This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2008 series. The companies nominated for this honor were chosen by you, the readers, and seeded according to number of nominations. Keep track of all the goings on at consumerist.com/tag/worst-company-in-america. Download the bracket here.
]]>The higher seed is a credit card company that tells you all the ways it could screw with you before you get your card (and you can disagree and not get the card if you want). They have an excellent reputation for customer service.
The latter, lower seed is a company that knowingly had numerous health code violations and shopped around for further test results for days after they found out their product was tainted.
How is this even a question?
]]>But it's a known risk right now. Hell even if they canceled me, I would sue them and still reapply. No one else matches their cashback.
]]>Costanza: You know, we live in a SOCIETY!
]]>And I applaud them for managing their risk so that they can continue to support customers like me. Thanks, AmEx!
]]>Seeing how Peanut Corporation of America is out of business, I think this is a rather inane comparison. Why don't we compare Peanut Corporation of America to whatever company manufactured Zyklon B?
]]>@courtarro: Agreed, but it's annoying that Amex is even on here. They have always held up their end - and then some - in my dealings with them. And I could just get rid of them if they didn't.
]]>PCoA on the other hand chose to make a decision to save some money that led to the completely avoidable deaths of innocent people.
By the way, choosing to cut some customers credit limits may inconvenience some, but it is a reasonable decision and cannot be considered too malevolent. I would not even hold it against them if they cut my own limit.
]]>When the Peanut Corporation Of America gets angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset. And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset... people die!
]]>Hmmm..Peanuts of doom or Cards of credit death
Peanuts of doom wins
]]>Where is the wide spread corruption? Where are the systematic failures? How did Amex get on this list?
Disclaimer: I love my Amex card.
]]>Yeah, Got one of those from Capital One. They sent me a letter that they are raising the APR rate from 9% to about 30% (Fixed to variable rate of being near "prime rate" plus 27%. Yeah. I've never made a late payment on any card, pay all cards in full every month and have a super FICO.
]]>@Lucifer_Cat: The femputer has decided that Amex will be doing the snoo snooing!
]]>Peanut Corp vs. Nintendo would be more fair.
(Nintendo is almost as bad, they make their games too hard and make it even harder for third-party companies to make easy fun games)
]]>They are more aggressive then other issuers. More account closures/ credit limit decreases. Somebody on credit boards had their limit cut by 93% because of the economy.
]]>Less available credit= higher revolving to available credit ratio. That equals a lower FICO score.
]]>So why would we waste the Golden Turd on a non-existent company?
]]>AMEX has always been good to me, fully crediting me for Russian fraudulent charges that have hit my card, and the annual $300 cash rebate I earn is icing on the cake.
]]>And it's not like they didn't have a few food safety issues before the salmonella outbreak.
]]>Let's have some real competitions on here!
]]>I'm completely with you. I certainly prefer a lower credit limit to, say, a lower life limit.
]]>Early rounds help build up some bullying points, and maybe cause excitement with an upset, but later rounds is where all the action is, when everyone is warmed up and ready to give it their best. (or in this case, worst)
]]>Its just an easy way for people to get easy betting money. Its lame.
]]>Contrast with Chase Mastercard. Russian porn site charges $300+ to my card. Took 3 months (& signed affidavits) to resolve, during that time the same website managed to run through more charges for the exact same amount! Chase kept insisting that the charges were mine because the user had "entered the CVC code correctly." They seemed unable to grasp that perhaps one of the last 100 cashiers who took the card might have been capable of writing that # down too!
]]>American Express: Gives me $200-$300 per year to charge stuff on their card issued through Costco.
Peanut Corporation of America: Kills children.
Let me think about that for a minute.
]]>Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't PCA file for bankruptcy? I thought they were going to be no more... or was it chapter 11?
]]>Oh...and I voted for PCoA.
]]>Oh, and yeah... PCA wins this match-up easily.
]]>I am distrustful and cynical to a depressing degree, so for me to defend a company may be taken as high praise.
]]>And um, way to be really mean to someone you don't know. Kudos. Ah, the anonymity of the interwebs, you bring us together to tear us apart.
]]>Anyway, it cures your hiccups because of the soft palette. My mom always used to tell me to use my tongue to rub my soft palette and it would cure the hiccups.
]]>/unapologetic shill for the AMEX Blue Cash card
]]>American Express: Cuts credit lines.
Peanut Corp: Cuts life lines.
Advantage: Peanut Corp.
]]>And you are correct.
]]>Their product intentionally killed people... at least AmEx only gets you into debt.
]]>Amazing customer service, I don't know why they are on here.
Same with T-Mobile. I just got a replacement Android because my accelerometer was busted, and I really wasn't supposed to get a new one. The rep was awesome. Also, I've had them offer to overnight a loner phone to me.
]]>Now we have to rewrite the PB&J song:
"Peanuuut, Peanut Butter... and salmonella..."
]]>1) PCoA is most definitely at fault for the outbreak, but they weren't the only ones. The FDA and CDC screwed up a bit to let this happen as well.
2) While PCoA made one huge mistake, AmEx makes hundreds (thousands?) of smaller, but WILLFULL transgressions every day. They know full well that they're doing is screwing you for their own benefit, and do it anyways.
So yeah, I'm playing the longshot here, but I'd like to show that it's far easier to go for the one event that hit the news rather than the myriad of things that individually barely register, but if combined it would cause a riot.
]]>@sponica: People mostly respond to Amex because they have the reputation of an amazing company. Their bad press comes from them acting like a normal one.
Dead people beats over-hyped credit card company any day of the week.
]]>I agree...how did AMEX get on here? They're one of the *best* companies I deal with...
]]>@SkokieGuy: If Peanut Corp were simply inept I might side with you but they knowingly sent out tainted food. That the FDA didn't stop them is, for me, beside the point. Just because someone isn't able to stop you from doing something evil doesn't mean you should go on and do it.
I can't vote for the dope pusher instead of the serial killer just because the killer had an accomplice inside the FBI.
]]>A little different from Chase who decided to un-enroll me in their paperless billing program, not tell me about it, and then charged me a $39 late fee when I was late on my payment (because I never received a bill). They eventually refunded the $39 (after 3 months), but treated me like I was a criminal when they begrudgingly did it. They also upped my interest rate. There's no contest as to who the better company is here.
]]>@Quake 'n' Shake: Yeah! Screw the French!
]]>Gee, tough call. Same thing with Target? Who nominated these companies? I can think of 5 worse credit card companies and 5 worse mass market retailers. Rare trip on the Failboat.
]]>(Of course, Conagra did let salmonella into "Peter Pan" brand peanut butter two years ago, so don't get too cocky.)
]]>Voted for Amex here.
Peanut Corp is evil, BUT the lax policies of the FDA, our lack of funding of inspection an inability to order a prompt recall, the responsiblity is also shared with our government.
Amex, by raising interest rates and cutting credit limits is causing millions to:
Incur over limit charges & suffer serious damage to FICO scores.
This can cause a cascading effect due to reduced available credit & credit utilization than cause cause other credit card rates to skyrocket, affect ability to refinance mortgage, impact auto rates, even employment (since employers do run credit checks).
American Express' actions are going to drive people and business into bankruptcy and destroy lives. This even more egregious because of the taxpayer money Amex has received.
]]>I'm going to have to vote PCOA, as the last time I heard AmEx killed someone, it was b/c they used their card to snort cocaine.
]]>@bluebuilder: HOLY COW MY REPLY WORKS!!!
*ahem* now that that's out of my system...
I agree. Death by peanuts or death by debt....hmmm...it's a tough one.
]]>This is like comparing France to N. Korea... no contest.
]]>My chances are better with a Credit-Card and Jelly sandwhich thanks to PC of A.
A great battle of America themed companies though. Brings a red, whie and blue tear to my eye.
]]>I don't know guys. Peanut Corp is already out of business. I think I'd prefer for this tournament to be a lesson to those that are still around. I think it would be a great opportunity for them to take the criticism constructively and focus on what they can do to change.
full disclosure: I'm kind of a hippie
]]>American Express lowered my credit. I don't know, but I somehow rank "Peanut Butter Apocalypse" as a delicious, yet deadlier evil than anything AMEX has done.
]]>Hmm .. Killing people v. Killing credit cards . . bah
]]>I'm thinking death peanuts will steal this one
]]>