I can't believe it.  Oooops! I sound like Victor Meldrew.  I have just come off the phone to MBNA, having spoken to an articulate and not unpleasent girl from Liverpool, and I can't believe it.  I can not believe it.

I have colected a few credit card accounts in my time as someone who likes credit cards, and inevitably I have a few from MBNA (or Bank of America as she kept pointing out).  I keep getting credit card cheques through the post, and now have a pile of them to be proud of.  I have them from June (now), and I have them going back to January: they all say 3% handling charge - except one!!!  I received on in April that said 2%, and having just moved house and being skint, thought that I would use it.  We all know what happened next, don't we?  I can not believe it, but the statement came through with a charge of 3%. 

Victor Meldrew gets on the phone to the articulate girl from Liverpool, who says the rate changed on the 4th April - BEFORE they sent the letter to me!  She also told me that they had sent a changes to terms and condidtions letter out to all customers in January, advising the rate change.  January - April - Hmmm!  And to be fair to them, they do say on the letter accompanying the cheques that the rate is subject to change.

She told me that they had it covered - even though they had stated 2% on the letter, they didn't have to charge 2% becase the letter said it could change.  The MBNA (Ooops! Bank of America) senior managers, had made this policy, and they were under no obligation to play fair.  The MBNA (Ooops! Bank of America) senior managers were also not in the slightest bit concerned about appearing on Watchdog, or being reported to the Financial Ombudsman - that's why they put on the letters that even though they might say 2%, they can actually charge what they like, and they do!! 

She discussed it with her colleagues (after I asked if I could speak to someone in charge) and they concluded that on this occasion I should be given back the difference - but this was a one-off gesture, because they could actually do whatever they liked, and the terms and conditions allowed that, and they weren't bothered about those people at the BBC, or the Ombudsman - or the MBNA cardholders!

I thought the Nationwide adverts were a joke, but they are not.  Someone at MBNA (Ooops! Bank of America) is using them as training material.  Someone at MBNA is using them as a means of raising their profile on the telly.  Someone at MBNA is doing just as they like - and their contract probably says that they can - and there is nothing you can do about it!!!

TIP: 2% on the letter, 3% in the till, 1% in the Christmas Club.  Thank you very much.

I can't believe it ...

I told her that I was going to write this (as we discussed the motives and motivations of MBNA), and she said that was up to me, she wasn't interested in reading it (there's a blow for you bloggers), and she doubted that anyone else in MBNA would care either, least of all the senior management.  Could be a Yankee Doodle thing, as I used to work for another great American card issuer, and they didn't give a stuff either.

Hmmmm! Maybe I can believe it ...