we wanted to get the loan through our local credit union, as we're aware that the interest is usually decent due to credit unions being non-profit and all that jazz.
but the dealer we purchased the car through found a better interest rate through citizens bank. normally , when i throw out a name of anyplace, i'll link to them, but this bank seems to have no web presence at all. (unless the name change to charter one is permanent, but they're still mailing out the old citizen's letterhead in an equally moronic move)
strike one.
i received a call last week that our payment was past due, despite having purposefully set the due date to the 26th.
strike two.
we get our money together and call to make a payment, but they only take checks or they can use a check routing number for a one time payment for $12.95.
strike three.
i don't use checks, and i'm getting sick of these companies and corporations trying to save a buck to their bottom line by not paying out the fees necessary to set up credit card and debit card payments online or even simple paperless billing where they keep our numbers on file. (care credit is another notorious company)
so we called back, asked what we owe to date on our as of yet untouched loan, as we will be refinancing through another bank due in whole to their shoddy billing / payment practices. to which the phone rep. stumbles over himself trying to explain that if we refinance the loan this that or the other way, we could save more than the $12.95 a month and make the payments over the phone at our leisure. so, in reality, he told us we are paying too much for our loan, but it could be cheaper and we could pay the same amount. that is weapons grade ignorance.
so i am pleased to say that they just lost a single paying customer to what i can only imagine is a slow growing business (again, i point out that they have no web presence.... mom and pop cookie bakeries have freaking web sites!) and i hope enough people are annoyed with having to write checks in an ever expanding check free market.
citizens bank was built by simpletons.
2 comments:
Ah yes, I agree the non-credit card accepting commerce is an annoyance... but if the economy/oil/government keeps going down the path it has built, those types of transactions may be more of the norm. I'm hearing more and more stories on the news about gas stations not excepting plastic or even giving major discounts to consumers that pay with cash.
I don't believe any business should have to pay fees for accepting credit cards, after all the credit card companies are the greediest swines on the planet!
something has to be said about convenience though. i agree that the business shouldn't have to pay increasing costs for accepting plastic, especially since nothing new has come to the table for years, but i really don't care about their bottom line, as long as it remains a controllable cost that isn't reflected in the cost of the goods they sell, i don't mind that much more of the 200% mark-up going to someone besides the owner of that company.
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