So you've thought about getting a credit card, but all you've heard about from parents, friends, co-workers, and the like is that they are just trouble. Horror stories of over limit charges, finance charges, late fees, mysterious charges, telemarketers, and missing bills dance through your head like sugar plumb fairies in children on Christmas Eve. It's important to know, going into your first, or even your fifth credit card experience, that as a credit card holder, you have certain rights that go along with your responsibilities.
Here's a rundown of some your credit card rights:
Prompt Credit for Payment:
Your creditor is required to post payment received within twenty four hours of receiving it. In order to insure that this system goes smoothly from your end, make sure that you make yourself familiar with the payment procedures for your card.
Refunds of Credit Balances:
If you overpay your credit card bill, that is the total amount, not a specific monthly bill, you have a right to receive a credit on your account. You can also request that the credit card issuer send you a refund of the over-paid balance. This only applies if you have completely paid off the total amount, and have issued additional payment. It does not apply to an overpayment of a monthly minimum. If you overpay your balance, your creditor will automatically credit your account the additional funds, which you will not be required to re-pay, as it is your money. However, if you submit written request for a refund of the balance, they must issue you a refund within seven days of receipt of your request.
Resolution of Errors:
If you feel as though there is an error on your billing statement, you must submit a written complaint within sixty days of the error's occurrence. An investigation must follow within two billing cycles, and no later than ninety days of receiving the complaint. This is federal law, and for more information you can contact the Federal Trade Commission.
Removal of Unauthorized Charges:
If your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately. Following a lost or stolen report, the cardholder is not liable for any charges. If you find fraudulent charges on your account, you can be held accountable for up to fifty dollars per card. However, fifty dollars is the most you will owe for unauthorized charges, even if the thief uses your card to access an ATM machine. The best way to avoid any payments on your behalf for stolen goods is to report a missing or stolen card as soon as you discover it missing. This way, the company will cancel the card and you will not be held responsible for any charges.
It is best, going into any new experience, to understand your rights and responsibilities. Request a written copy of these rights from your credit card company, and feel free to call them with any questions or concerns. Make sure that you arm yourself with information, and you will never be caught unawares.
Credit Card Bill Rights
Okay, admit it. You are in a rut and your credit card bills have mounted up. Maybe it was because of your uncontrollable spending habits, or maybe you needed money to cover an emergency. Whatever you did that resulted in your enormous debts, you need help to get out and you can resort credit card debt counseling.
However, companies who offer credit card debt counseling do not come free. You have to shell out some money to pay for their services, and the more reputable a company is, the higher the fees they will be charging their clients.
It is important that you choose a reputable counseling company. Paying out a few dollars more would be practical than paying lower fees and not getting adequate services. When you go for advice from these counseling companies they can help eliminate your credit card debts in a cost effective way that in the end, you can offset the fees you paid them to what you would have been paying your card supplier in fees and late penalties.
Going for credit card debt counseling could also help you save time and effort because these people are professional and experts in this field. They know the tricks and trades in the book and they can cut your problems right at its root. If you do it yourself, you need much time to study all about credit card debts, comparing and looking for measures and solutions to eliminate your debts. These professionals can easily lift the burden from your shoulders and customize solutions to fit your lifestyle.
You can get help to settle your debts more quickly than if you were trying to solve everything by yourself. These companies deal with the kind of problems you are having. They know the ins and out and they could easily point out things that caused the problem, things that had been there but you were not aware of. Because this is the nature of their work, credit card debt counseling looks at your problems from a futuristic view.
Searching for loopholes and finding solutions to debt problems is their career and concentration so you can expect your burden to be lifted when you go for counseling. However, not everybody believes that getting advice from these companies would prove beneficial. You can access counseling services and general advices from several websites when you browse the internet.
This is one of the reasons why some people do not think paying for the services of counseling is practical. These people also think that the counseling companies are just taking what they read in the publications and from the internet to use on their clients, thereby making quick money by reciting to you what has already been advertised and printed.
You need to be cautious because you do not need any more problems to add to your mountain of debt at this time. The harsh reality is there that not all who offer counseling services are genuine and provides helpful advice. Going for credit card debt counseling can help you get out of the rut you are in without additional burden. However, you need to make a wise choice because fraudsters are out there ready to add to your problems if you are not alert.
Both Joe Kenny & Peter Finch are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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