Saturday, November 10, 2007

Nigerian Banking?

This sounds worse than payday loans...

Big Fees for Little Credit

Some companies issue cards with the sole intent of collecting fees from gullible customers, not offering them credit.

A typical example the law center offered was this: a card issued with a credit limit of $250. After a $95 program fee, a $29 setup fee, a $6 monthly “participation” fee and a $48 annual fee, the consumer winds up with “an instant debt of $178 and buying power of only $72.”

Included in the report is the tale of a sailor on leave who charged $85 to her new card. Because of all the fees, that put her over her $250 limit, which led to penalties and a balance of more than $300.

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