My first credit card account was opened when I was 18. I felt free, I
felt adult, and I was happy with my card. I was given a $200.00 limit
from Capitol One Bank. Of course they charged me a $3.00 a month account
fee seeing how I was new to the credit card world, I went with it.
Besides what is $3.00. I never had a problem with this card...about 2
years later though after establishing good credit, I was given offers
left and right from credit card companies I had never heard of.
Juniper was one card company in particular that seemed to good to be
true. I was offered a very low introductory rate for the first 6 months.
I was also given a higher credit limit of $400.00. I went with it...I
should of read the fine print.
Within 2 months they raised my $400.00 limit to $600.00 for being an
'outstanding customer'. 2 months! I felt golden, I was good...I'm a good
customer, yay! I was also given a new platinum credit card. I felt
good...however that was when the phone calls started. Day and night they
would have people from India calling me asking me to sign up for some
protection gold plan or some crap like that. Stupidly I signed up, and
was charged $75.00 for this plan. This plan to protect me if my card was
ever to be stolen.
I don't know folks, but from there I got this odd feeling like I had
just been taken for a ride. Shouldn't I get this protection for free if
something were to happen? I called back after realizing they were
charging me $75.00, and an additional $9.54 a month for this golden plan
of theirs. I canceled the plan, and I was given my money back. Phew!
After canceling though, the calls came in in drones. The calls were
terrible, because the English was so broken I had no idea what the hell
they wanted half the time. I had one woman from India calling me telling
me she already enrolled me in some sort of protection program. I get
very angry because I had not given anyone any consent to enroll me in
anything. It turns out these morons were trying to enroll me once again
into the program I had just canceled.
I bluntly told her that the calls had to stop, and that I do not under
any circumstances want anyone enrolling me into anything.
The calls stopped. Things then took a turn for the worse.
I had never in my life gotten a late charge or over the limit fee. I
was smart when it came to my credit, and slowly these morons were
destroying it.
I got a bill on the 1st of November of last year, I remember it quite
well because it was the first time something had gone wrong with my
credit. On the 2nd I sent out my payment thinking nothing of it. The
payment was due on the 17th. On the 1st of December when I got my next
bill, it stated that I was charged a $35.00 late fee!
Late fee! I think not! There obviously is some sort of
mistake! I sent out that payment the very next day after receiving it. I
got on the phone and stated my claims, but I was told what is done is
done, and they could not reverse the charges. They claimed that due to
high traffic because of the holidays it can sometimes take 21 days for
payment to get to their office. When I discovered their 'office' was
based in the USA I assumed there was no way in hell that a payment could
take 21 days to get there. I then told them if that is the case, they
should send the bill out earlier. They then told me that because of
Thanksgiving, and post offices being closed they could not be held
responsible, and they boldly claimed that I should of known about the
holiday, and that it was basically my fault. I should of called the BBB,
but I sulked and dealt with it.
I then set up an account payment so that way money would come straight
from my account. I just had to make sure I called it in. Problem
solved...but still, I should of gotten a reimbursement, if they checked
the stamp date they would of clearly seen that it went out on the 2nd.
My first Beef with Juniper-
They screw you over with false late fees. Thinking now; even with the
holiday, there is no way it took longer than 16 days to get to them.
Scum bags.
My Second Beef With Juniper:
One sweet day when trying to make a phone payment I was greeted no
longer by Juniper...instead my credit card companies name was now
Barkley's. I was never given a notice about the change...when I tried
making a payment my information was not logged into the system anymore,
and I had to waste an hour with a rep trying to 'find' my account to
make a payment. Fun, fun. A pre-warning would of been nice, but
whatever.
My Third Beef-
This occurred about a year and a half into being a customer with
Juniper or Barkley's or whatever the hell it's called. I watched as my
rate went up, up and up as the months passed. Right now I'm at the 'almost illegal' but 'not quite illegal' rate. 29.9999999999%. They would surely love to climb to the illegal 30% rate, but they know they'd get sued.
I thought rates were only supposed to climb if you are a bad customer,
with heaps of late fees and over the limit fees? I have gotten just one
late fee a year earlier. Never have I gotten another, never have I gone
over my limit...and here I am paying rates that a dead beat customer
should be paying.
My Fourth Beef:
They freely raise my credit limit to huge amounts of money. I started
off with a $400.00 limit, and now I sit at a $2,000 limit, and I'm due
for a rise sometime this month. You see, they want me to keep spending,
so I will keep on owing.
Luckily I'm smart with my credit, and I know better.
This card is almost paid off, it's already been cut up. I have no
plans of ever using it again, and I warn all those who are looking to
open an account for their teen. Steer clear of Juniper/Barkley's.
They raise rates, they up your limit, the charge late fees that are
unjust, they switch companies and loose your information, and they have
people from India calling you day and night as they try tricking you
into purchasing credit card protection, and other stupid no need
programs.
Out of my 4 credit cards, this one by far is the worst company you could ever work with.
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