Orchard Bank, Household Bank ripoff Hanover Maryland

DON'T APPLY FOR AN ORCHARD BANK/HOUSEHOLD BANK CREDIT CARD. This company is deceitful, fraudulent and probably downright criminal in its dealings with consumers.

Received app for card with Orchard Bank/Household Bank. A friend warned me that he got the card and they charged him for the Account Protection service even after he had declined the service. I thought he probably accidentally accepted the service in the online application and he just thought he had refused it.

I applied online, and very clearly and consciously DID NOT ACCEPT the Account Protection service. The card arrived and I called the 800 activation number. The automated system asked me if I wanted Account Protection, press 1 for yes and 2 for no. I pressed 2. Again, the recording said some marketing type stuff about Account Protection and again asked if I wanted to accept it, press 1 for yes and 2 for no. I pressed 2 again. This would make the THIRD refusal of this service.

At this point, I knew my friend did not make a mistake in the online application, but was tricked and defrauded into being charged for this service (which, by the way, is a service most banks give you for FREE). So I decided to Call Orchard/Household Bank before the end of the month and make sure they did not charge me for it. I told the representative everything I've written here and she assured me that I would not be charged.

Today I finally saw my first bill and there was the charge: $3.35 for Account Protection. I was quite furious at this point. Wouldn't you be? I called the so-called "customer service" number (LONG DISTANCE because the 800 number is automated only for account information) and told the story again and asked how, after four clear refusals of this service (one in the app, two during activation, and one by phone before my first billing cycle was even up), they had the nerve to charge me for this.

I was told I had accepted the service in the online app or I wouldn't have been charged for it. I know how conscious I was of all information I entered into the app because I had been warned that they would do this, and I assured the rep I did not accept this service and please take the charge off my bill and do not attempt to charge me again next month.

She said that I would need a different department and transferred me to an automated system that gave me three options: 1-Customer Service Issue, 2-something else that did not apply, and 3-Cancel Account Protection. I pressed 1 for customer service. I did not want the cancel option because I felt my cancellation would imply that I had accepted the service to begin with. The customer service option told me to call the number I had called in the first place and disconnected me.

I called the long distance number in Oregon and tried again. I went around and around with a rep telling my story, and getting nowhere. I finally said, "would you rather my lawyer called you? Because what you are doing is FRAUD. And furthermore, I consider (now) SIX refusals of a service and still being charged for it to be harrassment as well as fraud. Take the charge off my account." I finally was transferred to the rep's supervisor who assured me the charge was removed and the service cancelled so there would be no more charges for it in the future.

That was today. We shall see tomorrow if the charge is removed. If not, I will be adding to this report soon. But even if this supervisor is true to his word and removes the charge AND cancels the service, I still consider this company to be fraudulent and deceitful, if not downright criminal. They are taking advantage of people who are trying to repair or build their credit. Orchard Bank/Household Bank is, in fact, a RIPOFF.

Angry Consumer
, Virginia
U.S.A.