Thread: Visa black card?

DO NOT GET THE VISA BLACK CARD. I made the mistake of getting it thinking that I would get great customer service. Instead, they operate worse than a mom and pop shop. I will highlight just one example for you.

I sign up for the card, enroll in online banking, input all my banking information and make my first payment online. I get a response back from the Black card that the payment has been submitted and processed. OK, so far so good.

then a month later I get a letter in the mail telling me that I am getting penalized for incorrectly making a payment online. They penalty was a hike in rates and other slaps on the wrist. So I call up customer service to inquire as to what happened. After a long wait period on hold, someone picks up the phone and tells me that I provided an incorrect routing number for the online payment. So I ask her to read me what she has and it appears as though the last digit of the routing number was missing. So I explain that I either mistyped it or they chopped off the last digit. I said I would go online and redo the banking info. She said that no matter what I do, I am still going to get penalized. I explain that the company never sent me an email telling me the payment was incorrect and actually even gave me one of those "Thank You for your payment" responses after I submitted a payment.

How can a company treat customers in their "Black Card" program so poorly. First, the website should have a listing of all the routing numbers so they should have an edit check to immediately tell people when they mistyped something (all other info was correct). They at least they could send an email notification to tell people if there are issues ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE AN ONLINE CUSTOMER!!!!

Anyway, long story short, they treated me like a deadbeat and so I said the hell with them and cancelled my card. So that was one tidbit from my 1 month experience as a Visa Black Card holder. I will stick with my Amex Platinum....

You're argument is totally justified moxfyre. But to answer the question why some people care about what their card looks like...

It is the same reason people drive BMWs, Mercedez, and Jaguars. Why some people choose to live on Park Ave instead of Elm St. Why a 3-person family wants a 5-bedroom 2-story house in the hills instead of a 3-bedroom flat in mid-town. Why some people choose First Class than Business Class. Why some women purchase Louis Vitton and Burberry over Coach and Esprit. Why some people choose to stay at the Ritz instead of Holiday Inn. Why kids choose Nike Jordans over Saucony Lights. Why some seniors choose the Royal Carribean over Carnival. Why Indians have display large amounts of gold at weddings when they can easily use copper or bronze.

The answer is perception. Perception of value. The value of meaning. Something you cannot place a $ amount to.

Originally Posted by Pete838

A 'black' credit card from a second rate bank does not 'do' more than a white (or blue, or whatever) card from a prime bank like Chase, Citi, or AMEX. It is an illusion of luxury that serves no purpose other than to make someone 'feel' important. A Centurion card actually does provide the holder with luxurious benefits and experiences, while this "BLACK CARD" Visa is nothing but a card designed to take money from people with delusions of grandeur.

It's perception of grandiosity vs. actual value

BTW, this thread is ancient.

+1 I think most people have figured out by now that the Barclay's "Black Card" is a poser card. It isn't even a Visa Signature! I would be so embarassed for someone if they pulled that out of their wallet.

Originally Posted by Pete838

Your argument is partly flawed. A BMW, Mercedes, or Jaguar is a better made, better performing automobile than say a Hyundai, and if someone can afford one, then they can get one.
The house on a quarter acre on Elm might be cheaper and just as livable, but maybe the house in the hills has 20 acres and was built using custom materials for the client. Maybe the 7 million dollar Park Ave. flat is much closer to the owner's office, and he considers his time NOT spent commuting to be worth the money. Royal Caribbean is a more luxurious cruise line than Carnival; only Carnival would argue otherwise.

A 'black' credit card from a second rate bank does not 'do' more than a white (or blue, or whatever) card from a prime bank like Chase, Citi, or AMEX. It is an illusion of luxury that serves no purpose other than to make someone 'feel' important. A Centurion card actually does provide the holder with luxurious benefits and experiences, while this "BLACK CARD" Visa is nothing but a card designed to take money from people with delusions of grandeur.

It's perception of grandiosity vs. actual value

BTW, this thread is ancient.

hehe. this thread is old. i just realized that. lol.

i would have to argue that a mercedes, jag or bmw is not better made than a toyota. i worked for toyota for over a decade. toyotas are way better made. just not made to perform.

i think you proved my point about perception. there are many folks like you that perceive mercedes, jags and beemers to be better made. if you only knew.....far from the truth.

Stephen Colbert "Visa Black Card" is racist?

The Visa Black Card - The Colbert Report - 2009-10-02 - Video Clip | Comedy Central