Really looking forward to graduating beyond these sub-prime card companies and their poor customer service.
I've been trying my best to pay my credit card balances off each month and Merrick Bank makes it impossible to have a zero balance because they are charging me $3/month for my annual fee. Every month, my credit report shows a $3 balance because they tack on the $3 fee at the same time the statement is generated. This wouldn't be a problem if I could pay $3 more than I owe that month and end up with a zero balance after the $3 fee, but the website won't accept payments exceeding the current balance.
I called customer service and first asked if I could have my annual fee waived... I was told that they couldn't do that. Then I asked if I could pay my annual fee in full and explained why I didn't want my balance to be reported as $3 each month. The customer service rep had the nerve to tell me that, "the purpose of the card is to use it."
Don't tell me what the purpose of my card is!!! I didn't say that, but his statement isn't even true! If I want to use the card for emergencies only, or to rent a car, or use it to pick my teeth after a meal... that's up to me! Ironically, I do use the card, quite often, and I pay the balance in full each month. Once I explained that, he told me that having a $3 balance wouldn't hurt my credit and the only way I could avoid having that balance show up every month is to send a check to Merrick Bank that would exceed the balance owed.
In my opinion, whether having the $3 balance would or would not hurt my credit is not for the customer service rep to analyze. If I don't want that balance to show up for the duration of the time that I'm a cardholder (since I figure they won't be discontinuing my annual fee anytime soon), there should be some way to satisfy me as a customer. This may work out in my favor once all of my other credit cards are at a zero balance because I've heard that your FICO can actually be higher with one card carrying a small balance, but this month my Orchard Bank card reported a silly $8 balance from accrued interest and I'm tired of my FICO Report breakdown telling me that I have too many revolving account open that carry a balance. I'm pretty sure that notification doesn't account for balance amount, just the fact that there is a balance.
Anyhow, the Merrick Bank customer service rep told me to mail a check for $30 more than my current balance. That would create a Credit Balance and solve my issue. I told him, what if I use the card... since that's the purpose of having the card... and bought a $40 shirt next month. Now I will owe $10. I'd be stuck in the same position I was in the previous month. I can't pay $13 online, so every single month I'd have to mail a check to Merrick Bank to create a Credit Balance. The CSR said, "I'm sorry, that's all we can do for you. If you aren't satisfied, you are welcome to close your account."
That's what I call "great service"! (not really)
I asked to speak with a manager... not because I was angry or even dissatisfied... I just figured that I'd inform someone that could possibly relay my inconvenience to a decision-maker so the company would know how frustrating it is to have an annual fee taken from your account on a monthly basis without even being given the choice or opportunity to pay the whole $36 in one lump sum. I was told that the manager couldn't do anything for me and was going to tell me the exact same thing. I still wanted to let her know how I felt, so I waited on hold. And waited, and waited... until a female manager picked up the phone, didn't care about my concern, told me that I'd have to mail a check every month and then the call dropped. I didn't bother calling back.
Perhaps it's much ado about nothing. I've paid my other balances down and the Merrick Bank Visa will be the card that reports the small balance each month for the sake of boosting my FICO score. As I said before, I'm looking forward to applying for some solid cards with great reputations in the near future.
Thanks for listening to my rant... any suggestions to circumventing Merrick Bank's silly $3 reporting each month would be much appreciated.
-ReadyFireAim
Starting Scores: EQ 697 (4/3/12) / TU 683 (4/3/12) / EX FICO 643 (3/16/12)
@BlueNightStar wrote:You could push a payment from your bank rather than sending a check. I've done that on several cards where I want the balance to be $0 but I know I will have an interest charge. I push the amount due + estimated interest charges from my bank to the CC.
Ahhh... I didn't think of that! I could use 'Online Bill Pay' from my bank and have them send the payment. THANKS!
I had the exact same problem. I also called wanting to pay the $36 in one payment and was denied. The CSR was not rude, but very matter-of-fact and unyielding. I was going to close the account, but figured $36 AF is not too bad for a $2000 CL (which is increased every 4 months like clockwork). I recently got the CSP and am going to app for the Freedom in a few months. I am still considering axing Merrick at that point because Freedom has no AF. In the meantime, I have $3 sent from my bank's billpay monthly to beat the report date. 
