Sea Miles Credit Card: DO NOT GET ONE!!

[bakechef]

Geez...have they changed bank handlers AGAIN???

 

No, there are actually two types of seamiles card.

 

Carnival Seamiles= Barclays/Juniper bank

 

Seamiles= Chase

 

Both earn points redeemable through seamiles.

 

http://seamiles.com/index.csp

 

MAC

[chasetf]

Dh & I are pretty computer savy & use the computer every day but call us old fashion because we still write out checks to pay our bills. I do not want anyone going into my checking account.

They don't "go into your checking account" if you set it up as VentureMan_2000 is suggesting. In my case, I am just having my credit union write the check for me.... but as mentioned.... it is for the amount I specify on the date I specify. It works especially well with accounts, like a car payment, that are a set amount each month.

 

For those accounts like a credit card, I auto-pay well above the minimum then pay off the rest when the paper bill comes..... or let a credit accumulate and use that card first for the next month's charges.

 

This way I am sure a payment is made and I am never late. (and my credit union sends an email when each payment is scheduled and when it is sent - so I know even when I am on a cruise, and check my email, that my bills got paid.).

[chasetf]

..................Today: Look at my account at my bank and see that I am overdrawn $400. Because of that, I have many $35 overdraught charges. Turns out Seamiles took out the $400 that I instantly paid on Sept 5,then took out the scheduled automatic payment of $400 on Sept. 23, that I had cancelled!.........

I know it is probably Monday morning quarterbacking.... but you could have prevent the overdraft problem if you had overdraft protection. You checking account (which is assume your auto pay was set up on) should be linked to a credit account or savings account that would have stepped up for the extra $400 .... and at least you could have been sorting it out without those "many" $35 overdraft charges.....

 

Best of luck.....

[Loving My Life]

I know it is probably Monday morning quarterbacking.... but you could have prevent the overdraft problem if you had overdraft protection. You checking account (which is assume your auto pay was set up on) should be linked to a credit account or savings account that would have stepped up for the extra $400 .... and at least you could have been sorting it out without those "many" $35 overdraft charges.....

 

Best of luck.....

 

 

I have overdraft protection. BOA charges $35 for each time they have to 'cover' a charge. If I didn't have it, they would charge a $35 bank fee plus a $25 bounced check fee.

 

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I will check my credit report. I will also consider canceling all of our auto payments. We've done it for years with NO problems whatsoever until now.

 

We are also closing the accounts and will go back to using AmEx.

[steveaaaaa]

Here is my long, sordid story. I will try to make it as short as possible. In a nutshell: they are rude and corrupt.

 

June 2008: On our first cruise and decided to open a card. We don't have any credit cards except for an American Express card we use for everything and pay off every month. Stupid us thought we would actually be able to earn a free cruise every once in a while if we used the Seamiles instead of our AmEx. Dh filled out the form with his ss# and info. At the very bottom of the form, it asked if he wanted to get anyone in his family a card. He added my name only, not my ss#, and I didn't sign anything.

 

Next day: Got an approval letter in our box on the ship. Great.

 

July 2008: Got our cards in the mail. Problem: We had 2 separate accounts, one in his name, one in mine. WE ABSOLUTELY DID NOT REQUEST 2 ACCOUNTS. I DID NOT SIGN ANYTHING. I DID NOT PROVIDE MY SS#. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE A CREDIT CHECK.

 

Next Day: Called Seamiles and was told there was nothing we could do. Just use both cards. Ok...

 

August 2008: ****Here is where I am responsible for some of this.****

We have every payment we make each month (mortgage, utilities, and other bills) automatically withdrawn. I haven't written out a check in over 2 years. We were away when the statement came in the mail and my mil put it in a location that we never saw. I never gave it a thought.

 

Sept. 2, 2008: Receive a call from Seamiles that our 2 accts are overdue. They were due on Aug. 23. Now we owed $100 on mine and $300 on dh's (We had extensive dental work done and used the Seamiles to get points, and intended to pay it off in 3 months when a CD matured). I talked to someone at Seamiles and she said to just set up automatic payments and they will take out the minimum due every month and then I can just pay off the whole thing in 2 more months. So I go on line and do this.

 

Sept. 3, 2008: Receive 2 more calls about our overdue acct. I called and spoke with someone else and told him I set up automatic payments. He said unless I made an instant payment today for the $100 and $300, it would show up on our credit report and would be considered 60 days late. So, I go online and make the instant payment. He walked me through how to go online and cancel the Sept. 23rd automatic payment since I had just made that payment online. The payments would pick up again in October.

 

Today: Look at my account at my bank and see that I am overdrawn $400. Because of that, I have many $35 overdraught charges. Turns out Seamiles took out the $400 that I instantly paid on Sept 5,then took out the scheduled automatic payment of $400 on Sept. 23, that I had cancelled!

 

The long and the short of it (after both my husband and I argued with the CSR and her supervisor and went over it for more than an hour) is that yes, they see we made the $400 instant payment, yes, they see we cancelled the automatic payment for Sept--I even had the reference # and name of the man that helped me do that. Basically what happened is that the payment was cancelled but then when the automatic system went through that night, it saw that the payment was cancelled but there was still a balance on the account, so it automatically added it back in. There is nothing they can do. They can't put the $400 back in our checking account. They will not cover the overdraft fees. We have a credit for next month. There was no supervisor I could talk to. He gave me a fax # for the corporate office if I wanted to file a complaint, which I intend to do even though it will go nowhere.

 

2 final thoughts:

 

1) When I was waiting on hold for a CSR, I got the standard recorded message: "This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance." After spending 20 minutes listening to the same, very rude, CSR, I had dh get on the extension and said I was going to record the rest of conversation so I had documented proof of the nasty things he was saying, and he said he would hang up on me if I recorded anything.

 

2) Between the 2 cards, we had 40,000 + points. By being overdue 15 days, they took away all of the points we had accrued.

 

 

So let me see if I understand.

 

Dh signs up for card and requests/adds you to the account.So you get 2 cards one for you one for him,thus the 2 accounts.We have the same,except 3 cards/accounts.

 

MIl screws you over by touching mail addressed to you and starts this domino effect.

 

You set up auto-pay,which clearly states in docs that it takes 30 days for it to go in effect,and to also cancel. (Did you read the disclosure?)

 

You make an instant payment because you are past due thanks to MIL.

Auto pay kicks in because you had to set it up that way thanks to MIL

You checking bounces because of ISF

 

You want the card company to be responsible??:confused:

 

The whole blame is with your MIL.

 

Let me ask you this. If your MIL handed you the mail would you be going thru this at all?

Steve

[newcruiser08820]

After 26 min. on hold, I finally got the answer to my own question. I can only redeem miles by booking with Seamiles associated travel agents. I always book cruise with the cruise web site directly. Since I just opened this credit card recently, didn't spend enought to get points, so I will be closing this card pretty soon. I did more research and opened American Express Blue Sky ( thanks to one of the posts here)

[steveaaaaa]

After 26 min. on hold, I finally got the answer to my own question. I can only redeem miles by booking with Seamiles associated travel agents. I always book cruise with the cruise web site directly. Since I just opened this credit card recently, didn't spend enought to get points, so I will be closing this card pretty soon. I did more research and opened American Express Blue Sky ( thanks to one of the posts here)

 

You still can,then give the booking to the TA,thats what I always do.

Steve

[spleenstomper]

OP needs to call the bank and speak with a personal banker. Banks CANNOT allow companies to withdraw money just because they want to.

[figs]

Perhaps if we didn't have to deal with India on these types of calls we would get some resolution without additional problems. It is difficult to solve a problem when you are dealing with people who only know how to answer questions using a script. Experience has taught me dealing with them on something outside the script turns into another nightmare!

 

I don't know 'bout your CC people, but I've had accounts with three separate large CCs over the years, and not ONCE have I had to "deal with India". I mean, Dell, sure, but I've never had "outsourcing" issues with a credit card company. Either I've been lucky, or you just hate call centers. I hate 'em too, but the white/black/asian/hispanic Americans I've talked to are....GASP....reading off that same script. Managers and higher are the only people that can help with any actual issues, no matter WHO you're calling.

 

~~~~~~~~

To the OP: Your first mistake was in not canceling the card that came for you. There is no excuse for them to tell you that you "can't", and you don't have to listen to them if they DID say that. You can cancel a card at any time. Don't use it, chop the thing up, send a letter stating to close the account. It's not rocket science.

 

Your second mistake is not escalating the problem to a manger. There is ALWAYS a manager, I don't know why you were told otherwise. Demand to speak to one, immediately. If they balk, demand their complaint department, or main switchboard. First step: minions. Second: Manager. Third: Corporate "general" number, complaint dept. And so on.

 

Your story seems to be lacking any effort on your part. I've had a company charge me incorrectly and take money out of my account. Discussion with the bank and the company got all my money back, the company paid my overdraft fees, and an extra $100 for my trouble. You just can't take "no" for an answer in the modern business world. Keep fussing.

[Loving My Life]

So let me see if I understand.

 

Dh signs up for card and requests/adds you to the account.So you get 2 cards one for you one for him,thus the 2 accounts.We have the same,except 3 cards/accounts.

 

MIl screws you over by touching mail addressed to you and starts this domino effect.

 

You set up auto-pay,which clearly states in docs that it takes 30 days for it to go in effect,and to also cancel. (Did you read the disclosure?)

 

You make an instant payment because you are past due thanks to MIL.

Auto pay kicks in because you had to set it up that way thanks to MIL

You checking bounces because of ISF

 

You want the card company to be responsible??:confused:

 

The whole blame is with your MIL.

 

Let me ask you this. If your MIL handed you the mail would you be going thru this at all?

Steve

 

No, I don't believe it is mil's fault at all. I should have been aware that I hadn't paid a bill to Seamiles in over a month and gone online to view my statement and make a payment. Nobody's fault but mine that it was overdue.

[chasetf]

I have overdraft protection. BOA charges $35 for each time they have to 'cover' a charge. If I didn't have it, they would charge a $35 bank fee plus a $25 bounced check fee........

Wow...sorry..... I thought the $35 was the "bounced check fee".

 

My credit union doesn't charge me anything. They just pull it out of my line of credit account..... which they had to do for me this month. :o

[Kurbanfan]

Perhaps if we didn't have to deal with India on these types of calls we would get some resolution without additional problems. It is difficult to solve a problem when you are dealing with people who only know how to answer questions using a script. Experience has taught me dealing with them on something outside the script turns into another nightmare!

 

This is why Dell computers now sells a support plan guaranteeing support from someone in North America. THey lost market share because their customer service and support were atrocious.

 

I totally agree! It is not only cc companies, it is also the same with customers service for major dept. stores, cable co....etc.......

You can't talk to anyone with any type of authority at all........

And god forbide if you can understand any of them:rolleyes:

[heatherkristin]

. I truely do not believe a rat's ass that they monitor these calls.

Im not sure if a cc company is the same, but I am a telephone rep for an insurance company (claims dept-- bring on the stress) and we have AT LEAST 5 recorded calls per month with very strict customer service guidelines. It is completly random and we have no idea until we receive our audit back.

 

not related to the thread.. just my 2 cents

[Kurbanfan]

Im not sure if a cc company is the same, but I am a telephone rep for an insurance company (claims dept-- bring on the stress) and we have AT LEAST 5 recorded calls per month with very strict customer service guidelines. It is completly random and we have no idea until we receive our audit back.

 

not related to the thread.. just my 2 cents

 

They only record 5 calls a month:confused: That explains it:D

[ILUVCRUZEN]

I have the Seamiles card through Barclays/Juniper. When you add someone to your account, you do get a seperate card with a different number but when you get the bill, it shows all the transactions for card "A" then all the transactons for card "B" I personally have 3 cards on my account. One for me, hubby and son. Also, I have slipped up and forgot to pay my bill on time and guess what................I didn't have my points taken away. I got charged a whopping late fee. This has happened twice, once I was on vacation and when I got home I overlooked it in my mountain of mail. I called them and explained the situation and was told that they would waive the late fee that one time since I had a history of paying my bill on time. They have also called on numerous occasions to verify charges that the fraud department thought were suspicious. Every time was suspicious but not fraudulent. My husband works in Indonesia so if one day a card is being used a Walmart in Mississippi and the next day it is being used in the Tokyo airport, I would say that is suspicious. I have had only positive experiences with my Seamiles card.

[Wennfred]

PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME !!! :rolleyes:

 

If you can't pay off 400.00 right away forget even using a credit card. Whats with the auto payment plan? Just pay it off.

 

 

 

Fred

[tootsiescurly]

I don't know 'bout your CC people, but I've had accounts with three separate large CCs over the years, and not ONCE have I had to "deal with India". I mean, Dell, sure, but I've never had "outsourcing" issues with a credit card company. Either I've been lucky, or you just hate call centers. I hate 'em too, but the white/black/asian/hispanic Americans I've talked to are....GASP....reading off that same script. Managers and higher are the only people that can help with any actual issues, no matter WHO you're calling.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The real problem is when you are dealing with customer service off shore quite often there is no supervisor or manager available to deal with or if there is they will not tell you because they will not get paid if they do.

[richym1]

We've had our Seamile card for 4 years. Pay balance online, on time and never had a problem. The points don't ever amount to much, but I would never recommend anyone to avoid getting the card.

[BambiRumsey]

So I may be in the minority, but I am failing to see what the original post has to do with a CRUISE message board talking about CRUISES?

 

This belongs on a CREDIT CARD message board. This has NOTHING to do with Carnival other the fact that they allow a THIRD PARTY to give points, rewards, what have you, to be used with their company.

 

If I had a problem with my Southwest Rapid Rewards CC through Chase, I would complain to Chase and the people who use Chase credit cards, NOT to Southwest or people who fly with them.

 

Bottom line, if you are not happy with the way the credit card company has handled the situation take it up with them, not us.

[kelz66]

Geez...have they changed bank handlers AGAIN???

 

I just got my statement from Barclay....:rolleyes:

[Papasaurus]

Have you ever wondered why you get offers in the mail all the time saying you are approved for a credit card etc. There ae companies out there that sel your information to companies and they run your credit and send you offers. Unfortunately there is little we can do about this until government put regulation on this. Your information is not really private in todays world. You really do not have to give any information to get a credit card issued in your name nor do you have to sign any thing. I have several that my wife opened and I have a card in my name and did not even fill out any application. You have to watch the companies as the OP said becasue they send you a bill with a due date that is days from the date that it is sent. These are especially true when you have a deal that defers payment or interest for a year or two. One day late and you get tagged for the entire interest for the contract time of the deferment.:eek: I am sorry to hear of your frustrations.

[98Charlie]

So I may be in the minority, but I am failing to see what the original post has to do with a CRUISE message board talking about CRUISES?

 

This belongs on a CREDIT CARD message board. This has NOTHING to do with Carnival other the fact that they allow a THIRD PARTY to give points, rewards, what have you, to be used with their company.

 

If I had a problem with my Southwest Rapid Rewards CC through Chase, I would complain to Chase and the people who use Chase credit cards, NOT to Southwest or people who fly with them.

 

Bottom line, if you are not happy with the way the credit card company has handled the situation take it up with them, not us.

Hmmm, why would this be on a cruise message board? Let's see:

• The OP was a 1st time cruiser.
  
• They were offered a rewards card on a cruise.
  
• The rewards were to pay for future cruises.
  

So, on a cruise message board it can serve as a warning to future cruisers to be careful when exploring ways to save money on future cruises.

 

Why all the shouting? It's good info for cruisers who don't frequent every board on the internet.

 

JMHO,

 

Charlie

[BambiRumsey]

Hmmm, why would this be on a cruise message board? Let's see:

• The OP was a 1st time cruiser.
  
• They were offered a rewards card on a cruise.
  
• The rewards were to pay for future cruises.
  

So, on a cruise message board it can serve as a warning to future cruisers to be careful when exploring ways to save money on future cruises.

 

Why all the shouting? It's good info for cruisers who don't frequent every board on the internet.

 

JMHO,

 

Charlie

 

But the problem that arose has nothing to do with the cruise line, their customer service or their reaction to the problem. If it were a past guest program offered and administered by Carnival, then yes by all means post it here.

 

I use my SWA card for everything so I can fly to cruise ports for free so that "technically" has to do with a cruise. If I am bamboozled by Chase or have a bad experience with them regarding this card, by your reasoning I should come here to gripe about it?

 

It has nothing to do with frequenting any particular msg board and everything to do with keeping the ones you do frequent on topic...Seriously - 3 pages about the inner workings of the credit card system/debacle??!?!?

 

This stopped being about the cruise line the second they signed up for a card with Barcaly/Chase/whomever. It is the credit cards customer service in question, not Carnivals. It is the credit cards policies in question, not Carnivals. If the CC company raised their interest rate due to slow or lack of payment is that also Carnivals fault? Should the poster also come here, a cruise message board, to let us know about that?

[jetskier]

Loving My Life,

 

Did you contact the 3 bureaus (Experian, Equifax & Transunion) to see if there is any impact to your credit. I do question how they opened a card in your name without a credit check (using SSN). Why did you switch from using your Amex card?

 

 

It is not an account in her name. When you request a second card it has a different number on it but both are posted to the same account. You only receive one bill which shows the activity of the two cards. My gas cards are the same way.

 

Dave

[lucigo]

Its been said here many times, don't get this card unless you can pay it off in full every month. I'm ready to dump mine and have already started using a better rewards card, but need to use the miles on it....not looking fwd to having to book through their agency as I love my PVP.