FUN! DiscoverCard charging for some bullsh|t protection service

[Kanalua]

I was paying off my monthly DiscoverCard payment and "discovered" that there was a "fee" charged for this month to the tune of about half of my minimum payment amount. Odd...no "fees" on last months statement.

I check what the fee was for, and it is for something called a "Payment Protection Program"...funny...never agreed to that (yes, I read the fine print in any transactions I do, and I haven't done anything in the last month with Discover...and this wasn't in any of the Terms and Conditions for last months statement). I call the number for their "24-hour" customer service line to inquire...and it's closed, apparently Discover considers 24-hours to mean between 8 am and 8 pm Eastern.

I google Payment Protection Program and find this: Suit Takes Aim at Discover’s Payment Protection Program

highlight from the article:

Even if you tell them you are not interested, they turn around and say ‘Let me send you more information’ and then basically disregard your rejection and enroll you unilaterally

I haven't talked to anyone at Discover...now I know what I will be doing in the morning...

More links:
Consumerist
Rip-off report

Cliffs:
- Discover signed me up and charged me for a program I never gave permission for.
- Seems like I'm not the only one.

 

[AndroidVageta]

Dude...sue get millions take it all out in cash ditch Discover card.

/thread

 

[dfuze]

Wonder if it's one of those, "we are starting a great service but you have to opt out" kind of crap

 

[Double Trouble]

Gotcha business rears it's ugly head. More and more businesses have decided that the path to profits is not by producing a good product or service, but rather by sneaking in as many fees and "gotcha's" as you can to screw the customer....

 

[jamesbond007]

Wow, that is really low for a company like Discover. I just checked my online statement to ensure that I was not charged for anything erroneous and it looks like I'm in the clear, but I will certainly keep an eye out. I don't use my Discover too often, but I can't imagine how many people they are dinging with this 'service' who pay just the monthly minimums and carry large balances, making such a charge go un-noticed.

 

[nerp]

Did you deposit one of those $5 or $10 checks they mail you now and then? If you read them closely you automatically consent to enrolling in such programs. You might have just been sloppy with your paperwork, my friend.

 

[amdhunter]

Chase did that to me. The fee's like $1.00 a month since I don't carry a balance, so I left it alone. I'd be pissed if I had thousands in debt though.

 

[Bignate603]

And I thought Citibank was bad.

 

[mmntech]

Wow. Someone actually uses DisoverCard? I though they were just a legend.

 

[Furyline]

I hate activating new credit cards, because every time, the person on the other end is trying to push me into some payment protection or identity monitor fee bonanza. I end up being mean to some poor guy in a call center to refuse the service, but it seems like it's the only way to get them to stop and just activate the card. It's like calling up a telemarketer that you can't hang up on.

 

[CRXican]

I hate activating new credit cards, because every time, the person on the other end is trying to push me into some payment protection or identity monitor fee bonanza. I end up being mean to some poor guy in a call center to refuse the service, but it seems like it's the only way to get them to stop and just activate the card. It's like calling up a telemarketer that you can't hang up on.

This happened to me with Citi recently, the female reps voice was so charming after refusing once she just kept talking and I gave in. I don't think she ever sent the stuff.

 

[Demo24]

Happened to me as well, apparently listening to them signs you up. I bitched to someone and they took off the charges and nothing has shown up since.

 

[Kanalua]

"Opt out" service from a "third party" vendor. Lady I spoke to was nice and helpful. The thing I hate is that they have a 30 day money back period, but once the fee shows up on your statement, the 30 days are up! She was "nice enough" to put a courtesy one month fee reversal in for my account and canceled our enrollment.

 

[sourceninja]

I actually closed my discover card because they wouldn't stop calling me for that service. I told them no about 5 times. On that 5th time I told them that if they called back I would cancel my card. About 2 weeks later they called and I told the guy I was going to cancel my card. He said he couldn't cancel it because he was not actually working for discover. So I hung up with him and called Discover and canceled my card.

I don't want to do business with a company that spams me.

 

[MotF Bane]

"Opt out" service from a "third party" vendor. Lady I spoke to was nice and helpful. The thing I hate is that they have a 30 day money back period, but once the fee shows up on your statement, the 30 days are up! She was "nice enough" to put a courtesy one month fee reversal in for my account and canceled our enrollment.

That's charming.