Product: Credit card or prepaid card

I had recently moved to XXXX from XXXX XXXX. I was making a purchase in XXXX, at a XXXX in XXXX blocks from my new residence. The total balance was {$58.00}. The cashier offered a store credit card and debit card both of which came with purchase discount that would apply to that sale. I opted for the debit card only. He took my driver 's license for ID and asked me for a voided check which was required to set up the debit card. I still had an XXXX Driver 's license. My check had my current XXXX  address. 

He assured me the license was only to be used for proof of identification. The address and information on the check would be used for debit card account set up. I completed the purchase and received a XXXX receipt with a transaction number as proof of account set up but it didn't contain details of what was set up. 

Weeks later after not receiving a card, I called the toll-free number called to inquire about the card whereabouts. I got a runaround because even though I could verify my identity the non-US based phone support said they could only pull up my account if I had the card number. They couldn't use a social security number etc. I inquired how to get help without the card number since the purpose of the call was to report that I didn't receive a card and I did not have a card number. I was even told they could not escalate my call to a supervisor without card number verification first. They also couldn't correct my address or do anything to my account or give me any information. 

I attempted to call 3 times and always got for an outsourced phone support rep who insisted that they could not help me since I didn't have the card number. 

I then went back to the XXXX store. I attempted to gain information there. I was given a similar runaround but finally spoke with a manager who was able to help. Based on looking at my transaction receipt she was able to inform me that they set this up as a credit card and not the debit card I originally signed up for. 

She told me the credit card should have come in the mail and that is generally set up with the address on the driver 's license. I reported to her that the XXXX XXXX driver 's license was not to be used for setup purposes and that the XXXX XXXX address was a physical address but was not a mailing address. 

She informed me that the store had no ability to see if the card went to XXXX or see if the cashier just had typed my address incorrectly. She also, of course, couldn't then correct any information entered by the cashier. She also informed me that I could not make a payment nor pay off the balance nor close the card because, without the actual card or card number, they would not be able to access the account. 

I asked her what I could do since clearly there was a card that went to a rural countryside address that doesn't receive mail or was sent to the wrong address so statements would be going to that same address, and I had no way of getting more information because I didn't have the card. 

She advised that the best thing to do would be just to return all the items purchased. I went home gathered the few items that were purchased on the original transaction and returned all but {$30.00} because that item had already been used. 

I assumed they would get in touch with me once the card was returned back to them and or to collect the outstanding balance. In the end, after a couple of more attempts to gain information from the corporate phone number side, I gave up and honestly forgot about it. 

I forgot about it until a year later when I went to purchase a home and found out that I had excellent credit except for a derogatory report from this XXXX  card. 

I also learned that the {$30.00} balance had ballooned to {$270.00} because of late fees and service charges. 

I was finally able to talk to someone in the collections department a year later after they sought out figured out a way to contact me. I asked why XXXX made no attempt to contact me before the case got that far especially since they must have received the card back from the address and it was never activated? After reporting what happened in the occurrence they were unwilling to waive any of the late fees or service charges even though again I never received the card and they most certainly got it back since it was never mailed to my XXXX  address nor could it have did mailed successfully to my XXXX XXXX address. 

Also, they refused to help even though I specifically requested a debit card and gave the cashier a voided personal check yet they opened up a credit card account without permission. 

This XXXX incident remains the one piece of derogatory/negative information on my credit report. 

Their lack of competent US phone support staffed by people who could comprehend the situation was a problem. 

Their system that requires you to have a card number even when you're inquiring about not receiving a card is a major oversight in their customer service delivery model. 

Their practice of not employing methods to contact a person until it goes into collections and has outrageous fees is unethical. 

They were completely unaccountable for their unscrupulous practice, the {$250.00} worth of fees ( 8x the original amount ) on a {$30.00} balance and the unauthorized setup ostensibly stemming from for poor staff training and the whole thing is malicious and predatory.