Providian Emerge Credit Card Review

Overall Rating

None

Many

I was with Providian for a good amount of time. Just starting my credit I was just happy to get a card. I, as many of the reviews here, got hit with the over limit fees for the extra programs they sell. They tell you they will increase your credit line. All of a sudden I am at 30% interest. I was told in a year "we will review your account for a rate reduction". When that year came around my account was "sold" to Emerge. Now they say "too bad, you get no review". On my bill I noticed Providian National Bank were the owners of Emerge, but when I called, this was denied. Because of other issues along with this, I have now gone into a debt management Program (American Financial Solutions). I now know to research cards before getting them. If I had seen all the bad reviews and class action suits etc., I would have never dealt with Providian or Emerge.

Members' Comments onrichdude's Review

• CCAT on 21st Jul 2006

  GETTING AWAY FORM EMERGE IS A GREAT START BUT ATTEMPTING TO DO IT BY GOING THROUGH A CCCS (CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICE) IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE. MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY ARE MAKING THE BEST STEP BY USING THESE TYPES OF SERVICES BUT IF YOU HATE COLLECTORS - YOU HATE CCCS, TOO! CCCS ARE "GLORIFIED COLLECTORS' IN A NUTSHELL! THEY DON'T HELP YOUR CAUSE - THEY HURT YOUR CAUSE. YOUR BEST BET WOULD BE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF WITH THE COLLECTION INDUSTRY AND THE FDCPA THROUGH THE FTC.GOV. BELEIEVE ME, USING CCCS ONLY SHOWS YOUR POTENTIAL CREDITORS THAT SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO YOU WHEN YOU COULDN'T PAY YOUR BILLS IN THE BEGINNING AND YOUR LIFE IS STILL SO BAD THAT YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF AND PAY YOUR BILLS BY YOURSELF TODAY. YOU MAKE YOURSELF AT HIGH RISK BY USING CCCS. ALSO, THEY PAY MANY, MANY PEOPLES CREDITORS VERY SLOWLY SO MANY PEOPLE ALSO SUFFER FROM RUINED CREDIT WHEN CCCS MAKE THEIR PAYMENTS LATE. YOU WOULD BE BEST TO EDUCATE YOURSELF AND GET OUT OF DEBT ON YOUR OWN!!! MANY AND I DARE SAY MOST CCCS OFFICE RECEIVE KICK-BACKS FROM YOUR PAYMENT PLAN. FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU AGREE TO MAKE $50MO PMTS, THE CCCS PERSON MAY GET TO KEEP $20 OF IT PER MONTH AND SEND OFF THE OTHER $30 TO THE CREDITOR, WHERE THE CREDITOR WILL THEN CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT THE ENTIRE $50 BECAUSE THEY ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CCCS COMPANY. MANY OF THESE COMPANIES SAY THAT THEY ARE A "NON PROFIT" ORGANIZATION... I WOULD SAY A KICKBACK "IS" A "PROFIT", WOULDN'T YOU??!!!!!! ALSO, IF THEY WERE NON PROFIT - HOW WOULD THEY AFFORD THOSE EXPENSIVE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS AND ADS???? AND AS MUCH AS I HATE TO ALSO SAY, BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL WITH THE "CHRISTIAN" AGENCIES - DO GOOD CHRISTIANS USE GOD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE???? I DON'T THINK SO!!! YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST PAY YOUR CREDITOR DIRECTLY OR OFFER THEM A SETTLEMENT AMOUNT. MOST CREDITORS WILL ACCEPT ABOUT 50CENTS ONTHE DOLLAR AND IF THEY WON'T YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHALLENGE WITH A NACA ATTORNEY - IF THEY HAVE GIVEN SOME OF THIER CUSTOMERS 50CENTS ONTHE DOLLAR DISCOUNT, DO THEY DISCRIMINATE? YOU HAVE TO GIVE ONE WHAT YOU GIVE THE OTHERS. ON YOUR OWN, YOU CAN NORMALLY MOTIVATE A COLLECTOR TO TAKE A DISCOUNT BY CALLING HIM TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH WHEN HE IS FAR FROM HIS COLLECTION GOALS. BE SURE YOU CAN PAY HIM BEFORE THE MONTH IS UP AND NEVER GIVE THEM A DIME UNTIL YOU HAVE A LETTER OF AGREEMENT FROM THEM. ALSO - SETTLEMENTS DO NOT SHOW PAID AS SETTLEMENTS ON CREDIT BUREAUS IF THE ACCOUNT HAS BEEN IN COLLECTION OR IN CHARGE OFF STATUS. THEY REPORT PAID AND ZERO BALANCE - NO ONE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BUT SOME COLLECTORS WILL TRY TO PURSUEDE YOU TO NOT DO A SETTLEMENT BECAUSE IT HURTS YOU WHEN IT DOES NOT. ALSO, A COLLECTOR CAN ONLY CALL AND SPEAK TO YOU ONCE PER DAY. IF YOU HANG UP ON THEM THEY CANNOT CALL YOU BACK. IF THEY DO, THEY ARE HARASSING YOU. ALSO, IF YOU RECEIVE A CALL FROM A COLLECTOR AND HE CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO SUE YOU, YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT. IN MOST STATES, A LAW SUIT MUST BE PROCESSED CORRECTLY - IF YOU FAIL TO PAY ON A COLLECTION ACCOUNT, THE CREDITOR MUST EMAIL YOU THAT YOU HAVE FAILED TO PAY AND IF YOU DO NOT PAY BY A CERTAIN DATE, THEY MAY TAKE LEGAL ACTION. IF YOU DO NOT GET THIS NOTIFICATION, THEY CANNOT LEGALLY HOLD YOU TO THE SUIT. MOST OF THOSE NOTICES ARE SENT WITH A TRACKING NUMBER SO THEY CAN VERIFIY THEY DID THEIR PART. IF A COLLECTOR PRETENDS TO BE SOMEONE THEY ARE NOT - IF THEY THREATEN TO SUE YOU (AND MOST ATTORNEYS DO NOT COLLECT DEBT THEMSELVES, THEY HIRE REGULAR PEOPLE TO DO THAT) - THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO MISREPRESENT YOURSELF WHILE COLLECTING DEBT. A REALLY BAD COLLCETION OFFICE IS THE GERALD MOORE ATTORNEYS OFFICE OUT OF MARIETTA, GA. THEY VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW ALL THE TIME AND TRY TO SCARE PEOPLE BY MISREPRESENTING THEMSELVES AS ATTORNEYS GETTING READY TO FILE A GARNSHMENT THE NEXT DAY ON DEBTS THAT ARE PAST THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.