Help needed please with credit card charges!

cheapie_claire

My husband opened a visa account with a 0% offer on balance transfers, card purchases and for transferring cash into your bank account. The letter stated that you could transfer some or all of your available credit into your current account. He transferred all of it, they then charged him a 3% fee (which we knew about beforehand) but this then took him over his agreed limit. They then charged him £12 every month (x 3 so far) for an overlimit fee and are charging him interest. Although he is paying £150-£200 off the balance each month, the interest and overlimit fees keep taking him back up over his limit, so they keep charging him. He is hopeless on the phone so I can't get him to ring the company, he wouldn't be able to explain it and I'm not a card holder so I can't phone them. Can anyone help please?
Thanks!

Sue-UU

Hi Claire,

So sorry to hear about the dilemma. Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but I think he really should have checked out what the full total would have been (with the 3% added) first.

However, if your husband wants to help himself and both of you - he really must get on the phone and slowly and gently get his points across and ask all the relevant questions and that they answer him slowly. IF he gets in a mess with talking and you're there at hand then he could try saying "I'm sorry, I'm terrible at taking things in on the phone but my wife's here - could you kindly explain it all to her as you've done to me as she can understand better. Then she can fully explain it to me afterwards?"

I'm useless on the phone and when in contact with Virgin last week I just got in a real muddle as I couldn't grasp what the chap meant, but he was brilliant and when I asked if he could tell all he'd told me to my husband, he said yes readily and they spoke together for a while. Then my husband asked if he could hold on while he chatted to me which he did, I then continued talking to the chap and everything was fine.

Please get him to try his very best as it's vital to do so. Hopefully someone else may have something extra to add to help you both. Meanwhile, I wish you the very best of luck and do so hope you get something sorted out very quickly. If not, try Citizens Advice Bureaux to see if they can help.

Good luck!

Sue