American Express
Slightly off-topic, but anotherlogan's right - don't mess with American Express. They NEVER give up.

A relation of mine died, leaving credit on his American Express account. I called and explained, and 'Express agreed to close the account.

The monthly statements still come as normal though, noting that the account is closed but in credit for 13p.

It's been three and a half years. They know he's dead. The account's closed. I can only conclude that they think he'll change his mind.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 6:49, 15 replies)

click
just for ``i can only conclude that they think he'll change his mind.''
(tuqueboy has been in a medically -induced coma since, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 7:04, closed)

Maxed out credit.
When my mother died, we found she had maxed out 5 credit cards to the tune of about £10k.

Like good little boys and girls my siblings and I sent copies of the death certificate to each of the companies, explaining that she wouldn't be paying due to her being a tad deceased.

Didn't make a difference, they still sent ever more strident and threatening letters demanding immediate settlement in full (as an aside, one company addressed their letters to "Mrs M XXXXX, Deceased!). My bro and I decided to teach these vultures a lesson. We arranged an "informal creditors meeting" at a local hotel.

The company representatives all arrived at the apointed time and place, each with reams of agreements and quasi-legal documents and sat one side of the large table we'd arranged across the hired room.

After we'd let them stew for half an hour or so,we announced that we'd "bring her in to answer questions and finalise arrangements". They looked smugly at each other and waited.

I wish I'd taken a picture when my bro solemnly gave them each a an envelope, supposedly containing a copy of her "payment proposals" (actually containing copies of her death certificate) as I carefully placed the box containing her ashes in the middle of the table.

They looked sick as I said "Go on, ask her what you like".

I think they got the message.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 9:41, closed)

Don't the debts have to be paid by her estate?

( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:27, closed)

That's what I thought
Mind you, if she died with all those maxed out cards I can imagine "the estate" didn't have a lot to pay with.
(Bazongaloid, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 13:33, closed)

yup
when my great-grandad died my grandad had to pay off all his huge debts from drinking, as well as give what was in his will to people out of his own pocket
(deadly_sinners, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 0:57, closed)

I think
but don't know, loans, overdrafts, mortgages etc. are paid of by the estate, but credit card debts are written off when you die.
Think I read this somewhere.
Or made it up.
( monkeyboyalpha jumping on the bandwagon since, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 11:33, closed)

It depends on the card company, laws, etc
I worked for MBNA before the Bank of America takeover.
Standard policy was to write off balances from the deceased persons' account. On-the-job policy was to forward it to "Customer Assistance" aka the debt collectors. They'd get as much as they could without triggering a solicitors letter from the next-of-kin.

Fucking lying thieving sharks, I was never happier to leave a job!
(blueberrypossum wants to Jaffa your Cake, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 12:28, closed)

Fantastic work.
I'd do the same. Only I'd invite the press too.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:43, closed)

Ha.
I paid off my Amex about 4/5 years ago. THEY owe me 24p. I get a statement every month asking if I want a refund.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 9:43, closed)

Keep an eye on that account though
in case they suddenly start charging admin costs or summat, in which case you may get stung.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:41, closed)

I paid off all of a loan bar 2p
and every month the loan people sent me a bill in the post, costing them 28ish pence, saying I owed them 2p. They did this for 3 years, then they gave up.

I like to think of it as supporting my local post office.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:05, closed)

Its such an arse to close accounts
I've got two accounts I don't use- one with 77p and one with £1.20 something. Given I have to turn up with my Grandmother's birth certificate to close them, I just leave them. Besides if I get cryogenically frozen ala Fry in Futurama, I shall be rich, rich I tell you.
(Leonard Hatred briefly did some work on, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 15:28, closed)

Dreadful things, credit companies.
I was reading a story on the Consumerist about a family of a young man who had died suddenly and how they were being hounded by his credit card company to pay the charges that were on the card when he died. There's no money in his estate to pay it off and his parents aren't on the account, but that doesn't stop the company from constantly badgering them for the money, even going as far as suggesting that the company taking a loss on the debt would sully people's memories of the young man. Beyond shameful, really.
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 2:46, closed)

Amex twunts
About 5 years ago i got a bill from Amex for about $30 for my annual card fee which i disputed vigoursly. Why??

I have never had an Amex card!!

I had been sent some info but had NEVER signed anything or said yes please . Some Fuck nugget sleazy comission sales rep had forged a signature on his forms. I wouldnt have of minded quite so much but i had never even recieved the sodding card. They managed to send the bill somehow.

Yes i did tell the nice man from Bombay exactly what i thought of his employers and where they could stick the bill (including threats of commerce comission and fraud squad etc etc).


I now refuse to deal with them in any way. Robbing bastards
(welgar, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 6:53, closed)

Scum
Amex are quite possibly the most repugnant of the credit firms - they're more vociferous and persistent than the Inland Revenue, and are generally all-round unpleasant dickheads.

Had to get a card from them a while back to cover cashflow during a contract change, and now they bombard me with the most inane shit you can imagine, usually in the form of lifestyle magazines written by cunts for cunts. Seriously - some of the articles are geared towards such obscene wastes of cash that they'd make royalty blush.

Life on planet earth would be better all round if these oxygen thieves were fired into the sun on the tip of a warhead.
(mymilkshakebringsallthemongstotheyard poison hearts, poison minds - joining hate, Tue 27 Jan 2009, 19:20, closed)