A charge from Carol Wright Gifts on your credit card is a payment to Carol Wright, a direct-mail and online catalog retailer selling household goods, kitchen items, health and wellness products, and apparel. In almost every case it traces back to one of three things: a product order placed through carolwright.com or a mailed catalog, a monthly bill on the company’s in-house ShopNow Pay Plan, or a recurring fee for the paid “Carol Wright Perks” membership. If none of those sound familiar, someone else in your household may have ordered, or you may have been enrolled in a subscription you didn’t realize was paid.
What the Charge Usually Represents
Carol Wright takes credit and debit cards at checkout and also offers its own financing option, the ShopNow Pay Plan. The pay plan works like a store credit account with monthly statements, an APR between 5.75% and 25.99%, no annual fee, and a due date at least 25 days after the close of each billing cycle. Late fees run from $0 to $15 depending on the state, and returned-payment fees can reach $25. Minimum payments start at $20 for balances up to $200 and rise from there.1Carol Wright. Billing and Account Conditions Credit orders are subject to approval and may require a down payment.2Carol Wright. Buy Now Pay Later
So a Carol Wright charge on your card is likely a one-time order payment, a ShopNow Pay Plan payment, or a recurring Perks membership fee. The Perks charge is the one people most often don’t recognize.
The Recurring “Carol Wright Perks” Fee
“CAROL WRIGHT PERKS” on a statement is the billing descriptor for a paid subscription program that offers members benefits such as discounts and free shipping.3Carol Wright Perks. Frequently Asked Questions Complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau against Carol Wright’s parent company describe monthly charges of $16.95 for a Perks membership that customers said they had not knowingly authorized, along with difficulty canceling by phone or email.4Better Business Bureau. Colony Brands, Inc. Complaints
The pattern has a history. In 2012, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs reached a settlement with Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Corp., which then operated under the Carol Wright Gifts name. The state alleged that the company had charged consumers optional service fees by phone without express authorization and had enrolled customers in paid memberships after free trials ended without making clear that cancellation was required to avoid charges. The company paid $35,023, agreed to obtain express authorization before recurring charges, and did not admit any violation.5New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Press Release, May 7, 2012
Check the Household First
Carol Wright mails printed catalogs widely, so the simplest explanation is often that another person in the home ordered. BBB complaints show that family members sometimes place orders using another person’s name or card, which can result in charges being attributed to the wrong individual.4Better Business Bureau. Colony Brands, Inc. Complaints Ruling that out first can save you a formal dispute.
Contact Carol Wright Directly
Carol Wright’s customer service line is 800-544-1615, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to midnight Central time. You can also use the contact form on carolwright.com. Unshipped orders can be canceled through the Order Status section of the site; orders that have already shipped cannot be canceled and have to go through the return process instead.6Carol Wright. Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re trying to end a Perks membership or another recurring fee, call and ask for the subscription to be canceled and any pending charge reversed. Keep the date, time, and name of the representative. If a phone call doesn’t resolve it, follow up in writing.
Dispute a ShopNow Pay Plan Billing Error
For charges on a ShopNow Pay Plan account, the company’s terms require you to submit disputes in writing within 60 days of the statement containing the error. Your notice needs to include your name, account number, the dollar amount in question, and why you believe it’s wrong. A phone call alone does not trigger an investigation. Send disputes to:
Carol Wright Gifts ShopNow Pay Plan
1112 7th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566-13647Carol Wright. Billing and Account Conditions
Dispute Through Your Credit Card Issuer
If the charge is on a credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute billing errors in writing with your issuer within 60 days of the statement date. Send the letter to the issuer’s billing-inquiry address, not the payment address, and include your name, account number, and a description of the disputed charge. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. While the investigation is open, the issuer can’t try to collect the disputed amount or report it as delinquent. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50.8Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
If the charge hit a debit card or bank account, contact your bank as soon as you spot it. The bank generally has 10 business days to investigate and must issue a temporary credit if the review takes longer. Reporting within two business days of discovering an unauthorized transaction caps your liability at $50; waiting longer can raise it to $500.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Get My Money Back After I Discover an Unauthorized Transaction
If the Account Was Opened Without Your Consent
Carol Wright’s terms let the company report account information, including late or missed payments, to credit bureaus.7Carol Wright. Billing and Account Conditions In one BBB complaint, a consumer reported that an account was opened in their name without their consent and hurt their credit report; the company responded by closing the account, notifying the credit bureaus to delete the reference, and confirming the consumer was not responsible.4Better Business Bureau. Colony Brands, Inc. Complaints
If you believe Carol Wright has reported inaccurate information about you, contact its credit department at 800-544-1615 or write to Credit Dept., 1112 7th Avenue, Monroe, WI 53566.10Carol Wright. Privacy Policy You can also file a dispute directly with the credit bureau reporting the information, and submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
One Limit on Your Legal Options
If you opened a Carol Wright account, its terms include a mandatory binding arbitration clause and a class action waiver. That means you agree to resolve disputes individually through arbitration rather than through court proceedings or class actions.7Carol Wright. Billing and Account Conditions Your rights to dispute a charge with your card issuer under federal law are separate from this clause and remain available.