General Music Chat

Hello my musical comrads. I just wanted to give you all a heads up on a phenominon I have come to be aware of.

Many of us use credit cards and accounts to conduct business.
My boss showed me a letter she recieved from one of the accounts she uses to purchase goods for sale in her shop. The account had a %6.25 interest rate. The credit corporation jacked her rateup to %36.5 on all future purchases. Do you have any idea what that will do to the retail price of the items we depend on as musicians and business people?
Another card I use for the band just canceled my account with GE. Despite the fact the account was in good standing and had been paid in full for months. They had called me a coule months ago asked if I wanted to add purchase insurance. I did. Then they just dropped my account. No call no letter. I did not find out untill I went to purchase some speakers for the band.
I am moving toward a cash only basis. May they all go broke and burn.

I've never been a big fan of credit cards anyway, but if you're one that needs to carry around a big sum of money, you're better off with a credit card. The most important thing is that you know exactly what's going on with your bank n shyt.
Hope you figure it out soon.

We've had a similar experience with Amex. They unexpectedly lowered our limit. When we called to discuss our account they treated us like we were scum. My husband was put on hold for about 1 1/2 hours We had been their "business partners" for over 20 years,WTF. In the past, whenever we needed to discuss anything with them they were helpful and wanted to make sure that they gave us good customer service. Last year alone, we gave them $30,000.00 worth of business. This is business that we paid off in full. But, now Amex also laid off a whole bunch of people. They screwed their employees then they screw their customers...that's the best way to screw themselves. They are full of shirt.

Maybe we need our lovely federal government to give them more money which basically means that our we, our children, and their children will inherit our credit card debt. These bailouts have opened a huge can of worms. What you're seeing is the credit card companies screwing with us so they can all get some free bailout money. Very soon the Chinese will OWN us literally. And when that happens our testicles will be squeezed very tightly. Later...

This is why I don't have any credit cards. Never have, never will. don't have a bank [checking] account either, got tired of banks raising their fees, lowering their services and making it more difficult to use checks. Last time some idiot made me give the bank a thumbprint to cash someone else's $30 check and blamed it on "national security" when I raised hell, I decided no more banks for me, no checking accounts, no credit cards, I go to banks now only to cash checks I get when I repair computers (which is not often any more). Otherwise, banks can sit there and rot for all I care. What does that $30 check have to do with national security??? Give me a break...what a load of crap...national security is also why State Farm claims they don't take cash for their premium payments any more. (Actually that's just legal extortion payments, but they can't call it that...)

It's called corporate greed folks, the most profit for the least effort or expenditure. Cut corners, cut cost, more profit. Increase interest, reduce individuals' max limits, more profit. Once you have their money, move on and forget 'em. Banks are better at it than any other business, if there's a way they can get more money they will find it and how much of it comes out of your pocket is not an issue. You're a number in the account ledger, that's it.

Don't get me started on the bailouts, George W should be shot for even considering it. Shot, hung, stabbed, burned at the stake, castrated then drowned...they got themselves into it, we shouldn't be expected to bail them out. Ditto for auto makers. When the corporation goes bankrupt and the CEO walks away with 50 milliion or more in bonuses...I have no sympathy for them whatsoever.

Hah!

They wouldn't let me DEPOSIT a check in my name into my wife's account. It was for $250. They said I might be laundering money by using her account & not my own, since my name isn't on the account.

I did some work for her grandmother last year. She wrote me a check. I had her go to the bank with me because I'm not familiar with Richmond. Glad I did. They wanted my fingerprint. I told them I wouldn't even give the COPS my fingerprint on demand unless I broke some law. The manager came running over like I was gonna start trouble. (I was considering it!) I had the bastards cash it for me by having the wife's grandma co-sign the check.

Cash for me, now, whenever possible. And I use no banks. I only use a Credit Union that recently went public in our area. MUCH better service, I might add.

Oh I figured it out already. It's greed just like p-pete said. F em.
I only used it for the online conveinence. Now I have to figure out how I will pay for my Bandmix account. If they wont take a casheer check or money order, I guess I will just have to drag my arse up n go home.
No more cards! No more new cars! They been living off the fat of the land and now they are paying congress to steal from me.
I.m going to go check with my cat now. It's got to be time to start the purge.

LOL I had 2 credit cards with Bank of America.. a 20K and a 25K credit line..

I missed a bill that was 20$. I am still unsure of what and where the bill went.

Next thing I know, they made a black spot on my credit all for 20$.

Well, I used to work in an ecom setup.

I called my contact at BKAM, I had them close both lines of credit, send me 2 individual letters of 0 balance and I chewed them a new ass. They sent me a written apology but didn't remove the spot on my credit line.

Then I told them to step the faq off, permanently.

I still have both cards, inactive and they will stay that way.
No credit is good credit. BKAM is full of sh*t and then some.

I get sent offers galore, but once you smell the burnt hair it's over.

If you have a mortage already, you don't need them anyway.

When they call, I really make them bleed. LOL

Everybody better get ready cause there are going to be some major screwings coming out over the next six mos. as a lot of companys you think are solid are going to go under. The above AMEX thing is just the beginning, and AMEX has been awarded a charter to become a real live bank now so there will be a lot of shadow stuff going on that wont be readily apparent on the face of things. Stay w/ cash as much as is possible or use your rgular bank where you keep your cash for a debit account but beware, banks are folding left and right. Its going to be tough times for those of you who have not been through an econ crises before but let me tell you the mother of all is on the way. Watch your credit reports and actually read your statements or you leave your self open to getting screwed. Sorry to be such a downer but it really is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

:shock: Everybody better get ready cause there are going to be some major screwings coming out over the next six mos. as a lot of companys you think are solid are going to go under. The above AMEX thing is just the beginning, and AMEX has been awarded a charter to become a real live bank now so there will be a lot of shadow stuff going on that wont be readily apparent on the face of things. Stay w/ cash as much as is possible or use your rgular bank where you keep your cash for a debit account but beware, banks are folding left and right. Its going to be tough times for those of you who have not been through an econ crises before but let me tell you the mother of all is on the way. Watch your credit reports and actually read your statements or you leave your self open to getting screwed. Sorry to be such a downer but it really is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Yeah its going to get worse but it will get better if we begin relying as little as possible on these monsters. Even if things got better, I would avoid credit cards like the plague. It's cheaper to be broke.

Cheaper to be broke! Hell yes!!

:lol: Cheaper to be broke! Hell yes!!

Hey, sounds like the title of a song...hmmm, country me thinks.

You know, I want my kids to appreciate that even though Disneyland is 10 minutes away, that don't mean you gotta go there. Just because they give residents discounts...that don't mean you gotta go to Disneyland. We usually go to Las Vegas this time of year but we're skipping it. I am glad.You know what I do want to spend my money on? A few Christmas gifts and the completion of the arrangement that I composed called "Coffee Break". We have a house, plenty of food, sunshine. My daughter will be graduating Ohio State in 2010. We don't need nuthin' and if there is anything that we need, try very hard not to use plastic.

Thanks for the reminder but I figured it out a while ago. Credit cards suck exhaust fumes. I have a debit that is good at locations all over the country. Visit your bank and find out what services they can offer when you are on the road. Travellers checks are welcome many places. I have saved a bundle, when at home, by finding the item I want and getting the cash from my bank. The vendors will figure out fairly quickly that you mean what you say and most are happy to hold the item for at least a day. Why pay some body to pay some body? Your interest rate of 32? is outrageous. Every $100.00 you spend costs $32.00 the minute you buy it? If you run a tab you might never get out of debt. Believe me I know. It took a financial judgement against a woman who ran me over on my motorcycle to pay mine off. Never again. Look for options dude, they are safe, available and out there. I wish you well.

me and the wife carry no credit cards at all. When we want something, we pay cash. If we have to save for it, well then we save for it. We made it almost 7 years being debt-free.

I recently had a LOT of dental work done and my insurance only covered about 15% of it. So I had to take out a medical loan . 21.99% interest on nearly $9k loan. It's like $235/month for 5 years. worse than a friggin car loan, will pay back almost $14k by the end of it. I know loansharks who have better terms, so long as you aren't late on a payment

I agree about the bailouts. Biggest BS rich on poor scam in human history.

Insurance = protection racket. Legalized F,ing gangsters.
We hates them my precious.