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I have shopped with JCPenney for over 15 years. Before all the recent policy changes, I used to be able to use JCP gift cards to pay my credit card bill. I prefer getting merchandise with the gift cards, however, if I happened to spend too much over Christmas, it was nice to use the gift card instead to help save a little money. Being that everyone I am related to knows how much I shop at JCP, I received several JCP gift cards for Christmas. Today, I walked in to the store to use my gift card to pay the bill and I was told I could no longer do that. I called the hotline to ask someone if that was really true and after 35 minutes on the phone trying to get to a higher level person, it was confirmed. A gift card is the same thing as cash. It is not like paying a credit card bill with another credit card. I can understand why they don't allow payments with other credit cards because it is paying with money that truly isn't yours, and they have to pay extra fees to process all of that. A JCP gift card has no fees, and is the equivalent of me handing a clerk cash, and them handing back a plastic card that says "this is how much money you have given me". What JCP, and the "guru" who has dumped them into the ground faster than any company in the history of commerce, are doing might or might not be illegal (based on the fact I don't have a law degree). It is money entrapment. Money entrapment is when a company forces people to spend more money by locking them into something as a way to double sales. I think there was a reason apple let this guy go, they knew what his business plans were like.

If I get enough interest on this complaint from others, I will lead a class action suit against their credit card policies on this, as well as their late fee charges. The credit card companies all were forced to change by the government, why should JCP get away with it?

I have only had one other issue with the "new" system. I think the late fee itself is too high and too severe. Last year I had a bill get delivered to my address a little later than usual. I had one week to pay it. I went into a JCP store the day after it was due. I was still charged $35. I manage a business where we have due dates on bills and we give up to 10 days after the due date to pay the bill without a fee. And if it is still late, then it is a $10 fee. We are nowhere near the size of JCP, however, we still have the happiest customers you could imagine for over 35 years. If you treat people decently, they will come back!

Please respond if you are interested in a class action suit.

Monetary Loss: $100.

Location: Tampa, Florida

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Guest

I would also like to pay on my JC Penney with a gift card, if they tell me no I will return their merchandise.

Guest

Definitely interested in a class action suit. Bc this has happened to me.

Guest

this is a horrible policy. I shopped at JC Penneys in order to use my gift card, but now am told it cannot be used to pay my account. so now I will be forced to lose the $100 value of the card or buy something else that I really don't need !once I use up this useless card, I will not shop there again !!!

Guest

I just returned something i payed for half with gift card and other half on credit. This was only 30 dollars out of the 400 i spent total, but they insisted they could not put it as a credit on my card and gave me another gift card.

Problem is I do not shop at JCPenny and only went there to get washing machine on sale and opened credit card to get the additional discount. I did not need the hoses that were sold with the machine, now i am out 30 dollars!

Guest

I am intrested! I always get jcpenny gift cards and have no interest shopping there myself, but with holidays I use a credit card and then turn around and use the gift cards to pay off the debt.

As a college student I don't have the extra cash id like but I feel like they took my rights away as an individual to spend MY money the way I wanted! If I choose to spend my Christmas gifts on others so be it, they shouldn't punish me for it?!

Guest

It seems like a racket to me. I paid my bill on the due date but after 7pm and use my debit card and was charged a late fee.

Guest

I am interested I returned a damaged ring and they would only give me a voucher for merchandise although the warranty I purchased I couldn't even read because they automatically gave me a Spanish brochure. Who reads and understands Spanish ? I don't they racially profiled me and trapped me into still paying high fees when they didn't clearly explain in English what I was buying

Guest

I am absolutely interested. I think it's criminal that you pay for a JC Penney gift card and then prohibited from using it to pay for JC Penney merchandise.

Please keep me posted on any legal action you might wish to initiate. With all the confusion and trouble I had purchasing new appliances there they should pay me.

Guest

I ran into the same problem I would like to see if this policy can be changed.

Guest

Can i buy gift cards with my jcpennies credit card?

Guest

Yes I tried to do the same and pay with a gift card on my jcpenny account. And they said no they couldn't do that. Its ridiculous I agree.

Guest

I don't think it is so much JCP as the horrible company their credit card is issued from. It is the same company that issues OLd Navy Credit Cards and I think some other retailer specific cards.

Being as such, I get why that credit card company doesn't want to accept jcp gift cards, but I still agree that cash is cash, and we should be allowed to pay it as such.

I'm about to go in to pay my jcp credit card and wondering if I can use one of those Visa Gift cards?

Those act like "credit cards", but they are treated as cash, it even says so on the back ("treat this like cash. cannot be replaced if lost or stolen"). I bet they won't accept those either since it rings through the POS system as "credit". I'll see what happens.

The company that issues the retail credit cards is a joke. I was one day late paying my bill and I was called 6 times! Then I was called several times a day for the next week until I paid the bill. They are annoying and petty!

Oh ya, and the amount I was late on was less than the late fee amount! Petty!

Guest

I was thinking of applying for a credit card at JCP but I decided to google if you could pay with gift cards. So I guess I won't be applying after all. I understand why they do it but I have to use gift cards for everything so I can't use credit cards that don't let you pay with gift cards.

Guest

You're an ***. Pay using cash, check or debit card.

Guest

I'm guessing the reason you can't use a gift card to make a payment is that you can puchase a gift card with a credit card. So in a way it would be as if you are paying with a credit card.

Guest

I used to work at JCP for 4 years before you could pay with your gift card until they changed that policy.

Guest

Isn't it to be expected that somebody working for a company would WANT to keep their identity hidden, whether or not they were high up or not? Why give it away? Just my opinion.

Guest

To "anon"...I am not arguing that their policy does exist. I am arguing the fact that that could violate antitrust laws. And you are not paying credit with credit. Credit is "money that is given to you that you do not have". A gift card is a debit card, meaning it is your money that you are paying with, not theirs. Why is this fact so hard for people to understand?

Say it with me folks...."Business classes are goooood!"

And to "abc1234", you have a point. Either way, they are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem.

If you guys like being treated the way JCP treats customers, then I invite you to my store. I will let you buy a gift certificate and then I will tell you that all you can use it for is a trashcan. Hope you need a trashcan!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-604230

anon may have been utilizing the word "credit," to imply STORE credit, would have been nice if that was clarified. store credit is only valid on merchandise. instead of insulting people, why don't you take the time to make sure you understand fully what is being said?

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