Just something for all consumers to be aware of...
A single purchase was made using our Jared's card. We anticipated paying the entire balance when we received the bill so I kept the receipt and wrote out a check ahead of time for $263.72 (the exact amount of the purchase). When we received the bill the "New Balance" showed $266.31. This included a finance charge of $2.59!!
Perplexed, I reviewed the "avoiding finance charge" section on the back of the bill. Here it states "To avoid additional Finance Charges, we must receive your payment of the full amount due (the "New Balance") with in 25 days... From this discription I understood there to be a 25 day grace period, but because it was still unclear, and because the bill made it look like I owed $2.59 in charges.
I called Jared (1-800-745-3102) and spoke with a customer service rep. She informed me that the finance charge is "added to the bill before it's due, but as long as you pay the "purchase price" by the date of the bill you would not be subject to pay any finance charges.
I understood the explanation, and did not fall victum to paying more than I truely owed. However, I believe this billing practice to be unethical. The average consumer may not question the "new balance" amount and would end up paying finace charges they didn't owe!!!
0 comments