Disney Visa - I'm mad

[carolmp]

So I'm looking at my Visa statement today, and I have a finance charge on it. Now, I always pay it in full, so I'm surprised that I have it. So I do some double checking, and can't see where I goofed up. I have my $1000 cruise deposit that I don't owe until December, and I see that everything looks good to me.

So I call Chase to question them about it, and they tell me that any returns I make to stores (or credits to my account), come off of the promotional balance ($1000 deposit) instead of the rest of the balance. So, that pair of shoes that I returned for $30 cost me $100 in finance charges, because it was deducted from my promotional balance instead of my truly outstanding balance and therefore I didn't pay my balance in full.

Has anyone been able to get around that? I complained and they deducted the finance charge, but I think I'm going to get screwed every month. I often purchase something and bring it home and then decide I don't want it, so I return it. Most of the times it's stuff for the kids. I can't keep track of what I return, so I will get the finance charge every time.

They are purposely negating the "6 months interest free" option.

Does anyone have any other ideas? I guess my other option is to open another account, and only use the current one for cruise stuff.

Sorry, I just had to spout off to someone!

 

[cepmom]

sorry you had to go through this...I use my Disney Visa for almost everything and pay it off monthly. I never take advantage of their 6 months interest free because I have heard too many horror stories like yours. It's simply not worth it to have to deal with it. Whenever I have an eligible charge, (DCL deposit etc) I just pay it off right away. Is it possible to just pay it off then you won't need to worry about it later?

 

[carolmp]

That's not the point. Yes, I could pay it off, but they offer me 6 months interest free. My money can be making interest instead of paying them.

It's a no brainer to set up their computer programs to apply the credits to the entire outstanding balance, not against the promotional dollars. They are purposely rigging this. It annoying and crummy and just poor customer relations.

 

[cepmom]

well, since I never take advantage of the 0% offers, I don't know this for a fact, but I thought it said somewhere in the "fine print" that any payments/credits would be applied towards the lowest interest rate first (the 0%)

Good customer service? Not really and I do sympathize with your dilemma. For me, it's easier to just not take advantage of that particular offer since I'm not crazy about the terms. If you don't want to not take advantage of the 0% offer, then maybe you should just find another card that will offer a better deal

 

[Miss Jasmine]

No, the payment applies to the higher intrest rate FIRST. I would think that returns would as well. I have had the 0% interest rate a few times with other things on my card and it has always worked this way for me. In fact I have a 0% interest rate going on now with some other things charged. My payments have applied to the higher interest rate.

 

[cepmom]

No, the payment applies to the higher intrest rate FIRST. I would think that returns would as well. I have had the 0% interest rate a few times with other things on my card and it has always worked this way for me. In fact I have a 0% interest rate going on now with some other things charged. My payments have applied to the higher interest rate.

whoops, sorry. I guess I must be thinking of my Discover that offered me 0% balance tranfer, but when I paid the monthly charges in full (nothing paid towards the balance transfer) the payments went towards the balance transfer and not the monthly charges. I ended up paying finance charges.

 

[bkcwilliams]

Ok,

What is everyone else's experience? I put the vacation deposit on the Disney Visa last month along with other purchases. I paid off all but the $200 deposit. I am going to put the rest of the vacation package on Disney Visa. When I make other purchases and pay that amount each month is the money coming off the purchases or the vacation package?

I just want to make sure that I do not get charged finance charges because they are putting my money toward the 0%. If they do, then I will not use that card again, ensuring my 0% for the next 6 months.

 

[kimszath]

I can't believe they did this to you!!! I called Disney VISA (Chase) about 2 weeks ago to ask them what I need to do to make sure that my "cruise balance" would stay interest free. I explained to the Customer Service Rep. at Chase that we spend anywhere from $3000-$5000 a month on our Disney VISA, and that we can pay that off every month (it hurts sometimes), but that we weren't prepared to pay the additional $3000 in the same month--she assured me that the cruise balance would be treated separately--that we didn't really have to pay a penny toward it until 6 months after the charge. She did mention, however, that to take advantage of the 6-months-no-interest deal, that the cruise balance would have to be charged by Disney Cruise Line--not to a travel agent (I know that Dreams Unlimited handles the transaction correctly--the charge is actually made by DCL, not DU, so their agency would not cause a problem here). I just looked at my last Chase Disney VISA bill--if you look on the back of the first page of your bill in the right side column, it specifically states that balances under "Qualifying Promotional Financing" and "deferred interest" Qualifying Promotional Financing are not added to your account balance, and will remain at that rate (in this case, zero percent) until the expiration date UNLESS you have a late payment ("default"), in which case they are added to your overall account balance. If you haven't been late, get your copy of your bill, and call them and GIVE THEM A PIECE OF YOUR MIND!!! If they didn't put it in the right section of your bill, they need to correct it. If it wasn't charged by Disney Cruise Line, though, you'll probably be out of luck.
GOOD LUCK to you.

 

[javaj]

We use the 0% for 6 months on the Disney Vacation package balance, but I think it is the same principle. Here's what I do, and it has worked so far (fingers crossed): I make sure to pay the full amount of the previous month's purchases, regardless of returns/credits, except for the promotional balance, and a little extra. There's a line item on my statement that shows previous month's charges. I don't know the exact wording but it is toward the top where it has previous balance, charges, credits which includes my returns, then total balance). So for example, if I purchased $2000 the previous month, returned $150, and I have a promotional balance of $1000 -- then my balance would be $2850, but I make sure to pay at least $2000 + a little extra.

Another warning: don't make multiple payments because the first goes toward your regular balance and the next ones go to the qualifying promotional balances

 

[TiggerKing]

I feel sorry for the OP, but this is just another example of why I absolutely will not do business with Chase (who actually operates Disney Visa). They look for every loophole in the laws to make sure that they can extract the absolute most amount of money from their clients. I have lost count of how many class-action suits they have lost for their policies, but they continue on.

My biggest concern is why would a company such as Disney get involved with a company of such questionable character. The problems reflect on Disney more than they do on Chase, because that is why people get the card.

 

[jrpatter]

I did a balance transfer at 0% interest for 6 months. When I made my first payment, the amount came off of the 0% transfer and not what I had charged on the credit card for that month, so I had a lovely finance charge. Needless to say, I learned my lesson.

 

[carolmp]

No, they charged it right, and I went through DU, so everything was good on my bill.

Last month my bill was fine. I didn't pay the $1000 and everything was just fine. This month, I returned a pair of shoes. So, for example, I had $1000 in my promotional Disney trip balance and $500 in other outstanding charges. Instead of applying the credit of about $30 for the pair of shoes that I returned to the $500 outstanding balance, they applied it to my $1000 promotional balance. So when I made my payment of $470 ($500 owing - $30 shoe return), I didn't pay my bill in full and they charged me a late fee. They applied it this way:

$1000 promotional Disney charge - $30 shoe return = $970 owing on six months interest free plus $500 owing on other charges. So when I only paid $470 thinking that I would get credit for the $30, I was $30 short on paying off my bill and voila - finance charge.

I have made multiple payments in a month, and they don't apply the second to the promotional balance. That seems to be OK.

I'm considering two options - either get a new card (Christmas is coming and I will probably be doing a lot of buying and returning), or be very careful on my bill and make sure that I personally determine what I returned and make sure I still pay that.

If I get the new card, are they still offering $25 in Disney dollars/credit?

 

[Miss Jasmine]

No, they charged it right, and I went through DU, so everything was good on my bill.

Last month my bill was fine. I didn't pay the $1000 and everything was just fine. This month, I returned a pair of shoes. So, for example, I had $1000 in my promotional Disney trip balance and $500 in other outstanding charges. Instead of applying the credit of about $30 for the pair of shoes that I returned to the $500 outstanding balance, they applied it to my $1000 promotional balance. So when I made my payment of $470 ($500 owing - $30 shoe return), I didn't pay my bill in full and they charged me a late fee. They applied it this way:

$1000 promotional Disney charge - $30 shoe return = $970 owing on six months interest free plus $500 owing on other charges. So when I only paid $470 thinking that I would get credit for the $30, I was $30 short on paying off my bill and voila - finance charge.

I have made multiple payments in a month, and they don't apply the second to the promotional balance. That seems to be OK.

I'm considering two options - either get a new card (Christmas is coming and I will probably be doing a lot of buying and returning), or be very careful on my bill and make sure that I personally determine what I returned and make sure I still pay that.

If I get the new card, are they still offering $25 in Disney dollars/credit?

Personally, I would call and explain what happened, I have always had great customer service. I know others will say they haven't had the same, but it doesn't hurt to call and ask for them to waive that finance charge.

 

[mruhaak]

So I guess what I'm wondering after perusing these reponses..

Do those of you who have the Disney Visa feel it is worth having?

I am thinking of switching cards from Discover and this is one I was considering....

It takes a lot of money to accrue very many rewards doesn't it?

 

[maryisme]

I ran into the same problem having a promotional balance, paying off purchases in full and returns. I would constanty have to call to straighten it out. I finally just got another account in my DH's name. Now we only use one for trips and the other for purchases. Works will for us and we received a $50 bonus for signing up (this was some time ago).

Mary

 

[beattyfamily]

Something similar happened to me as well. I believe all credit cards do it though not just Chase. They all put payments and credits toward the low interest balances first.

I had put my upcoming cruise on my card and then a few months later I also did a balance transfer for a low interest rate for the life of that balance. Well, when I made a very large payment to go toward the cruise and regular balance, they applied it to the special interest balance transfer first so no more low interest rate! Then exactly a month later the Disney Cruise 0% expired so my whole balance (including that balance transfer that was still on my account) went back at 13%.

Live and learn.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Balance transfers work differently than the Disney package promotional rates. In those cases, yes your payments will first go toward balance transfers.

 

[Dina]

That's standard for credit cards-- any payment you make will automatically be taken off the promotional APR/smaller APR before it's applied to your normal APR balance (does that make sense). Almost all credit cards do that-- not just Disney Visa. If you want to take advantage of a promotional APR (like for a Disney vacation) you can't use your visa for other things.

I only know that, because it's happened to me before as well (on a different credit card though).

 

[Towncrier]

I was nearly pulled into this trap by another Chase Visa card. They offered me a blank check that I could use to purchase anything my little heart desired and that they would only charge me 3.75% interest. It sounded too good to be true. I was ready to pay off my car loan (which is at nearly twice that interest rate) when I looked at the fine print one more time and saw the problem. Any payments made to Chase would apply first to the monies loaned at 3.75% before going towards any other CC purchases. In other words, I would be paying 18% on all of my purchases until I paid off the blank check. It would have been a good deal IF AND ONLY IF I didn't use the card for anything else. I decided not to risk it and shredded the blank check.

Sorry you had issues with Chase. But I'm not the least bit surprised.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

That's standard for credit cards-- any payment you make will automatically be taken off the promotional APR/smaller APR before it's applied to your normal APR balance (does that make sense). Almost all credit cards do that-- not just Disney Visa. If you want to take advantage of a promotional APR (like for a Disney vacation) you can't use your visa for other things.

I only know that, because it's happened to me before as well (on a different credit card though).

Again, in the case of the Disney packages (0% interest for six months) your payment will apply to the HIGHER interest rate first, not to the promotional rate,no matter what else you charge. That is how it is supposed to work.