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LockedToo late to opt out?

posted on November 23, 2009 at 02:20AM Inappropriate?

I was paying bills today & noticed a change on my Home Improvment Credit Card account. My interest went from 18.4 to 25.24!!!!!  I have had this account for many years & never have had a late payment & almost always pay more than the minimum. I called customer service & was told that an "insert" was sent with my statment informing me of the change & the option to opt out. I don't remember seeing anything. In most my statments from various types of accounts there are many inserts trying to get me to buy something etc. Why did they only send 1 notice? Why was nothing printed on the statment itself? There is a CARDMEMBER NEWS spot where most would look for information reguarding their account.

So, now I am stuck paying higher interest because I only discovered this today? They can't put my interest back & close my account NOW? I am being punished because people can't pay their bills & our economy is in the tank? So much for a 760+ credit score, paying my bills & doing my part. I might as well file bankruptcy on it & let them eat it. Don't tell me that there is NO way to fix this. I have worked in customer service before & know the games. Apparently anyone higher than a CSR can only be contacted by mail. Why? Maybe they are golfing in the caribbean. Like it will help having an assistant print me off a "so sorry" letter. I guess Sears has lost me as a customer, my family & every person I can tell.

Who can I call......there is always someone higer up that can satisfy a customer?

Displaying all 20 posts
posted on November 23, 2009 at 05:27AM
 

Hi TickedatSears-Welcome to MySears.  Sears is aware of the interest rate increase Citibank has imposed on their card holders.  Because of this, Sears is a offering different options to allow their customers to make purchases, that are convenient, without using a credit card:

  • The Shop Your Way Rewards Program is a huge hit, allowing for reward points to be used for future purchases.  For more information, copy and paste this link:  http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Shop+Your+Way+Rewards?keywordRedirect=shop+your+way+rewards
  • Layaway is back!  You can use the layaway benefit for most of your Sears purchases, and can even manage your account online.  Here is a link with more details:  http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Sears+Layaway?keywordRedirect=layaway

I hope you take advantage of either of these alternatives when shopping this holiday season, or in the near future!

posted on November 23, 2009 at 05:52AM
 
In response to JulieK's post from November 23 2009 05:27AM

AS IF!!!   Besides I have a HOME IMPROVMENT ACCOUNT what am I buying for christmas......siding?

 

posted on November 23, 2009 at 10:26AM
 

Someone got a Citibank link?

Or, there's that 800 number on the back of the credit card...

posted on November 23, 2009 at 10:50AM
 

Home improvement cards are not for use at stores, and pretty much any home improvement services can have no interest/no payments for 12 months.

posted on November 23, 2009 at 10:56AM
 

So... as long as the account is paid-off before the end of the promotional no interest period, the percentage rate is what SEARS will be paying for the Customer...

posted on November 23, 2009 at 11:02AM
 

If you have questions pertaining to your home improvement acct you can call the home improvement credit card services at

1-800-995-1560 (For Questions on Existing Accts 24/7)

posted on November 23, 2009 at 11:17AM
 

Hi Tickedatsears, 

Sears understands and hear your frustration. I will pass along your feedback on the statement. Sears values each of its customer, If you have further questions on the credit card, please contact the Citibank numbers listed here - http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/srs/contact_us.jsp

posted on November 26, 2009 at 12:46AM
 

C'mon, Benedict.... You know better than that old tag line. How many times are we going to witness your clueless referral to the charge card slobs who will knowingly just jerk the customer off.

A better solution... Stand up to these clowns on our behalf, and either set them straight, or find a new affinity bank to be assocaited with. These ingenuine kiss off excuses to dead end roads are a real insult to our intelligence, and you'll be called to answer to it. STOP! 

posted on November 26, 2009 at 05:24AM
 

These are all nice responces **rolls eyes** (Except for I_Hate_Citibank...I really did like yours :)  )

1. I only opened the account in 2004 to replace damaged windows in my home.

2. I called sears & citi numerous times & was told they needed to "recoup" losses from people who don't pay.

3. The opt out option was only good until oct. 31. Therefore I am too late.

4. I am not worried about ever using it again that is not my plan. If I had wanted to use it for something else I would have by now.

5. There is no issue with a "no interest, ect....plan". I never had one to begin with.

I guess this is how the "good" customers" that are always on time & have actually paid ahead get rewarded. I love how I am suppost to pay for those people that have not used their credit wisley. It's not that I can't pay my bill....it's that I can't opt out of the interest hike because the "insert" was not noticed by me & nothing was printed on the actual statment.

I do have more than this account with citi & am in the process of closing them all.

Citi & sears can kiss my "you know what".

Unsecered account that I could just "let go". However I work too hard to have good credit & find it immoral to go bankrupt with out valid reason.

I was told that the suporvisior's supervisor would call me within 48 hours.......I am still waiting.

 

 

posted on December 07, 2009 at 12:38AM
 

January 1st is the last day to opt out & avoid the $50 annual greed fee being added to your Sears Card Statement.

Or, you can let them take the $50 out of your wallet. In exchange, the account will have fantastic new perks, like access to your credit report score.

It's just a shame seeing all of these 20 - 30 year Sears Card veterans not being able to carry a Sears Mastercard in their wallet starting in 2010, unless it has the words "Sucker" written on it, because they're paying Citibank $50 to own it!

posted on December 08, 2009 at 09:22AM
 
In response to MikeMechanic's post from December 07 2009 12:38AM

Unfortunatly I don't have until Jan. my time has already passed. I also didn't have a regular charge like mastercard. It was a Sears Home Improvment card. It was only usable for windows, siding, furnaces.....

I am paying off the windows.....I no longer shop at sears no matter who's fault it is.

posted on December 08, 2009 at 10:16AM
 
In response to Tickedatsears's post from December 08 2009 09:22AM
Tickedatsears said…

Unfortunatly I don't have until Jan. my time has already passed. I also didn't have a regular charge like mastercard. It was a Sears Home Improvment card. It was only usable for windows, siding, furnaces.....

I am paying off the windows.....I no longer shop at sears no matter who's fault it is.


Have you tried contacting our Home Improvement Credit services? They deal specifically with questions relating to the home improvement card related to siding, window, doors, heating and cooling.

1-800-995-1560 (For Questions on Existing Accts 24/7) a live person answers, so no automated system.

 

posted on December 08, 2009 at 10:54AM
 

In regards to the annual fee, there isn't an across-the-board fee. I actually got a fairly clear explaination the second time I called. Long story short, they're trying to fire unprofitable customers with this fee -- those that never use the card as one example. Of course, since I rarely use the card, I should keep an eye out. But, I was told I will not have a fee added come January 1.

posted on January 12, 2010 at 12:26AM
 

Thanks again for all of that extremely helpful advise on your above post, Benedict. It sure worked for all of us like a charm (NOT!).

Sears - Home of annual greed fees.....

posted on January 13, 2010 at 07:35PM
 

Citibank - home...

posted on January 13, 2010 at 07:59PM
 

Its never too late to opt out.  You can pay the balance and cut up the card.

you can transfer the balance and cut up the card.

If you had opeted out by the deadline, they wouldnt have let you charge anything else anyway and then cancelled your account once paid offl.

posted on February 09, 2010 at 09:39PM
 
In response to JulieK's post from November 23 2009 05:27AM

LOL.  LISTEN UP, PEOPLE!  The way to "thank" Sears for what it has done for/to us is NOT to spend more.  It's to pay off your cards and walk past Sears, to the competitor with more compassion for it's customers/interest in keeping it's customers.  Sears...you will see that what you have done to your customer base is going to come back to you in lack of sales.  Americans are sick and tired of what big banks are doing to us.  WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH.  It will be bittersweet to watch Sears slowly fade into the sunset, knowing that it did not care enough about lifetime customers to ensure this did not happen to us.  We have already closed our account, and will never pass through your doors again!

posted on February 09, 2010 at 09:46PM
 
In response to brendasaves's post from February 09 2010 09:39PM

you can certainly boycott sears. but  your remark "to the competitor with more compassion for its customers/interest in keeping its customers" etc, I find that very interesting.

There are none, nada, zip, when it comes to credit lines because none of them  handle their own, however if you do know of any by all means let this forum know!

posted on February 12, 2010 at 05:49PM
 

Bocef - You're correct about the other dept. stores not handing their own revolving credit. They all outsource that to private banks. Where there's a difference, is that every single dept. store that you can name had executives smart and bright enough not to allow these private banks to tack on hefty annual greed fees to their accounts. Sears is the only store on record who missed the boat, and through their gross neglegence, has allowed their customers to be taken. Worse yet, we don't even know if the bafoon responsible for that bone head move is still on their payroll making other idiotic decisions for the company....

posted on February 15, 2010 at 02:13PM
 
In response to I-Hate-Citibank's post from February 12 2010 05:49PM

Ouch....no doubt there will be a dumping of the cards then I imagine...

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