Consumer complaint received 2018-08-22
Company: STERLING JEWELERS, INC.
State: CT
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Sub-issue: Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms

Complaint:
Around XX/XX/2018 I was in the XXXX, CT XXXX XXXX XXXX  store. I was only going to buy one necklace as a XXXX XXXX gift, but the price was going to be under {$250.00}. I was told I should buy something else because if I spend more than {$250.00} on my XXXX Credit Card it was interest deferred for 6 months. In total I spent {$480.00} on two necklaces.

I specifically asked them, twice, if I paid the bill off within the 6 months if there would be no interest and I was told yes. In fact, they also tried to talk me in to getting a 20 Mens White Gold Curb Chain for {$1200.00} and said that I should do it then because they didnt know if the deferred interest would be available at a later time.

Over the past three payments I have paid them {$150.00}. My balance is currently {$350.00}. I noticed when I made the last payment that so far they have charged me {$28.00} in interest. It's not a lot of money and I'm less upset with the actual money and more with the fact that I was lied to and tricked into using the card. I could have only bought one necklace and paid cash, but I doubled the order based on false information.

I contacted the card company who filed a dispute that I've heard nothing about since. I also contacted their corporate office and the store via XXXX. I received an email back that said that I would have had to spend more than {$500.00} and put down 20 % in order to qualify.

They never mentioned anything about the {$500.00} limit or the 20 % down, which doesnt sound like it would be part of the credit card anyway. It sounds more like if you were to be going through XXXX XXXX, which they offer and I have used before at a different store. They do require 20 % down, it's. no credit check needed and hooked right up to your bank account, and has deferred interest for 6 months. I would have been happy to do it that way if I was told that that was going to be the way I could get 0 % interest. Like I said I didn't need two necklaces and had cash, so the only reason I did it at all was to take advantage of the promotional interest.

When I XXXX XXXX XXXX and the credit card for reviews, I find many other people who have complained about the same exact issue.

I would like to work something out where I can rectify the issue with the store and credit card company, because I really like doing business with them. However, I am now very upset because I was misled into purchasing additional items so the bill would be high enough to qualify for a program that I wasnt even given. I also am in sales at a car dealership, so I understand that being paid on commission makes you want to upset, which I was fine with ... I even was considering getting the {$1200.00} chain for myself, and now am glad I didn't because that would have been charged interest as well.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation