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Originally Posted by MADDOG
Tonight, on the television program, "Boston Legal", the producer and scriptwriter, David E. Kelly did a really nice little expose' of the credit card industry! Did anyone else see this?
One of the characters, a young legal secretary in the law office, sought the main character, Alan Shore's help (he is portrayed by James Spader) with her huge credit card debt problem. She was apparently in debt WAY over her head, and unable to continue paying. The CCC had punished her by charging her 30% interest. A slick and superficially friendly attorney for the CCC appeared at the law office, and presented himself as seeking a friendly and helpful solution. In a brilliantly written "author's message" type speech, the Alan Shore character described the credit card industry as being larger and more profitable than Walmart and Microsoft combined... that its lobbyists had developed cronies on both sides of the aisle (in both political parties) in order to pass the recent bankruptcy reform act and victimize poor people who could not pay off their debts, and accused the CCCs of deliberately targeting people who could not pay their debts for their most tempting offers - 0% interest for 6 Months on balance transfers, raising the customers' credit spending limits until they were tempted in over their heads, etc. - and then closing in for the kill. Alan Shore threatened to use the firm's auxilliary offices in other states to coordinate a class-action suit accusing the CCC of targeting customers with weak credit scores in order to tempt them into hopeless debt and then subsequently take their property under the new bankruptcy act. The CCC attorney offered to forgive the secretary's debt entirely in return for a non-disclosure agreement!!!
I cheered out loud. When a major television producer-writer like David E. Kelly expresses an author's message like that on national TV, the nationwide CC problem is reaching critical mass. I think David E. Kelly should be provided with some materials - like Cornforth's book and Gliha's book... as well as some informative letters. After all, what the CCCs want is to continue to intimidate people without facing general public scrutiny. There is nothing like the popular media getting on board in order to affect change. I think this is a very good sign.
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From Boston Legal:
Customers who pay promptly are "deadbeats"--they make no money off of them
They market to those in financial trouble-that is where they will make their money!
Past due means Dollars
They came right out and said it is "deception and fraud"
They compared the industry to drug dealing; 30% interest should still be usury, and they are nothing but loan sharks and parasites
"Multi-billion dollar racket"
"Stench"
They also made a very derogatory comment about the people calling when you are late as calling from INDIA!
I particulalry loved it when the credit card company's attorney said : "but we have a contract with you, little lady" and the nerdy/smart (guest) attorney typed on his computer screeen for James Spader to read.....
NO MEETING OF THE MINDS !
FRAUD .. THEY DECEIVED HER...
( bingo...no meeting of the minds, no contract)
He also could't stand being silent any longer and jumped up and spouted out ," I have a MBA and a PHD and I can't even understand those terms you have written in small print on the back of those billing statements!
This is what more than a few of us have been saying all along.
One of the essential elements of a legal and binding contract INCLUDES "meeting of the minds".
There is no "meeting of the minds" therefore, NO contract !!!
YEAH, for Boston Legal !
