A man says that he inadvertently started signing up for a Macy’s store credit card at the register and was too embarrassed to cancel the transaction once he realized.
TikTok user Andrew Lafferty (@andrewlaffertyy) posted the video on Jan. 31. Lafferty explains what happened in the video, which has amassed more than 122,000 views. “I just signed up for a Macy’s credit card and didn’t do it on purpose,” he says.
Lafferty says he was at the register purchasing “hundreds” of dollars worth of items. Many shoppers have experienced this interaction. The clerk asked him if he would like to save $200 on his purchase that day, and Lafferty said yes without thinking.
Macy’s shopper sign up for a credit card by accident?
That is until the clerk asked him to fill out a form that included his Social Security number. “I was like, ‘Oh. I see what’s happening.’ I got embarrassed,” he says. “I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t know that the whole time.”
So, Lafferty went through with his application. And what do you know? He got approved. “What an honor,” Lafferty says, deadpan.
Added insult to injury
Signing up for a credit card by accident would hurt anybody. But the cashier apparently decided to add insult to injury by informing Lafferty that his credit limit would start at a measly $100. “He goes, ‘That’s the lowest I’ve ever seen. Do you not make a lot of money?’” Lafferty recounts.
“Really? Really? No,” he tells his viewers.
Needless to say, Lafferty is not planning on going back any time soon. “So, I’m a JCPenney guy now,” he says to conclude the video.
Should you get a store credit card?
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, retail credit cards come with a “high cost.” That cost includes higher annual interest rates and less restrictive underwriting that can allow consumers to borrow more than they can afford.
Additionally, the article states that Lafferty’s experience is by design. Point of sale applications are a tactic retailers use to pressure consumers into saying yes, which can confuse some shoppers into signing up for a credit card they didn’t intend to.
@andrewlaffertyy macys how do i cancel this #hashtag #macys
♬ original sound - Andrew Lafferty
Viewers react
In the caption, Lafferty writes, “Macy’s how do I cancel this?” In the comments section, viewers offered advice and perspective.
One viewer wrote, “I feel like $100 is almost more insulting than getting denied.”
A second viewer wrote, “Cancel ASAP! Never do a store card.”
A third person asked, “Did you still get the $200 off?”
However, some people defended store cards. “I’ve had my Kohl’s card since I was 18. It has a $300 limit and, not going to lie, it’s the bulk of my credit score. It can ONLY be used at Kohl’s so it’s hard to abuse. Now I have 750 credit lol,” wrote one person.
The Daily Dot reached out to Lafferty via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. It also reached out to Macy’s via press email for comment.
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