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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:46 pm Subject: Total Visa - low limit cards

I had applied for this card previously, but never activated it, so it is not on my credit report yet.

Has anyone had any experience with this company. The only problem I've found so far is it's really hard to track down a 1-800 number for them...I searched for about an hour.

It's a low-limit card, with a $250 limit. Basically it has no available credit until I pay it off..Basically to get a good payment history type deal, rather than a credit card.

I found the customer info website, and the card shows as active, but not used yet. I need to build positive credit, but would hate to do it with a card that is going to be more trouble than it's worth. Their customer service isn't open until Monday, so if anyone has anything positive or negative to say about the card, I will use the info to my advantage--Whether to cut the card up and forget about it, or use it to help me out.

Thanks!

Jessi

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:11 pm Subject:

These low limit cards are what got me into the trouble Im in now.I had 4 cards,if the payment is one day late they charge you late fees,even when I was sure that I sent the payments on time,it seems like they just hold it until it is late.To make a long story short,as the late fees pile on,it made it hard to make min payment with late fees,so before you new it I was over limit without even charging anywhere near my limit,Now the late fees plus overlimit fees start adding on.The interest is also very high on these cards.They make more from you if you are late,fees are their bread and butter.I paid something to them every month,but the fees were more than my payments,so I never made a dent.I now owe over $4700 total to these 4 cards which had a total of $1200($300 each)credit limit.They will also charge the yearly fees etc,right when they know that they can make you go over your limit,then the fees will begin.
Well,I guess this ended up being a long story after all Laughing

,but anyway if you choose to get this card ,be very careful,make your payments online and watch out for those fees.

Guest · Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:24 pm Subject:

They do have where you can do online payments...It said on the website that any payment recieved before 2 p.m. Central will post the same day...

I'll talk to their customer service on Monday and get all the details.

I don't even want it really to charge, just to have another account in good standing, now that I got Macy's to reopen my account, that would make 2.

Anyone else have experience with their company?

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:18 pm Subject:

I've received several offers like this one...it is probably a great way to build up some positive credit history, but I just couldn't justify paying all the outrageous fees just to bring it back to zero! If I had the income to do something like that, I probably would.

~Mary

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:36 am Subject:

I know I had another card like this with first premier bank. It was a few months after my bankrutcy. Like twokid said, I was paying on it every month and I seemed to get no where. I should have read the fee schedule more closely. I finally closed the account and paid it off a couple of years ago. It took several months to do so and they even charged a monthly maintenance fee for the account being closes. I did a happy dance when it finally got paid off. I would contact total visa and see if you can just close the account since you have not activated it.

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:52 am Subject:

I also had a Total Visa which I recently cancelled. I have one more small payment to them then I will be rid of them. What a great feeling!

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:17 pm Subject:

I had them close it out today..Didn't seem worth the hassle--But I didn't want to close it if it would be more positive than not.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:33 pm Subject: small balance cards

I kinda think it's a good idea to get a small balance card to rebuild credit only. If used as a regular charge card it can have the pitfall of ending up like most credit cards....delinquent and unpaid.

cassie · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:07 pm Subject: visa total

I had this card, and I somewhat liked it. If you make yur payments on time for 3 months in a row, they give you back $50.00. And they do it untill you get bacvck all your money. The only downfall was that after you make your payment, and they draw on the funds, they hold the money for 14 days before applying to your card. It was a good credit builder though

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 7:39 pm Subject:

My first credit card was a Capital One Visa with a limit of $200.00. Long story short, and I'll spare all the boring details, I don't do business with Capital One anymore.