Interview travel issues- VENTING

[lychee719]

OMG.... I am having the most horrible experience traveling to SF for Touro/UOP interviews. I am so happy that I got these interviews but seriously I wonder if someone is trying to tell me that I shouldnt go to school or something... So I get to the airport and go to pick up my rental car and my credit card gets declined, so they have me call my credit card company. Turns out for some reason they didnt get my last payment so they CANCELLED my card. And I had a LOW balance- with like 2,000 open credit! Thats my ONLY credit card and my bank account didnt have hundreds of dollars to put Hertz's ridiculous 250$ charge + 200 dollar hold! So the credit card would NOT help me, so I had to overdraw my bank account and have my AUNT fax her credit card to the hotel to pay for that! I am sooo canceling my Chase credit card after all of this. Seriously nobody would help me and if it were not for my aunt, I would not even make it to my interviews. I just can't believe this happened despite my planning WAY in advance. So BEWARE! Be sure your credit card companies didnt randomnly decide to cancel your cards!!!! Good luck everyone

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[Sparda29]

Yeah, I've heard that the economic situation is causing this. I know people whose $30,000 limits being slashed down to $10,000.

 

[medicalCPA]

Reminds me of earlier this year, and my issues with Greyhound. It made me quote Travis' song, "Why does it always rain on me?" And yet, now I have an interview, I'm traveling Greyhound again. It's like I never learn.

It sucks that Chase cancelled your credit card without even notifying you. I would switch to another card with better service. Good thing there's lots of them out there. Now if there were more nationwide bus lines, I would be switching from Greyhound as well. But we can't get everything we want, can we?

 

[confettiflyer]

yeeks

btw I hope you flew into SMF and not SFO. If you did, you went way out of the way and into a more expensive airport.

But you probably didn't need to hear that =(

 

[Rumplestiltazepam]

OMG.... I am having the most horrible experience traveling to SF for Touro/UOP interviews. I am so happy that I got these interviews but seriously I wonder if someone is trying to tell me that I shouldnt go to school or something... So I get to the airport and go to pick up my rental car and my credit card gets declined, so they have me call my credit card company. Turns out for some reason they didnt get my last payment so they CANCELLED my card. And I had a LOW balance- with like 2,000 open credit! Thats my ONLY credit card and my bank account didnt have hundreds of dollars to put Hertz's ridiculous 250$ charge + 200 dollar hold! So the credit card would NOT help me, so I had to overdraw my bank account and have my AUNT fax her credit card to the hotel to pay for that! I am sooo canceling my Chase credit card after all of this. Seriously nobody would help me and if it were not for my aunt, I would not even make it to my interviews. I just can't believe this happened despite my planning WAY in advance. So BEWARE! Be sure your credit card companies didnt randomnly decide to cancel your cards!!!! Good luck everyone

I know this is not a financial forum but just a piece of advice. Your credit card or one of your credit cards should be tied to your bank account so in case of overdraft on your account, the credit card will just pick it up and you will not be charged any overdraft fees. Just call your bank and ask about it.

 

[confettiflyer]

I know this is not a financial forum but just a piece of advice. Your credit card or one of your credit cards should be tied to your bank account so in case of overdraft on your account, the credit card will just pick it up and you will not be charged any overdraft fees. Just call your bank and ask about it.

Yeah I have this set up. Granted, you're still charged a small fee (~$10 or so) + you get hit with cash advance fees on the CC + interest is charged immediately vs. no grace period...but it's still vastly cheaper than getting hit with overdraft. I think some banks are charging $59 or so per overdraft.

Take home lesson: Not keeping your financial house in order is expensive, really really expensive.

 

[sakigt]

I left @ 0700 to drive 5.5 hours, to tour the campus, to interview for 10 minutes, then to drive the 5.5 hours back. How frustrating. At least they know Im interested! lol

 

[jyw003]

I left @ 0700 to drive 5.5 hours, to tour the campus, to interview for 10 minutes, then to drive the 5.5 hours back. How frustrating. At least they know Im interested! lol

determination!!!

 

[bananaface]

Be careful to get documentation when you close your Chase account. I had a co-worker go round and round with them over a closed account which they kept asserting she had 1) not paid off and 2) not closed, even though she had proof of both and had submitted it to them more than once.

 

[Storm90]

I had a similar issue with traveling for interviews. I interviewed at UC-Denver and coming from Canada, had to cross the border. 4 HOURS LATER , I finally arrive at the airport 2 hours removed from my flight and since I don't have a cell phone (cause I really hate cell phones!) and didn't call to inform the airline, my WHOLE ITINERARY WAS CANCELLED! - not to mention I missed my connecting flight. Fortunately, the lady at the counter for Alaska airlines had been experiencing this all day and took pity on a poor travelling student. It took her 1/2 hour and a lot of effort to get things back in motion, but I gave up Thanksgiving with my family to spend it in a hotel in Seattle . I got to Denver a day late, but made the interview. Fortunately, everyone was really cool in Denver, so it will be worth it if I get in, but only if I get in.

 

[confettiflyer]

how do you not have a cell phone....

...i mean, i hate using public restrooms, but sometimes....you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[Storm90]

The last time I had a cell phone it rang in the middle of an exam and I got reamed out by the instructor. Plus I only had 15 day minutes/month on it, and I am usually at one of 3 places - school, work, or home. There's at each place.

 

[confettiflyer]

Prepaid?

And how much did you end up spending from this travel debacle? Walk-up fare on Alaska Airlines + hotel in Seattle would equal my cell phone bill for several years ($40 USD per month).

 

[Storm90]

Alaska didn't charge me any extra for changing my itinerary. The hotel in Seattle cost me $125 for the night. I could have gotten cheaper, but after the day I had, I wanted a nice room for the night. So it really only cost me the equivalent of 3 months of your cell phone bill. And it was worth every penny, cause I got accepted to the school. Sometimes things have to be really hard to be worth it.

 

[confettiflyer]

Alaska didn't charge me any extra for changing my itinerary. The hotel in Seattle cost me $125 for the night. I could have gotten cheaper, but after the day I had, I wanted a nice room for the night. So it really only cost me the equivalent of 3 months of your cell phone bill. And it was worth every penny, cause I got accepted to the school. Sometimes things have to be really hard to be worth it.

Haha oh congrats! Sounds like $$ well spent.

And wow, I'm surprised Alaska didn't charge you big bucks for the itinerary change. What I've been reading on flyertalk (airline travel forum) is the predominant view is, unless you're platinum elite, you get charged a change fee ($100) + the difference between your old itinerary and a walk-up fare ($$$$).

Either you're a platinum elite, or just really really good looking. haha

 

[Storm90]

I'd vote for the second, but you left out one option: Pity. I may have looked really pathetic, and they took pity on a poor student. But I was honest with the desk lady, and she was very helpful. I also brought her back chocolates as a small thank you for what she did for me. Can't go wrong there.