Chase Freedom card annual fee???

[Debbru]

Can I vent here before I call Chase (again)? I need to get the frustration out, so I can be NICE when I call them!

We have had a Chase rewards card for over 25 years. Used to use it a lot but seldom used it once we got a Chase Disney card about 5 years ago. It has had an annual fee of $25 for as long as I can remember - we kept the card and paid the fee every year simply because it was our oldest credit history.

Last summer we got a letter in the mail from Chase "congratulating" us - our plain old Chase card was turning into the Chase Freedom card - complete with 5% bonus in special quarterly categories and "no annual rewards fee". OK - sounds good.

We signed up for the quarterly bonus rewards for Oct-Nov-Dec. Used the card and got the bonus rewards. Signed up for Jan-Feb-Mar. Used the card and have gotten the bonus rewards. So far, so good.

Two weeks ago, I'm online making an account payment & see the annual fee of $25 was charged to the account. Thinking its just a mistaken holdover from the old account, I called chase. Spoke to a very nice rep who agreed that the Freedom card doesn't have an annual fee. She said she would credit the account for the fee "right now" (which actually came off the account about a week later) but the computer would not allow her to change the terms of the account - she would have to send a request to another department and they would send me a letter in a week or two.

Got their letter today - basically said "too bad, so sad" this is a rewards card with an annual fee - you can cancel and apply for a non rewards card with no fee. WTH?????
I know $25 is not much but feel there is a principle here. Not only did their letter say it was a no annual fee card, but their rep agreed that the Freedom card has no fee. And when I go to chase dot com to access my accounts the sign-on screen has an add for their Freedom card - "5% cash back -NO annual fee". I feel like I'm being scammed by Chase!

Does anyone else have a Freedom card with an annual fee?

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[miztressuz]

not me, but my rewards card didn't have an annual fee to begin with. (i was a Cash rewards card with no fees before i got upgraded)

but if you have all the paperwork they sent you that states you will have no annual fee, and there is no fine print with exceptions, fax over the documents and tell them you want them to keep their part of the contract. they said no annual fee, by not cancelling the card you agreed to those terms, they have to abide by them.
ask them to prove they told you either in writing or verbally that you would have an annual fee. all times i've activated new cards with chase they usually go over the terms before you get off the phone so it's recorded somewhere.

 

[MomToOne]

There were different flavors of Freedom cards until at least last year, with some of them charging annual fees (but getting higher rewards). Chase has caused a lot of confusion by downgrading different individuals to regular Freedom accounts at different times.

Is your card and online account branded JUST "Chase Freedom"? Or is it something else? That might help sort out some of the confusion.

But I feel your frustration - Chase is a pain to deal with. I tried to downgrade my United card I had had for ages and ages to a no-fee card, and they refused, saying I could close it and apply for a new card. So I did - and they had to pay me $300 because of it, because I signed up on a bonus offer. Seems like a dumb business model to me

 

[Debbru]

There were different flavors of Freedom cards until at least last year, with some of them charging annual fees (but getting higher rewards). Chase has caused a lot of confusion by downgrading different individuals to regular Freedom accounts at different times.

Is your card and online account branded JUST "Chase Freedom"? Or is it something else? That might help sort out some of the confusion.

But I feel your frustration - Chase is a pain to deal with. I tried to downgrade my United card I had had for ages and ages to a no-fee card, and they refused, saying I could close it and apply for a new card. So I did - and they had to pay me $300 because of it, because I signed up on a bonus offer. Seems like a dumb business model to me

The card is just "Chase Freedom". Last night I found the original letter they sent informing me of the change -- quoted exactly from letter: Your account is being automatically updated to Chase Freedom...at no cost to you. You'll earn an unlimited 1% cash back as soon as you receive your new card. Plus you can earn 5% cash back year-round in more of the places you already shop. Your account number, credit line, interest rate and Blueprint plans will remain the same - and there's no yearly rewards fee.

Then the letter that came with the new cards "Welcome to Chase Freedom. You can now earn cash back every time you use your card...all with no rewards fee. For your convenience, your account number, credit line, interest reate and Blueprint plans remain the same".

Am I reading these right? No yearly rewards fee does mean no annual fee...right? Or is a "rewards fee" different than an annual fee?

 

[DawnM]

I have a few Chase cards, all with no annual fee. If you have excellent credit, I would cancel and get a new card. It won't hurt you, as much as they would like you to believe it would.

I went around and around with a CC company once and the man told me, "This will hurt your credit history." Um, I have purchased 3 house and 4 cars in the past 17 years, I highly doubt that.

BTW: My credit was NOT hurt.

 

[LaDonna]

thats crazy! doesn't seem right to me

 

[Debbru]

OP here with an Update:

Called Chase back today - transferred twice before finally speaking to a manager. He agreed this was an error on their part & said the annual fee is now "waived forever".

He also credited the account with 2500 points for all the problems dealing with this. (He also mentioned that this account was opened in 1978 - it was even older than I thought).

Just hope I don't have to go thru this next year again

 

[MomToOne]

The use of "rewards fee" instead of "annual fee" in the letter is beyond odd. I think I've always seen it as "annual fee" in all of the letters and stuff re. my card. Sounds like Chase was trying to pull a fast one - surprise, surprise.

But I'm glad it got worked out - I would just keep a record of the date you had this conversation, and name of the supervisor if you got it, just in case you need to reference it next year.

 

[miztressuz]

OP here with an Update:

Called Chase back today - transferred twice before finally speaking to a manager. He agreed this was an error on their part & said the annual fee is now "waived forever".

He also credited the account with 2500 points for all the problems dealing with this. (He also mentioned that this account was opened in 1978 - it was even older than I thought).

Just hope I don't have to go thru this next year again

that's great news. if you happen to remember the manager's name you spoke with it might be good to jot it down and keep it with that paperwork in case you do have this issue next year. but for me, so far, they've been pretty good at fixing it first time (knock on wood)

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I'm glad it worked out for you OP.

We have always had great luck dealing with Chase. In fact just last week we had to call them about some charges on our card that were not ours. Someone used our card to purchase airline tickets from Jet Blue and bought around $400.00 worth of stuff from some onine electronics store. Chase was great about it. They removed the charges, and set us up with new cards with new card numbers. We didn't even have to close the account. They just changed our the numbers. I didn't know they could do that! We were really happy with how they handled it.

My mom had this happen with her credit card from another bank, and it took her months to get the charges removed. So I was really worried when I saw those charges on our statement.