Sigh... a near perfect storm.
My credit card payments have to be in by 11:59 p.m. on the date due, otherwise, I get a late fee.
I have reminders and due dates on my calendar and usually pay online electronically keeping a good record intact.
One such payment is due on the fourth of each month (only until 11:59 p.m., of course). This month, on the third, I went online to pay, but I ran into an issue - the day before, on the second, I lost phone service. It happens on occasion, rarely at a good time.
I had also cleared computer cookies. When I do that, various sites no longer recognize my device and have to send a verification code to be sure it's me. Some codes are sent via email or phone, but this particular card only offers telephone or text. Since I live in a dead zone, I can't send or receive texts, and my telephone is dead (it's dead, Jim).
So I faced the issue and sent a message to the bank explaining the situation and asking if there was any grace period. My record should be good enough to be granted a small consideration... should be.
The response I got:
"Hello, Dave. We appreciate you for being a valued XXX cardholder, and we can understand you're in a difficult situation. Credit card payments are due by 11:59PM ET on your due date in order to avoid a fee. If you don't have access to a phone, we'd recommend visiting a XXX branch to make the payment. Our branches can be found here (list of branches follows)..."
Love the empathy and how they understand my situation! The nearest branch is over an hour away - 67 miles to be exact. No, I am not going to visit a branch (besides, as of this writing [8:40 p.m.], they are all closed).
Assuming my phone is back tomorrow, I will call and politely ask to have the penalty removed. If they do, great. If not, the card goes in the shredder.
