I had allowed my sister and a contractor who later became her BF to be signers on my credit card with Home Depot. In the summer of 2007, I went to the Cedar Park store and, from the store customer service, I called the store and told them to remove everyone but me from my card. After that time, I did not use my Home Depot card.
Fast forward to December. My sister, who is a sick woman, told me that the BF had made a charge on my account months earlier. I had no idea why he could charge on my account. I live 150 miles away. I went online. The charge was small, about $25, and I paid it. About one month later I started getting collection calls. I went online and it said I could not pay anything because I had no balance. The collection calls continued. Finally I went online and it took the payment. From that site, I sent them an email to cancel my account. I found out that it had been reported to all 3 credit agencies. I informed them of the situation and that I had cancelled my card. Mind you, on 2 other cards with Citibank I have 75K in credit, with no credit limit on one. I am such a good credit risk. Fast forward to October.
I got a bill from Home Depot saying that charges had been made in a city where my sister lives. I don't even think I have a card. I wrote them by email on their site to cancel the account. I called the stolen card hot line. Several weeks later I got a call from Home Depot. I called them back (150 miles away) and they said, "It's okay, we let your sister make purchases." However, the charges were for a contractor I hired to do some work on her house, so the charges are okay with me, just not the process. Evidently Home Depot did not cancel the account for the second time and sent out new cards, one in her name, that I did not have yet and so had not activated. I called Home Depot and told them I want her off the account now! I want a new account number, since I know they will ignore my request to cancel. I guess only they can cancel you, and you cannot cancel them. I said I wanted to pay the 268 dollars she spent. They took a payment over the phone of 268. The Home Depot draft cleared my bank on 10/06. The money is gone from my account, and my bank assures me that it went to Home Depot.
In November I was home with the flu, with a 105 temperature, so sick. Home Depot called 5 times a day. On Saturday the 17th(?) I was able to answer. I explained all this to the representative on the phone. After half an hour on the phone, with the representative contacting his supervisor numerous times, he told me I have to get a copy of the draft made by Home Depot and send it to them to prove that they really drafted the money and got paid. My bank charges $20 for check copies. I said no. Sue me, report me to the credit reporting services so I can sue you for slander of credit and harassment. If I have to pay the $20, it will be for a court hearing where I am asking for damages. The representative told me that I was not being cooperative. I see no reason why I have to spend hours of time and pay $20 to help Home Depot Citicard balance their books. Finally, I hung up. The collection calls continued.
After 2 days back at work, it was Saturday morning the 24th at 9 AM. Home Depot called because I owe them 268 dollars. Now tell me, if you are not an attorney as I am and you do not know your rights, I am sure people fear their credit being damaged and they just pay it again. If this was my first problem with Home Depot Citicard, I would have given them the benefit of the doubt. But I wonder if this is a course of action and harassment on their part to make people pay money they do not owe or risk their credit being affected. I don't know. Has anyone else had this type of problem with them?
I hope I end up in court with Home Depot. Only a fool acts as their own attorney. Would any attorney want to take on Home Depot Citicard for harassing me over money I have paid?
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