Catching Up on My Credit Card Offers
So I haven't been blogging about my credit card offers like I'm supposed to be. They're still paying me, but still I should probably do what I've been assigned. I've been saving them all in a stack for the last couple weeks. Here's what I got:
- Costco American Express Card - I get this one regularly. Not even gonna open it.
- Something from Capital One, with a return address from "Pat W. Johnston Director of New Accounts." Capital One is the king of crazy attempts to make their mail look important, as if the director has chosen to make personal contact with me. I'll at least open it, since they spent so much time... oh, jeez, it's the No Hassle Miles Ultra MasterCard. I've seen this one before.
- Here's another one. Hey, it's Capital One again, with the Same Pat W. Johnston return address. It's for the exact same card! But wait, the last one said 10,000 bonus miles, this one says 20,000! That's a lot of miles. I already ripped up the last one so I can't compare the rest of the offer to see if they differ in any other way. Oh, well.
- Chase sent me a $20 check if I'll get their Chase Payment Protector Plan. No thanks, guys.
- I've gotten two sets of those "convenience checks" from Chase as well. One set offers a 1.99% APR and 4.99% APR while the other set offers a 0% APR and 5.99% APR. I'm not even going to look at what those are for because I get these checks constantly, but it's interesting to see how they vary the offers to try to get you to bite.
- Another one fromn Pat W. Johnston at Capital One. Let's see what Pat's got up his/her sleeve this time... It's that darned No Hassle Miles Ultra MasterCard again! This time the come on is that I'll earn miles 25% faster. I'm too rushed for time to learn how. I admire Capital One's perseverence.
- Citi sent me one. I don't get much from them as I have a Citi card already. This is for their Diamond Preferred Rewards card. Looks like the standard offer, but a 9.99% interest rate, which I totally deserve, but doesn't really move me because I don't carry balances.
- Advanta BusinessCard. This the 2.99% for life balance transfer offer card. Don't need that.
- Another from Capital One. As you may have guessed, I hold no Capital One cards, and they'd like me to. This one not from Pat W. Johnston, and has some fancy calligraphy-like lettering. Oh, it's a small business card, that's why. Don't have time to open it.
- Finally, another from--guess who--Captal One. Fifth one from them in the last 2 weeks. This one looks very industrial, sort of a Nine Inch Nails theme to the envelope, whatever that means. I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. You'd have to see it to know what I mean. Unfortunately, I have to go to the bathroom and won't be able to open this one, either. I promise I'll open them next time, Capital One!
posted by YouKnowWho @ 2:32 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Welcome to the Pat W. Johnston club of Capital One. I called and requested to speak with Pat. Seems no one knows Pat - the Director of New Accounts. I suspect Pat doesn't even exist. Is this truth in lending I ask?!
While the weekly 'get this for that' postal mails are annoying, invasiveness prevails in the fact that Capital One checks my credit status twice - YES TWICE - a month!
Per a Capital One service rep, this 'soft credit inquiry' does not affect my credit rating. I beg to differ. My husband and I have exceptionally high credit ratings but his, several points higher than mine. The ONLY difference in our reports is the regular inquiries to my credit by Capital One.
Don't be fooled. These inquiries do count and unless you have requested information from Capital One, no credit card company or lender should need bi-monthly updates.
I've opted out at 1-888-5-OPT-OUT and am waiting to see if the Feds really enforce this law.
Advice - use your free annual credit report check and respond to these credit mongers who want you to have good credit while they help you degrade it!
3 or 4 of our family members get one or two of these Pat W Johnston Capital One mailings each week. I've started writing "STOP" or "NO" on the materials, tearing up the pages, and mailing them back in the postage paid envelope they enclose. Haven't stopped yet but it makes me feel good to increase their cost. Next plan, calling my state Attorney General's office.
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