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Monogram - The Gap

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Judith of Miami Beach FL (11/4/03):
Despite high earnings and an exceptional credit history, my husband and I were turned down on our application for a GAP credit card from Monogram Bank in Atlanta. This is an absolute absurdity based on our 36-page credit report with no negatives and "never late" on every account. We have never been refused credit by any other lender or retail store. Whatever system of evaluation is being used by Monogram is arbitrary and is doing GAP's reputation more harm than good.

Kathryn of Chattanooga, TN, writes (4/20/01):
I am going to attach a letter I wrote to the Monogram Bank of Georgia, and I copied The Gap Customer Relations. After reading all of the complaints on this website from Monogram BAnk, I feel more justified in my dissatisfaction.

I was probably a fool to pay in full what they said I owed, because I don't remember ever taking out a Gap card and Monogram Bank has no record of what I purchased or the date -- they just asked me to pay $135.11 for "purchases". They hounded me with over 25 phone calls on my answering machine and asked me to give them my checking account number. They were also very rude.

Here is the letter I wrote:

I recently paid off my Gap Card payment after experiencing a very difficult relationship with the phone operators from your bank. I am still not clear on the details of my purchase, but I will outline the history of my relationship with you all and I expect some sort of reply from either your bank or from the Gap: I received an initial phone call sometime in the beginning of March from your bank saying I had not made any payments on my purchase from the Gap dating back to November 2000. I was surprised, as I had never received any statement in the mail of the purchases, and I questioned the time difference from a November purchase to a March phone call.

The phone operator indicated to me that I could just give him my bank checking account number and he would withdraw the payment ($135.11). I laughed when he said this, thinking it would be quite foolish to give my bank account number over the phone for a supposed purchase. I asked why I had received no statement, and we discovered that your bank had the incorrect address -- I think my apartment number was missing, and therefore the statement was returned to you. I cannot imagine why you waited four months to call since you received a returned statement and obviously had my phone number.

I asked for a description of purchases since I didn’t remember what or IF I purchased anything in November, but the phone operator didn’t have a record of that. I indicated I was wary of the legitimacy of his call, but that if he sent a statement to me in the mail and I could verify that I made the purchase, then I would pay in full. I always, by the way, make full payments on purchases. I don’t know what happened to the statement he supposedly re-sent, but I got another call a week later, and I re-gave my address and said again that I would not give my bank account number over the phone. I also asked for a phone number so I could call and verify that you were indeed a bank. My phone was beeping and actually lost battery power during this phone call, so we got disconnected. I called back, and the phone rang and rang -- and I remember becoming increasingly skeptical about this situation.

Then I left the country for 1 month and resolved to call the Gap upon my return and find out what was going on. However, when I returned on April 10, I had no less than 20 automated messages from your bank requesting I call. I called immediately and spoke with a woman who was incredibly rude. I explained the above information to her and said I was on the road back from the airport and that if I had a statement in the mail, then I would pay in full immediately. She then told me that I was an irresponsible person, and that even if I didn’t receive an initial statement from you, I should know what kind of purchases I make and I should have taken the initiative to call and ask where my statement was. She then informed me that she, on the other hand, was a responsible person with HER purchases. Frankly, I have never been so hounded by anyone and then treated with such disrespect. I understand your calling with an automated machine to ask where my payments are, and I can also understand how you somehow got the wrong mailing address for me initially in November. But I still have no idea WHAT I purchased, and it was not listed on the statement I finally received upon my return home.

The statement is dated 3/16/01 with payment due date 4/11/01. Your many phone messages must have occurred during this month before the payment due date, since I returned your calls on the 10th. I paid the full amount and sent the check on the 11th. I then got ANOTHER call (from a very pleasant operator, this time) 4 days later saying you had still not received my payment. I suggested she wait a couple of more days and let me know if it still doesn’t arrive. I have the check number, and made a copy of the statement. I feel sure that I did make some sort of purchase with a Gap card in November, but you all should have sent me a statement outlining what I purchased (was it 1 item, 2 items? How much was each?) and you should have sent it in a timely manner. If you received a returned statement with an insufficient address, you should have called me immediately. Subsequently, you should not have requested I give my checking account number over the phone, and you certainly should not reprimand me for being an irresponsible person.

I am copying this letter to The Gap management so they are aware of the difficulties I have experienced. I will never again take out a credit card from this store, and will hesitate before I do this again in ANY store. I expect you to respond to my complaint and search your database to retroactively tell me what purchases I made, the date, and the cost/s. I also expect that none of this has gone onto my credit history, since I never received an initial statement from you and my first phone call regarding these “purchases” was in March. I’m not aware of credit card legalities, but I question whether my rights have been violated by this process and my impression of your bank as well as The Gap store has soured.

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