Providian are fucking ASSHOLES!!!

[LynneSin]

About a year ago I was able to change my billing date to the middle of the month and everything worked like a charm. It was an account I had shut down but I have paid all but $1000 off of this account (I'm really proud of that!).

So this is the scenario - I setup my only bill pay so that the payments will go out on the 15th of the month. Two days later if I check the Providian website they post the transaction - all is well in the world.

Cept this month - I take a look at my charges and suddenly I see a $39 late fee.

Where the hell did this come from?

Payment was sent out on the same day.

Payment was received on the same day

Now I'm charged an extra $39.

Guess Providian was upset about my not using this card anymore and paying it off. To be honest, I still have another providian card tha was active and you know what - that's getting cut up today too.

I work for a credit card company and I know that there are idiots working the customer service line but I do not appreciate some woman yelling at me like I'm some sort of credit slacker ESPECIALLY when she doesn't understand how online bill-pay works (which btw - my bank doesn't write the checks and mail them out to me - it's all done with electronic transfers that's why I do online bill pay. She tried to explain to me that the banks still send a check out through the mail with online bill pay).

Thanks for the rant and making me realize that I'm getting rid of the 2nd Providian account. I hardly use it but it does have a balance on there. If I need to buy something I have my debit card and if it's an emergency I have my business Visa card (never use it since it's for business only but you could get away with it for extreme emergencies)

[laylah]

1. Yes, they ARE!

I called to inquire about a balance transfer offer. During the course of the conversation, I gave them my information but instructed them, not once but 3 times, to do NOTHING until I had gotten the printed material so that I could read through it. Lo and behold, 6 weeks later there was an UNAUTHORIZED balance transfer for $9500.!!!!!!!!! When I called, enraged, I was told I should have read the fine print (had not read the info at all at the time!). BASTARDS!

edited for spelling

[still_one]

3. I would definitely fight that if I were you

most balance transfers involve a 3% fee which would amount to about 285 dollars.

Call them and follow through with a letter telling them to reverse all charges since you did NOT authorize it.

[laylah]

4. thanks for your response

still_one. it is a done deal but i was fortunately able to get the paid off and the account cancelled. i will be contacting the sec (?) though.

jenn

[still_one]

5. it might be the FTC for consumers that you want to contact

I am not very happy with the dems in congress who helped pass the bankrupcy bill. It allows for predatory practices, especially for those who are least equiped to handle it

Remember when the Democrats were the party of the small guy?

[still_one]

2. It all depends

if your bank does not have an electronic transfer agreement with the credit card company, they do issue a check electronically. Usually the bank also indicates allow 3 to 5 days for the check to clear

I am surprised they wouldn't remove the late fee after you called them

You mentioned you have another credit card that you are going to cut up. That is reasonable, but many people do not realize that if they cancel the card they may actually take a few points off your credit score

One has to be very careful since they passed the bankrupcy bill. There are clauses in it which say if your card is stolen, and used by someone else, you may still be liable for the charges

[LynneSin]

7. MInd indicates 2 days

so there looks to be an agreement.

Believe me, they'll remove the last fee but you usually have to get a manager on the phone and none was available at 6am. Just idiots who thinks my bank hires someone to sit around all day and write checks and mails out our bills the old fashioned way

I can hear Homer now saying "Computers Can do that?"

[REP]

6. Protect Your Credit - Don't Close The Accounts

Closing the accounts will damage your credit rating in a big, big way. By lowering your credit/debt ratio, you lower your FICO score. If you're not planning on buying anything ever, no big deal, but if you are, you may want to think twice about closing the accounts.

Cutting the cards is fine - just leave the accounts open.

[LynneSin]

8. Card will stay open but no longer used

What if I switch the credit card to a different company. Only reason I'm inquiring is because I'm looking to buy a house soon and I've finally built up my FICO score to something decent. If I switch it would probably be to the company where I'll be getting my loan (which ironicaly is the company I work for)

[REP]

9. Keep Them Open Even If You Switch

The more credit you have available is better plus those accounts have a history; your new one won't. Closing the old ones and opening a new one will sink your score. Keeping the the old ones and opening a new one won't.

[Misunderestimator]

11. I did that with two credit cards that I never used... kept them open

without using them. Well, surprise! They closed them for me for inactivity. You just can't win for losing with the stupid credit game. Fortunately, it didn't seem to affect my credit score much.

[REP]

13. Well, I Have One I Use About Once A Year...

Not that I'm ever going to be able to buy a house here in the Bay Area, but I like my FICO where it is, so that means once a year I try to remember to buy something with the 'extra' card...and then they raise my line of credit. Weird.

[miss_kitty]

16. Is that new? I worked in credit in the stone age and that was not

a factor. In the 80s, we wouldn't know if an acct was closed. Due to my ID theft I have mass quantities of my CBRs and I did notice on an acct I closed it DID say something like acct closed at Customer rq.

[GOPisEvil]

10. I was so happy to rid myself of them.

I got another card at a better rate, with a better company, and closed my Providian account out. It felt GOOD!

[Hugin]

12. No offense LynneSin...

As I consider you a friend... and I would never do anything
to hurt you.

But, I'm working real hard right now to eliminate all of my
unsecured debt. I should be rid of it in two weeks.

It's all due to shenanigans like what you describe to milk
every last cent from me through fees and other BS.

[REP]

14. Also...

Call back and dispute the charge with another CSR. Sounds like you have records showing your payment being made on the same day of the month and posting on the same day of the month for quite some time; you may be able to get a smarter CSR or a supervisor to remove what sounds like an erroneous charge.

If it's an annual fee you didn't agree to, you can get those removed pretty easily. Check your billing statement for details.

[miss_kitty]

15. The CSR YELLED at you?

that's unnecessary. I hope you got your $39 back.

Maybe call her supervisor and inform him/her that the person you spoke to does not understand how billing works. :evilgrin: