11/18:
According to this website I guess I'm not the only one who has problems with this Emerge-Get Smart-Providian company.
Today I received a phone call from someone who was very hard to understand - they muttered and seemed to speak in a manner deliberately to confuse me. They asked for personal information (name, address Social security number, phone number, etc.) When I refused and asked them who they were and what the call was about, they said that they were trying to trace me for an unpaid, delinquent bill. A hired skip tracer! I refused to divulge any information and thought it odd that THEY called ME wanting to know what my phone number was. DUH!
Well, I called the Account Inquiry number on my last bill AND looked my account up on-line. My bill is NOT delinquent, and my next payment is not due until December 7th. Today is November 18th. AND curiously - I never received a bill for November (even though I went ahead and made a payment without the bill). This seems to be another way for them, and companies like them, to tack on a late fee.
When I tried to trace back the phone number I was given, all leads came up empty. Needless to say I am concerned and more than a little pissed off.
SO, my next question is this: Has anyone considered starting a class action lawsuit against this company for fraudulent billing practices or maybe just plain good old AMERICAN fraud?
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