I think it's pretty pathetic when you call one of your credit card holders to make payment arrangements due to hardship circumstances. They tell you that there are no arrangements and they want a $350 payment, which consists of late and over-the-limit fees, and also with a very high interest rate.
Let me tell you about our story. My wife and I just moved out-of-state to be relocated with the United States Navy. We just had just recently purchased our first home. We both have very good credit and never missed a payment with any of our creditors. My wife left a very high paying job to be with our family and thought that her unemployment benefits would carry us through financially until she found a similar job. Then it hit us, her benefits had reached the maximum and were discontinued, and still no job.
My wife is in the Law Enforcement field and it's a very rigorous hiring process. My wife had started the hiring process through our local Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Department had said that it would take up to 4 6 months before hire and she was already at the 3rd month mark. Now keep in mind that we had a great payment history with this company. Our payment to Providian had only been 10 days late when I called to make a payment arrangement and they had already sent our bill down to their collections department.
We never suggested to them we couldn't pay them anything, in-fact we offered to pay them at-least $100 and give them an additional payment of $70 a month that would of only lasted for 3 months and after that time we would go back on our original agreement. This is only about $20.00 shy from our normal payment, we just wanted the over-the-limit and late fees stopped and deleted. They would have no part of this, we have approximately 17 credit cards and none of our other creditors had a problem working with us. Providian told us the only way they could help us is if I was incarcerated.
Give me a break, they won't help an American fighting for his county but they will help you if you had broken the law and been throw in jail. What is wrong with this picture? Then you ask the collections clerk if you can speak to their supervisor, you get tossed around for about an hour and you see that you are not getting anywhere, they are all trained to say the same thing, We can't help you. You can't or you won't! Then they tell you that the supervisor is unavailable but they would be happy to take a message and that the supervisor would get a-hold of you with-in 72 hours. I guess they don't want their money that bad.
Had you also notice that no one in this department speaks fluent English. They are either from Asia or the Middle East. What is this, cheap labor, do they even hold a green card to work in the United States, no wonder they are so rude to us English speaking Americans. I do not have a problem with other ethnic groups; I am even for the Equal Opportunity Employees Act but everyone you speak with falls under this category.
This is the same company that was sued by their customers in the year 2000 and lost, since then they hired a new C.E.O. With a $2,000, 000.00 sign-on bonus, at least I know where all the extra fee money went to! Haven't they learned? They are still practicing the same unethical, degrading, prejudice procedures as before, nothing has changed? How can you receive a statement that states they received your payment but you are still hit with the late payment fee? What do they do hold on to your check until the last minute before they post it. What are these guys, loan sharks, I thought they were against the law, I guess Providian is above the law, remember they love to help out our fellow jailmates.
All I wanted to do is start a reasonable payment plan to get back on my feet without hurting my credit. They refuse to work with you and they are rude as well. I definitely would not recommend this company to anyone. They are only out for themselves and would screw you as much as they can. Do they even like Americans?
George
orange pk., Florida
U.S.A.
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