My experience with them began in February of this year and ended pretty abruptly when I found out the truth about Applied Bank. This is, in fact, the very same CROSS COUNTRY BANK that ripped off THOUSANDS of people and caused headaches for many more.
I fell for an email ad that came through asking me if I wanted to apply. I was told I was "pre-approved" for a special offer. This was nothing more than a scam. The application was simple and all seemed well at first... I filled it out and was approved immediately. Then I got a sickening feeling in my stomach like something was VERY wrong here. So...
I began to do some digging online and ran across the very company that Cross Country Bank had used to harass and degrade consumers: Applied Card Services. So I called Applied Bank and was told that it was a mistake and they were not Cross Country Bank, they had nothing to do with Applied Card Services, blah blah blah. I called the PA Attorney General's office and sure enough... The man on the other end, who did not give his name, told me that they were ONE IN THE SAME and that the AG's office will soon be filing a lawsuit against this company for deception and attempting to gain an injunction against them to stop them from ever doing business in PA again.
Eventually, I also found the REAL terms of the card I applied for: 29.75% interest rate... Charged from the get-go. The fees begin the minute the card is printed —without you having to activate the card. There is no grace period on new purchases — you have to pay interest right off the bat. There are two fees. One is a $50 fee charged for issuing the card to you. The other is an astronomical $100 annual fee. And the card only has a $350 credit line. This is the biggest rip off on earth if you ask me.
I called Applied Bank and told them I wanted to cancel. They told me that I could not cancel, and that I was stuck with the card because I asked for it. Then the person I spoke with hung up. I called again, said I wanted to cancel. The person became indignant and began using obscene language, then hung up. The third person I spoke with did cancel the account. Just to make sure though...
I am (a) filing a complaint with the PA Attorney General, (b) filing a complaint with the BBB, and (c) filing a consumer complaints right here to warn others to stay FAR AWAY from this deceptive, lying, no-good, rip off, scam bank.
Caveat Emptor... Buyer Beware!
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