An article published by The Arizona Republic suggested, “Credit-card customers ‘doing well,’ CEO says: Head of Chase card unit details credit situation in talk” (Russ Wiles, Nov. 17, 2008). Apparently the statement was given while Gordon Smith was visiting the Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Glendale campus to deliver a lecture on leadership (which can be seen on YouTube, and was delivered on Nov. 13, 2008). With all due respect to the article’s reporter, Gordon Smith (Chase Card Services CEO) should probably spend a little more time reading and answering his own mail along with attending to the real issues of leadership (let’s start with the ethical treatment of customers). This site’s ever-growing list of external links, document that, clearly
All is not well,
All is not swell,
Things are not hunky dory,
Not for many, many Chase cardholders,
Oh no, we’re really, not.
Based on the timing of the reporter’s article, the lecture, and mail delivery, while Mr. Smith was articulating his talking points, printing presses were humming, and soon after automated credit card statement stuffers were whirring away. He was discussing leadership, while Chase’s workforce was plotting and scheming and subsequently busy inserting the devastating little “You believed us when we promised a ‘fixed rate’ for life? Well, we lied! Gotcha!” change in terms notices that are about to wreak havoc and ensure that “Thanks to Chase, ‘almost a million’ people get blown away, financially.”
No, I’m afraid that when a company misrepresents offerings, and purposely employs deceptive marketing methods as a means to increase profits, this is not leadership, Mr. Smith. Taking bail out money from taxpayers and then refusing to account for that money, is not leadership, Mr. Smith. Lying to Congress about supposedly providing “opt outs” is not leadership, Mr. Smith. Unbridled greed is not leadership, Mr. Smith.
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on Jan 28th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
[...] found it ironic that while Chase Card Services CEO Gordon Smith was delivering a lecture on leadership at the Thunderbird School, the rest of Chase’s employees were busy stuffing change in terms notices in envelopes, and [...]
on Mar 29th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
i think yall are the worse company to have i closed an account wiyh wamu in which chase took over i put forth an offer to get rid of the card and what a surprise they cant do it and why just because they choose not to.the account has been closed for sometime now but they continue to add late fees, principals and God only knows what else. i have not wanted this card for as long as i have had it and now because of chase i will have my credit ruined because they refuse to settle.YOU CANT GET WHAT I DONT HAVE TO GIVE SO WHY NOT SETTLE OUT AND MAKE SOMEONE A HAPPY CAMPER AND FREE A SINGLE PARENT FROM THE CHASE CREDIT CARD SERVICES CLAWS THAT YALL CANT SEEM TO WANT TO GET OUT OF MY SKIN
on Apr 23rd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I had Chase do the same thing with me. 3.99% for the life of the balance. I’ve never missed a payment. So they tried to add the $10/mo charge and 2%->5% minimum payments. I’ve been fighting hard with them with mixed results. I got them to back off of the $10 charge, but they are still pushing 5%. Their latest claim is that I can not opt out of the changes and close my account. So their position is they can make any terms, any time as long as they send me notice and there’s nothing I can do about it. Of course if I want lower payments, I can opt for the higher interest rates. BOYCOTT CHASE.
on Jun 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Oh Well…after nearly nine years of perfect payments each month to Chase…referring to my credit card, along with monthly mortgage payments…I received a skimpy little five line note, stating that my available credit limit was reduced from 5,500…to a mere 500.00…the orig. limit was 9,500…of which I had used a mere 4,000..making timely monthly payments and paying more than the minium payments each and every month for nine years…Yet..out of the blue I received the thankless note..with total dis-regard for my past and total committment to paying my card account in a timely fashion…for years..
on Jun 18th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
I have used three 0% convenience checks, two of which were paid in full, on time, with no problems. The last is not due until September 1, 2009. I have been charged finance charges for the for the past two months. And there should be none. I called each time and the fee was waived however, I was told unequivocally I will continue to be charged a finance charge if I do not pay the balance in full each month. So, what does 0% until September 1, 2009 mean? Obviously nothing. I was told that my last large payment went toward the most recent check. Excuse me, I didn’t think that was how it was supposed to work. I am a reasonable, honest and fairly intelligent person. Who changed the rules and when? I will be writing to the “Office of the President”. The name given to me was Deb Walden, 2500 Westfield Drive, Elgin, IL 60214. I suggest everyone who has a complaint write to her (particularly since Gordon Smith, CEO probably will not answer) as well as their senate and congressional representatives.
on Jun 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
A NOTE I SENT TO CHASE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I just received a notice from Chase that the minimum payment on this account is being raised to 5% of the balance from 2%. As you might expect, I am not happy. A brief search of the internet shows that there more than great rage by a large number of people over this move by Chase. You can count me in that group. I apparently have no recourse other than to pay of the card balance along with my other cards and then be done with Chase. It is interesting that about 10 years ago a Customer Rep at another bank refused to issue be a refund for incorrect interest charges. I finally wrote to the president of the bank requesting the refund. I got no answer. So I closed my account. Many months later I finally got a response and the refund I had requested with deep apologies from the bank. But it was too late. Since that time the bank has lost at least $100,000 of my business (in credit card charges) and I take every opportunity I can to speak ill of them. I will never do business again with them. You may know of this outfit. It is called Capital One. Chase is now in the same boat. I can only wish that your ill-conceived move will result in many bankruptcies, lawsuits, lost customers, etc. which leave you in a far worse position than you would be without this stupid move. Certainly you will have a nice PR problem for a while with the internet used as the forum. I am now part of that forum starting with this note to you. I have always been against banking regulations. The government shouldn’t be telling business how to deal with their customers. But now I will make an exception and will be supporting more regulation on companies such as Chase and its ability to raise payments 250% in one month.
Have a nice day.
on Sep 4th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Well said Anabell
I have been fighting with Chase about the bump up in myminimum payment.
I called a few times to find a solution that didn’t involve the doubling of my promotional rate, or of my minimum payment.
The first couple of representatives could not speak to me in any form of normal English – everything was a script.
One representative got ahead of me at one point and said, “.. and yes, this is legal.”
Another (a supervisor named Maria) said that Chase is doing this to help people pay down their debt faster, due to the fact that Americans tend to let their debt go on for several years.
How thoughtful… But what she couldn’t answer was how almost doubling my rate would allow me to pay down my debt any quicker. By my estimates, that would simply keep me indebted to Chase for almost twice as long.
I feel like I am being extorted.
… and by the way, I am one of the bankruptcies that may come of this move by them.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
I’ve had no trouble with Chase to date but the present statement gets them into my bad graces. They mailed the last statement very late, I paid it the day I received it, which, I guess, reached them late by three days and now they are charging me $39 for a late fee plus seven dollars and change in interest. Banks from time to time send us amendments to our agreement so I am now doing the same – what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. As of the first of 2010 I will charge banks a late statement fee of $50 which will cover their late payment fee plus a token amount for the aggravation. I suggest you all do likewise.
on Jan 21st, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I never received my December 2009 statement. When it did not show up on time, I immediately wrote a letter requesting it. Three days after the billing due date, I recieved a letter stating that I need to check the mailing address (I’ve had the same PO for 16 years). I received a copy of my statement just prior to my January 2010 statement arriving with a $15 late fee added. I sent a protest letter with copies of previous correspondence. Today I received a letter saying the late fee was appropriately applied and I should mail my payment at least five days before the due date. I’m done with Chase.
on Mar 21st, 2010 at 1:51 pm
This is my first and only entry to date online, I think I will post my Facebook and on youtube as well even though I have never pursued this type of action in the past. Here is my gripe, Chase screwed me over, first by buying Wachovia and rasing my long term credit card interest rate from prime (5% or so) to 31.99% without me ever missing or being late with a payment. Second, after paying off one of two Chase cards I was sent another statement on the closed account saying I still owed, according to their employees it is due to the accrued interest daily on the card that is closed because my payment took a few days to reach them, so I still owe in interest and late charges another 50 dollars on the account, not much, but the idea of having paid the card off is lost on their employees who refuese to credit my account, thus this chance to rage against CHASE the bank that will not (Do the right thing) that quote is from their website. So forever I am telling everyone I know to not associate with CHASE bank in any way. Good thing I own my own business and teach at the university, I should be able to inflict some substantial future financial pain on them, as they continue to do to their clients. CEO Dinnon needs to wake up and adjust his customer service handling of cleints account questions. Many banks go out of their way to take care of client problems, not so with my experience with CHASE.