On a thread called "Fighting Lies from First USA Visa," I recounted getting wildly different answers from customer service reps about whether this card charges any more than the normal Visa one percent for foreign transactions. At the suggestion of someone on this forum, I wrote them a letter asking for explicit info in writing about their policies.

Today I got a letter from "Wade Nichols, Financial Service Advisor" saying that the following cards are exempt from the 2 per cent rate added to other First USA cards beyond the standard Visa one per cent:

-United Mileage Plus
-Marriott
-British Airways
-Military Club Cardmembers
-Corporate Card/Business Card

So it looks like I won't be canceling after all (although, ugh, what toothpulling.)

Lindsy,
I'd be EXTREMELY leery about anything an ignorant First USA customer service rep tells you about their credit cards. .....CAl 10 times, and you'll get 10 different answers. Seriously.

The ONLY card that is known to charge 0% + 1% Visa rate is their United card. British Air DOES charge 3%.

Regardless, I'd stay faaar away from First USA. Their customer service will make your life HELL AT SOME POINT down the road. BEWARE....First USA is widely REPUTED as the worst credit card company to do business with.......a fact I learned the hard way...TWICE!



[This message has been edited by Wolverine (edited 10-01-2001).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Wolverine:
[B]Lindsy,
I'd be EXTREMELY leery about anything an ignorant First USA customer service rep tells you about their credit cards. .....CAl 10 times, and you'll get 10 different answers. Seriously.

The ONLY card that is known to charge 0% + 1% Visa rate is their United card. British Air DOES charge 3%.


They're not my main card, Wolverine, just the one I use abroad. Could you give me your sources for their charging three per cent on the British card?

I agree with you that their customer service people, on both phone and Internet, can be the worst lunkheads in the business, but I now have a legal letterhead statement from them saying that BA does NOT charge 3 per cent. Why would they lie about that? Wouldn't they rather lose me as a customer than make themselves vulnerable to a lawsuit? (And believe me they Know I'm a pain in the butt.)

Anything you may have on a letterhead means nothing unless it's certified by a notary.

BA charged me 3% when I had them. 2% First USA + 1% Visa = 3%.

Doesn't bother me anymore since the lost mucho biznezz with me. They lose more than me.

Try MBNA...can't go wrong with them (1%).

Far be it from me to defend First USA, but since when do things have to be notarized to be official? I'm a journalist, and believe me, someone could sue me for libel on something that lacked a seal from the state of Florida. They have warranted something about their company to be true, and I believe I could make quite a stink if that turned out not to be the case.

I HATE First USA. I've been trying to cancel my Mileage Plus Visa for a year and 1/2 now. I still get an occasional statement with an annual fee charge. I call (and write) them to cancel it. They waive the fee, send me a letter saying the card is cancelled, and then several months later I get another statement. I just went through this again and if I get one more statement, I've warned them in writing that I will sue!


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I wish I were 1,000 miles away

As noted by Lindsy, the letter need not be notarized. It is simply a matter of proof (you could even rely on oral communication, if you had some independent way of proving the content). You now have written evidence, from an agent of FUSA, upon which you relied.

What are your damages?

I do NOT believe, that the Marriott card doesn't charge the 2%+1%. I believe, I got the 3% charge on it last year.

I could argue that they are damaging my credit history.

I'm actually less than 0.01% likely to sue. I generally think the US is over litigious and try not to add to it. I'm just really p'd off and let go in my letters to them and in my above post.


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I Love New York

I have used First USA a lot since they took over the United Visa and MC programs and I just haven't had the trouble many who post here have experienced. They don't charge the foreign exchange fee, they provide details on their statement which make it easy to check the exchange rate and they have a much longer grace period than the outfit that ran the program before (I remmeber gettign statements dated the 11th on the 20th of the month, with a postmark of the 16th, and a due date of the 25th!).
How about if you have a complaint with FirstUSA and you want to post that you don't like them, provide the details. That way the rest of us can measure whether their fuax pas are minutiae or of real concern.