Credit card companies people actually like?

If you ever are interested in getting a credit card , reading the reviews shows just how little people think of credit card companies. I have been doing some research since one of my kids will be needing one soon and its just really pathetic how poor the reviews generally are. Of course you need to weed through the disgruntled card holders that didn't do their part and now complain but even after accounting for that.. Credit card companies truly are the Robber Barons of the modern world it appears.

So tell me.. Do you actually have a credit card from a company that you like dealing with and feel treats their customer fairly and with respect? Fair interest rates and support when problems arise?

One that actually reports both your good credit payments as well as your bad? Surprisingly many just report your bad....and do not contribute to your building of positive credit through reporting.

Do these good credit card companies exist? Im a bit skeptical. I can't really say any I use are all that great. I generally equate them to the dentist doing a root canal on me. Its a painful relationship that I need but definitely do not want!

Al

Credit card companies will be evil as soon as you use them for credit. Interest rates are outrageous and from what I have seen they will all help you down when you are down.

That being said, I have several credit cards myself and never had a problem with any of them. But I am lucky enough to never have to carry a balance. Each card has its purpose. American Express Delta card for the benefits when traveling with Delta (no charge for luggage), Lowes Advantage which gives you 5% discount on everything you purchase at Lowes, Sam's Club Mastercard for the 5% cash back on fuel.

When it comes to dispute resolution American Express is the best in my opinion.

I have a few notable ones I could mention. Amex Blue Cash Preferred gives you 6% cash back on groceries and 3% back on gas. The card does have a $95 yearly fee, but groceries tends to be my families largest expense so it pays off. The interest rate is bad, and they charge something called trailing interest, which is terrible, its not a card designed for carrying a balance, but I have done it a few times and regret it. I have a love hate relationship with this card.

A card we recently got is Barclay ring, seems like a really good all around card, 0% into apr for 15 mo, 0 annual fee, 2% balance transfer fee, and a "reasonable" 14.2% rate after that.

My favorite card for customer service has been the "Discover it" card. When I call they dont have a crazy automated phone menu, you actually talk to a reasonable person in the usa so thats cool. Not amazing benefits though.

Another card I have I really like is one from my local credit union, if you have a credit union maybe check to see what they offer. The card my credit union has some really cool features.

All I will say is stay away as far as possible from bank of america. They are liars, manipulators and are inventors the modern day credit card scamming system!

We have several cards, mostly for the convenience. An LLBean card for their purchases, Alaska Airline, for theirs. Target, Macy's. The one I use most is the Citibank VISA from Costco. I get the 3 or 4 % cash back on purchases and no fees, other than the Costco membership itself. My wife uses her Capital One card for mileage points. We're in the position where we can pay them off completely every month and our only debt is our mortgage, so the interest rates are not an issue (knock on wood).

Al,
If you, your dad, or your wife's dad are a veteran with an honorable discharge you and your kids qualify to use USAA for banking, insurance, investing, credit cards.

My Visa through them is 11.9% and my American Express through them is 10.9%.

They have always treated me fairly.

you might even call them if you or your wife's grandfathers were veterans to see if you can qualify.

I use USAA for home & auto insurance, investing (what little I do), banking, and credit cards.

Some great info here guys. Thanks!

Brian, I agree with you on the BOA..I have had bad experiences with them as well.

Dave,
I didnt know about the USAA cards ..My Dad is a Vet as was my Wifes Grand father.I will definitely look into that!

Ryan,
That Amex blue sounds interesting.. wouldnt fit for my daughter but I generally shop groceries with a bank debit card.. I will have to run the numbers but it may be a good way to pick up some cash back.

thanks!
Al

A decent credit is the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom cards are by far the best. Zero interest for 15 months, cash back at either 1% per dollar spent for the Freedom card or 1.5% for the Unlimited. There is either a $150.00 bonus or a $300.00 bonus for getting the card if you purchase $500.00 with in 3 months. Buy 5 or 6 fish from Kenny and you get 1 or 2 fish for free, at those rates. 3% balance transfer from a 20% card to a 0% card and you got yourself a mess of Al's black worms for free!

Al, for a first time CC user, Capital one platinum worked well for me coming out of high school.

I have to say that my Wells Fargo home improvement card is my all time best. I was able to install two, brand new 4ton (h.e) AC units for my house and, the best part, it's at a 5% interest rate. I paid down the units in less than a year and a half. I was also able to tile my entire house and pay that down. Unfortunately, in the same time span that it took me to pay down 15K on the wells Fargo, I have only been able to pay off 2k on my chase banking.

I also have to say that Wells Fargo customer services has exceeded my expectations despite them closing the visa portion of the home improvement card. She kindly explained what happened between visa and the home improvement side of things, but I forgot the full story.

Friendly Tip: those who are hesitant in buying new AC units, these High Efficiency units dropped my electrical bill from $1,200 to $6XX a month. Making it my lowest bill this year at $425 and this was the first time in 6 years that I had that low of a bill.

My Amex on the other hand is on another level and they protect the customer to the fullest extent. I had a shop paint my car and it was a horrible job. I had paint peeling off within 2 months. I opened a dispute with Amex and I was able to get my $6,000 back . I paid $500 of the paint job on my chase card and chase basically said, "Visa will not allow us to open a claim after 60 days of purchase."

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Originally Posted by peewee1

A decent credit is the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom cards are by far the best. Zero interest for 15 months, cash back at either 1% per dollar spent for the Freedom card or 1.5% for the Unlimited. There is either a $150.00 bonus or a $300.00 bonus for getting the card if you purchase $500.00 with in 3 months. Buy 5 or 6 fish from Kenny and you get 1 or 2 fish for free, at those rates. 3% balance transfer from a 20% card to a 0% card and you got yourself a mess of Al's black worms for free!

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I love those 0% interest for 15 month cards. This is how I was able to get back on my feet after a year of unemployment. After the 15 months were up, I applied for another 15 month card with another bank and did a balance transfer. I kept doing it until I paid off my debt.

btw, you have a great buying perspective! I need to be a little more like you to save on $$. Tactical buying.