service and will not provide that service. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau but nothing has come of it.

 

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