Me or him?

[draftermatt]

I think this fits here, I was going to post in OT, but well...

I went out yesterday morning to my favorite jewelry store to get a Valentine's Gift for my wife (it's also the anniversary of when I proposed 4 years ago).

I pick out what I want and the salesman asks me if I have an account. Now I've bought quite a few things at this store, so I thought I might have one (or at least a customer profile), turns out I didn't.

SM "Do you want to sign up for one? It's free"
Me "Well, what do you get with it"
SM "Well occasionally we offer 0% finance charges, and you'll get flyers in the mail when we have sales"

At this point his coworker hands me this months flyer and it does have a very nice sale going on next weekend on a diamond ring (which I might stop in and get for my wife as a "just because" gift).

So I say, sure let's do it.

At this point he starts asking me the questions for the app, now I knew it was a credit app, which I assumed was for the 0% financing, to see if I could get it when available, etc. To have it on file really.

The guy also was very "assuming" like Me "It's a construction company" Him "Are you a laborer?" But that didn't bother me, more like why do that?

Anyway, as I'm starting to think more about this (and look at the credit cards accept sign) I ask him how the financing works, do I have to get a credit card?

SM "Yes, you'll get a card in the mail in a few weeks"

See, I don't want a store credit card for this store, or any more stores. I have too many cards as it is, I'm canceling them one by one as stores fail, or I realize I don't use it, etc.

So I asked the guy if it would screw him up to cancel the whole thing, because I really don't want a card and I don't think I'd use it that much anyway.

So he tells me he can't cancel it, and that it's already gone through. And that I should wait until it comes in the mail and cancel it, or it'll cancel itself if I don't use it in 2 years.

I made my purchase and went home. I talked to my wife about it (because I was generally a little upset about the whole thing) and she told me I should call and tell them that I'm upset.

So I called the corporate customer service line and told them the above. The CSR asked if I wanted to file a complaint against SM and I told her no. That I just want them to know that they should really tell people an "account" gets you a store credit card. She promised to call the store manager right away.

I still don't feel right about the whole thing. Part of it was my misunderstanding, but I feel like the guy should have said "you'll get a store credit card" when he was telling me about it, so I would have said "no thank-you".

What do you think?

[Aethian]

I think your right. I thought I was signing up for a store discount card and the salesperson was really nice to me. After a bit some chick came over and whispered something to him and he got really rude. Turned out I didn't pass their check.

Now this store DID have two cards...one was a discount/purchaser type card and the other was a store credit card.

[Yurimaru]

You're definitely right... Sometimes they just don't give all the information. I was in a local music store and the clerk asked me if I wanted their Discount Card. She said it was absolutely free, exactly like the Local Grocery Card. And, I would get a percentage off my purchase, so I agreed. After she asks me all my info, and then gets thru ringing up the purchase, she hands me a wad of paperwork and says, "If you decide you want to keep the card, it's $9.95 after the first month."

WTF??? I thought she said it was free? Our Grocery cards are free, and sometimes we get discounted or sale items for being loyal customers.

We went to the Food Court and read over the paperwork... Apparently not only was the card $9.95 per month, she had also linked it to my credit card without permission. She never bothered to mention that piece of information.

And of course, when I went to immediately cancel, I had to wait a week for my "account" to show up. It was so not worth it - I would rather have paid full price...

We supposed she got some sort of employee credit for signing people up, even tho the store was going out of business, and the other branch is way too far to drive...

[bainsidhe]

I hate hate hate this kind of practice. And don't expect this card to magically cancel itself after two years. I remember signing up with Conoco for a gas discount card (yeah, I was in college and I got a free flashlight ). A short while later I received a credit card in the mail. Now they offered two types of cards. One was a credit card and one was not. I did NOT sign up for the credit card. So I was understandabley upset and immediately called to cancel. A few years later I checked my credit report and guess what was still OPEN. I called Conoco again and chewed out the CSR. I wasn't exactly rude, but I sure was angry. That's when they finally closed the account.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Gee, this kind of sales practice wouldn't be happening because of corporate suits mandating that all the peons get a certain number of applications per week/month/whatever, or else lose their jobs, would it.

Of course not. What kind of nonsense is that?