Providian Emerge Credit Card Review

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Like mostly everyone here, I originally had a Providian credit card account. It was with a $500 credit limit at 14% interest in 2000. After 2 months I started receiving phone calls and letters about special offers that would increase my credit limit. Of course, I accepted these offers. Now my credit limit is $2000. Everything was fine until I received a new card in the mail called "Emerge". I was told that my Providian card was no longer active and this would be my new card.

Well, let the games begin! After that I noticed that every month I made a payment, the following month the account was over the limit and I was hit with an over limit charge. So I decided to pay more than the minimum payment due, but month after month the story was the same, and I was still over the limit and had more late charges. I decided to review my statement and I noticed that my interest rate was 29.9%. I nearly had a heart attack, and I was only in my early 20's. I called customer service, which was a task in itself. I think that every time I was put on hold I must have been put onto a connecting flight to some foreign land, because every time someone picked up, their English got worse. Finally, when the plane landed, I mean when the customer service answered, I asked to have my interest rate reduced. She said no, that this was Emerge's best offer. BEST OFFER! WOW! I don't want to even imagine what their worst offer is. So I told the lady to cancel the account. WAIT! This gets good. She had the audacity to ask me why I was being so drastic and cancelling my account. Maybe it was jet lag!

About 1 week later I started receiving phone calls (only about 20 times a day) from Emerge, I think they like me. They wanted me to pay the remaining balance of $2,100 in full. I told them that I will only pay double the minimum balance stated on my monthly statement until the account was paid off. So they stopped sending me my monthly statement and replaced it with collection notices demanding the full payment. When I called to make payment arrangements, I felt like I was in the game show "Let's Make a Deal". Of course, every door I picked had a donkey with my face behind it. The monthly arrangements weren't reasonable. So, I continued making online payments, until one day I was locked out of their system.

I gave up, and for a brief moment I thought they did too. In 2004, I again started receiving collection notices from Emerge wanting me to pay them, ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?... $4,100. That's right, $4,100!! I was told that this included late fees and legal fees (WHAT NO LOBSTER WITH THAT). OH MY GOD, these people are out of their minds! Now I was in the second session of "Let's Make a Deal".

Finally, after choosing door number one, we agreed that I would pay $347.29 each month until the $2,100 was paid off, but only IF I issued them post dated electronic checks. That's cool, so they received their first payment and I waited for the agreement letter to be sent to me by fax. 14 days later, I still did not receive my fax. I called them and no-one was available to speak to me. So, I told them I would cancel future payments if I didn't get the agreement faxed to me. Well guess what? Now someone was available and I received the fax. Of course, when I read the agreement they wrote that I agreed to pay the full $4,100 and not the $2,100. I called them up and told them that the agreement was incorrect. Well I've just entered the Twilight Zone, and they told me that they had some time to think about it and change there minds, and they want the $4,100. I refuse to be in "Let's Make a Deal All STARS", and I said forget it. I will not continue this game and I stopped the payments.

There was a moment of silence. Now it's July 14th 2006. I opened my mail box today, and to my horror it's "Emerge the Sequel!" I have just received a summons in the mail to appear in court. Will this madness ever end?

I will keep you posted.

Members' Comments onYouHaveToLaugh's Review

• seabug on 9th Feb 2007

  I may have used the Providian Emerge Credit Card once, moved, and they charged my checking account without authorization 2 years later. I spoke to numerous supervisors in their Atlanta call center, and I finally received the letter I requested.