WARNING: Don't ever get a Fry's credit card

/Rant ON

I got a good deal on a TV from Fry's and thought I'd take advantage of financing it free for a year with the Frys credit card, even though I could have used my one of other rewards cards and paid it off immediately. Big mistake. If you took all the grief I've had with every other card I have put together over the last 20 years, it would not equal the 6 months of aggravation I've had with this card. Among the highlights:

- In addition to the normal login, the necessity to answer 3 different obscure security questions just to pay a bill (no other card asks for even 1). If you forget something like "your best friend in elementary school", you're locked out (yes, I should have written it down). This may be due to the fact that the twits actually post the full card number on the website and they're paranoid about identity theft. OK, but they even have the number on the mailed statement while EVERY other card I have doesn't include the full number, even on the website. Even my brokerage accounts don't do this.
- An online billing inquiry system that's obsolete compared to MVS under OS/360. OK, I'm exaggerating...but not by much
- Polite, online customer service inquiries that constantly go ignored.
- Mysterious few cent finance charges that appear on my statement that are unexplained and I have to wait on the phone for 10 minutes to get reversed.
-Getting a finance charge that is retroactively corrected on a date BEFORE the finance charge (does anyone else hear the thunk of offshoring).

and least but not last....
- A $15 charge to pay my bill online 1 day before the payment is due (2 days or more was no charge). No other card does this.

Well, there you have it. Hopefully some of you will avoid this mess. You are forewarned

Paul

/Rant OFF

Welcome to OC Forums, this thread belongs in Vendor Discussion. PM a forum moderator to have it moved please. Sorry for your loss.

Sorry. Done!

Who is the actual carrier for the card? Since Fry's Electronics I assume is not a bank.. They have to have someone do it for them.

Oh, and my bank on the online part does the triple security thing too. Oppsie and I have to call and get it unlocked.

Cant really blame them for wanting to make sure your info is secure. Its a bit of a pain yea but its for both the CC company and your benefit.

Not sure why they post the whole CC number online and on the statement, I havent seen any company do that for many years.

Did you ask them who provides the card before you got it? Im assuming you didnt. Sounds like its from a third rate bank. You would never see Chase or Citi doing something like that.

My advice, transfer the balance to another card and cancel it.

The bank behind the credit card is the First Electronic Bank of Draper, Utah but it's a wholly owned subsidiary of Fry's. I suspect it's being run by the the same wizards that set up Fry's customer service The billing is done by CheckFree but the $15 charge to pay your bill 1 day before it's due is at Fry's direction.

paulbf1 said:

/Rant ON


and least but not last....
- A $15 charge to pay my bill online 1 day before the payment is due (2 days or more was no charge). No other card does this.



/Rant OFF

Click to expand...

Same rule for my Helzberg CC. The $15 is not a suprise, atleast it isn't something outrageous like $50. Its either mail in the check late and take a hit on your credit report, or pay the $15 and keep your credit clean.

A lot of the CC's that aren't supported by big banks known by customers like discover, citi, chase, so on and so forth have a lot wicked rules, terriable APR's or the online pay is never as easy.

Rules for CC

1. Never charge more than you can payoff in one month.

2. Payoff every month.

Follow these and you will never have a problem and even if the company is an ***, you only have to deal with them for a month and then cancel the card.

Merrick and Household Banks have the same "days" before payment is due fees. It's not uncommon, and when I used to have good credit and better cards this was never an issue (that I can recall). Merrick also validates one of a few pieces of supplimental security information at login.

Retail cards generally suck, and I usually only used them to buy then payoff before the 'no interest' period expired.

I can't emphasize this enough.

ALWAYS READ ALL OF THE FINE PRINT ON A CREDIT CARD APPLICATION BEFORE YOU DO WRITE A SINGLE LETTER ON IT.

It's long as heck but it will save you alot of grief.