Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today issued letters to all major credit card companies urging that they implement plans to deal with delays in mail delivery throughout the country in the wake of the events of September 11th and the current Anthrax scares. Because of the adverse effects on consumers of late credit card payments -- late fees and increased interest rates -- Blumenthal requested each company to provide an accounting of planned or implemented policies to deal with the postal delays.

"Terrorism has inflicted terrible harm and suffering on our citizens, altering many of our daily routines and practices. Unfortunately, mail service is one of them, at least right now. Most credit card agreements providing for late payment fees and increased interest charges never contemplated that terrorism would target the postal system," wrote Blumenthal. "No one should seek to profit as a result of the terrorist attacks. The changes I am suggesting for dealing with payment delays attributable to anthrax or other biological attacks affecting the postal system are simple and inexpensive ways to protect your customers and our citizens from further damage."

Blumenthal's letter suggests several options for both card issuers and consumers to deal with the current crisis, including:

• Providing clear and up-to-date payment instructions to consumers, which may include alternatives such as electronic payments;
• Providing an extension of the grace period for customer payments where there have been delays or interruptions in mail service;
• Extending the time period in which billing inquiries and disputes must be received by creditors, currently sixty days after the first bill containing the error that was mailed to the consumer, in cases of prolonged interruptions in mail service; and,
• Providing a quick and inexpensive way to resolve disputes resulting from mail delays.