Comments on: BoA canceled my Visa card due to inactivity

By: earl pierce

earl pierce — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:33:16 +0000

I received a new card a very short time ago with an expiration date of 2014.
I ordered a system on line and found out that the order was cancelled.When I called BOA Visa they said it was cancelled due to inactivity. Wish they had sent me a notification, they send me checks monthly which I never use.

By: Clever Dude

Clever Dude — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:58:41 +0000

@Kerri, it depends on the situation, your preference for that card, etc. In my case, I never used that BoA card for a reason: NO REWARDS! I have other cards that I earn about $50-70 a month in rewards, so there’s no incentive for me to reapply for that card.

However, if it was a card you liked, just haven’t used, call them up to see if they’ll reopen the account. You’re going to take a ding to your credit if it’s closed (b/c you lose the credit limit, etc.), but you’ll take a 2nd ding if you sign up for another card (new credit). I think the best option would be to just ask them to reinstate it then.

By: Kerri

Kerri — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:54:26 +0000

If your account is closed, is it better to apply for a new card and have the credit, or just let it go?

By: Clever Dude

Clever Dude — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:22:11 +0000

@fern, I hadn’t seen a negative impact from 8 cards previously (mid to high 700s), but this won’t hurt it too much.

@mapgirl, nah, I still love BoA’s online banking, and there’s enough banking centers close enough to me. I don’t need an ATM very often, maybe once a month, and I can drive to one a mile away.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:11:42 +0000

Well, that’s crappy. I found out a few months after the fact that my BofA/MBNA card’s credit limit was cut. While moving and shredding papers, I found the letter detailing the change from February 2009. I suppose that’s what I get for not opening every single letter from BofA. (I figure most of them are convenience checks/BT checks and shred them quickly.)

Will this stop you from having a relationship with BofA? I find them very convenient to my life in DC because there are branches everywhere. For the most part, their only downside is a lack of ATMs in Clarendon, forcing me to use a Wachovia ATM and incurring a fee. Lots of people are angry at BofA, but I find it hard to summon a lot of vitriol for them anymore. (I steadfastly refused to use them after crappy experiences in CA 10 yrs ago, but my circumstances new are very different and I don’t overdraw anymore.)

By: fern

fern — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:33:03 +0000

While it wasn’t an old card without a high limit, i think having 8 credit cards is a little bit much (from the perspective of the credit bureaus), so your credit may even benefit from having fewer cards overall.

Let us know!

By: Jerry

Jerry — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:09:24 +0000

BofA did a similar thing to me, and I’m trying to buy a home right now. My BofA Mastercard is my oldest card (I got it from MBNA too), but like yours has no rewards. Although I used it back in March, they just sent me a letter telling me they were cutting my available credit from $13K to $6.5K. This will hurt my credit score going into my mortgage, and I am irate.

As soon as I buy a home, I’m pulling everything out of this crappy bank.

By: Brian La Belle

Brian La Belle — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:55:16 +0000

What a great reminder, thank you!

We have two credit cards, one with a 25k limit that we have been paying off over the last two years. We have not charged anything to it for quite some time so perhaps it would be wise to ring something up to keep it active.

By: mare

mare — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:51:16 +0000

I had no idea! Thanks for the tip.