What's On Your Mind? GE Money Care, Crest Pro Whitener, Microsoft

It's amazing how fast a loan balance can multiply when you take out a payday loan. But it appears that credit card balances can also significantly increase in a relatively short period of time.

“My cat Brandi got bitten or injured and we had to take her to the veterinarian for treatment,” Karen, of Oklahoma City, Okla., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “We did not have $480.00 for the bill so they let us apply for the GE Money Care Card. It was a promotional card for one year.”

Karen said she made payments on the account every month but missed one payment, which she made up the following month.

“Now I am being sued by the collection agency for $1300.01,” Karen said. I have requested an audit of how my payments were applied to the account. The collection agency attorneys have threatened to put a lien on my house and garnish my paycheck. I would like to know how such a company can get away with such misrepresentation of their services.”

Good question.  How does a $480 loan, which was paid monthly for nearly a year, have a balance of $1,300?

White teeth but red gums

Jessica, of Binghamton, N.Y., says she's had a bad experience with Crest Pro Health whitening toothpaste.

“I developed red gums, a white tongue similar to when you drink something hot and burn it, and the worst symptom was a swollen lower lip and burns all over the lining,” Jessica said. “The skin was peeling off within 2 days. I'd like to know why there was nothing on the box or tube referring to any side effects, because I almost went to the ER after spending the afternoon at the walk-in.”

Teeth whitening toothpastes contain extra rough abrasives, and sometimes chemicals, and are not for everyone. Some teeth and gums are too sensitive and some people have allergies.  When changing toothpastes, use just a little bit and see how you react to it.

Manufacturers can't be held responsible for individuals' allergies, after all.

Thanks for the help

Technical support is supposed to solve problems, not make them worse. But Neil, of Westbury, N.Y., says that's what happened when his son called Microsoft to deal with a problem with his Xbox 360.

“After 30 minutes of the so-called tech having him perform different troubleshooting, the XBOX now has an E74 error, a major hardware error,” Neil told ConsumerAffairs.com. “When I called to hold Microsoft responsible for the damage I was told it would cost me $99.00 to repair what they had done. At that point I asked for the corporate number to file a complaint and was told that they had no such number. Although 20 minutes later i easily found the number on the web. How do they get away with charging people for what their techs do?”

Since Neil found the number to complain to Microsoft, perhaps he should ask them that question. We'd like to know the answer.

All that glitters

You can't turn on radio or television without seeing or hearing commercials for companies that either want to sell you gold or buy your gold from you. Gold is at record highs and many think it could even go higher. So Michael, of Cleves, Ohio, was understandably upset when he learned the truth about a piece of jewelry he purchased from ShopNBC.

“I bought what I thought a 14k gold chain and heart pendant for my wife about two years ago,” Michael said. “Went to get it cleaned at a jewelers and they picked it up with a magnet. It was not gold after all. It's fake but it's marked 14k. I called to tell them they said nothing they can do about it.”

Michael didn't say how much he paid for the jewelry. If a company is willing to sell you something made of gold for what seems like a bargain price, it's wise to be skeptical. Gold, after all, is selling for around $1,600 an ounce.