Last November, I had the bright idea that individual computers, would be the ideal Christmas gifts for my sons. I have a Dell credit card in the amount of $1,500.00.in addition, we receive an employee discount thru a contract Dell has with my employer. At the time, Dell was advertising computers at less then $400.00 and, with my credit card, I was to have had 0" (zero) interest for 12 months. I looked carefully at my budget, what I had coming in and what was currently going out. I knew that if I made only the minimum payment, I would be indebted for ever and planned on making, if not double, at the very least larger then minimum payments in hopes of paying them off by or before the twelve month mark, using part of my tax return if I had to. I was very excited as, though they were not Top of the line and were in fact very minimally equipped, I was able to get all three computers for slightly over $1,400.00, with a payment that was to have been less then $50.00 per month. This was of course, a deal that was far, far too good to be true.
There were early red flags that I did not heed. First, the systems shipped 1 month prior to their due date but, who can complain about getting their product/order early? Then, there was the lack of an invoice, statement or bill of any sort. I, sensing foul play, immediately called Dell's Customer Service. I was told, not to worry about it, one would be there long before my first payment was due.in late December, fearing that I must have already missed a payment, I called again. I was assured that one would be there soon. I decided that I wanted to be prepared and asked the mailing address for payments to be sent as well as the account number that should accompany my payment and, the amount of the first bill. I was given the address and the account or routing number for payment and told that my first payment would be in the area of $40.00. I thought that I would simply make an early Minimum payment now and simply, always be a month ahead. I set up the on line payment thru my bank and sent $45.00 so that I should not only be early but, slightly over the minimum. About two weeks later, I received an invoice. I did not open it but, placed it in the Paid pile on my desk. A week later, while getting bills ready for the following weeks pay day, I opened the bill to determine what the actual amount of payment, near to the area of $40.00 was. I was certainly glad that I had made an early payment because the invoice showed I'd have had less then 10 days from the date I'd received it to the date the payment was due.in addition, the amount of the payment was actually $47.06 (or very near to that). I immediately set up another payment in the amount of $50.00 - unfortunately, I now had only 3 days left in which to get it in & pay day was still 5 days away. I thought nothing of being 2 days late - I assumed that payments are credited the day they are sent when using an electronic bill pay system (I only found out last month that the bank actually issues a check that has to go thru the US Mail, explaining why I was actually now more like 10days late). I was really glad again that I had made an early payment and set my calender to make regular payments there after. At some point near the end of January, I received a call from Dell informing me that I was nearly $200.00 behind in payments and they wanted their merchandise back. I was Furious!!!
I explained to the individual on the other end of the line the same set of circumstances that I just gave you. Apparently, when I paid only $45.00 rather then $47.06, I was assessed a $50.00 late fee which changed my contract from 0" interest to 29.9%, effective immediately.in addition, I was, at that time, now behind, 2 payments of, $45.06, plus interest AND, the $5.00 difference between the $50.00 late fee and my first $45.00 payment. It just kept getting better! When the interest and late fees were added, this brought my total over my Limit' of $1,500.00 and incurred an over the limit fee X 2, one for each month as well. I felt that I had very little choice, I could not just give away my children's Christmas gift. I took money from everyone else's carefully managed payment totals, creating issues with almost everyone of my other card companies. At tax time, rather then paying anyone off, I used the money to pull many of the now seriously behind smaller cards to a point where they were up to date with now minimum or less payments being made on nearly all of them. Needless to say, Dell has burned me so badly &, I am so far in debet that I may Never get out! I am now $10,000.00 behind in payments to other companies and, thanks to barely being able to make the minimum payments to Dell, Owe nearly the amount I started out with last year!
Thank you DELL for really screwing me!
Oh, and their tech support!?! Useless! Don't even go there - they just e-mail you numbers that cost you money and refer you back to their "On line" "Service (?)."
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