Getting to the bottom of a credit card mess

Their advertising says they're the "perfect bank" to help people restore credit. Have you ever received an offer like that in the mail?

Tammy Kirby, from Greenback, called last week to tell me how a simple $150 credit card bill had exploded to over $400.

What makes her mad – she's really ticked – is that she paid the bill, yet her credit card company, Orchard Bank, held her cashier's check for 17 days, forcing extra charges.

Mrs. Kirby said she contacted the bank, sent a fax of her check, even sent a copy by certified mail, yet Orchard Bank told her, "Sorry, we can't find the check."

But Tammy had the proof! There was the copy of her check, verification from her bank she has sent the check, verification from the Federal Reserve that it had been cashed by Orchard Bank, and when.

We asked her to call the bank's customer service. They told her, "Nope, can't find the fax."

Going a step further, we asked if we could speak to a supervisor. Guess what? After some prodding the supervisor declared, "I notice you sent us a fax about documentation. We received it on March 27th."

We did some checking on the company and found many complaints. The Better Business Bureau told us the company appeals to people with shaky credit, luring them in with low introductory rates. Others have complained of tactics similar to those used on Tammy.

We contacted the company's corporate office. Within two hours Tammy was called and told her "concerns have been resolved satisfactorily." In other words, they found their mistake and Mrs. Kirby's bill is zeroed, we hope.

If a problem like this ever happens to you, call the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357. Also contact the Better Business Bureau so there's a record (865-692-1616). You can also contact the FTC or the BBB via e-mail.