Old Navy Credit Card

[theleche]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

Ok so my brother signed up for an Old Navy credit card last year to take advantage of a discount they were offering for creating a new account. They informed him that he would receive his card and a billing statement in a few weeks. It never came. Now a year later they got a collection agency to hassle him for $300 something dollars when originally his purchase was $100 something. I'm guessing this would be from a year of interest. Now he paid them the cash and then called the credit card company to find out what happened. It turns out the address they punched in was incorrect and actually doesn't even exist. Now I know you might ask why they never called him, but they also punched in a wrong number for his social security number and his phone number, his name was the only thing they got right. They didn't bother to fix it and get in contact with him so they got a collection agency (which somehow managed to get the right number, go figure) and they called telling him he has to pay and if he won't pay another $300 will be added in a few days. The debt is paid off, but this sounds like the companies wrongdoing and not my brothers so I'm wondering if there is anything that can be done to make them return the money he paid because he is not at fault. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

Ok so my brother signed up for an Old Navy credit card last year to take advantage of a discount they were offering for creating a new account. They informed him that he would receive his card and a billing statement in a few weeks. It never came. Now a year later they got a collection agency to hassle him for $300 something dollars when originally his purchase was $100 something. I'm guessing this would be from a year of interest. Now he paid them the cash and then called the credit card company to find out what happened. It turns out the address they punched in was incorrect and actually doesn't even exist. Now I know you might ask why they never called him, but they also punched in a wrong number for his social security number and his phone number, his name was the only thing they got right. They didn't bother to fix it and get in contact with him so they got a collection agency (which somehow managed to get the right number, go figure) and they called telling him he has to pay and if he won't pay another $300 will be added in a few days. The debt is paid off, but this sounds like the companies wrongdoing and not my brothers so I'm wondering if there is anything that can be done to make them return the money he paid because he is not at fault. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

so I'm wondering if there is anything that can be done to make them return the money he paid because he is not at fault.

I guess he was asleep when he charged the stuff?

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=326569

There's a lot of that going on these days.

 

[theleche]

No sir, I clearly stated he signed up for the card while purchasing at the store. They never sent him the card or the bill in the mail as promised. I'm offended that you're assuming my brother is a dead beat who's trying to get out of paying. As soon as he found out from the collection agency that this was happening he immediately paid the money and then called to figure out the situation. What I want to know is would the next step be contacting a lawyer because I don't see how it could be his fault. Just to let you know, he filled out a paper form at the counter and afterwards (after he is gone not when he's at the counter) there is probably someone who punches in the information into a computer file. This person typed in 9816 as the house number instead of 4816 as we found out when he called the company. Like I stated before this address doesn't exist and he can't pay his bill if he doesn't get the statement.

 

[Zigner]

and he can't pay his bill if he doesn't get the statement.

Yes, he can. After about a month of wearing those spiffy new clothes, you would think a light bulb would go on over his head and he'd realize he hadn't seen the bill. Then, a simple phone call will fix it all.

 

[seniorjudge]

Yes, he can. After about a month of wearing those spiffy new clothes, you would think a light bulb would go on over his head and he'd realize he hadn't seen the bill. Then, a simple phone call will fix it all.

I'm offended that you're assuming her brother is a dead beat who's trying to get out of paying.

 

[mb94]

The problem that you have is that your brother knew, or should have known, that there was this credit out there collecting interest since he knew he owed the money and didn't pay it. Did he think that the credit card fairy decided to pay off his bill? The reasonable thing to have done was call up after the bill didn't arrive and find out what was up.

 

[theleche]

Ok I just talked to him. First off he didn't have any number from them that he could call. Old Navy didn't have a number they could give him because the credit card is run by some other company. He got a number from my mom who also has an Old Navy credit card after the collection agency called him last night. How can you defend a company that won't make an effort to even contact him when the collection agency easily got the number right?

 

[Zigner]

I'm offended that you're assuming her brother is a dead beat who's trying to get out of paying.

I'm sorry that I assumed that. I'm sure he's an upstanding person who always pays every bill on time

 

[You Are Guilty]

Ok I just talked to him. First off he didn't have any number from them that he could call. Old Navy didn't have a number they could give him because the credit card is run by some other company. He got a number from my mom who also has an Old Navy credit card after the collection agency called him last night. How can you defend a company that won't make an effort to even contact him when the collection agency easily got the number right?

Quite simply. They are under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to provide bills to the card users. All CC companiers do so as a matter of courtesy, but are not required to. The law says the user is responsible for making timely payments whether they receive a bill or not.

And in this day and age of the internet, to claim he couldn't find a phone number to contact them is simply astounding.

 

[theleche]

So basically your saying there's nothing he can do. Great thank you that's all I needed was a straight answer. And yes he does pay all his bill's on time, he's in college so he has one credit card just to build a good line of credit and he uses it for small purchases like food and pays it on time in full. I'm sure you get people on here trying to get out of something, but that's pretty pathetic to assume everyone is like that. I avoid credit cards all together, and I know this will be a good lesson for him to verify everything immediately, but I guess legally you can get away with screwing people over that don't always use common sense. Go figure

 

[Zigner]

The credit card company expects to be paid. You claim that they are somehow "screwing" someone.
Right.....

 

[theleche]

Not giving a person contact info in order to send a payment and then waiting a year for interest to build up before you take any action to get paid is basically screwing someone over.

 

[moburkes]

Not giving a person contact info in order to send a payment and then waiting a year for interest to build up before you take any action to get paid is basically screwing someone over.

Every time I've filled out a credit application at a store, it was as part of a brochure. The store rep tore out the application part, and handed me back my part to keep. On my part, there was contact information. I'm sure your brother didn't receive this either, since he was so innocent.

People make mistakes. Things happen. But he was not innocent in the matter.

 

[weenor]

Not giving a person contact info in order to send a payment and then waiting a year for interest to build up before you take any action to get paid is basically screwing someone over.

NO its not because it was his responsibility to contact them as soon as possible-by going into the store, by phone, etc....there are no excuses as to why he did not pay the debt he VOLUNTARILY incurred.

 

[theleche]

I don't know if he got any information and yes I realize he screwed up, I've already told him to double check in a week to make sure they in fact cancelled his card. I'm just trying to be a good brother and help him learn so he doesn't do this again in the future when it might have a serious impact on his financial situation. Thanks for all your help.