Threatened

Credit Card - usually a plastic, that allows the holder to buy stuff on credit.

The first day I was in Budapest, I was taken to an Erste Bank to open an account and they were trying to get me a credit card. Sounds funny, wasn't it? Why did I need a credit card? "I don't want a Credit Card!", I said. Soon after, I realized that, that PLASTIC they called credit card, was something we call debit card. Visa Electron, to be specific. For your information, ATM card is something almost non-existence in Hungary. So, throughout my stay in Hungary, I was holding a 'credit card' to withdraw my money from my savings account.

In Malaysia, credit card(the real ones) has almost become a 'must' for all working families. Some say it's necessity. Others would treat it as an emergency measure.

And so, I got my very first credit card few years ago when my working life was officially started. I applied for a bank, HLB, that I felt owing to. A bank that has sponsored part of my tutor fees. Guess, I should feel proud holding their credit card, no?

Anyway, after getting a few other credit cards, I knew I had to concentrate on one. Personal financial management become harder when you are utilizing few credit cards from different banks. So, eventually I stopped using HLB for almost 2 years now.

Few months ago, I received a letter from them, asking me to pay the credit card's annual fee. I didn't have time for that, till they sent me another letter urging me to pay the annual fee plus some late payment charges. And so, I went to their HQ and cancelled the card. Why pay for something you are no longer using? Yet, few weeks AFTER the cancellation, I got another warning letter with another extra late payment charges. Altogether, I've received THREE letters concerning the annual fee in THREE months. Not sure if I should praise them for the warning efficiency when they couldn't even process my service cancellation.

Why am I making a big fuss out of this? Why am I complaining so much? Read my letter....

'External Collection Agency', huh??? Sounds SCARY, isn't it? They don't have to emphasize the words by capitalizing the initials, do they? So, what will the so-called 'EXTERNAL COLLECTION AGENCY' do? Paint my wall to red? Lock my door and set fire to my house?

All these for my charges which is LESS THAN RM100? Or for payment which overdued for merely THREE months? Or for a service that I have already CANCELLED ??!!!

Darn !!

Feeling ashamed being their scholar.

*puke*

posted by Survon @ 11:00 AM,