How to find out if BT fee is charged (steps)

StarX_2

Hello guys,

I was thinking how people go about finding out if a particular card charges a BT fee:
1) Read the Summary Box / Terms and Conditions.
2) Search for the card name onto MoneySavingExpert Forums (and eventually post a request for someone who knows to share the info if the search yields no useful results)
3) Call them up and find out.

Of these, I surely prefer 2), as 1) is usually not sufficient (because of the use of may/might), and 3) suffers from Customer Care sometimes giving out inaccurate info.

I would like to know what other people here think.

StarX

Clariman

StarX wrote:

Hello guys,

I was thinking how people go about finding out if a particular card charges a BT fee:
1) Read the Summary Box / Terms and Conditions.
2) Search for the card name onto MoneySavingExpert Forums (and eventually post a request for someone who knows to share the info if the search yields no useful results)
3) Call them up and find out.

Of these, I surely prefer 2), as 1) is usually not sufficient (because of the use of may/might), and 3) suffers from Customer Care sometimes giving out inaccurate info.

I would like to know what other people here think.

StarX

Hi StarX

I think that Option 1 should be the first choice because these are the terms and conditions that govern your contract with the credit card company. As you say, some of these (especially MBNA) use the phrase "we may charge", so the Ts & Cs alone are not enough.

Option 2 (searching forums) is great to get an indication of what the lender's current practice appears to be. However, lenders often change terms and conditions or give different terms to different people, so you should never rely 100% on what you read on discussion forums.

My recommendation would be ...

Read the Ts & Cs. If they are unambigous, then you are sorted. If not clear and you already have their card, then call the lender to ask and make a note of the name of the person you spoke to and the time you spoke to them. If you are researching a new card, then use the forums to get a picture of what the lender's practice is. Then call them to check before applying.

Clariman

Stonk

Number (3), and make a note of the person who gave you the information, and the date and time of the call. Armed with this, if you do get charged you can be sure of getting the charge refunded.

The T&C's are frequently superceded by little inserts that come with your statements, so it's difficult to be sure you are reading the latest version. And online versions cannot be trusted, as is well illustrated by Egg whose website gives the terms for new applicants which are completely different from the ones applying to most of their existing customers.

YorkshireBoy

I've never been afraid to ask the more experienced CC users for their advice & opinion. However, that's all it is - advice and opinion.

You should always do your own research. Do not take action on the reponses given here without verifying for yourself with the CC provider as responses can sometimes be mis-interpreted or worse, entirely wrong - rare but it does happen.

Use the information given in replies to "guide" you in your decision-making. The CC summary boxes and T&C's contain all the information you need to make your decisions. It's just that sometimes you feel you need a second opinion or clarification of the terminology used.

The best approach is always to get help by using secure messaging from the CC providers themselves. However, and with Virgin in particular, they sometimes refuse to communicate by e-mail and ask you to ring them.

If ringing, you must...

1. Write down everything that is said
2. Make sure your questions are clear and concise (for the benefit of the tape!). Use leading/closed questions if necessary.
3. Take a name (preferably surname as well) & extension number.
4. Record the date and time of the call.

Since embarking on my stoozing, I've only had problems with one company (Virgin) with their "we may make a charge for a balance transfer" statement in their summary box. I'm happy I've got this resolved now, as I followed the steps given above when activating my card and requesting the BT.

HTH
YB