It's been a little while since I've written a proper Captain's Log, and this one came out of a situation that hit a nerve. Not a big, life-altering event, just one of those small things that makes you stop and say, "Wait a minute... that's not right." And sometimes those little moments are the best ones to talk about, because they happen to all of us more often than we'd like to admit.

So here's what happened. I recently bought something nice for my wife from Kay Jewelers. Nothing unusual there. I've shopped with them before, used their store card, taken advantage of their promotional financing, and always paid everything on time. No issues. No surprises. I like promotional financing because some stores will give you a discount if you use their card at their store. Walmart, for example, does this. My Kay's card gave me 6-12 months interest-free, which was great. I could buy something cute for the wife, and then I've got 6 months to pay it off. So I bought her something cute. Then I get my statement and see a $50 charge labeled "Promotional Plan Fee." That immediately triggered my internal red alert (1). My first thought was simple: what fee?

I reached out to them through their messaging system, and at first I got the usual "please call us" response. Not happening. If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know I don't do phone calls unless someone is offering me a starship and a warp drive. So I pushed back and kept everything in writing, which is what I prefer to do, especially for things like this where I want everything documented in writing. Eventually, they explained that this was a new 2% fee tied to promotional financing, something they said was disclosed in a prior statement under a "Change in Terms" notice. And there it is. The classic fine print defense, buried where almost nobody sees it.

Now, let's be honest. Who actually reads every line of every statement that comes in, especially when there's no balance or activity? That's not how normal humans operate. If you're introducing a new fee that directly affects a purchase decision, that needs to be disclosed clearly at the time of sale. Not tucked away in a document that most people skim at best. That's not transparency. That's hoping nobody notices. And that's where I draw the line on ethics. That's kind of like software terms of service, right? No one ever reads it - they just scroll to the bottom and click accept. This is a situation where software you've used for years suddenly sneaks in a change and makes you click Accept again without telling you what that change is specifically.

To their credit, after a bit of back and forth, they did reverse the charge. So this isn't a horror story about a company refusing to fix a mistake. It's more about the principle behind it. Because even though they made it right for me, the system itself is still in place. That fee is still there, waiting for the next person who doesn't catch it or doesn't feel like pushing back. And that's where this turns into a broader conversation about awareness.

One of my core rules when it comes to money is simple. I use credit, but I use it smartly. I don't buy things I can't afford. If I can't pay it off before interest kicks in, I don't buy it. Period. Credit cards are tools, not lifelines. Used correctly, they're incredibly powerful. Used incorrectly, they'll dig a hole faster than a Ferengi with a shovel searching for buried gold. I'll take 3% cash back, but I won't pay 29% interest on a purchase for something that I don't really need.

Here's the part that really made me shake my head. If a promotional plan now comes with a 2% fee, why would I use it? I've got other cards that give me 3% or 4% cash back on purchases. I can put the same purchase on something like my American Express Platinum Card, pay it off quickly like I always do, and actually come out ahead instead of paying for the privilege. At that point, the "promotion" isn't a benefit. It's a cost.

At the end of the day, this didn't cost me anything. I got the fee reversed, lesson learned, moving on. But it did reinforce something I already believe strongly. You have to stay aware. You have to question things that don't look right. And you have to be willing to push back when something feels off, even if it's "just fifty bucks." Because those little things add up, and more importantly, they set the tone for how companies treat their customers. I try to take care of all my customers as best I can. If you ever notice anything out of whack with my billing, then you let me know and I'll make it right.

So now I'm curious. Have you ever caught a fee like this on a statement that made you stop and go, "Wait... what is that?" And did you let it go, or did you fight it?

LLAP
RR

(1) or Reed alert for all my Trekkies. LOL