A Response From GE Capital
This response to my original letter came in two parts, the first an unsigned, error-riddled missive from an unknown service representative. It is fortunate for them (and not out of character) that the second letter arrived first.
January 21, 2003
Dear Mr. LeCour:
Thank you for your inquiry of January 15, 2003, concerning Mrs. Care Credit account.
Unfortunately, we are unable to address your concerns concerning her account, since you are not a signer on the account. The account is an individual account in Kimberly LeCour name only.
In order for the concerns to be address, Mrs. LeCour will need to contact our customer service number listed at the bottom of this letter, or correspond with us by letter.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-333-1071.
Sincerely,
Correspondence
Fortunately, they redeemed themselves later in a three-page, comma-happy letter, a second response that I doubt I would have received had I not copied the original letter to Jeffrey Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of General Electric. Information which was duplicated from my original (and also lengthy) letter is omitted here for the purpose of brevity.
January 30, 2003
Dear Ms. LeCour:
I am in receipt of a letter dated January 8, 2003, from Richard D. LeCour, which was forwarded by GE Capital Consumer Relations, and received in our office on January 27, 2003. Mr. LeCour’s letter concerned your CareCredit account, for which GE Capital Consumer Card Company, (GECCCC), is the credit provider. I appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns outlined in the letter.
GECCCC is bound by state and federal legislation regarding the release of sensitive information on the accounts we service. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide Mr. LeCour with a response, or with documentation, since this account is listed in your name only. We apologize; however, since you have provided us with a verbal authorization to speak with Mr. LeCour concerning your balance, we are unable to address our response to him; therefore, we are directing our response directly to you.
Please accept our sincere apology for any unprofessional treatment extended by our representatives. Customer service and satisfaction are a very integral part of our business, and our representatives are trained to provide that type of quality in the services they render. We sincerely appreciate that you shared your experiences, so that we may evaluate and explore other options, in order to provide our customers’ with a consistent high quality of service, that you, the consumer, expect and deserve.
CareCredit offers promotions that are interest free if repaid before the promotional period expires. Minimum monthly payments are required during the promotional period and finance charges are accrued, but deferred. If the promotion expires, all deferred finance charges, plus any remaining unpaid balance, are posted to the acount’s regular balance. This information is included on each monthly billing statement.
We apologize if there was a delay in receiving [the March 4, 2002] statement; however, our records indicate there was no postal issue, and the statement was sent to your billing address the first week of March 2002.
Whenever the minimum monthly payment indicated on the monthly billing statement, is not provided by the due date, a late payment totaling $29.00 is assessed to the account. This fee and additional terms and conditions governing the account were outlined in the Cardholder Agreement, which is attached to the credit application and sent with the credit card soon after an account is opened.
It is the policy of GECCCC to collect on a past due account. Our employees are trained to perform their duties in the highest standard and in full compliance with applicable law and policies. We sincerely apologize if our effort to collect on a valid debt was perceived as rude; however the notes on your account document that the telephone call completed on Sunday, September 8, 2002, at 11:32, (EST), which would have been 8:32, (PST), and is within compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act.
Please be advised, GECCCC, the credit provider on the account, is permitted by Ohio and federal law, to access late payment fees and finance charges on a revolving credit account, as long as such charges are assessed in accordance with the terms of the credit agreement.
We apologize if there was a misunderstanding regarding the regular purchases or the promotional agreements and time frames. We also apologize if there was a misunderstanding concerning the terms and conditions governing the account; however, the information was provided in an appropriate and timely manner. Had payment been received within the promotional time frames, there would have been no deferred finance charges to the balance of the account.
You are considered as a valued customer, and I would like to personally apologize for any unprofessional treatment rendered by our customer service representatives. Since the account balance was paid 23 days after the expiration date for two of the promotions, we have credited the remaining account balance.
These credits will be reported on the next monthly billing statement, which will conclude on February 4, 2003.
In addition, we have removed the delinquencies from the account history and this updated information will be included in our next monthly reporting to the credit bureaus.
As documentation of the preceding information, please find the Optional Finance Plan, the Cardholder Agreement, and the monthly billing statements. In addition we have included the authorization and estimate, and the itemized transactions completed at the Regents of UC Davis that were subsequently billed to the account.
Our representatives have tried to explain the situation on numerous occasions, and we apologize they were unable to provide you with an adequate explanation, and regret the situation was not handled in a more professional matter. We hope the preceding information clarifies this matter to your satisfaction.
If there are additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Robyn Rountree
For GE Capital Consumer Card Company
The fact is not lost on me that her letter was ALSO copied to Jeffrey Immelt; appease the customer, suck up to the big guy, and attempt to save face. Under the assumption that the February statement arrives with the expected credits (if it arrives at all!), I guess I’ll drop the matter of the $1.55, the skirmish, battle, campaign, and the entire war won…
I am a retired registered nurse, mother of a physician/surgeon and still active advocate for the elderly and handicapped. My experience with GE is a horror story and the reason a health professional should never offer Care Credit to his patients - because - as many of us have found, GE performs like an agency to whom an account is sold for collection. When a surgeon is paid in advance by an agency that deals with a heavy hand, he may thumb his nose at medical ethics without fear of financial aftermath. He may schedule elective surgery like implants after cataract surgery so prolifically as to have no time for aftercare when a patient suffers excruciating pain – as I did – with abrasions from too hasty pre-op preparation – while the surgeon’s receptionists insist that direct contact with the doctor on the day of surgery “is not a part of the process”.
The day after the surgery, during a tightly scheduled meeting with this surgeon, he verbally assaulted me for “abusing his staff with my frequent calls”. He then called the office manager in to witness that he was “putting me out of his practice”. He did this so loud; so violently that my blood
pressure spiked from normal range, 120/80, to 178/92 where it has continued to hover for almost three months, reaching as high as 191/91 just last week. (At 78, had I not been in excellent health, the surgeon’s attack could have resulted in cardiac failure. It now appears that I’ll be taking medication for hypertension for the rest of my life.)
Yes, I know how to deal with it while being threatened with legal action by GE. But how many seniors like myself are up to the challenge – especially when the complaint form deals only with merchants’ charges for goods or services, or with fouled orders? I have filed grievance with Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licencing and with the American Medical Association. But what if I’m dead and buried before they respond? How many seniors will continue to be victimized by these few unethical gatherers of instant wealth, thanks to GE Care Credit?
Comments on the above are invited — J.V.H.
I just found out that GE has changed the billing cycle. We bought two products on the card, total should have been $69. The dealer said it was GE’s fault, GE says it was the dealers fault. The bikes were split into two purches 10 days apart. that means $69 apeice. I am on a fixed income so working things out prior to buying is important. GE or EXTREME POWER SPORTS in Powhaten point, Ohio refused to help. I told them I would return the products, and they said I would only be given used price for them even though only 2 weeks old and never driven NOT 1 mile. Decided to keep them and find ways to pay extra cost. Now since October 2005, GE changes the billing cycle to the 29 instead of the 4. My finances do not come untill the 3. Now my bill is late, $35 late fee added on comes to $198 that is a far cry from $69. Called GE and they say “We changed everyone’s fixed billing cycle”. They say they can not do anything because of the program, I say anyone who knows anything about a computer can do something. Not the data entry people they use, but a true IT person. With this new “billing cycle” if they do it to 100,00 people that is $350,000. And I thought there was no way to make money anymore, oh wait loan sharking is legal right? just wondering if this happened to anyone else who would want to speak up. Sounds like we might have legal action if more come forward.
They credit my last payment 14 days late, then came back and charge me $500.00 for “defered interest” charges. Any idea how I can fight this? Thanks. My email address is BOLSITE@AOL.COM
I bought a camera at Brandsmart USA using their credit card which is issued by GECCC. I returned it 5 days later for a full refund. For whatever reason, GECCC has continued billing me for the camera and has doubled the price with added late fees and interest since I refuse to pay.
Neither the store nor GECCC was interested in trying to communicate with each other to see where the problem is. GECCC customer service is crude and rude and basically nothing more than a bunch of collection agents. One of their managers had me fax in a copy of the return receipt which I did. Of course she never got it. So I refaxed it. Next time I talked to her she accused me of forging the receipt and demanded I mail them the original. Yeah right! That would be the last time I ever saw it and my proof would go poof.
Brandsmart has basically invited me to sue them. I hate the thought of having to do this but it appears to be the only way to get my credit restored. My thought is to name both GECCC and Brandsmart as defendants.
Any thoughts, advice out there?
If anyone has process of service information for GE Capital I would sincerely appreciate it.
Please send to: grub4u@adelphia.net
I too am in the same boat with these crooks as you all. I’m continuing to make the minimum payments on a Balance that has already been paid in full.
Since they leave me no choice but to make these deferred finance payments even though they got a check for the full balance I’m filing a small courts claim in the County I live.
Rusty G: I’m continuing to make the minimum payments on a Balance that has already been paid in full. Since they leave me no choice but to make these deferred finance payments even though they got a check for the full balance
What do you mean they leave you no choice? You could stop making payments you don’t owe.
I wouldn’t make payments to anyone I don’t own money to. Once they have your money, why should they pay any attention to you? Far, far better to keep your money in your own hands, under your own control. ONce you give it to them you not only have to convince them they are wrong, you then have to get them to give the money back!
I’ve had many credit card companies claim I still owed them (because they were still billing me for an amount which I had disputed, because they hadn’t yet credited the payment I sent them, whatever). And without exception I’ve never had to give them money that I didn’t agree I owed.
I send them a clear, concise letter saying why they are wrong and warning them not to even dream about upsetting my credit rating. If they send me a second notice I call them on the phone, read them my letter, and tell them I had better never hear from them again about the matter. I ask to get transferred to a supervisor the instant the person I’m talking with becomes unhelpful.
So far, has worked all but once. That time (after being told everything would be fixed to my satisfaction) I got a letter from a collection agency some months later. I called the collection agency, told them I didn’t owe the money, faxed them a copy of my original letter, warned them again that they better not touch my credit rating, and never heard about the matter again.
I’m convinced the credit card companies (and collection agencies) are counting on people to just cave and, you know, stupidly just keep sending them money anyway.
I have just got of the GE/ Care Credit lack of customer service phone call, then decided to search the web to see if anyone else was treated rudely by thier customer service representatives. I see that I am not the only one that they have pìššëd off. You know I asked the person I just talked to who her manager was and she said her manager was an address???? then got all shirty when I asked for her oporator number. Sorry but in NORMAL situations I would never call people names but after trying to get help from these morons and ending up in tears because they treat you like you are a child I decided well if they are gonna treat me like a child then ill act like one. I did call them names. And it sure made me feel better!!!
and my GE account is called “Care Credit” at 28.8% interest rate…mwahhhhaaaahaaa what a joke, I hope these báštárdš all get a nasty case of incurable crotch itch that never heals!!! Care credit my ášš…..
I was shocked to see that you too, have a phoney account in the name of GE Capital, Lowes. My husband and I paid all of our debts after the sale of our home. Two months later we started getting letters from this company stating that we have an overdue account with them for Lowe’s. We don’t even have a Lowe’s in our town! Within the past three months we have been recieving mail from an attorney for the collection of the account with GE Capitol, Lowes. I thought we had forgot to pay someone off until I saw the words Lowes on the information regarding the account we were being “hunted down” for. According to them we owe $1500.00! I wonder how many people in our situation, with several credit accounts, pay these people money they really didn’t owe in an attempt to pay everyone off and wipe the slate clean? I know that’s what we were doing, but these people won’t get a dime from us! I’m just glad I saw the letter from the attorney before my husband tried to send them a check!
You stated on a previous comment that the Federal Trade Commission had to see a pattern before charges would ever be filed. We’ll tomorrow they will be getting a call from me. I don’t know if you have had any other comments on this with a phoney Lowe’s account, but it would be nice to here from you to find out
If there are enough of us, I’m sure we can rally together to get something done!!!!! That’s what it’s about !! Standing up for our rights as consumers!!
Love to here from you
Jenn
I didn’t bother talking to GE Capital since they were not responsive. I instead went to my Dentist that gave my wife the stupid contract and let them have it. They called GE credit and the thing was fixed immediately. The medical practitioner and GE Credit both make money off of the deal and the two money makers are usually willing to fix a problem when it starts to impact them personally, for example a threat to report the Dentist on local practitioner lists etc.