Company sent a promotion offering zero percent balance transfer financing through 11, in addition to benefits from using the credit card for purchases. I signed-up, requested a $10,000 balance transfer on December 19, and used the card for most of our normal monthly purchasing. Prior to using the card, I called their service representative to ensure that balances would be maintained separately so that my zero percent loan would not get commingled with daily purchase balance, which I wanted to pay-off every month. I had experienced this problem with another credit card. They confirmed there would be no problems in this regard and that I had nothing to worry about. The balance transfer involved an up-front $300 srvc chrge which seemed like a good deal for the free financing through November of the following year. On Jan statement, noticed a finance chrg for $62. Called Fia and they said that my previous month's paymnt for all normal monthly purchases was applied to my 0% loan balance, and there was no way I could apply that payment to my monthly purchases without first paying-off the $10,000. Their monthly purchase balance finance charge is roughly 14%.
I stopped using the card at that point, and I paid off the $10,000 balance, and paid-off my purchases balance too, but finance charges kept rolling-in for 2 more months. I wrote them a letter on February 19, requesting a refund of my $300, and telling them they could keep the other interest charged in exchange. Since I had not been able to take advantage of their offer I thought this was a fair settlement.
They wrote back on March 9, and said they would review the matter if I mailed them a copy of the promotion I had originally received. I did so on March 19.
I called them on May 23 because I had not heard anything in reply. They confirmed that they received my letter and the copy of the original promotion, and they would make no adjustments to my account. I was surprised that they made this decision and that their policy is NOT to inform their customers of such actions, as explained to me when I asked.
My complaint is that they offered benefits that I paid for, and their policy is to not make good on that offer, keeping money paid by their customers for such benefits. They offered both card use benefits and 0%, while in fact the deal amounts to choosing one or the other. This costs well intended customers like me a lot of money, time, and aggravation.
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