Yep, however you might want to make sure and wait for someone else to confirm this as I am on the fence. Better yet, why don't you email the Discover Card guys because they can give you help better...

LMAO!.

Thanks for the info on gold/platinum status. I thought it was limit-based, not purchase-based...

I went platinum last year. This year I'd say I won't have the spend profile for platinum, so they will issue a red or gold instead... In other words you don't get to keep your new status going forward if you don't meet the spend profile requirements the following year too, spending is calculated year by year as to which you qualify for... just FYI.

OP it sucks that they failed to properly notify you about something that affects your cbr, like a new acct! I am glad you aren't at a point where this could have messed with your mortgage process, etc..

This post has been edited by savetherobots: 14 January 2010 - 09:42 AM..

This definitely sounds like a lack (on purpose possibly) of communication by the sales associate. The jewelry departments are now owned by Macys. If you want to get into it I would go ask for the manager of that department and complain. Reason being is that when the sales associate calls us they will call and say I have a customer wanting to set up a jewelry account for $XXX. We say, OK. Then speak to the customer to verify the info needed and set up the account.



And yes, as already mentioned the color of your card is completely dependant on amount spent and not credit line. I have a 7k GL and only a red level card. Not that it matter because employees do not get the beneifits of having the higher level cards that customers do..

Just keep in mind. Store associates have virtually no credit training. Thats what were here for. But still, this was a lack of communication on the store associates part. But yeah, without the type 40 jewelry account you would not get the interest free. Just make sure you pay it off in time!!..

I opened my acct back in 2007 and was provided the literature that stipulated the differences Revolving acct and Major Purchase (Club accts). The stores in my area (Mphs, TN) even have the display placards that reflect the same info. The sales circulars/ catalogs have it listed in fine print so the associate could have assumed that you were aware of the account...

Do you have to request the card upgrade to gold/platinum status? Last year I spent around 3k and card never changed....

Sorry about the trouble OP, the CSR should have told you they were opening a jewelry account...

If you call in your upgrade request it can speed up the process considerably, especially if they've somehow overlooked issuing the upgrade which eventually should come automatically.

I didn't wait, I called the minute I went over 1k because I had good use the 12 free services for the year and actually saved quite a bit on alterations by doing so...

BubbaG will be here any minute and s/he can give you the best and correct answer..

BubbaG hasn't posted in quite a while, appears to be MIA.

Hope he comes back soon..

Taylinth is also a Macy's insider and Bubba hasn't made an appearance since September..

That's what I get for being MIA myself for a while now. I'll have to keep robot saver in mind as our macys connection..

Imagine my surprise reading this about the red card. My limit was 15K and my purchase amount was 12K and my card was decidedly red. Hmmmmmm. At least it stood out among the silver, gold and black cards next to it in my wallet. I sure miss my great credit and score. Not to mention sound sleep...

Jcpenny has the same exact thing there.. now If I were you I would call, complain, and make sure they credit you the money you had to pay for services that were supposed to be free for you, if not tell them you will never shop there again, if all else fails, ask to speak to a supervisor!..

I would have returned the $1K+ necklace and told the salesperson the reason why is poor customer service by the gift wrapping department. There are stores out there with better customer service...

That is Macy's problem. Other stores have no problem giving 0% interest on a big purchase without the need to open a new account..

Does Macy's age the new installment account to match the older store account, so there is no negative hit in average age of accounts?..

I think everything is fine..

You would take a larger fico hit from a new revolving bal than the new installment account..

I would let this one go...

I did take a hit on my CS fakos, as they reported new with no age..

I didn't see any signs or bother to read the fine print saying they would open a new account for the purchase. I guess I'm just used to every other store just throwing it on your regular store account and giving you the 0%. Seems retarded to me..

I don't want to lose the 0% offer, so I guess I'll just leave it alone..

I called yesterday and my Platinum card will be on it's way...

Same thing happened to me a JCPennys as well, I called and they transferred the balance..

Threaten to sue Macy's. The law is a $1000 fine for any wrong information reported. You never applied for a NEW account. They told you that you were getting 0% APR on your store account for the large purchase like many other stores offer.

You could lose thousands of dollars if your FICO score dropped and you plan on buying a house or car soon. Fico drop = 1% higher interest on a mortgage could be $100+ per month X 12 months X 30 years. Do the math.

Macy's is shady. There are at least 3 other recent reports this month about people at CB getting screwed over by Macy's. People with 700+ FICO scores. Macy's does not care. They only want the quick sale..

This new account could hurt you more than you will ever dream. If you pay off the account in 1 year and it is closed, you will have a 1 year old account dragging down your scores for the next decade by keeping average age low. This is probably not an account you can charge a stick of gum to every year to keep it open and help your score. Macy's will want you to buy something expensive to keep this account open...

At least 1 of the cases your speaking of with ficos over 700 is the same ive commented on several times. FICO alone does not a good credit profile make. That particualr person has MULTIPLE baddies on their CR. Paid off or not, the history is there that he/she defaulted..

This person can attempt to sue if they like but it's not required that they sign for any new account. Im not a lawyer but it's covered in the TOS they DID sign (in store or electronicly) when the account was first opened... Macys is not perfect, not even close, but I think before you guys (you and at least the 1 other) make a lot of your assumptions you should try working for a Discover card company, more specificaly a Department store that does it's own credit..

If something it wrong with how things are done, or in my opinion are done poorly Ill be the first to call it out. Such as the few instances where it truely sounds like bad customer service. IE: rude store associate or credit associate... But most of what you guys are complaining about has no real foundation to stand on....

And one question... Did you read the entire TOS for lets just say Macys?.

This post has been edited by Taylinth: 15 January 2010 - 02:18 PM..

What TOS gives a creditor the right to open new accounts without the applicants consent and knowledge?.

This post has been edited by wantobuyacar: 15 January 2010 - 02:45 PM..

Please read the 4th and 5th paragraph of the following post.. In fact read the whole thing...... But seriously, it's not like it's hidden. Took me about 60 seconds to find it and that was by reading from the start!....

Summary, a new accout type is an extenstion of credit. "We report each Account Type you request on your Account separately to the credit bureaus".

This post has been edited by Taylinth: 15 January 2010 - 03:18 PM..

(DSNBCOMTC1109MACYS).

TERMS, CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY.

The Macy's Discover card is issued by Department Stores National Bank ("DSNB"). Subject to credit approval. The new account discount (the "Discount") is valid on merchandise purchases made at Macy's the day you are approved and the following day and charged on your new Macy's Account. The Discount cannot be combined with other discount offers except where indicated and it may not be applied to previous purchases. The Discount does not apply to services, certain licensed departments and Gift Cards. On furniture, mattresses and floor covering, the Discount savings is limited to $100 in each department.

Employees of Macy's, Inc. are not eligible. The Discount percentage may differ on store purchases. For your convenience and record keeping, the Discount will appear on your statement. It will not appear on your register receipts or during checkout on macys.com.

NOTICES TO Discover card APPLICANT(S).

Federal and state laws require the following notices:.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT-To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you.

The applicant, if married, may apply for a separate account. After credit approval, each applicant shall have the right to use this Account to the extent of any credit limit set by the creditor and each applicant may be liable for all amounts of credit extended under this Account to any joint applicant.

You give us permission to investigate your credit history by obtaining consumer reports and by making direct inquiries of businesses where you have accounts and where you work. We may request a consumer report from consumer reporting agencies in considering your application for this Account and later in connection with an update, renewal, extension of credit, or in connection with the collection of this Account. Upon your request, we will tell you whether or not a consumer report was requested and the name and address of any consumer reporting agency that furnished the report. You also authorize us to report your performance under this Agreement to credit bureaus and others who may properly receive such information.

We report each Account Type you request on your Account separately to the credit bureaus, which would cause you to have an entry on your credit report for each Account Type. These include charges you make at Macy's on a Revolving, Major Purchase or Club Account. If you also have a Visa Account, it reports separately to the credit bureaus.

By submitting a credit application you acknowledge and agree that the information in your application, as well as any updates to that information, will be provided to DSNB, Macy's, Inc. and their affiliates. If you choose to provide your e-mail address then you authorize Macy's to e-mail you information about upcoming promotions, sales, special events and other offers.

You need not accept the Discover card or pay any fee unless you use the card or have already used the Account.

For important information about your rights regarding our sharing of information about you, see the DSNB Privacy Policy below.

To find out about changes in the information in this application, write to us at P.O. Box 8051, Mason, OH 45040.

IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT STORES NATIONAL BANK Discover card TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND PRIVACY POLICY.

Complete Terms and Account Agreement will be sent with your new Credit Card. To find out about changes in the information in this application, write to us at P.O. Box 8051, Mason, Ohio 45040.

This Account Agreement contains the payment and credit terms for the Revolving Account, Major Purchase Account ("MPA") and Club Account. Please note that some of the terms differ depending on the account type.

In this Department Stores National Bank ("DSNB") Discover card Agreement ("Agreement"), the words "you" and "your" mean any person who has requested and is issued a DSNB Discover card ("credit card"), or is authorized to use the DSNB Credit Account ("Account"), that is established at your request, the terms of which appear in this Agreement. The words "we", "us" and "our" mean Department Stores National Bank, 701 E 60th St. N, Sioux Falls, SD 57117, and any person to whom this Agreement or the indebtedness created under this Agreement may be assigned.

1. Use of Your Account and Card: Your Account and Card may only be used to purchase goods and services for personal, family and household use.

2. Promise to Pay: In return for extending credit to you on this Account from time to time, you promise to pay us for purchases that you make on this Account from time to time at retailers authorized to accept our credit card. You also promise to pay us all other charges mentioned below, according to the terms of this Agreement.

3. Types of Charges: There are three types of charges ("Account Type") under your Account: Revolving charges, Major Purchase Account charges and Club charges. You may make a Revolving charge for any merchandise or service offered by retailers authorized to accept our Discover card without any minimum purchase requirements. You may make a Major Purchase charge for qualifying purchases in certain designated categories, subject to a minimum purchase requirement. You may make a Club charge for selected merchandise, as permitted by us, subject to a minimum purchase requirement. Your desire to charge purchases to your Major Purchase or Club Account must be indicated at the time of purchase.

4. No Interest Charge Feature (Club Account): No Interest Charge will be assessed on your Club Account as long as you do not make a late payment; otherwise, we may begin to assess Interest Charges as calculated in Section 7 after any notice required by law.

5. paying (with Discover card) Interest on the Revolving Account: We will begin charging interest on purchases on your Revolving Account Type on the transaction date. However, during a billing period in which your Revolving Account either (a) has no Previous Balance shown on your Statement or ( the sum of payments and credits (excluding credits for returns of purchases made during the current billing period), as reflected on your Statement, is at least equal to the Previous Balance, then if you pay your New Purchase Balance on your Revolving Account on that Statement, we will refund the Initial Interest Charge on your next Statement.

Notwithstanding the above, we will not apply an Interest Charge on your Revolving Account in accordance with the preceding paragraph in those billing periods where: (a) the New Balance on your Revolving Account has been greater than $5.00 in at least two of the past twelve billing periods and all Interest Charges during that time period have been refunded in accordance with the preceding paragraph, or ( the New Balance on your Revolving Account has been greater than $5.00 in more than four of the last twelve billing periods and not more than one Interest Charge on that Account Type during that time period has not been refunded in accordance with the preceding paragraph. We reserve the right to waive all or part of any Interest Charge in certain cases without losing our right to impose such Interest Charge in future billing periods.

6. paying (with Discover card) Interest on the Major Purchase Account Type: You can avoid Interest Charges on purchases made to your Major Purchase Account Type if you pay your entire Revolving Account balance (if any) and Major Purchase Account balance by the Payment Due Date.

7. Interest Charge €“ Balance Computation Method: An Interest Charge will be imposed on each balance within each Account Type that is subject to Interest Charges by applying a Daily Periodic Rate, multiplied by the number of days in the billing period, to the Average Daily Balance for Purchases (including new transactions), which is shown on the front of your Statement, and by assessing certain fees which are explained below. To get the Average Daily Balance for each Account Type, we take the beginning balance of each Account Type each day, add any new purchases, any Interest Charges applied to the previous day's balance, and new fees, and subtract any new payments and credits. This gives us the daily balance. Then, we add up all the daily balances for the billing period and divide the total by the number of days in the billing period. This gives us the Average Daily Balance for Purchases. (This results in daily compounding of Interest Charges.).

8. Cost of Credit: The cost of credit is determined as follows:.

A. The Daily Periodic Rate applicable to purchases for the billing period is 1/365th of the Annual Percentage Rate (regardless of leap years) in effect for the billing period as disclosed below, rounded to five decimal places. The Annual Percentage Rate may be changed quarterly. It will be calculated by taking the rate disclosed as the €œPrime Rate€? in the €œMoney Rates€? section of The Wall Street Journal on the 15th day of March, June, September and December of each year (or the next business day if the 15th day falls on a weekend or holiday) and adding 21.25% to that rate. As of November 1, 2009, the ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE so calculated is 24.50%, which corresponds to a Daily Periodic Rate of .06712%. Any change in the Annual Percentage Rate will go into effect on the first day of the billing period that begins after the first day of the next calendar quarter and may result in an increase or decrease in the Interest Charge imposed on your Account and in the minimum monthly payment.

B. There will be a Minimum INTEREST CHARGE of $2.00 in any billing period in which the INTEREST CHARGE resulting from application of the Daily Periodic Rate would be less than $2.00.

9. Minimum Payment:.

A. Minimum Payment Due: Each month, for each Account Type with a balance, you agree to pay at least the Minimum Payment Due, which is the sum of a Monthly Minimum plus all unpaid Late Payment Fees, any credit protection charges (if enrolled) applied that month and any delinquent Monthly Minimums, by the Payment Due Date. The Monthly Minimum for each Account Type is calculated as follows:.

1. Revolving Account Type: The greater of $5.00 or 3.25% of the New Balance, rounded up to the next whole dollar amount, or the entire New Balance if it is under $5.00.

2. Major Purchase Account Type: The greater of $5.00 or 3.25% of the New Balance, rounded up to the next whole dollar amount, or the entire New Balance if it is under $5.00.

3. Club Account Type: The greater of $20.00 or 1/12th of the highest New Balance of your Club Account since it last had a $0 balance, rounded up to the next whole dollar amount, or the entire New Balance if it is under $20.00.

B. Level Payments: Since the Minimum Payment for Club Accounts is based on the highest New Balance in the Account Type until paid in full, the Minimum Payment for Club Accounts will not decrease as the New Balance decreases, even if you pay more than the Minimum Payment required. Your Minimum Payment will increase, however, if a new purchase increases the New Balance in the Club Account above a previous high.

C. Additional Payment Information: You may at any time pay more than the Minimum Payment Due or the full amount due with no penalty. If you pay more than the Minimum Payment Due and there is still a balance due, you must continue to make Minimum Payments in future months. Until February 22, 2010 payments will be applied at our discretion. On or after February 22, 2010, payments in excess of the Minimum Payment Due will be applied in accordance with law, and payments less than the Minimum Payment Due and credits will be applied at our discretion. If we accept any late payment or partial payment, whether or not marked as payment in full, it will not affect the due date of any payment due under this Agreement, it will not act as an extension of time or a waiver of any amount then remaining unpaid, and it will not affect any of our rights under this Agreement including our right to declare the entire balance in your Account to be due.

D. Form of Payment: You agree to make your payment by check, money order or similar instrument payable in U.S. Dollars drawn on a financial institution located in the United States.

10. Special Payment Plans: We may offer you promotional terms from time to time for all or a part of any balances. Any promotional terms may apply for a limited period of time. They will be governed by the terms of the promotional offer and the Discover card Agreement, in accordance with law. They may include the Special Event and the No Interest offers described below. Your promotional terms may end if you make a late payment.

We will impose Interest Charges on this balance if you do not pay the balance in full by the end of the promotional period or the promotional terms are terminated. We will impose these Interest Charges from the date of purchase until the balance is paid in full. The promotional offer will specify any minimum purchase amount and the amount of any minimum payment required on this balance. ( No Interest: No Interest Charges are imposed on this balance during the promotional period. The promotional offer will specify any minimum purchase amount and the amount of any minimum payment required on this balance.

11. Returned Check Fee: We add a $29.00 fee to your Account if any payment check or similar instrument is not honored or is returned because it cannot be processed, or if an automatic debit is returned unpaid. We assess this fee the first time a check or payment is not honored, even if it is honored upon resubmission.

12. Late Payment Fee: A late payment fee of $15.00 for balances less than $50.00; $29.00 for balances of $50.00 but less than $300.00; and $39.00 for balances $300.00 and above per Account Type, with a maximum of two late payment fees each billing period, will be charged to your Account if we do not receive your Minimum Payment Due by your Payment Due Date.

13. Disputed Accuracy of Credit Report: We may report information about your Account to credit reporting agencies. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your Account may appear on your credit report. If you request cards on your Account for others, we may report account information in the names of those other people as well. If you think we reported erroneous information to a credit reporting agency, write to: Credit Bureau Dispute Verification, P.O. Box 8218, Mason, OH 45040-8218.

If you have a copy of the credit report that includes the inaccurate information, please send a copy of that report to us as well. We will promptly investigate the matter and notify you in writing of the results. If we agree with you, we will contact each credit reporting agency to which we reported and request a correction.

YOUR BILLING RIGHTS: KEEP THIS NOTICE FOR FUTURE USE.

This notice tells you about your rights and responsibilities under the Fair Credit Billing Act.

What To Do If You Find A Mistake On Your Statement If you think there is an error on your statement, write to us at:.

Department Stores National Bank.

P.O. Box 8066.

Mason, OH 45040.

In your letter, give us the following information:.

- Account information: Your name and account number.

- Dollar amount: The dollar amount of the suspected error.

- Description of problem: If you think there is an error on your bill, describe what you believe is wrong and why you believe it is a mistake.

You must contact us:.

- Within 60 days after the error appeared on your statement.

- At least 3 business days before an automated payment is scheduled, if you want to stop payment on the amount you think is wrong.

You must notify us of any potential errors in writing. You may call us, but if you do we are not required to investigate any potential errors and you may have to pay the amount in question.

What Will Happen After We Receive Your Letter.

When we receive your letter, we must do two things:.

1. Within 30 days of receiving your letter, we must tell you that we received your letter. We will also tell you if we have already corrected the error.

2. Within 90 days of receiving your letter, we must either correct the error or explain to you why we believe the bill is correct.

While we investigate whether or not there has been an error:.

- We cannot try to collect the amount in question, or report you as delinquent on that amount.

- The charge in question may remain on your statement, and we may continue to charge you interest on that amount.

- While you do not have to pay the amount in question, you are responsible for the remainder of your balance.

- We can apply any unpaid amount against your credit limit.

After we finish our investigation, one of two things will happen:.

- If we made a mistake: You will not have to pay the amount in question or any interest or other fees related to that amount.

- If we do not believe there was a mistake: You will have to pay the amount in question, along with applicable interest and fees. We will send you a statement of the amount you owe and the date payment is due. We may then report you as delinquent if you do not pay the amount we think you owe.

If you receive our explanation but still believe your bill is wrong, you must write to us within 10 days telling us that you still refuse to pay. If you do so, we cannot report you as delinquent without also reporting that you are questioning your bill. We must tell you the name of anyone to whom we reported you as delinquent, and we must let those organizations know when the matter has been settled between us.

If we do not follow all of the rules above, you do not have to pay the first $50 of the amount you question even if your bill is correct.

If we do not follow all of the rules above, you do not have to pay the first $50 of the amount you question even if your bill is correct.

Your Rights If You Are Dissatisfied With Your Discover card Purchases.

If you are dissatisfied with the goods or services that you have purchased with your credit card, and you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the remaining amount due on the purchase. To use this right, all of the following must be true:.

1. The purchase must have been made in your home state or within 100 miles of your current mailing address, and the purchase price must have been more than $50. (Note: Neither of these are necessary if your purchase was based on an advertisement we mailed to you, or if we own the company that sold you the goods or services.).

2. You must have used your Discover card for the purchase. Purchases made with cash advances from an ATM or with a check that accesses your Discover card account do not qualify.

3. You must not yet have fully paid for the purchase.

If all of the criteria above are met and you are still dissatisfied with the purchase, contact us in writing at:.

Department Stores National Bank.

P.O. Box 8066.

Mason, OH 45040.

While we investigate, the same rules apply to the disputed amount as discussed above. After we finish our investigation, we will tell you our decision. At that point, if we think you owe an amount and you do not pay, we may report you as delinquent.

_________________________________________________________________________.

MACY'S CONSUMER Discover card PROGRAM.

DEPARTMENT STORES NATIONAL BANK PRIVACY POLICY.

Our Privacy Notice for Your Discover card Account.

Keeping customer information secure is a top priority for all of us at Department Stores National Bank ("DSNB"), the bank that issues your credit account. This notice tells you how we collect, handle and disclose personal information about you. If you want to limit our disclosing this information, please see Your Privacy Choices and a toll-free number to contact us in paragraph E of this notice. If you are a joint accountholder, we will accept your privacy choices from either of you and apply it to the entire account. This notice also applies to applicants and former customers as well as current customers unless we state otherwise. This notice replaces all previous notices to you about information-sharing practices on your Account. We may amend this notice at any time, and will inform you of changes as required by law.*.

*However, we will not change your privacy elections unless we give you a revised notice.

A. Security of Personal Information.

We protect personal information by maintaining physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that meet or exceed applicable law. We train our employees in the proper handling of personal information. When we use other companies to provide services for us, we require them to protect the confidentiality of personal information they receive.

B. Personal Information We Collect and May Disclose.

The personal information we collect about you comes from the following sources:.

- Information we receive from you on applications or other forms, such as your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number, and driver's license number,.

- Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates or nonaffiliated third parties, such as your account balances, payment history, and account activity,.

- Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency, such as your credit bureau reports and other information relating to your creditworthiness, and.

- Information we receive about you from other sources, such as your employer, demographic firms, and other third parties.

- We may disclose any of the above information that we collect to affiliates and nonaffiliated third parties as described below.

C. Affiliates To Whom We May Disclose Personal Information.

Our affiliates are the family of companies controlled by Citigroup Inc. and the family of companies controlled by Macy's, Inc. Affiliates to whom we may disclose personal information about you are in several different businesses, including banking, credit cards, consumer finance, insurance, securities and retail sales of goods and services. Our affiliates include those doing business under the names CitiFinancial, CitiMortgage, Smith Barney, Primerica, Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

D. Nonaffiliated Third Parties To Whom We May Disclose Personal Information.

Nonaffiliated third parties are those not part of the family of companies controlled by Citigroup Inc. and/or Macy's, Inc. We may disclose personal information about you to the following types of nonaffiliated third parties:.

- Financial services providers, such as companies engaged in banking, credit cards, consumer finance, securities and insurance.

- Non-financial companies, such as companies engaged in direct marketing and the selling of consumer products and services.

- Others, such as non-profit organizations.

If you opt out of information sharing with nonaffiliated companies (Opt-out 1), we will not make these disclosures except as follows. First, we may disclose information about you as described above in "Personal Information We Collect and May Disclose" to third parties that perform marketing or other services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements. Second, we may disclose personal information about you to third parties as permitted by law, such as disclosures necessary to process and service your DSNB Discover card account.

E. Your Privacy Choices.

This section describes your privacy choices. Please remember that we will continue to protect your personal information regardless of your privacy choices. If you have previously informed us, or the prior issuer of your credit card, of your privacy choices, you do not need to do so again.

If you wish to exercise Opt-out 1 and/or Opt-out 2 as described below, please write to us at P.O. Box 8067, Mason, OH 45040 and include your name, address, telephone number and account number or call toll-free:.

Macy's............................1-800-830-3087.

Visa Customers............1-800-668-7196.

Disclosing to Nonaffiliated Third Parties (Opt-out 1) - As described in this notice, we will limit the personal information about you that we disclose to nonaffiliated third parties if you exercise Opt-out 1.

Sharing with Citigroup Inc. and Macy's, Inc. Affiliates (Opt-out 2) - We may share with our affiliates all of the information we collect from you. However, if you exercise Opt-out 2, we will not share with our affiliates information we receive from you or third parties used as a factor in determining your creditworthiness (e.g., a credit report), except as permitted by law.

Information for Vermont and California Customers.

In response to a Vermont regulation, we will automatically treat accounts with Vermont billing addresses as if you exercised Opt-out 1 and Opt-out 2 without requiring you to call or write to us. And if we disclose information about you to nonaffiliated third parties with whom we have joint marketing agreements, we will only disclose your name, address, other contact or identification information, and information about our transactions or experiences with you.

In response to a California law, we will automatically treat accounts with California mailing addresses as if you exercised Opt-out 1 and will not disclose personal information about you to nonaffiliated third parties except as permitted by the applicable California law. We will also limit the sharing of information about you with our affiliates to comply with all California privacy laws that apply to us. To further restrict sharing with affiliates as described in this notice, you will need to exercise Opt-out 2 by calling or writing to us as described in paragraph E.

Please allow approximately 30 days from our receipt of your privacy choices for them to become effective. If you have more than one Discover card issued by DSNB, and would like your privacy choices to be applied to those accounts, you must exercise your privacy choices separately for each account. If you are also a customer of other Citigroup Inc. affiliates and you receive a notice of their intent to share information about you, you will need to separately notify them if you do not want them to share such information.

_________________________________________________________________________.

Important Information about Credit Reporting.

We may report information about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments or other defaults on your account may be reflected in your credit report.

_________________________________________________________________________.

DSNBCOMTC1109MACYS..

Can you highlight the part of the TOS that says Macy's can open a new account without telling the buyer?.

Nowhere does it say that if someone applys for a credit card, that 2 years later Macy's can open a major purchase account without the cardholders consent or knowledge. The guy who started this thread didn't even know Macy's opened a new account until looking at a credit report. The salespeople told him it was going on his existing credit card, not a new account.

Macy's is subprime...

As stated in my first post or there of.. I agree there was a lack of communication. But when it comes down to it customer did request the purchase be made to get the 0% APR. It is clearly stated in the TOS that the Club account is how you recieve 0% apr and explains how the payments work. LEGALLY it would have been the customers responsibility to verify that it was not being put on a club account. Again, not dissagreeing of the lack of communication.

It was an extension of credit which we can do without your consent or knowledge (as in auto GLI) and as stated in the TOS it's reported to the CR as a seperate trade line. The customer agreed to that when he opened the original account..

Now this being said. If he were to call in and agrue it we would happily move the purchase to the standard type 20 revolving account and more than likely they might even remove the inq. if he stood his ground stating he did not request or want that account type. But he has far more to lose here in the interest he would be paying (with Discover card) than taking a hit on his CR for the inq and new account considering the OP already stated he doesnt need a perfect CR right now.....

Quoted for future CB'ers to view Macy's stance on credit. Taylinth is a Macy's credit supervisor..

If Macy's wants to open an account in your name without your consent or knowledge, Macy's calims they can do it!..

This is true for ANY creditor. By law can I do it? YES! If I knew your account number I could pull it up, pull your CR, drop your GL to $1 and pull your CR every day for the next month if I felt like it... (with the exception of a closed account) However, we have policies against that. If I made any alterations to your account without provocation I could/would lose my job..

The point I am making and your obviously not getting. Is by law there is nothing he could do in this case..

This post has been edited by Taylinth: 15 January 2010 - 04:05 PM..

Did you not know that any Discover card company can do this to your credit cards / reports???..

I have made several large purchases at Macy's over the years and rec'd the 0% APR deal..

Not once did I just hand them my Macy's card and they hand me back the normal receipt. I rec'd a special looking write up that I had to sign and they put it in a cute little booklet with the Terms and the store receipt was stapled to that..

How did you skirt this occurance?..

I have never seen or heard of what you speak of. I have had a type 30 and a type 40 club account personally and never seen these. Also, we set up account types over the phone even if a customer calls from home (in some cases) so there is definitely no signiture and/or TOS given out. This may have been how it was a long time ago but at least the last few there is nothing like that, that I am aware of...

All were furniture purchases. There was a print out with Terms therefore I was clear of the 0% offer along with Delivery info and receipt that I signed was was attached. Never just a handing over of my Macy's card, receipt, then BAM surprise new account on my CRs. So even if the Salesperson was mute, I would indeed know there was a difference in how I was making my particular purchase this time out..

The buying process for 0% offers has always been slightly different. Has it changed in the last 3 or 4 years? As that was the last time I had a debt with Macy's...

Taylinth happens to be absolutely correct and you've adequately demonstrated in this thread that you're not particularly credit savvy. For the OP to have made a no interest purchase, it would be subject to completely different terms than their regular revolving account. This is rather "basic". Perhaps you should brush up on your credit knowledge and spend more time in Creditboards' "remedial credit basics" section..................

I do not believe it is legal for a creditor to open an account without the permission of the customer.

This would be like a customer at Best Buy applying for a card, and having HSBC open a Neiman Marcus account in addition to the Best Buy card...

Did you miss the part where the OP requested 0% APR deal and SIGNED at the end of transaction. Ignorance of what he was signing thus agreeing to is NOT lawsuit worthy.

Perhaps the Salesperson was mute due to conducting 100s of the same transactions with customers already, but that is no reason for the OP is bring a stink to Macy's..

I personally remember the 0% process being different than what the OP experienced [my last large purchase was like 4 years ago] BUT I still DO NOT agree that an injustice was committed. If he pays it off in short or by due time, it will be one more positive entry on his report. No harm, no foul...

............WRONG ! You are clueless. If the customer is making a "major purchase", which is interest-free, and is subject to different terms than the standard revolving account, by virtue of the customer agreeing to the purchase and the terms, the customer is giving implicit consent to the "secondary" account. Did you even read the Macys incorporated agreement provided by Taylinth ??? Do you ever bother to read the terms & conditions when you sign an agreement or use a card, evidencing acceptance of all such incorporated terms contained therein ???..

Mayc's MUST have your permission to open an account. I do not care if they call it a credit card, charge card, or major purchase account. They MUST tell you they are opening a new account. The agreement for the store card is irrelevant. It is not an agreement for a major purchase account. There is no implicit consent. How can there be consent if the customer does not know a new account is opened?.

You know how some stores ask for your phone number and address at checkout? How about if they use that information to open a Discover card in your name without telling you?.

Just because OP paid with his store card does not give Macy's the right to open a new account WITHOUT TELLING HIM THEY ARE OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT. Do you understand? The OP did not know ANY of the terms of the new account. All OP knew was "you're getting 0% because the amount is over $xxx.xx".

If I was the OP, I would sue Macy's on principle just to prove they are wrong, wrong, wrong. And I would get the newspapers the story about Macy's opening an account without the customers permission or knowledge. I'd like to see what would happen to Macy's sales in 2010 if that story was on the Today Show...

You should complain to the Officer of Thrift of Supervision about Macy's...

M sorry to say, and this is the last time ill say it.. YOUR FLAT WRONG! If you dont believe, go put yourself in the same situation and then try to sue or have anything done. Do this, then tell us how it went... Ill point out one last time, that is the ORGINAL TOS it clearly states installment accounts are reported as a separate trade line. Simply by having the macys card you have already agreed to us being able to open the different account types. Again, set yourself up the same way and take it to court..

Id be interested and very amused to hear your story...

Complaining to the OTS is free and they will explain whether Macy's acted improperly. It would be helpful if you are thinking about a civil suit..

You happen to be 100% WRONG, but after all of the explanations provided, it is painfully obvious that the only way that you'll understand that is to experience the situation yourself, file a lawsuit against the creditor as the aggrieved party, and be laughed out of court. I wash my hands of your ignorance in this matter from this point forth. You don't even have a basic grasp of the terms & conditions contained in the card agreement. The OP, in this case, upon review of the Macys cardholder agreement, will understand this long before you grasp the situation..

This post has been edited by taxwizard: 16 January 2010 - 01:46 PM..

OP, don't mean to sound like an a-hole but you live and you learn.

Time to move on...

Wow, there are sure some rude people here! Yes, they legally can do what they did because it's in the TOS BUT perhaps the sales clerk should have mentioned it to the OP??? It's commonplace to make those 0% purchases at places like Home Depot and not have anything different. I'm sure most people aren't used to the "different" terms that Macy's offers.

What's legal and what's ethical are two different things and what's written in post #34 is an abomination. Get off your high and mighty, honey. You work in the Macy's credit department. It's not *really* as special and powerful as you might want to think...

Do you think that the cashier in a store has to advise you when you purchase a bar of soap that it's meant for washing or cleaning, and is not to be eaten ? At some point, we're required to READ the terms of the agreements that we commit to, and not blame another for our own failings. It's highly possible that the sales person has even far less knowledge of the terms than the customer. They're available to SELL merchandise, not to know all of the credit nuances of the system, other than, in the subject instance, that the purchase happened to qualify for an interest-free transaction, and under what code to ring the transaction on the computer to indicate the transaction as an interest-free purchase item. Macys sales circulars even contain statements describing the terms of purchase on special interest free purchases for those that either haven't or won't take the time to read their cardholder agreements. This is pretty basic and is not something that just sprung up overnight, and has been around for an awfully long time.........

(Not directed to the OP, Jon77, who is a CB "Good Guy" , and a helpful member from San Antonio ).

This post has been edited by taxwizard: 16 January 2010 - 02:11 PM..

Supervisor: Macys Credit and Customer Services.

This post has been edited by Unas2k5: 16 January 2010 - 02:07 PM..

Other than Taylinth's detailed explanation, this was the BEST answer to the OP's original post !!!.

Hats Off to HDPorter !..

I'm not all that pissed off about this. I have already moved on and never thought to sue them for it. I just thought it was wrong to not tell the purchaser what they were getting into, and to not bring out some sort of required agreement to sign in case the cashier is ignorant and doesn't want to do the explaining for you..

Some people in here are acting like I signed some contract at purchase and didn't read it. Were you there?.

1. She boxed the necklace and then took my RED card..

2. She got on the phone, which was the first sign that something was weird..

3. She handed the phone over to me and the rep asked me like 1, maybe 2 questions to verify my identity. "Where is your current address out of these 4?" Ok, seems like they just wanted to know it was me making this large purchase. Just for my own security. I even asked "Is this because I'm making a large purchase?" She only said, "Yes.".

No biggie I thought. Thanks for that Macy's. Even the rep on the phone didn't go further to explain what was going on..

Maybe the rep should have said "Yes..............because we are creating a new tabletop account for you." But she didn't say that..

4. The cashier hung up the phone and told me to sign the digital pen pad. THERE WAS NO TOS OR AGREEMENT ON THERE OTHER THAN WHAT YOU NORMALLY SIGN ON A DIGITAL PEN PAD!!!!.

5. Then she gave me this:.

(click).

Hmmm, looks like a normal receipt doesn't it? It even has the last 4 digits of my Red card on it. No conditions, or explanation of where my purchase went, or how a new account would be made. And it certainly doesn't say that I would be making $100/mo. minimum payments as an installment purchase..

Macy's was one of the first accounts I acquired when I started to repair my credit. They brought my scores up 100 points because of the history and being my largest CL. So, I can say that they helped me buy my new house, truck, and boat. Since all my major life purchases are out of the way and the new account isn't hurting me right now, I'm gonna let it slide. But this is something for others to consider who are not in my position..

This post has been edited by Jon77: 18 January 2010 - 08:54 AM..

Let me understand.

You are protesting the creation of a new installment account without your permission. Do you feel the terms of the loan are unfair? Is the interest more than you thought? answer these questions objectively. how much would it cost you to add the purchase to your existing Macy's account?.

I would try complaining to the OTS about this. they could help sort out the problems, and it is free. you wouldn't have to take the risk of filing a civil suit. the OTS has helped me with May Co in the past...

I got 0%. How can I complain about that?.

I'm mearly complaining that the purchase didn't go on the same account like every other store manages to do. I do this at Lowes every other month. Somehow they seem to seperate my regular purchases, and my 0% purchases and keep them on the same account. Why can every other store do this, but Macy's can't?.

I guess I could also complain that I don't have the OPTION to not pay $100 every month. What if I wanted to pay $200 this month, but something comes up next month and I only want to pay $30 cause I need the money? No, I have to pay at least $100 every month no matter what happens. I thought I signed up for a Macy's revolving account, not an installment account. Huge life altering difference there..

This post has been edited by Jon77: 18 January 2010 - 09:06 AM..

Exactly. Everything seems normal, and a normal person would have assumed exactly what I did. They would not have thought about another account being opened unless told so..

"Club account". Even if it WAS in red, it still would have gone unnoticed to a normal person, and if spotted, would mean nothing to them. Maybe....."Cool, I'm in the Macy's CLUB!!! Yay me!".

This post has been edited by Jon77: 18 January 2010 - 09:12 AM..

I am just trying to analyze the harm to you. So yes the minimum payment is an issue but since any 0% rate is temporary wouldn't have to make these payments anyhow?.

I would complain to the OTS. they could help...

I believe that the OP is simply stating that maybe a change in the way Macy's handles the opening of different types is warranted. His RED card was taken at the point of purchase, which lead him to believe the RED card was accepted as the payment method. Macy's could have done a better job of making him aware of the fact that a new account type was being opened. I don't think he's complaining for the sake of legal recourse, but simply stating that Macy's might want to change the process for notifying customers that a new account will be opened with certain purchases...

I'll add my 2 cents by saying that Macy's likely adheres to the letter of the law in it's credit practices. But the manner in which it conducts those practices is characteristic in many cases smacks of being predatory in nature..

I'm not saying that it IS predatory ... just that Macy's slinks around such credit practices in a manner that one would normally associate with someone pulling a fast one..

I'd like a satisfactory explanation why Macy's would open a new account type (MP, table, etc.) without a basic explanation of the terms. It's not unreasonable to exepct a sales associate to be able to handle the most basic details that Macy's certainly expects every cardholder to be roughly familiar with. Why blindside a customer with an unnecessary surprise that has the potential to create dissatisfaction, as in this case..

I'll cite DW's experience last year as well. He Platinum status reverted to Red Card, but she entered the store with the Platinum card (showing a passed expiration date) and inquired at purchase whether she could use the card. Sales associate went to a phone, then prompted DW for SSN, then came back with something for her to sign. Blame DW for not realizing something wasn't right with this or for signing without reading to the letter, but screw Macy's for opening a VISA account in this manner without giving a direct verbal indication that this was what was afoot. Had to backpedal unnecessarily on the phone afterward to close the account and the credit pull still appears, despite Macy's assurance they would clear it..

I'm sure this is all SOP for used card dealers, but why is Macy's operating in such a fashion? Do they think anyone confronted with this behavior continues to consider them reputable?..

If I would have to take a guess, it's bad training of the customer service representatives. It's not specific to Macy's, but I noticed that the range of customer service people you meet in the store goes from very good to pretty bad. I only visit their store once or twice a year (small sample) and don't have the card, but it's still noticeable..

I'm specifically referring to the quite common attitude among employees in service and administrative jobs that everything they know about specifics how certain things are handled is common knowledge. Everybody knows that - they think. I guess proper customer information should be topic of a refresher after the employees learned how to handle all the actual credit stuff...

This is a problem... That is an associate opening a new account to get a small commission for doing so. There have been a few instances where this has happened. I have even dealt with them myself. If I catch a sales associate doing this I get their employee ID# from the app and report them to both our credit division director and their store manager. I have gotten a few in trouble and 1 fired over this simply because they are doing something to get personal gain out of it without the customers knowledge.



BEFORE YOU COMPARE THIS to what what happened with the OP there are 2 very big (at least legally) differences here. 1 associates DO NOT get any sort of commission for opening installment accounts so there was nothing to gain on the sales assoicates end. And 2 the customer has already signed up for the account and it's terms previously so it's not technically (not speaking to business practices) illegal to open the installment account..

But really, thats off topic...

Not sure this is worth the hassel. If you don't like the account type, return the necklace and close the account or do a BT to one of your other cards *shrug*..

I would return the $1000 purchase. Macy's sells mostly lower end goods. For $1000 you can find trully spectacular jewelry at Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom or Saks. If you are spending a lot, why buy from a low end store?.

I would then demand they remove the new account and inq off my credit report. I'd be prepared to sue over this point. I would talk to a lawyer and be very prepared.

They opened an account without your permission or knowledge. Period. It does not matter what is in the TOS of the red card. The TOS of the red card covers the red card, not opening new accounts.

THIS NEW ACCOUNT WILL HURT YOU BAD!!! You start with an account with 0 years of age that brings down your average age of credit. Next time you want to apply for credit, you have an inq on your report, a new account, and it is maxed out. Good luck with getting the best credit offers from prime banks. If you don't get a CLI on any Discover card you have the next time you ask, remember this account that Macy's sabatoged your credit scroe.

I would complain to the Better Business Bureau just like you did in the above post. I would contact the attorney general and tell them of Macy's preditory lending. They opened an account without you even knowing. How can Macy's do that?? How can they open an account without the customer being aware?.

This reminds me of a story I heard about Sears. Dude walks in and sales associate says "we'll give you 10% off just for applying for a sears card, there is no annual fee". Dude applies, no 10% given off purchase, told it was a glitch in the system, but told you got approved. Turns out Sears rejected the guy and some third company approved the guy with a $79 annual fee and high interest. That is what Macy's did... the bait and switch.



Look over at myfico. Legnth of credit history is 15% of your score. 15%!!! And that just took a BIG HIT. Another 10% for the inq. That is a lot of damage by Macy's. I believe Macy's did this to sabatoge your credit score, so if you wanted to buy a Saks you wouldn't get their best credit deal with the damage Macy's did...

Without knowing how thick the OP's file in, you have no idea whats going to happen to the OP's score. With a lot of old accounts, the effect would probably be minimal. If all the accounts are brand new, the effect would also be minimal..

Also, saying you take a 10% hit for inquiries is also dependant on the rest of the OP's file. I don't think I've ever taken a 10% hit due to a single inquiry...at 720 that would be 72 points! I didn't take that big a hit when I got an erroneous late earlier this year..

This post has been edited by jtoast: 18 January 2010 - 12:34 PM..

Well, in the end, the OP asked for credit, which gives the creditor the right to do lots of things...

1. I shopped everywhere, even the higher end stores. I liked the necklace instantly. Nothing else looked like it and I know she won't be wearing what others have. That to me is a huge thing to consider. Anyways.................

2. I never said I got an inquiry. I still haven't a month later..

3. I am dissapointed in the new account. But like I said, since I don't need my credit to be spotless right now, it's not irritating me as much as others in this thread. I may try disputing it in the future, but it's not worth my time right now...

The fact that the opening of a new VISA account is commissionable, and therefore likely what prompted the incident, is beside the point (and I note I question whether sound business practice is at issue, not legality).

The real point is that the procedure for opening such an account can transpire in a largely transparent fashion. I can think of no other store where an account opening is handled without making certain the customer is aware of what they're signing and at least a modest amount of verbal explanation.

Yet, in all things account related at Macy's, modus operandi seems to be to say as little as possible. "You want to make a charge purchase? Here, sign and it's yours"..

At the very heart, this is how OP's sale was handled, as was DW's. It's reprehensible business conduct and begs problems later. But clearly Macy's sales training (based on these anecdotes and other reports) is to say as little as possible and just close the sale ... let the customer worry about it later when the transaction is more fully disclosed. BS conduct (again, worthy at best of a shoddy used car salesperson)...

......For $1000., you can buy absolutely "SQUAT" in the Neiman Marcus jewelry department !.

All of your arguments, without exception, are faulty, and without merit..

Make certain your brain is engaged before putting your mouth in gear.............

Note to Jon77: Good luck with the aggravation. With the purchase interest-free, and the gift recipient happy with the gift, the rest will probably work out ok for you. Don't sweat the "small stuff", Jon...............

This post has been edited by taxwizard: 18 January 2010 - 02:14 PM..

This thread is giving me a headache. Hard to read the thick-headedness and the lack of understanding..

All the best to the OP and great jewelry purchase...

Well, I just pif my macy's bill and found a small credit balance posted the next day..

Why? because they included interest that hadn't accrued yet in current balance... thought they responded to the push back on this questionable practice by halting it..?.

This post has been edited by savetherobots: 29 January 2010 - 02:50 AM..