Ah help - I'm being harassed by GE Money!

[One-Fang]

Anyone else find them the most incompetent finance people on the planet? I'd ditch their card but it's very handy.

So about 6 weeks ago I decide to pay off the card, except for the single delayed-payment large purchase on it that's not due yet. So I call and ask for a payout figure, and pay it by internet banking 5 minutes later.

Two weeks later a bill arrives, with $13.91 in interest applied. Heck what now? A payout figure is supposed to calculate interest up till today, there should be no interest due.

Due to general laziness and incompetence, I simply don't pay it. I keep meaning to ring them and challenge it, but don't get around to it for a few weeks, till they ring me - "Where is our $13.91 ma'am?"

So I explain I don't think I should be charged it due to requesting a payout figure. The call centre rep looks into it, agrees, and assures me it'll be wiped from the bill.

End of story ... one would hope.

So about a week later another rep calls, "Where is our $12.91 ma'am?" (Yes, the figure changed, don't ask me why???)

So again I explain that it was an incorrectly applied fee. Apparently there's some kind of late fee applied on the amount now, too. After a bit of roundabout and checking into the account, the rep agrees both are to be wiped, I don't owe anything. I ask "Can I have this in writing please" due to it being the second phone call on it. He says sure.

Two days later the phone rings ... can we guess who, dear reader?

"Where is our $12.91 ma'am?"

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

So basically I let this one have it. No swearing, but in a firm voice I explain that I've already dealt with TWO call centre reps who have both assured me this charge should never have been applied and will be removed, that it is NOT to show on my account, and that I will NOT pay it, and I say "DO NOT CALL ME ABOUT THIS AGAIN" and hang up on him.

Two seconds later the phone rings. I answer with "This better be your supervisor".

No, it's him again, he's trying to explain the charges or something. I interrupt every attempt of his to speak with "I want to speak to your supervisor" .... "I want to speak to your supervisor" .... "I want to speak to your supervisor". He hangs up on me.

I try to call their call centre, but apparently, being a Saturday, I'm outside their regular hours (gee, these foreign call centre folks are soo good to be working outside usual hours - putting in for overtime? )

So uh ... what next? I'm wondering if he's going to pass this bill to a collections agency. Without the written assurance it's going to be wiped that call centre rep #2 promised me, I have only phone calls to back up what I said. Both of the first reps started with "This call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes" so maybe they can be pulled, I dunno.

Any ideas for ending this properly? Incompetent bunch of f-wits that thay are.

[lordlundar]

Standard procedure if they phone again:

1. Get their name and write it down.
2. Get a corporate contact number.
3. Calmly explain the situation.
3. Request for the supervisor.
4. Repeat 3 once if they try to dodge it or refuse.
5. If still unsuccessful, remind them that at the very least they will be risking their job in their refusal and hanging up will essentially ensure their job loss.

At this stage, they will either make the transfer or hang up. Just remember that you have their name, the time the call came in, and the corporate number. If it's a lazy supervisor (dictates never to transfer calls to him/her) they get a LOT of explaining to do to their bosses.

[One-Fang]

Thanks, I'll try that. It is sometimes difficult to catch their name though. Through the heavy accent I have a hard enough time with "I'm calling about your debt" etc. I'll make sure I ask and get them to spell it if I don't hear it clearly. That'll freak them out... hehehe.

[lupo pazzesco]

Weird. When I worked as a telemarketer, we were required to give our name. ID number if pressed, never last name. And when a supe is requested, that's it. All bets are off. Put them on hold, and flag down a floor leader.

I hate when they get nasty like that. I've had it happen a time or two with my Wal-mart CC. After Ike, I ran it up replacing lost stuffs. And because I was out of work for so long, I couldn't pay all of it off, and only made half the minimum payment. Kept getting calls and calls and calls.

When I finally got through to a supervisor, I very calmly explained that since A) A hurricaine had just blown through my town and B)i hadn't worked for almost 2 weeks, I literally had no money. I then politely queried where he would like me to pull said funds from.

'Twas an amusing call.

Eh, sorry for the thread drift. Back OT? I second everything lordlundar said. That, and if you can't get written confirmation from the call center rep, see if your phone company can get you the call logs for dates and times when they called you. That way if it does escalate to corporate and calls ARE recorded, you can helpfully point out the exact times and dates they need to pull to hear what happened.

[lordlundar]

That'll freak them out... hehehe.

Believe it or not, that's the general idea. They rely on people not being able to report them to keep their jobs. With them knowing you have their name and a corporate contact number, they know they are screwed if they try something stupid.

Of course, I don't say to use it as a bluff. If they try something, use the info.

[Dips]

Put it in writing...

That is, write a letter disputing the charges. Provide times and dates of all phone calls, copies of any paperwork (such as printouts of the web page showing the zero balance at payoff), the names of those you spoke with and what was said.

I know you are not in the US, but we have laws protecting consumers from attempts to collect a bill while it is in dispute as long as you dispute it IN WRITING within a certain number of days.

That may not be the case in New Zealand, nor may they agree that you don't owe the money, but the written record will come in handy should this end up on your credit report because you don't pay it. The bad mark shouldn't affect your ability to get a loan, if you can show the lender the evidence that you tried in good faith to settle the dispute and have written proof that you didn't actually owe that money.

Phone calls are fine, but I always follow up with a certified letter. I have found that they get results.

[Seshat]

Complaining without being Sucky

[One-Fang]

Unfortunately, as I assumed each interaction was the last of it, I don't know the exact dates, let alone times.

The payment of the pay-off figure is no problem. I've kept the statement after that, where they show the payoff figure, then $13.91 in interest applied about two weeks later.

I'm going to call their call centre number on Tuesday morning, ask for a sup', get a name and address, and post all this to them.