I have Sams Club ID card (they are part of the Walmart group). I never used it for charges before, although I could have. Recently, I allowed my son to use it to charge his gas, and this has worked out fine. He paid the bill on time and there was never a problem.
The April billing cycle was $60.65. He paid it, but it was due on April 1, so by the time it was credited to the account (April 3), it was two days late. Not a big deal, so I expected to get hit with a finance charge for a couple days. Imagine my surprise when the next bill came with a late charge of $20. I couldn't believe it. $20 for being two days late. Now they can charge whatever they want, but this amounts to a 33% penalty fee (or basically $10 a day). Outrageous wouldn't you say?
I called them to discuss the issue, but of course I got some customer service girl, who couldn't do anything except say she wasn't authorized to make adjustments. Whoopee! I told her I would pay the fee, but this would be the last time I ever use their card for charges again. She gave me the impression like she could care less.
I find it incredible that they can assess fees to their customers as they please, and then put up barriers for disputing the charges such that all you can do is just give up and pay the fee, because fighting anything like this is a major time expense, and probably resulting in no resolution, because you can never reach anyone that can actually do anything.
I have never liked Walmart, so I'll still avoid the place, but now I find that Sams Club has joined the list of businesses that takes advantage of the small print (which is nebulous on the back of their statements on their fees and charges) and has perpetuated the definition of "Customer Service" as an oxymoron. Aargghhh!
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