If you have a Home Depot credit card, this is for you. Or if you have another Citibank credit card, this is for you too. They are raising their APR’s DRAMATICALLY. Up to 26% or up to 30% if you have any late payments. What’s more, they are sneaking the announcement in a mailed monthly statement.
Have you checked your Home Depot card mailings lately? If you're like me, you pay online and normally ignore mailed statements. BUT BE WARNED! If you haven't already, you will receive a notice in your monthly Home Depot card statement outlining an APR hike for all. That's right - APR increase for ALL. The Home Depot credit card, brought to you by CitiBank, is just one of CitiBank's cards soon to see an increase. As in - next billing statement soon.
Thank god I had been warned by a family member or, as I said, I would have just thrown out the entire letter.
It doesn’t seem to matter that my account is in good standing and that I’ve never made a late payment. Or that I have awesome credit and have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on that card over the years. They’re still jacking up the APR. For me, I’m so pissed I’m paying off and closing my account ASAP. Sure there'll be no more 0% for purchases over $299 - but honestly, most of my purchases are below that amount anyway and I don't want to get sacked like this.
I've already written Home Depot/CitiBank a scathing email regarding this. Their reply - your APR isn't 26%. My reply back to them, Oh I'm sorry, I guess you don't read your own mailings. The change will take place next billing cycle. And you just lost a cardholder.
I thought to myself, I know I can get a better rate on a regular credit card – non Citibank. But then a few days later I recieved a letter from Capital One. Same thing - rate hike. I could hardly believe it. It's an epidemic!
So I did the internet thing and Googled the issue. Check out an informative article about the many credit card companies that are doing this HERE. I did and it really cheezed me off. But better to educate yourself before you find yourself down in a financial hole you can't get yourself out off.
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5 months ago
5 comments:
I just got a letter from my Discover card saying the same thing. The other thing they're doing is changing the due date to something earlier, which I'm REALLY glad I read about that!
Very frustrating. :(
I got my bill my CitiBank and my APR tripled, raising my monthly payment by nearly $250. I freaked out; but politely and calmly called customer service.
I explained that I was a loyal and outstanding customer of theirs for over 10 years, never once missing or sending in a late payment. The first agent wasn't helpful; but I called back immediately and asked for a manager. That was the key!!
The manager profusely apologized and explained that while the cost of doing business was raising, they certainly didn't want to loose me as a customer. She reversed the charges and everything is back to what it was before.
Honestly, the key is speaking to a manager.
After doing some more research and reading courtesy of some of our readers and some of my friends - I discovered that closing the card may actually hurt my credit score. Those credit bastards! So I have decided to just pay the balance and hold off on closing the card - at least until I've found a better one.
Everyone just make sure to do your homework before freaking out like me. =)
kitrainia Labels is not alone.
Home Depot told me that the Home Depot credit card rates are actually going down for their good customers. There are now four tiers, 17.99%, 21.99%, 26.99%, and 27.99%. Kitrainia, you are scum like me since our rates are going to 26.99%. It doesn't matter if I have "Excellent" credit, since I checked my FICO score and credit the other day. Something is fishy about all this. The credit specialist at Citibank said that most of the people she talks are having their rates go up. She said maybe one in ten have 17.99% that she talks to. I sent a letter to the my State Attorney General.
The average active Home Depot private label credit card customer has a FICO score of 672. Also, 30% of all sales of Home Depot are on the private label card. Alot of people with FICO scores higher than 800 are complaining their rates have gone to 26-27% when they have perfect credit and perfect payment history.
Stupid actions like this deserve the reactions of old devoted customers like you and me that are going to stop shopping at HD.
Citibank just made new changes to my account term. APR went from 15% to 30% although we have had excellent credit history :) They must be kidding!!! Anyway I opted it out and will get rid of it once and for all in few months. I already talked to all my friends not to apply to citicard of any type and I will keep complaining... I haven't seen such a crapy finance institution... I hope they will broke...
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