This all started with a sales person offering a 10% savings on my purchase. My questions about the card having any membership fees and cancellation fees were met with an emphatic 'no' and I was assured it was easy. I was going to be living abroad in a few weeks and wanted to save some money on tax on the purchase, pay the full amount and then cancel the card. After my purchase, I went home to make sure the clothes fit. To ensure the APR fees did not take effect, I decided to pay the entire balance online. Which I did. After making my payment, I then called the card company on my application form and canceled the card.

One year later, having returned home, I am now receiving a collection notice from NCO Financial Systems for $317.09. So the company that manages the online payment (a 3rd party company) did not register and process my payment) and/or the company that manages the BR account did not properly cancel my membership. This is a huge company that seems to have 'farmed out' its financial responsibilities to horribly managed companies. We are left to pay for their mistakes. The threat of my credit is real, and the process to fix these charges (with 3 companies) is daunting.

I am now locked in a huge uphill battle with people on the phone who just don't seem to care or believe that their company can make such mistakes. Based on my research, they indeed to make these mistakes and possibly intentionally take such actions in order to make more money on late fees and charges. I am the first one to admit a mistake and pay for them, but I refuse to give in to such blatant incompetence.

NEVER sign up for a store card (no matter how good the savings seems). If you do, and then cancel, record the cancellation number (like emailing it to yourself). Make sure the payments go through from your bank, not the payment company. Never trust a salesperson's word on your name on a credit card.