Virginal stupidity

Good god, is it really so hard to close a credit card? I paid off my Virgin (MBNA) card one month ago. I overpaid it because they're bound to find some elusive fee from 1982 and so I've been in credit for a month. I still can't close it. They can't tell me what my interest payment will be (not very much, you'd think) even though today's the day I was promised. No, obviously they meant midnight tonight, which is classed as being tomorrow by anyone outside of MBNA. Of course, I can't close it and sort out payments after, because they don't know what will happen, I might suddenly have an urge to put something on it. I have visions of myself paying 50p per month to them till the end of time (they round up interest to 50p).

I recently closed an account with M & S. This was one I actually paid off and "closed" in 2004. Really, 2004. I've written to them and stropped at them and lo and behold, just after clearing another card last month, I got a nice statement from M & S. Again, trouble closing it even though it's been empty for 4 years, in case there were any outstanding transactions.

Next won't actually close any accounts, they like to leave it frozen in case you change your mind. That supposedly went in 2004 as well, but they refused to actually close it, I'm sure I'm still a customer even though I assured them there is nothing on this earth that would change my mind.

Egg are easy. They let you close accounts, but they would, wouldn't they? Happy day. I owe them 50p on my last direct debit and then it's all gone. Bye bye.

Christmas is going to be frugal. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to cope paying for things with real money. Or I could always use my Virgin card. If only they thought of that...