by Beverly Johnson

Created on: June 23, 2008   Last Updated: November 22, 2010

Dealing with a credit card company can be about as pleasant as going to the dentist. Often you walk away from the experience feeling both mentally and spiritually drained.

Credit card companies train their employees to be fearless and never back down. Expecting quick and easy answers from a credit card company representative is not likely.

If you plan to take your credit card company on, then you need to be prepared with these five simple questions.

1. Why is there a mystery fee on my bill and do I have to pay it?

If you've ever opened your credit card bill and found a mystery fee on your statement, you'll know how upsetting this can be.

If not, just wait! It's coming your direction. Credit card companies are constantly coming up with new ways to get at your money.

Contact your credit card company immediately, with questions about any new and unexpected charge.

And don't forget to read all paperwork that comes from your credit card company. Most times they will detail any new or expected fees you will be paying.

2. Someone stole my credit card and charged purchases!
Do I have to pay?

Not every fee or charge is expected. If you have recently misplaced
your credit card and suspect fraudulent charges, then you are required
to report this to your credit card as soon as possible.

Often, you will have less than sixty days to report a stolen or misplaced credit card or else be responsible for paying new charges. So, don't delay!

If you report your card stolen or misplaced in time and mystery charges appear, you may be able to ask that they be taken off.

3. Can I add a second card holder, without an additional yearly fee?

If you decide to add another person onto your credit card account be sure to check out the annual charge for any additional cards. Never assume that the extra card will be free. They rarely are!

4. What will you do to me, if I don't pay?

The answer may seem obvious to this question, but often you might be surprised to find out that credit card companies have many resources at their disposal for collecting debts.

If you choose not to pay because of a dispute, your rights will be different than if you simply refuse payment because you don't want to pay.

Most likely the credit card company can impose higher default interest rates which can go up to 30 percent, depending on the company. So that a small debt could easily double in the matter of a few years.

At worst, the company will report you to the credit card companies which will make it difficult to

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