Dawn M.

Sam's Club needs to take more responsibility for their store credit card (the Sam's Club Mastercard). The shenanigans and poor customer service regarding these cards are an open secret. We find ourselves having to call the Synchrony's customer service line several times each year, and earlier this week I was treated to a round of inappropriate condescension, gaslighting, and nonsensical answers. The more minor frustrations with their card include a website that's frequently down and/or login info that simply stops working. If you're not using autopay to make payments, you will find making online payments difficult. Also, just a heads up: they took over a month to set up autopay on our account, so be careful not to miss a payment while that's pending. These things can affect your rewards payout. And yes, most people suspect these shenanigans are on purpose. The bigger issue is their "security verifications." Expect your card to be randomly declined 1-2 times each year. The security checks are both arbitrary and useless. On one hand, you can spend hundreds of dollars while on vacation in another state with no issue, only to have them perform a security check for a really minor purchase (e.g. $30) at a grocery store you frequently visit. Customer Service isn't privy as to why these checks take place, and they can't explain why one of our cards will work just fine at the store, but the other spouse's is declined (and vice versa). This has happened several times over the years, and yet they missed major fraud flags when a card WAS compromised, not the least of which were transactions somehow transpiring in two different states at the same time. My favorite part of yesterday's phone call, though, was being told that customers should be thankful Synchrony and Sam's are extending credit to them. I wish I were joking. And yes, I nearly snorted out my coffee. Imagine putting Sam's Club and Synchrony on par with the microfinance programs that help low-income individuals in developing nations. And there you have it, folks. Excuse me while I have a seizure from the eye-rolling...

I would stay away from e-bate apps. I have had issues with all of them and have had to file more than one BBB Complaint to be issued a rebate. Today, I'm looking into filing an FTC complaint against iBotta. Every time I've come close to cashing out, they send an email on the very last e-bate that says they can't read the receipt or don't see the product on the receipt. You can then click on "View the Receipt", at which point you will see your crystal clear, perfectly legible, unambiguous receipt. Basically, these e-bate apps are trying to track you and your shopping habits for free. Don't let them. This is your privacy we're talking about. They need to pay for it. Their sole function is to issue rebates, yet they engage in tactics to prevent having to pay. I initially liked iBotta because they offered solid rebates on liquor. I was willing to stick with it even though I had a couple of glitches. I initially gave them 4/5 stars; with a star being shaved for the small problems I had with them. But small problems culminated into bigger ones. The problems also show a distinct pattern of fraud. Stay away.