Real stories---
Visit One, TJ Maxx, November 2008:
Cashier: "Would you like a TJ Maxx Reward Card?"
Me: "What is that?"
Cashier: "You get rewards for the purchases you make."
Me: "Is it a credit card?"
Cashier: "Yes."
Me: "No thanks, I don't want to apply for a credit card."
Visit Two, December 2008:
Cashier: "Would you like a TJ Maxx Reward Card?"
Me: "What is a reward card?"
Cashier: "After you spend $200 you get a coupon toward your next purchase. The more you spend the more you save."
Me: "Is it a credit card?"
Cashier: "Yes but you get rewards for using it."
Me: "Well then it is a credit card, not a reward card. I don't want any new credit cards, thank you. I wish you would call it what it is though, a credit card."
Cashier: "Well you know it really is a reward card as you get rewarded for using it."
Me: "Actually what it is, is a credit card. I don't need any more of those, thank you."
Cashier: "You know I have a lot of credit cards too but they are all jointly with my husband. I now have a TJ Maxx Reward Card and it is in my own name. It is good for a wife to have her own card in her own name, you know, they say it helps your credit rating."
Me: "That may be true but I don't want any more open credit lines in my name, especially since my identity was stolen, which was a big hassle."
----
Perhaps one step in the right direction toward pushing consumers to open new credit card accounts is that staff pushing them should have to actually call them what they are, CREDIT CARDS. They are not reward cards, those are the free cards that businesses use to tabulate your spending that then reward you when you spend a certain amount. Examples are buy 12 dozen bagels and get one dozen free, or buy 12 cups of take out coffee and get one free, or spend $500 at the health food store and get $25 off your next purchase, so on and so forth.
Technorati Tags: credit cards, credit card industry, tricking consumers, credit card tricks, TJ Maxx.
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2 comments:
I want to scream at all the pressure cashiers put on me to take out store credit cards. I hadn't even noticed the other names they use until I read this. You are right, they all try different names to make them sound as if they are anything other than credit cards.
I stood in line the other day behind someone who pulled out card after card trying to find one that wasn't maxed out. I think I'd die from the stress of owing that kind of money.
Thanks for mention the Amazon Gold Box the other day. I look at it every day but for some reason had never scrolled down and therefore had not seen the books. You just cost me a lot of money. I must remember though to start off by linking through your blog.
Thank you warning others and pointing out the difference. I, too, do NOT want credit cards. Dh and I have ONE in joint name and that's enough.
Real reward cards are great though. A clothing store I frequent has one. Everytime you spend $500 they mail you a certificate good for $50 at the store. On your birthday, they send you one for $25.
I also like our Air Miles card... not for airplane tickets, but for the other items in the Air Miles "store." We've got very nice gifts for others that way this year.
All with no f-ing credit cards.
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