I suffered through the Great Appliance Revolt of 1998. In a space of 4 months, my fridge, freezer, central air, dishwasher and washing machine got depressed and committed suicide.
I got myself jacked up pretty good on the credit cards and took several years to pay it all down. It was this lesson that taught me to never get any deeper than could pay off in a couple months on credit cards. Ideally, I pay off anything I spend the same month. After I paid all that crap off, I closed my Chase accounts because they constantly raised rates despite my prompt payments.
I closed my BP account which is managed by Chase and uses the same heavy handed tactics.
The best policy is NOT to deal with companies that use every possible legal means to screw you.