
Those of you who read my posts frequently know that, when necessary, I have no problem naming names and going after specific companies that I think consumers and investors need to avoid. That is precisely what I'm going to do today. My brother is a junior in college and frequently receives offers in the mail for credit cards and other "financial services" (which reminds me of the old joke about military intelligence). Yesterday, he received a catalog from a company called Peach Direct (bad name, bad company), which boasts the slogan "Making Luxury Affordable."
Well who doesn't want affordable luxury? Surely I do. So I opened the catalog and began browsing the offers. Among the "deals" available are Gucci sunglasses for $10 per month, a 50" DLP Wide-screen HDTV for $48 per month, and an Xbox 360 for $14 per month. But my personal favorite is, by far this gem: Quicken 2007 Deluxe for $10 per month. Ladies and gentlemen, take it from me: If you don't have the $49.99 in cash that it takes to buy your own personal finance software, you probably don't need it. One of the savviest financial decisions you could make in that situation would be to not buy the software on installment, paying the 23.99% APR my brother was "pre-approved" for -- which is sort of like being pre-approved to take a vow of poverty. What's second prize? Fifty shares of Enron stock?
How much will buying on installment cost you? Use a calculator like this one to figure it out. For instance, if you are buying the Microsoft Xbox 360 Platinum System which has a price of $450 and a payment of $14 per month, you would plug that into the calculator to discover that you will end up paying $277.69 in interest. You'll pay $728 for a system you can get at Best Buy for $300. Ouch.
Let me be very clear about this: I don't blame Peach Direct for this irresponsible marketing, preying on uninformed, poor college kids who might make really stupid financial decisions. That's what capitalists do, whether they be pay-day lenders, casinos, car dealers, or some guy selling playoff tickets for the Kansas City Royals. If Peach Direct weren't doing it, someone else would
What concerns me most is that very few kids (this company markets to college students) have the financial literacy necessary to understand this offer. How many could or will really calculate how much that camcorder at $20 per month will cost them, after interest? One in a hundred, I suspect. I'm not exaggerating. A recent survey by Jump$tart, a financial literacy advocacy group, showed that only 17% of students know that stocks represent the best investment over the long term. I would also guess that very few would be able to accurately guess how buying an item on installment really costs, and why it ends up costing more than 60% more when the interest rate is only 24%. There's an old saying that "People who understand compound interest are destined to collect it. People who don't are doomed to pay it." Companies like Peach Direct know most kids don't understand, and that's why they market to them.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-01-2007 @ 12:49PM
Peach Direct said...
Peach Direct is no different than other companies that offer private label credit card such as Nordstrom, Macy's and Best Buy. They all offer credit cards, often with deferred interest and often with above average interest rates if you do not pay off the card before that introductory offer expires. The main difference between Peach Direct and brick-and-mortar stores is that Peach Direct uses Direct Mail to make their offers where Nordstrom, Macy's and Best Buy wait until you are at the checkout counter before they make the offer.
It is important to remember that nobody is forcing anybody to finance their lifestye. I believe that people need to take responsibility for their own financial well-being. You can choose your V, you can choose to be a Victor or choose to be a Victim.
My personal opinion is that we should take responsibility for our lives. If you don't want to be broke then lay off the Starbuck's machiado latte's and coffee cake, which costs you $6. Don't order expensive appetizers and drinks at restaurants. Order water instead and go to Safeway for your slice of cheesecake.
I will agree that credit companies thrive, and perhaps prey, on financially ignorant people who need instant gratification to make themselves feel better. Be smart, put together a monthly budget, stick to it, defer buying things if you can't afford to pay for them. And, definitely calculate the interest before making a credit commitment. It doesn't take but 6th grade math to do the math.
If somebody has actually made it to college, I would presume they are smart enough to rip up and throw away the dozens of credit card offers they receive on a monthly basis. That is what I do.
3-19-2007 @ 3:54PM
Pygmypop said...
Peach Direct (GE Credit) Scammers (Going out of bus?)?
We ordered a flat plasma TV and then cancelled within 48 hours. We are now getting calls from GE's collections department because they say that Peach Direct never let them know that we cancelled the order and do not owe anything on the account. Peach Direct doesn't answer their phones and will not credit back the charges. GE says they can't do anything about it. Filing a dispute did not work a month ago and now we are about to go into a sixty day late period, at which point GE will report us to the credit bureaus, and then all of our other credit cards will blast their interest charges on our other accounts because that is what the new laws are skillfully written to do to the cosumers.
4-04-2007 @ 7:10PM
PeachDirectSucks said...
I saw a site that really sucks, it's called www.peachdirectsucks.com and if you go there, you'll see why.
5-23-2007 @ 9:36AM
meme said...
Buyer beware is what should come up when you go to Peachdirect website. I almost fell for Peach Direct when they so generously gave me a credit limit of $2,000.00. Having grown up and learned that if it's usually to good to be true it usually is. I was about to place an order but decided to further investigate by reading the small print. I found out that not only will you be paying high interest but if you wanted to return the item you would have to pay a restock fee at 20% and the shipping and handling. That along sent up a red flag for me. Thanks Peachdirect but No thanks.
5-29-2007 @ 3:41AM
Regan Braumberger said...
About a week after my wife and I ordered a 42" television from Peachdirect, I decided to check online and make sure that they were not involved in any suspicious dealings or ripoff tactics. Needless to say after finding this forum, I became quite worried. So, I took the advice given at the end of Chester Dodge's comments and e-mailed dkim@peachdirect.com with my concerns. Let me tell you, I was glad that I did. He gave me a phonecall soon after and was extremely helpful and perhaps the friendliest person I have dealt with in quite some time. He explained to me that the 100-plus complaints were a result of too many orders and too little supply during this last holiday season. He also stated that peachdirect is working to cut shipping times down to 3-5 business days rather than weeks, and that in the next 6-8-months customers will see a tracking number on their order status within a day or two of ordering.
He checked and was able to ensure that my television was leaving the warehouse and would arrive shortly. He then provided contact information for the air-freight delivery company (Pilot Air Freight), as well as a tracking number. I was able to track my package and see its exact wherabouts. He then provided me with his personal line at Peachdirect so that I could bypass the 800-number reps and deal directly with him. He was quite friendly and voiced that he would love for me to call him and let him know when the television arrived.
Peachdirect has a B rating on the Better Business Bureau website, which is considered Good, but had it not been for their oversight in supply vs. demand around the holidays, they would have an A rating. And because they have amended all problems, they probably will work their way back up to it.
In summation, I belive them to be a wonderful company, and I will definitely deal with them again. Their merchandise wasn't damaged, was in great condition, and it sure didn't take a month to get here (like some people are insisting it does). I look forward to dealing with them in the future. Sure you may pay some interest, but it's better than footing the entire bill right away. And, with promos, they usually give you up to a year of interest-free time in which you can pay your bill off without incurring interest. They're a safe bet for sure!
-Regan