Is it just me or are the credit card companies hitting us up for Late Charge Assessments on purpose? I'm beginning to see a definite pattern of this kind of action involving some (not all) my own credit cards, whether I pay them well in advance on line or with a check by mail. (When I'm hit with one of these late fees, the payment is always one day late). When I call to complain, the charges are usually waived. In the case of HsBc Retail Services which handles Best Buy customers, the company tried to exploit the Late Charge tactic by trying to nail me with a $39.00 charge for paying off a $1, 262.59 balance they claimed was a day late. The check was mailed out on the 2nd of January, but HsBc claims not to have received it to the 8th of January. The due date was the 7th of January. Now really, does it take five days to receive and process a check? In fairness, they did waive the late fee, but they refused to remove an $8.39 so called Debt Cancellation fee. They should be rewarding me for paying off the account.

I was forced into a medical retirement in 2006 after being assaulted and injured in the line of duty having my pay cut by 2/3rds. I was barely keeping up with payments but eventually got behind. I was attempting to pay our creditors and a few were working with us after hearing of our son being critically wounded in Iraq and I was finally drained of everything since I used everything trying to be with him through recovery. Then I was trying to get a Hrad Money loan to pay them all off. I had several of them tack on their legal fees one was nearly 10.000 dollars in legal fees and when I asked the collector pleading to hold off he laughing then filed the law suit as did several others and they also tacked on an enormous amount of legal fees. They use software fill in the blanks with a Paralegal and their assistants doing all the work. The attorney though he charges 300-400 dollars an hour like an assembly line he dosent. So instead of allowing me to pay them off at a more reasonable cost this one guy is the reason I said I am going to file. Filing Chapter 7 never entered my mind since I believe paying back all my debt but these middle men collectors are the reason many people like me end up filing. So I forfeited all my investment properties and directed the money to pay creditors off except for the Card company this wonderful collector's Law Firm represented. Then I contacted the company after it was final and informed them I would have paid every dime back except this wonderful arrogant collector gave me the best legal advice based upon his attitude and actions.