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"Thanks for updating your credit card information... Now we will charge you a $50 fee"
My credit card company issued me a new credit card due to some type of security breach. It's a pain to have to update all of your recurring credit card payments, but Cox made this particularly painful. They sent me a note that my credit card had failed on 7/3 and I provided them with the updated credit card information on 7/4. I got a note on 7/5 that the updated credit card information worked and the payment processed.... Then I just got a letter saying that they were going to charge me $50 for a "returned payment fee". I checked my bill online and sure enough, they charged me. My netflix subscription didn't do that. My HuluPlus subscription didn't do that. In fact, not one of the other recurring charges that appeared on my credit card charged me anything other then the normal recurring payment. It's incredibly poor service. I thought Cox had diferentiated themselves from Verizon by having better service & no crazy hidden fees. Has this happened to anyone else?
bmesc
New Contributor
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I discovered the same thing, after the fact. I am totally outraged by this policy, especially since it appears to be designed to generate revenue and not act as an incentive. This is Cox's policy; the credit card companies do not charge a returned payment fee to Cox, which is what one rep claimed.
I do not remember any notice of this policy. If it was "in my bill" I did not see it because this is a set amount, a recurring bill, an electronically delivered bill (no paper) and I have it set up on auto pay. It is not realistic to expect every customer to read every electronically sent bill looking for fine print. Bear in mind they push you to turn off paper billing and use auto pay.
Over the course of a couple of months, I had to change my credit cards because Bank of America sold their accounts to Barclay, then our card was stolen and reissued. Looking at my e-mails from Cox, they sent an e-mail on the 25th saying the charge was denied, BUT THEY DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT A FEE. I called them immediately and changed the credit card. The thing is, the October 25th e-mail said the payment submitted was on the 5th, which was the old credit card number, which should have worked on the 5th.
It wasn't until after I got all the credit card changes done that the rep mentioned I owed $25 for a returned payment fee. I flipped my lid! You are correct: NO ONE charges a returned payment fee on a credit card except COX. It is not something anyone would suspect. After my complaining, the refunded the fee. I later discovered they added another $25 fee on the 26th, even though the card was, I was told, successfully charged on the 25th. They refunded that after I complained, too.
This is the thing. There are too many instances where the credit card company puts the credit card on hold. They do it us several times a year due to security issues. In this case, the card was first moved to another company and then stolen. At any given time there may be a legitimate reason the payment was refused. Yet, Cox will try 3 times and charge $25 each time. I did get an e-mail, but the charge was already applied. They said they also called me 2 times, but I checked my call logs and did not receive any calls from them.
I am just starting to use all available sources to protest and publicize this blatant revenue generating scheme. I am going to fill a complaint with the California State Attorney General office (the more they hear about this, the more likely they will take action), the BBB, I might start a petition on change.org, I know a couple of local news anchors who do consumer protection stories, there's the FTC and anything else I can think of. I will post something on my Facebook page, as well.
If the charge was used as an incentive to keep your credit card up to date, they should also make it fair by doing the following:
1) Allow you to add a backup credit card
2) Actually call you and leave a voicemail
3) Give you an opportunity to correct the situation by NOT applying the fee if you correct it after the first e-mail/call alert
4) Make it abundantly clear that there is a $25 fee and not only will it be applied after the first try, but they will automatically try again 3 days in a row and each time charge a fee of $25. The e-mails should be marked URGENT
5) Make it easy for people to update the credit card information online. I dread having to change Cox's info because it seems like every time I try, it says I can't because of a pending payment (it locks you out). Which then requires you to find the time to call them, go through their phone system, wait on hold, verify your account and then explain everything with a rep. Cox has the most antiquated, un-user friendly web site of any service provide I work with online.
These fees will drive people to return to paper billing and paying by check. It is an unfair, counter productive and flawed fee. Please contact you state's attorney general's office to file a complaint.
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nnote
New Contributor
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I just got this call today
"your payment last month was rejected, now you owe that and the late fee and this month"
Ya, my card was changed last month. Would have been nice if cox told me a month ago and gave me a chance to correct it. So I get on to pay and update my card and wow, technicle issue payment wont go through due to some technicle issue on their end.
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