Let me start by saying, Monogram Credit Card Bank of Georgia owes me 40 cents and won't pay up!
The story involves outlandish late fees, but technically I incurred these due to my error. However, these fees having been paid, I WANT MY 40 CENTS!!!
We took out an account to purchase a shed and repaid the balance with another account. We had assumed that the large purchase would qualify for the NO INTERST deal, but that's another fine print issue. At any rate, went to the store without checkbook, applied for the account out of convenience, paid it off in full when the bill came, thought nothing of it. (Consequently the bill was not added to my list of 12 bills.)
Meanwhile, a $7.92 charge was made by my wife for a shower curtain. I am perfectly OK with her purchase. I just didn't know about it when paying bills. And I did not see the bill until 8 days past due date. There was a balance of $7.92 and a minimum payment of $7.92. I added up the interest which would be incurred and forwarded an $8.41 check for the payment.
Two weeks later receive the next bill with the payment not yet applied with a balance of $18.92 and a minimum payment of $15.00. A finance charge of $1.00 has been added to the balance and a $10.00 late charge applied. Just below the balance is a neat computer generated statistic which states "The FINANCE CHARGE ON THIS STATEMENT IS A MINIMUM CHARGE PERMITTED BY STATE LAW WHICH RESULTS IN AN ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE OF 147.36% ON THIS BILLING." Thank the Lord for State Minimum Laws.
Well, I'm a bit unhappy at this point and call to make sure that my payment was received. It had been. My remaining balance was now $10.51. Despite a lengthy conversation with a customer service rep and a manager, the late fee and finance charge were not moving.
In order to insure that the balance would GO AWAY, I asked if the interest would continue to proceed upward toward the millions before the next statement was received. The manager, a bit put out with me, told me that my interest rate was a daily periodic rate. She couldn't tell me how much accrued daily. I asked if she thought that I should send a bit extra to insure that the balance was paid off. She stated that she didn't know how much I had used the card and that if that was my goal and intent, perhaps I should send extra. I knew how much the card had been used (none) so I decided to send $10.91. This only to make sure that I didn't get a. 19 balance which would turn into $11.91, $22.91, and so forth. I also asked that the account be closed. This was October.
I was, just this evening, preparing for taxes and saw the statements. We haven't seen any additional statements (the account was closed) so I called to make sure the account was at zero. The customer service representative, Ebony, says that the account is closed with a zero balance. I informed her that I had not received a statement recently and asked her to look at my November history in that it might be possible that a credit was owed. She looked and said that there had been a 40 cent credit balance but that the account now showed a zero balance.
My question to her, and you may wonder also, "Ebony, where did that 40 cents go?"
"It (whatever it is, Oija Board, crystal ball, demon powers) shows that a 40 cent check was sent out."
"Ebony, who was that check sent to in November. I din't receive a check. This account is still open."
"No sir, this account is closed."
"I'm sorry, Ebony, you misunderstood. The account is still open from my point of view because I overpaid 40 cents, according to you and my records. How can we begin to get that credit sent to me?"
"Well sir there is nothing I can do because a check was sent out and I have no way of knowing if you cashed it or not."
"Now Ebony, you know how banks work. Every check has a number. It can certainly be verified if an individual cashed a check or not."
"Well it's just not my department."
"What department should I call then? Do you have that number?"
"Sir the only department you could call is Corporate. But they don't issue the checks, they can only look into the matter. Our department sends out the checks."
"Ebony, I don't think any check was sent. I didn't receive it. I'll need to call Corporate but I wish you could take care of the issue. Do you have that authority?"
"Sir we're only talking about 40 cents. I can't send out a check for 40 cents."
"Ebony, how big a check can you send out?"
"Our credit department can send out checks in the amount of your credit balance when you make the formal request. But you don't have a credit balance. You have a zero balance."
"Ebony, I never made a formal request. I don't think your department ever sent a check to me. Where is my 40 cents."
"Sir, I can give you the number for the Corporate Office, but I can't talk to you about this account. This account was made out to your wife's name."
Well, Ebony gave me the number for the Corporate Office (800-445-6937; 8-5pm). I wish it wasn't so hard to get back my 40 cents. If the roles were reversed, Lowes would owe me $22.40 ($275% interest which I am sure is within the State Minimum).
What is Good Will worth these days? In a faceless world where millions trasact business daily, not even 40 cents.
Everyone should find a small, locally owned hardware store. Give them ALL of your buying needs. Support them as community members. Brag about them. If they don't have what you need, ask them if they can order it. Drive a little farther. Pay 10% more.in the long run 10% is a far better deal than 147.36%. Do the math.
I WANT MY 40 CENTS!!! I'll let you know what happens, word for word.
D
memphis, Tennessee
U.S.A.
0 comments