Americans Feel 'Bullied' by Credit Card Store Offers

We’ve all been tempted by this sales offer: Open a credit card today at the store you’re shopping at and get an additional 10 to 15 percent off your purchase. And with the holiday shopping season about to kick into high gear, expect to hear a lot more of these offers.

But for many people, the pitch comes across as anything but benign. A new survey of 1,320 U.S. adults by Credit.com found that 31 percent — or three in 10 Americans — feel bullied by this aggressive (but very tempting) sales tactic. Another 49 percent regretted signing up for a new credit card during the holiday season and 57 percent of respondents said they would avoid returning to the store altogether.

Shoppers may feel bullied by sales employees but they also realize that the sales clerk is just doing his or her job. Seventy-three percent of respondents admitted to feeling sympathetic toward the employees.

Americans have an average of 2.6 cards according to an April 2014 Gallup survey. The average credit card debt is $2,426. Twenty-nine percent of Americans said they did not own any credit cards.