I just spoke with Dylan Hughes, and the law firm with he is associated is also investigating a possible class action lawsuit against Chase Card Services. Not being a lawyer, I don’t know how many class action lawsuits this issue might support, but as a layperson, I can simply say that I am overjoyed. I’m thinking, “the more the merrier.”
Here is a direct link to the online submission form for interested parties. The firm’s additional contact information is below:
GIRARD GIBBS LLP
601 California Street, Suite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 981-4800
Facsimile: (415) 981-4846
http://www.girardgibbs.com
Dylan, you know I’m here to help! I hope your firm goes forward and that plaintiffs prevail.
That’s a nice way of saying that I hope you pummel Chase and its sleazy executives back into the stone ages, where they belong, if this is the way they’re going to act (bludgeoning people with blunt instruments).
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on Feb 4th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
[...] I submitted my information to an attorney I found on Dr. Lahm’s website who is attempting to bring a class action law suit against [...]
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Hi Dr. Lahm,
I spoke to Dylan Hughes this evening and offered my help and any information I had. Thank you for leading us in this fight. Did you ever see the play Urinetown? I’ll nickname you Bobby Strong (the town’s hero, loved by all). Oh wait, he passes away at the end. OK. Bad example. Sorry. Let’s just say, in my book, you’re several steps above the Pope. Good goes around. You’re a helluva guy.
http://cybercjh.com/blog/2009/02/04/chase-bank-class-action-lawsuit/
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
The class actions will eventually be consolidated into one case and they’ll be a boat-load of attorney all seeking costs as part of the settlement. The existing class action case is in federal court, so I guess this attorney might be looking to file in California state courts. This attorney might be seeking to represent a different class of affected parties too.
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Wow! What a nice thing to say (not sure I deserve anything near hero status — I’m just one very aggravated “regular guy,” living on main street, trying to do my job and feed my family, and help others as best I can). I have not seen the movie but I keep hearing it’s good!
P.S. I certainly don’t have time to die right now, there’s a lot more fightin’ and kickin’ and screamin’ and yellin’ left to do with Chase and several other evil doers in the credit card industry.
Take care.
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
There’s more than one Chris, so I am referring to Chris in the “consolidated into one case” post: Yes, I am sure you are right about eventual consolidation (since that’s the whole concept of class action to begin with — creating efficiencies with the court system by not prosecuting essentially the same issue over and over again in separate cases). Also, my conversation with Dylan did tilt in the direction of a California suit, but there are issues with federal preemption. I do recognize that the individual plaintiffs are not necessarily going to come out as “lotto winners,” but it would be nice to see the pendulum swing the other way such that credit card companies were not so prone to hide behind arbitration (which most people regard as a rigged game). Thanks for the comment.
on Feb 4th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Hi Dr. Lahm, I’m not a lawyer or anything, but as I understand it, the reason for filing these cases in California is precisely to give them the best chance to get around the mandatory arbitration clause in the cardmember agreement, as judges in California are most prone to set those provisions aside as a rigged game unfair to the plaintiffs.
As for federal preemption, I believe state judges are absolutely capable of applying the rules of federal preemption in rendering their decisions, just as they are also capable of applying the laws of others states to cases filed in their state when it is appropriate to do so(such as when an agreement like Chase’s cardmember agreemetn states that the laws of a particular state like Delaware are to apply exclusively). I think the real question is which court (federal or state) has rules of procedure flexible enough and a judge sympathetic enough to issue at hand (as well as judges at the appelate levels), and it is best to have an attorney make that difficult decision if you have a case that involves federal and state questions. Of course I’ve never been involved in anything like this, so all the more reason why I’d leave such a complicated choice to an attorney to decide.
on Feb 5th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Hi Chris,
Yes, I was in a room with three lawyers on Tuesday, and the preemption discussion came up (all of them said it could get very complex). It is my understanding, like you observed, that these present class action cases are indeed being thought through very carefully in terms of venue. I do hope California judges are more open to consumer protections (we know Delaware and South Dakota are the most credit card company-friendly places around though, don’t we!). Best to you.
on Feb 6th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I was stung by Chase as they broke trust and acted callously and unfairly with the same change in terms on a Chase credit card account. I contacted them at least eight times in December pleading and complaining to no avail. I then filed a complaint with the Comptroller of the Currency. My fixed percent had been 3.9 for life on the Chase card. I switched the $3600 balance to a Citibank card at the end of December at 0% for eight months, but I incurred a 3% transcation fee. In my complaint to the Comptroller I requested that Chase apologize and reimburse me for the $110 that I incurred. I got a call from Chase executive offices subsequently, and they indicated they were sending me a check for $110 to cover the cost that I had incurred. I have received and cashed the check.
I have another account with Chase with fixed interest for life at 3.9% and 4.9% with a balance of $19000. Several Chase representatives have indicated that that account will eventually fall under the same rule change. I cannot pay off or switch that large amount of money.
Chase claims that other credit card companies are making or are about to make the same rule changes and renege on fixed for life agreements by adding fees. I have fifteen other credit cards through seven different banks; none has changed agreements so far.
I have vowed to Chase that I will never again deal with their bank. The principle of the matter far outweighs any addition charges that I might have to pay. They failed to live up to their agreement for the “life of the loan.” I will not renege on my promise to never again deal with them for the life of me as an individual.
on Feb 6th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Dear Jim,
I think that the “principle of the matter” is what will become Chase’s downfall in this matter. I am constantly hoping for action such as that which could occur with the passage of the C.A.R.D. Act. See:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/16/smallbusiness/congress_credit_card_rights_bill.smb/index.htm
Write the Congressional representatives in your state, and those others (regardless of their state) who are pushing for this Act (as noted in the article link above).
I extend my best wishes to you. Thanks for your comment on the site.
on Feb 13th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Well I recieved a monthly statement from Chase Credit Card today and as I expected it was heavily laden with fees, penalties and a very high min payment amount. I immediately sent them a letter stating that the were in breach of our contract. Material breach was the term used and I now had the right to recind the contract. I also stated the now the entire amount they alledge I owe them was now in dispute and I would no longer send them any payment until the class action suits could be heard in a court of law. I talked to Dylan he is very interested in my records as well as my wife’s records on her account. I also recieved several letters from Capitol One raising default and interest rates. I and my wife closed 5 accounts with that company. Boy they wanted me to speak with a supervisor. I politely declined and went ahead and closed them.
Ron Gray
on May 6th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I have several Chase credit card accounts, a line of credit with WAMU (who is now Chase) 2 checking accounts and have account balances locked in @ very favorable rates ie 3.99, 4.99 until paid. They hit me with the $10 @ mo service fees but claimed to have refunded those (after I noticed all the coverage on the web & class action suits being filed)
However I have one acct that is a business acct that I was late on and the service rep offered me 7.99% until paid. Since I had a healthy balance on that acct I said, sure! That was over a year ago and I have never been late, etc and just yesterday I noticed the rate had jumped to 14.99%!!!!!!!!! I called, no I wasn’t late, they “reviewed my acct and decided to adjust my rate!!!!” even after they had promised me 7.99% until paid. I don’t know, to me that is just WRONG!!!!!
on Jul 29th, 2009 at 6:19 am
I am just starting to go throug my issues with Chase. I am in MN and originally started with a Wamu card that changed to Chase after the buyout. I have been in good standings with the companies as long as I have had the acounts (about 4 years now). Since the original Wamu card my available balance was increased and I even got an additional; card. I faithfully mad more than the minimum payment and have been on time for every payment I have ever made. Now that I bought a new motorcycle with a personal loan and my credit score dfropped due to debt to income they have canceled both of my credit cards and the 1 card I had a balance on they increased the interest rate by over 3%. I contacted them to try to see if I could negotiate to try to get the interest rate dropped back to what it was and they stated it was in my contract that I signed that they can terminate my accounts and change the interest rate at will. Needless to say I am contacting the Attorney General and am now looking for ways to try to protect myself. From the people I have talked to so far they warned that with the credit card being canceled with a ballance it will affect my credit score negatively and further affect anything related to my credit score, such as raising my car insurance or the interest rate on my other credit card. I am deffinately hoping that I can get some resolution to this as I think it is VERY unethical for any business to cancel accounts without warning and raise the fees on a service they decided to remove regaurdless of the history with the company.
on May 11th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Chase Bank complaint RKT
The economy hits hard. I lost work.Got behind in payments.couldnt pay minimum payment of $2860.00 a month.Tried to reason with Chase Cust.Service. CCS.was playing a video game while I was trying to get they’re attention. How did I know they’re were playing a video game? I heard phaser fire into they’re microphone. I had to keep asking CCS. Are you there?,are you there?.When I tried to reason with CCS, they were more interested in playing head games now that I got them off their video game. I tried to reason with them, My girlfriend tried to reason with them,and American Debt Councelling tried to reason with them to work out a payment plan, not gonna happen. On top of that, I received three different money figures from CCS and from three different CCS representitives. Finally, I told them that they are simply unwilling to cooperate and work with me, so I’ll let the courts make the decision on how much I owe and I can begin payments. This was 4 years ago, and noiw, they’re collection agency offered three more different money figures to settle. I didnt accept.I go to court to go up against they’re attorney. May18,2010