Whilst I have not seen the programme that sparked this node, and therefore cannot comment on the details of the poor guy and why he felt he was so desperate he had to take his own life, I would just like to add my own response.
(Would also like to add that I agree with the opinions above - a credit card, and the use of it, is the responsibility of the individual)
But what if the banks are responsible?
Eighteen years old, and the wonders of plastic were mine. I was utterly responsible for this, amazingly, heeding the advice of my parents, and setting up a direct debit to cover more than the minimum amount needed every month.
It was great! I got to buy the stuff that I'd always wanted but never actually got my act together enough to save for - any cd? cha-ching! concert tickets? cha-ching! Decent birthday presents for family and friends? Ring that up too, my good man - I HAVE PLASTIC POWER
Another birthday, and I was in university, with all the unholy spending and inevitable debt that comes with the learning experience. Yet again, I had heeded the advice of my parents, and switched my normal plastic - and the remaining balance on it - to a student credit card, with lower interest and a slightly higher limit.
In order to do this, I filled in reams of paper, with a personal assurance that the balance would be switched over, no problem - after all, Miss, you aren't allowed two credit cards...
Very official letter plopped through my door, confirming that the balance had been switched, my original credit account closed and, crucially, my change of address noted.
Thought no more of it. Oh dear...
On a routine visit to my father, I discovered a letter from the company informing me that I was waaay over my limit, and as no payments had been received for the last seven months, I was in danger of being blacklisted.
Not only had they not sent it to my new address, but (and this is a very big but), the letter was referring to my original credit card - the one that had been 'closed down'! I had received no less than two letters and a phone call from my personal banker assuring me that it was so!
'You're not allowed more than two credit cards, Miss, it is a statistical impossibility that this could happen - there is more chance of of The Lord Almighty himself manifesting Himself in my office than there is of you getting two credit cards....' Ha!! I snort in derision....
Not only had they both transferred my original balance to my new card while simultaneously leaving it outstanding on the original, they had not thought to tell me about the avalanche of interest accumulating on the now Everest-esque balance of my original (supposedly shut-down) card.
After a seven hour (I swear it was that long) confrontation with everyone from the Managing Director of the company to the cashier who dealt with my original request, I was informed that it was entirely my fault, which it patently was not, and that I was responsible for the remuneration of the balance - which now amounted to nearly two thousand pounds. Oh, and while you're here, try and do anything about it, and the full might of this corporation will swing into action and crush you like the teeny-tiny bug that you are, leaving you county-court-judged and blacklisted for the rest of your miserable existence....
I have only just paid this monstrous debt off, and for a while, watching all my pay-checks fly into the pit that was my credit card was severely depressing.
Credit card debt, that was not the individual's fault. Rare, but as I know all too well, it does happen...