American Express.
When I turned 18 I got myself one of those American Express Blue cards, where you don't have to pay off the full balance every month. I kept it up for a good few years and, after coming into some cash, paid off the full balance of £800 I had outstanding and gave them a ring to say I wanted to cancel my card.

AMEX: "Oh, you need to keep the balance at £0 for a month (maybe 2) before you can cancel."
Me: "FINE."

appropriate length of time later...

Me: "I'd like to cancel my card."
AMEX: "You have an outstanding balance of 28p."
Me: "How? I paid it off ages ago."
AMEX: "Oustanding interest, once you've paid it phone and we'll cancel your card."

So I pay the 28 PENCE(!!!) and phone them back, tell them I've paid off the balance and ask them to cancel.
"Sure, I'll just write off this 28p and cancel it now."

So EVERY MONTH for the past 5.5 - 6 years I've had a letter telling me I'm 28p in credit and asking if I want a refund, a they wrote it off and got my payment. Why the hell the first guy didn't just write it off is beyond me.

I'm never going to reply and I'm waiting to see how long I'll keep receiving these letters.
OR I might give them an abusive phone call and see if I can get something out of it. I've been in credit with them for years, you think that would improve my credit rating eh?
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Sat 18 Jul 2009, 9:15, 2 replies)

I think if you have untapped credit available
it can actually harm your credit rating. You're not using it, therefore you don't need any more credit, so goes their logic.
( LemonEntryMyDearWatson This time, Moriarty, the hand is on the other foot, Sat 18 Jul 2009, 9:31, closed)

Amex is a great place to work. Seriously.
Ah, memories.

Having worked at Amex I know this type of thing is pretty common. It takes forever for the systems to actually display that you have paid an outstanding balance and it's standard practice to credit petty amounts upon cancellation. And yes, they'll keep sending you the monthly statements forever. An account with a balance above or below zero can't be removed from the system. I've seen accounts that have had the equivalent of 10p outstanding for more than ten years. Where I worked they didn't bother to collect debts under £12 or so...
(natal needs a vacation from vacationing, Sat 18 Jul 2009, 19:22, closed)