GE Money Bank - Care Credit Deceptive credit practices, usury Internet

Late fall 2008, I had a molar shatter, and had to get emergency dental care to deal with it while out of town on work related business. I was able to locate a dentist, but after a while I was told my insurance would not cover what needed to be done (doctors and dentists do not have to treat dental emergencies if you cannot pay 100% up front, even though it has been proven time and again an infected molar with exposed nerves and blood vessels can be life-threatening).

My insurance covers up to $1,000 annually for dental care. I asked the dentist to do an extraction, but he claimed to do so was unethical. When I asked why, he said the tooth could be saved, and that it was unethical to extract teeth that can be saved. He said the only option available was a triple root canal and crown. Total price tag after various discounts and adjustments took the original $4,600 he quoted me down to $2,500 exactly.

Since I did not have $1,500, a woman in the office told me I could finance the balance not paid by insurance through Care Credit, which I would later learn is a shell subsidiary of GE Money Bank. Being several hundred miles from home, in tremendous pain, getting very ill from the infection, and unable to eat until something was done, I signed everything they put in front of me.

I was told the first payment would be due in 45 days, and that the financing would be interest free for the first 12 months, provided I paid off the balance before the end of that 12 months. I figured, okay, I can do that with no problem. 9 hours later, I left the dentist office, and was back to work two days later.

One week later, the first payment was due, but I would not be home for three more weeks to find this out. When I called Care Credit, I was told the payment is due when they decide it's due, and considered late if not paid by 5:00 PM on that day (they refused to tell me which time zone). Because I had to make the first payment by phone, I would be charged $15.00 for a "convenience" fee, plus I had to pay a $35.00 late fee. I paid, and swore next time I would pay online.

The next payment, I paid online, but was charged a $35.00 fee anyway, despite having paid on time. I was told there is a $35.00 monthly fee on all outstanding balances. I knew I was in serious trouble then, and decided I would pay $100.00 monthly until I could get this paid off.

A few months ago, I got locked out of the online payment system due to "too many failed login attempts." I called to find out what was going on, and it turns out that somehow my social security number had changed in their system (the system used it that one session to verify who I was, something it had never done before). It would take several hours of getting bounced around various people before I learned what number they now had on file for me, and I just barely was able to make a payment on time.

Attempts this weekend to make payments failed after only one attempt. This time, the system said it did not recognize the computer I've been using all along to make payments, and requested my email address as verification of who I was. I entered the email address I use with them and other bill related transactions (have been for years), and it locked me out saying the address was incorrect. I gave up and made the minimum payment by automated phone ($10.00) and the payment ended up late again do to yet another technical problem on THEIR end ($35.00).

I have made over $1,100 in payments to these people so far. Only $243 has been actually applied to the principle. The remaining amount has gone to fees. There is no way I will ever get out from under these people, simply because I signed without reading, while hundreds of miles from home, in intense pain, sick, tired, and desperate. From what I've learned about GE Money Bank, even if I pay on time and get this paid off somehow, my credit will be ruined by them for having the misfortune of unknowingly entering into a business agreement with them.

Learn from my experience with this. If you ever get sick or hurt, especially if you are far from home, sign nothing except for treatment authorizations. If you ever apply for financing, demand to know who the parent corporation is, and if it is GE, run and don't look back. My already crappy credit rating (due to identity theft) is now destroyed because of these people, from the dentist who lied about the options to the clerk who coerced me into signing quickly to the crooked finance company that makes usury seem honest by comparison.

Deborah
Chino, California
U.S.A.

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