Where do I begin? Fashion Bug is the definition of a my worst nightmare. My First harsh encounter with this company began in the year of 1999 when my older sister and I had gone into a Fashion Bug retail store and purchased a few items. At the counter the pleasant clerk offered my sister a discount on her purchase if she signed up for a Fashion Bug charge card.
My sister agreed and filled out an application. The women then proceeded to offer me the same discount and asked if I had a steady income, which I did (a part time job). I said yes and she handed me an application as well. She never implied about our ages.
My sister and I were delighted with the discount and the friendly clerk informed us that we would recieve our cards in the mail within a few weeks time. To my misfortune we did. What the clerk failed to inform me on was that I had to be at least eighteen to qualify for a charge card legally. As a seventeen year old junior in highschool with no knowlege of credit cards whatsoever I was completely unaware of how thier policies worked. I could not even tell you what an interest rate was let alone be appauled that mine was a steap twenty-three percent.
I made one charge on my card of a purchase that totaled less than ninety dollars. A purchase that sealed a terrible fate with the company and my credit history. A missed payment? A late fee? I was clueless. I was supposed to send in ten dollars a month for a minimum payment which I did until the cafe I worked for closed permanantly. Soon I began to recieve phone calls from people telling me I was "passed due" and letters in the mail stating that I owed an amount that increased with every month that I fell behind.
Finally, I confessed to my mother my situation after recieving a letter that informed me legal action would be taken if my payment was not made. Of course, I realize now that this was standard proceedure for them but at the time I was terrified.
My mother explained to me that I was ruining my credit by not paying my bill and she mentioned that it was strange that I was allowed to own a charge card. I decided the best thing to do was send in what little money I had to try to bring down my debt. I had obtained another part-time position by this and saved up as much money as I quickly could.
My total balance was roughly fifty-eight dollars. I had no idea that I shouldn't send cash through the mail. Which is exactly what I did. Much to my surprise, Fashion Bug did not recieve my payment. I was devistated. Not only was I robbed of fifty dollars but I was charged another twenty-nine dollar late fee. I called a number provided to me in a letter to explain my situation but I was never properly connected.
So, I wrote a letter to the women who was sending the letters. I never recieved a reply back.By this time I had had my charge card for several months and I was consumed by worry and wonder about what they would do to me and how I was going to pay a debt that seemed large to me. And then something happened. I took a Financial Advisory class my senior year and discovered that a person must be of legal age in order to be issued a credit card of any sort.
I thought back to the time of my application and realized that I had only been seventeen. My card stated that it was issued in 1999 and my eighteenth birthday wasn't until the year 2000. Very shortly after this important discovery I was at work and recieved a phone call from a Fashion Bug representative about my passed due balance.
Frightened that they were calling me at my place of employment I kindly asked her not to call me there anymore but continued to speak with her. I explained my entire situation about the missing fifty dollar payment and the underage application and so forth. She told me to stay on the line, which I did, and much to my horrid surprise a women claiming to be a manager there began to hollar at me about how I had committed a crime by sending in a phony application and lieing about my birthdate.
I told her very nicely and somewhat intimidatingly that I did not lie on my application about my date of birth (and I most certainly did not). She screamed at me that I was lieing and threatened that they were going to press charges against me. As I tried to explain myself once more and in a very fashionable manner she hung up on me. She rudely made accusations at me and then HUNG UP ON ME.
Shaken up by the matter, I immediately phoned my mother who immediatley wrote Fashion Bug a lengthy letter, expecting an immediate reply. Guess what? No reply. Nothing.
Deciding that I could not afford to ruin my credit any more than it had been by this company, I paid my bill off in full. Many months later I applied for a loan at my local bank and I was informed that because of my credit history with Fashion Bug (the only information on my credit report) I was unable to be granted the funds. I was told that I needed to establish "good credit".
I made a decision. I took my Fashion Bug charge card and I charged my limit. Then I paid the balance back at a steady pace without missing a single payment, making more than the minimum payment, as I had since learned was the best way to establish "good credt". Did that mend a hellish history with an incompetant company? Of course not.instead, nearly a year after my last balance was payed and many requests to have my account closed, I recieved a bill from Fashion Bug. It stated that I owed fifty dollars on my account and that it was passed due. You can imagine the rage.
Ironically, I had began working for a very prestigouse credit card company and I learned the ropes of the credit card business. I knew that I had the right to request a copy of my application and that I wasn't responsible for any surprise charges on my account. I was aware that I didn't have to take thier irritating harrassment. I was aware that they couldn't mess with me anymore. But that is a whole other story and I'm sure you are tired of this one by now.
I wrote this letter for all of those innocent people who have no idea what they are getting into when they hand a piece of plastic over to a clerk because they think they are getting a "discount". Credit cards aren't a bad thing. But watch out for the company who issues it. Understand what you are applying for before you sign your name in ink. It can save you a lot of grief. Just take it from a someone who has been through nearly every sort of it.
I am still struggling with Fashion Bug about the fifty dollar amount that I did not charge to my account and the hassal goes on. One thing I do have on my side is the law. I wonder how eagar they would be to explain to the legal department that they not only issued a credit card to a minor but harrassed them and ruined their credit as well. They don't waste any time causing a customer anguish and frusteration. I can honestly say that is one thing Fashion Bug is very efficient at. I would love to hear comments. Good luck to every charge card holder and happy spending to you.
Sarah
Augusta, Maine
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