New Anti-Choice Bank of Montreal Mastercard

Fri, 2005-03-25 00:35

audra trower wi...

Let's all start boycotting the Bank Of Montreal because of this, okay?

From that link:

quote:

Why are we offering this Mosaik Card program?
Because of this partnership, you are able to support our efforts in building a country that will welcome, respect and protect every human life.
LifeCanada-VieCanada was incorporated in 2000 as a non-profit association of local and provincial educational pro-life groups across Canada. Our mission is to
a) promote the sanctity of all human life from fertilization to natural death through public education;
b)advocate for those not yet born, the infirm, the disabled and the elderly who are all uniquely created by God. Our headquarters are in Ottawa.
[img]http://www.lifecanada.org/assets/mastercard.jpg[/img]
This initiative comes at no extra cost to you. When a new account is approved, the Bank of Montreal makes a financial contribution to us. Furthermore, when you use your card, an additional contribution is made to us from Bank of Montreal.

[ 25 March 2005: Message edited by: audra trower williams ]

Fri, 2005-03-25 01:09

#3

The Other Todd

It looks as though every organization in Canada has a BMO Mosaik MC. I just googled about 10 or so orgs which had cut a deal to get some kind of funding from BMO by flogging the card on their sites.

We ought to see if we can find some org the anti-choicers would hate to be associated with which has its own Mosaik MC too; send the lifers the pic and listen to the sweet howls that follow . . . .

Fri, 2005-03-25 09:50

#4

Boom Boom

Thread drift - sorry! - but relevant to credit card discussions; not sure if this will impact Canada but it sure will impact the USA:

From:Wednesday, March 09, 2005 8:13 PM
"Arianna Huffington" [email protected]

- snip from much longer article -

In a normal world, those elected to represent the interests of the people would have fought for bankruptcy legislation that would, well, represent the interests of the people. But not in Beltway Bizarroland. Instead of cracking
down on predatory lending practices, closing loopholes that favor the wealthy, and strengthening the safety net for working people, single mothers and elderly Americans struggling to recover from a financial setback, the
Senate put together a nasty little bill that reads like a credit industry wish list. Rubbing salt in the wound, Sen. Charles Grassley, the bill's chief sponsor, labeled it the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005--even though it does nothing to prevent bankruptcy abuse or protect consumers.

So what does the bill do? It makes it harder for average people to file for bankruptcy protection; it makes it easier for landlords to evict a bankrupt tenant; it endangers child support payments by giving a wider array of
creditors a shot at post-bankruptcy income; it allows millionaires to shield an unlimited amount of value in homes and asset protection trusts; it makes it more difficult for small businesses to reorganize, while opening new
loopholes for the Enrons of the world; it allows creditors to provide misleading information; and it does nothing to reign in lending abuses that
frequently turn manageable debt into unmanageable crises. Even in failure, ordinary Americans do not get a level playing field.

Credit card companies have been feverishly lobbying for this legislation for nearly a decade--and it looks like the $34 million the finance and credit industries have contributed to political campaigns since 1996 is finally
about to pay off. On Tuesday, the cloture vote on the bill was 69 to 31. The House passed similar legislation last year and GOP leaders are hoping to bypass the conference committee deadlocks that have derailed similar measures in the past and have the bill on President Bush's desk in short order. The president, ***well aware that credit card giant MBNA is one of the
Republican Party's largest donors***, has promised to sign the bill as soon as someone hands him a pen.

Fri, 2005-03-25 10:06

#5

The Other Todd

It might spillover here, but, yeah, this lefty economist acquaintance of mine down in the States is telling everyone he knows who owes a fair amount to file for bankruptcy before it goes through. If he's that worried, I'd be terrified . . . .

Fri, 2005-03-25 10:14

#6

Boom Boom

Further in the Arianna article: "Worst of all, the bill does absolutely nothing to protect consumers from the aggressive tactics credit-card companies have devised in recent years--tactics that have proven hugely profitable. Along with sending out over 5 billion solicitations a year, they are constantly developing new ways to stick it to the people they've already lured into the tent. For instance, companies now routinely jack up a cardholder's interest rate when their payment is late--and, presto, a "fixed" 7 percent APR is suddenly transformed into a cash-gobbling 30 percent loan.

There has also been an explosion in the fees that credit card companies charge: late fees, balance transfer fees, cash-advance fees, over-the-limit fees. Such fees bring in billions and are partly responsible for the fact that, even as personal bankruptcies in America have steadily increased, so have the profits of credit card companies--which reached a whopping $30 billion last year.

Fri, 2005-03-25 10:20

#7

Boom Boom

Along with a boycott of Bank of Montreal, I'd suggest cutting up your MBNA cards, since MNBA is one of the largest Republican Party donors. Actually, we ought to cut up ALL our credit cards, because these companies are getting obscenely rich at our expense. [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img] [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img] Use a cash card instead. Or cash. Or find a company that uses credit ethically.

Fri, 2005-03-25 10:32

#8

Mush

I have a BOM mastercard (the only card I have) from my alma mater, a small university that probably needs the dough more than most others. I also like the fact that it has a picture of the joint. That's just dumb rationalizing on my part, though. I should just send the school a hundred bucks and send the card back to BMO, with a letter about not wanting to support the anti-choicers.

but I "need" a credit card professionally...well, it sure makes life easier...sigh.

Fri, 2005-03-25 10:44

#9

skdadl

But all the major bank/credit-card hook-ups do this, don't they? They sell specialized cards to all comers -- isn't there an NDP Mastercard or something? I've got an old Royal Bank VISA from PetNet, the people who keep the records for the chips in your animal's shoulders.

I doubt you're going to find a single major credit card that hasn't produced a specialized card for some organization you would revile.

Fri, 2005-03-25 11:25

#10

kuri

Just of curiousity (since I have BMO account and live outside of the country), are there any credit unions or ethical banks that operate transnationally? I've always wanted to switch, but I've never heard of any credit union that operated in more than one province, let alone more than one country. If such an institution could be built (transnational and democratic) you'd have something quite revolutionary I think. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

Fri, 2005-03-25 11:34

#11

Hailey

You don't want to transfer to a credit union.

Fri, 2005-03-25 11:37

#12

Mush

Aw, man, I used to LOVE my credit union (caisse populaire)...they knew me, my family, the service was great, and when my friend wanted a loan to start a construction business (he had building but no business experience), they were the only ones to give him a second look. Totally positive experience.

But then I moved to Ontario.

Fri, 2005-03-25 12:32

#13

Boom Boom

The only banking services available here are the Caisse Populaire Desjardins. I use them not because I like them (I don't) but out of necessity.

Fri, 2005-03-25 13:36

#14

audra trower wi...

My credit union is awesome.

Fri, 2005-03-25 14:56

#15

Boom Boom

To give you an idea how shitty our Caisse Populaire is, many of our fishermen on the coast have their income deposited into a bank in Sept-Iles rather than the Caisse here. They pay for everything here with their bank cash card. I'm thinking of doing the same but I have two loans with the local Caisse. As soon as I get those loans paid off, I'm ending my account with the local caisse. The Caisse Pop here is the craps because they have no competition on the coast.

Fri, 2005-03-25 16:13

#16

Ginger

Ah the Good Old Boys are at it again, another example of how the system is working. Your descriptions of the greed and curruption above can be used as fact in a great big flow chart, mapping out the trail from generation to generation...

My post from "Food Banks"
I think we need to also look at the fact that the food bank itself is the little guy at the bottom of the heap trying to hold it all together for the big ones at the top. Our Governments, large companies, the guys in suits...they live up there in another world, occasionally looking downward. The food banks are run by people who have hearts, they do all they can to make life bearable for so many people. I defend their actions because they are taking action! The big old boys and ladies from the other world tisk tisk the unlucky folk who ended up 'like that'. I am 36 - who are these GOB's? (Good Old Boys as we call them) they are my parent and grandparent types in my society. They have worked very hard to get where they are, and I do admire that and thank them for it! They need to understand that we (the middle child in my society family) have grown up in a different world, based on economics, education, technology - this needs to be one of those things we all agree on, or at the very least agree to disagree on, so we can continue to communicate and not get stuck shouting like spoiled little brats about this stuff (C-SPAN comes to mind). So - all you GOB's are living now in your later years, our Hippies turned Yuppies, now the Baby Boomers, then our aged, so many titles. You know who you are. I am the generation X - huh - no identity? Seems fitting for a group of people who have very strong and still working parents and grandparents competing with them in the same world. We also have the younger siblings (Our now generation), the ones 25 and under, this includes our own children. We are stuck in the middle... it is not an excuse to sit around on our asses and whine! That is my biggest annoyance, people who yack and yack - go in circles, but never actually do a damn thing about it! These people know the difference but can get away with it! Imagine it is now OK to live in quiet desperation because so many other lost souls out there live the same way, The Working Poor? Are we proud of that? It seems to be more of a catch phrase than a task on a list to be investigated fully. I have a sister who is 22; she is in her 3rd year at UWO - smart kid! Like so many in her generation.... we should be very proud of our new adults, they have a lot to offer.
Back to the food bank. It is like a dirty little secret in my parents/grandparents closets, the 'things' we don't talk about in families.... shhh … If we were to ask questions and open doors our parents and Grandparents may be required to tell some truths, to begin to teach and hand to the younger generations the knowledge and power to succeed. The GOB’s will then gain back strength by sharing the truth. Ahhh Utopia….. I believe!!
The food bank is a symptom of bigger issues, and if we really fix what is wrong (the hierarchy system) the need for a foodbank would disappear all on it's own.

Fri, 2005-03-25 16:57

#17

tfyqal

Since they offer this service to many groups could they really deny this fundraising oppurtunity to a group because of their politics, legally speaking? When I was doing a search, the first group I found that uses the cards was Canadian Parents for French, the next was for Canadian Tennis Association, and then a whole bunch of Alma Matter associations.

It would be one thing if the BMO was going around funding crisis pregnancy centres on its own initiative, but this is a fundraising service that the bank offers. I don't think it's appropriate to boycott based on one of the groups that takes them up on that oppurtunity.

There are plenty of reasons to choose financial services other than big banks, but this shouldn't be one of them.

Fri, 2005-03-25 18:11

#18

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

quote:

Originally posted by Hailey:
[b]You don't want to transfer to a credit union.[/b]

Why not?

I like our credit union. It's also linked to other credit unions through the interac system, so I can use other credit union bank machines when I travel. Competitive rates with other banks, plus, even though I am dealing with the main branch, the people know me. They treat us well, and have some fairly good ethical investment funds, etc. I vastly prefer dealing with them than the other banks I have had accounts with.

Fri, 2005-03-25 18:25

#19

tfyqal

I have a 'big bank' account (speaking of the corporation, not the balance [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img] ) and a credit union account. For investment type stuff I would, had I the cash, go with the credit union, but credit unions tend to have pretty limited internet services. I use email money transfers when I'm in a pinch, and with credit unions there is a four day delay in processing. I totally understand why that is but as a student, when I'm in a pinch it usually can't wait four days. It's easier in the city to do manual transfers of cash, but when dealing with rural areas or long distances it's a challenge.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both; writing off banks may work well for some people, and writing off credit unions may do the same for others. It depends on what services you use.

Fri, 2005-03-25 20:19

#20

Michelle

quote:

Originally posted by Hailey:
[b]You don't want to transfer to a credit union.[/b]

I did, and I've never looked back.

Fri, 2005-03-25 20:35

#21

Hailey

First of all I apologize that the message was curt and directive. Wasn't intended to be that way.

I am only speaking from my experience.

Although my husband and I both had an existing relationship with the credit union at the time of needed to purchase our home and set up some investments. Prior to marriage I didn't have banking needs other than having an account that would allow for withdrawals and deposits and to just experience adequate customer service. It was our experience that they were less willing to negotiate on interest rates than any of the main branches. We ended up getting a better deal with both our house and with both investments and loans at a bank that had never previously seen our faces before. That was disappointing.

I was left with the impression from our credit union that it was the norm for negotiation to be more rigid. If my information is flawed then I apologize.

Certainly if other people have had successful experiences that is wonderful.

Sat, 2005-03-26 11:37

#22

Cartman

Never have to wait in line in my Credit Union. They also treat me the same regardless of how much I earn.

Sat, 2005-03-26 13:58

#23

Scott Piatkowski Scott Piatkowski's picture

quote:

Originally posted by skdadl:
[b]... isn't there an NDP Mastercard or something?[/b]

When I saw this thread, I asked myself, "I wonder how many posts it will take before somebody mentions the NDP Mastercard?" The answer is: 8.

Sat, 2005-03-26 14:04

#24

James

My newspaper this morning said that Bank of Montreal and Mastercard have ordered the group to de-link itself because of the flood of complaints received.

Sat, 2005-03-26 14:35

#25

spatrioter

You can still apply for it on the Mastercard [url=http://www3.bmo.com/mosaik/lifecanada]website[/url]. And I just called their customer service line and they're still offering it.

P.S. The customer service rep didn't know what the term "anti-choice" meant.

[ 26 March 2005: Message edited by: spatrioter ]

Sat, 2005-03-26 18:08

#26

pogge

[url=http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/business/story.html?id=4... prompt BMO to question link with anti-abortion group[/url]

quote:

Bank of Montreal has asked an anti-abortion group to remove a link on the group's website asking members to sign up for a fundraising MasterCard after receiving angry complaints from the pro-choice movement.
Carroll Rees, executive director of Life Canada-Vie Canada, said the bank contacted it on Thursday after e-mails of outrage started arriving. E-mails were circulating across the country, calling on pro-choice supporters to cut up their MasterCards and boycott the bank.
And Life Canada-Vie Canada received at least one nasty phone call from Selkirk College in British Columbia.
Ms. Rees said the group complied with the bank's request, but she said she was puzzled about the timing of the complaints, since the Ottawa organization has used the credit card as part of its fundraising for more than 10 years.
The link on the website has existed for about a year.

Sat, 2005-03-26 18:14

#27

fern hill

They're in something of a quandry on this over on the dark site. On the one hand, originally some wanted to support the bank/credit card/organization. On the other, someone then pointed out that as part of the agreement, the bank can collect information on users of the card. Oooh, privacy concerns. Then, when the bank was reconsidering, as pogge's post says, they wanted to boycott the bank. Also, they blame babble for the brouhaha. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

Sat, 2005-03-26 18:24

#28

pogge

quote:

Originally posted by fern hill:
[b]Also, they blame babble for the brouhaha. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] [/b]

Then they should consult a calendar. That article makes it clear that the emails of complaint have been arriving since Thursday or before. This thread wasn't started until Friday.

Sat, 2005-03-26 18:24

#29

Scott Piatkowski Scott Piatkowski's picture

Yes, it's true: babble rules the world! [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Sat, 2005-03-26 18:28

#30

tfyqal

quote:

Originally posted by fern hill:
[b]They're in something of a quandry on this over on the dark site. On the one hand, originally some wanted to support the bank/credit card/organization. On the other, someone then pointed out that as part of the agreement, the bank can collect information on users of the card. Oooh, privacy concerns. Then, when the bank was reconsidering, as pogge's post says, they wanted to boycott the bank. Also, they blame babble for the brouhaha. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] [/b]

Can't the credit card branch of the bank collect information about its credit card holders anyways? What about airmiles?

Sat, 2005-03-26 19:26

#31

Michelle

quote:

Originally posted by Scott Piatkowski:
[b]When I saw this thread, I asked myself, "I wonder how many posts it will take before somebody mentions the NDP Mastercard?" The answer is: 8.[/b]

I thought the same thing. I was disappointed that it wasn't sooner. I think it should be mentioned every time this subject comes up.

Sat, 2005-03-26 19:30

#32

Scott Piatkowski Scott Piatkowski's picture

Did you sleep in this morning, Michelle? [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]

Sat, 2005-03-26 20:27

#33

Michelle

Ha! No, I was out for most of the day.

Wed, 2005-03-30 13:07

#34

Kinetix

Yeah, and all those pro life organizations should boycott BMO Mastercard because the NDP has an affinity card with them (and it's a pretty decent credit card, too). Give me a break. BMO has no political agenda with these cards. Any qualifying organization can generally get one if they're inclined.

[ 30 March 2005: Message edited by: Kinetix ]

Sun, 2005-04-03 19:20

#35

bhamathump

Regarding the Credit Unions vs Big Banks.
I am amazed that any babbler would choose a bank over a credit union. I see it as fundamental to our values. Why don't you shop at Wal*Mart?

Credit Unions co-operative / Banks competitve. Credit Unions local / Banks transnational.
Credit Unions small business / Banks big business.
Credit Unions ethical funds / Banks dirty money.
Credit Unions community values / Banks everything sacrificed to the bottom line.

This list could go on and on but if your Credit union does not meet your needs, speak directly to the board. Better yet run for a seat on the board and advance the values we all talk about.
Try that at BMO.

Mon, 2005-04-04 15:38

#36

presca

I agree that the BMO probably has no political agenda (re: abortion, anyways) - but I'm thinking about dropping my account with them anyhow - and letting them know why. If enough people pressure them, they may consider cutting their ties with LifeCanada. It seems like such a small, insignificant, action to take; but I'm sure that if the BMO had an affinity card for Morgentaler's clinics, the pro-life groups would protest in scores...and that the BMO would stop carrying such a card.

Tue, 2005-04-05 02:27

#37

spatrioter

This story was on the National tonight. They said that BMO will be reviewing its policy for affinity cards due to complaints about the LifeCanada card.

Congrats, everyone!

Tue, 2005-04-05 02:59

#38

Gir Draxon

While the BMO sucks anyways, this alone is not reason to boycott the whole bank. Unless you requested THAT CARD, then none of your money would go to pro-life groups.

Don't like Life Canada? Don't apply for their credit card. Simple as that.

Tue, 2005-04-05 03:27

#39

remind

Now Gir, would you be saying that to the "principled" crowd, who boycott/harass all things pro-SSM or pro-choice? No? I thought so.

I do not even have a BMO account, Coast Capital all the way for me, and I e-mailed them with complaints when I read this earlier today.

It is called a leveling a playing field, apparently we let the children out to play for too long unattended and they got a bit feral and started digging holes in our well grounded rights.

Tue, 2005-04-05 03:35

#40

Gir Draxon

quote:

Originally posted by remind:
[b]Now Gir, would you be saying that to the "principled" crowd, who boycott/harass all things pro-SSM or pro-choice? No? I thought so.
[/b]

Actually, yes I would. But I don't deal with many of the "principled" anymore. All the so-cons I know personally aren't [i]that[/i] insane. [img]tongue.gif" border="0[/img]

Tue, 2005-04-05 05:18

#41

Hailey

quote:

I agree that the BMO probably has no political agenda (re: abortion, anyways) - but I'm thinking about dropping my account with them anyhow - and letting them know why. If enough people pressure them, they may consider cutting their ties with LifeCanada. It seems like such a small, insignificant, action to take; but I'm sure that if the BMO had an affinity card for Morgentaler's clinics, the pro-life groups would protest in scores...and that the BMO would stop carrying such a card.

BMO has no political agenda. Any group that applies can get one as long as they meet a certain criteria. Other babblers here have indicated that NDP has a creditcard - is it a BMO one? I don't know. I am certain that left wing organizations with prochoice views have an affinity card but were more discreet about advertising it.

And, yes, you are right if the prolife movement knew they might consider a boycott. Not sure, but they might. The prolife movement has proven itself to be effective at boycotting. They even have a whole website set up re: planned parenthood but due to misuse you now have to pay for the list. They've had dozens and dozens of businesses change their mind about donations.

quote:

I do not even have a BMO account, Coast Capital all the way for me, and I e-mailed them with complaints when I read this earlier today.

I wrote them and got a reply. Did anyone else?

Tue, 2005-04-05 21:21

#42

arborman

My credit union is fantastic - I have an 'Enviro' card that sends cash to enviro orgs whenver I use it. That means they get about 3 pennies a year from me. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

I wouldn't go back to one of the big banks for any reason, aside from necessity (i.e. when I lived in a small town and the only bank was CIBC).

Being open on Saturday is a bonus, and actually having branches in my neighbourhood helps - most of the big banks closed half their branches.

My credit union actually gave us the best mortgage rate we could find as well, with the most favourable terms.

My parents have been at their credit union for decades - after 25 years they no longer have to pay [b]any[/b] service fees.

I *heart* credit unions.

Wed, 2005-04-06 00:27

#43

Kinetix

Yes, Hailey, the NDP card is a Bank of Montreal card, and they treat me decently as a client. Their customer service has been less than thrilling, but I have had no problems with billing or acceptance.

A lot of people here call credit evil, but I'm not prepared to stop buying things over the internet.

Wed, 2005-04-06 14:28

#44

presca

quote:

And, yes, you are right if the prolife movement knew they might consider a boycott. Not sure, but they might. The prolife movement has proven itself to be effective at boycotting. They even have a whole website set up re: planned parenthood but due to misuse you now have to pay for the list. They've had dozens and dozens of businesses change their mind about donations.

Well, here's an article calling on pro-lifers to boycott BMO for "[excluding] LifeCanada because of poor-choice pressure tactics". I guess that answers the question about whether or not the pro-life movement would consider a boycott.

[url=http://conservativelife.com/blog/index.php/General/2005/03/26/bmo-master...

Fri, 2008-10-24 13:14

#45

Boom Boom

I renewed my VISA card in August, and today I get a statement outlining increased rates - a 5% increase in the annual rate, now 24.75%. This is outrageous - how do they get away with this? I guess I'll cut up my VISA card and rely on my MasterCard instead, which I don't use much, anyway. (sorry if this is the wrong thread, it's the only one I found)

ETA: isn't there a number to call to ask for a lower interest rate?