WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Charles Hemrick needed a few new items around the house. He was in the market for a washer and dryer along with a new mattress. Hemrick opened up a new credit card with preferred financing.
“My payments were like $150 a month,” Hemrick said.
After making his first payment, Hemrick noticed he received a statement in the mail alerting him he was late on his fee. He immediately called the bank and the credit card company to make sure the payment was received. It took a few calls but eventually, a representative could confirm the payment was received on time.
The next month Hemrick again made the $150 payment. Then about a week or two later, he received a statement that his account was past due and he was going to be charged $28 for late payment. Again, Hemrick called and spoke with a representative.
At one point, Hemrick actually received a collection notice in the mail but the representative told him not to worry about it. The entire process was becoming a bit frustrating and Hemrick was worried his credit may be impacted.
“About a month later, I get a letter apologizing, we found [the] payment it [was] not missing blah blah blah,” Hemrick said.
Before the next payment was due, Hemrick paid the balance off and canceled the credit card. Unfortunately, he again received a letter notifying him of a late fee for not paying on time. By now, Hemrick had enough so he sent a letter to the bank and let them know he was planning to reach out to News 2.
As we investigated the issue, Hemrick was again sent a collection letter.
“It was frustrating and made me more than a bit upset,” Hemrick said.
We were able to speak with a corporate executive from the bank and the credit card company. We explained the ongoing problem and that the card has since been canceled. Both representatives told us they would look into the matter and get back to us.
A week or so later, we were told the issue was resolved and that Hemrick would not be receiving any more bills or collection notices. Hemrick was optimistic but he had heard this before. He waited as one month passed, and then two and then three. The bills stopped coming and his problem was finally over.
“Thank you, thank you, for your help on this,” Hemrick said.
As for the bed and the washer and dryer, they are working great.