Would you like to win a $500 American Express gift card just in time for some last minute Christmas shopping?
Joel, over at Credit Card Chasers, is have a ,“Win $500 in the 2009 Credit Card Chaser Love/Hate Credit Cards Contest”
Head on over there to submit your Love/Hate story. In the meantime, I will tell you my Love or Hate Story.
*FYI: I opened this card before my debt free journey started – aka, irresponsible
I HATE my Hawaiian Platinum Visa Card from Bank of America. At that time, I opened it up as an incentive for my Hawaiian trip (this is not the current trip we are saving for, but a past trip we took for a friend’s wedding). When you open this card, you recieve 10,000 points upon opening the card. “Cool” I thought. “That is a one way trip to Hawaii right there.”
Research, people! You have to spend a hell of a lot of money to rack up those points. And if your not like J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy, responsibly using the card for everything and PIFing the card each month, your not going to get those points anytime fast. Not only that, you have to use it on their airline. Yes, JACKED UP FLIGHT PRICES! Well, I hear now that you can use your points on other airlines, but the points lose value that way.
Lets just say, that my husband and I easily found cheaper fares without the silly points on our trip to Hawaii.
And now… Oh, I’m paying for it literally. 11.24% with an $1,800 balance and a $50 annual fee! Doesn’t seem too bad, right? Well, I used Bankrate’s Credit Card Calculator to find it will take 70 months to Pay the stupid thing in full. 70 months!
And last, but not least thing I hate about the card – Bank of America’s customer service is the worst! The card, the bank… they are a curse in my fight for becoming debt free.
So, now that I ranted. What are you waiting for? Try to win some holiday cash by entering Credit Card Chaser’s $500 Love/Hate Contest!
oh wow, what a story!
LOL. Ya, I’m still paying for that story. 🙂
I also have the Hawaiian Airlines Visa. I got about 4 interisland flights for free when I first signed up AND a free companion flight from the mainland to the islands. Which was pretty sweet, I’d admit.
Now, 5 years later, I’m still paying the $50/yr fee – but I do have a “free” round trip flight to Hawaii – and I’m about 10,000 miles away from a free round trip to Australia.
Oh yeah, and because of one late payment (was received 1 day late) – I went from a 10% interest rate to 27%. YIPPE!
Okay, SS4BC. I think you got a much better deal than me. And it sounds as if you’re the responsible one in this party. LOL. There was a time we were using the card and then paying it off. As you see by the balance that stopped.
We don’t use credit cards anymore now that we’re climbing out of this sustantial debt. So, it’s a hate relationship with me. And I do know about the interest hike. Went thru that too. Clearly credit cards are not for me! 😉
Well that was a sweet shout out – thx my friend! You’re totally right, if you don’t pay them off in full it’s bad news bears.
You’re welcome. You’re one the responsible credit card peeps in the world. Deserves a shout out – to show people just how credit cards are to be used. 🙂