Providian Emerge Credit Card

Started with Providian at 17percent interest, was changed to emerge who promptly raised interest to 29.97 percent. I have never been late or over limit and after 3 years they refuse to lower the interest. I can only afford to pay 100 dollars a month and with interest of 75 dollars a month, it will take forever to pay off.

I had a Providian account that I closed and paid off, around the time of the switch several years ago. As of November 2005 I have Emerge on my credit report showing a collection account in the amount of $1325. I have no idea where that came from, and I am still trying to get documents or any information.

I had a Providian credit card that was sold to E-merge. It has been a total disaster since. No web site. Customer service sucks.

With a $2,000.00 balance after 6 years, I am still trying to pay this off, with something like 24% APR, plus an $89.00 annual fee ... both aspects that were NEVER part of my agreements with Providian.

I received a Providian credit card in 1996. I used it frequently, and I never had any problems. In 1999 I received an "Emerge Credit card", from the company who were replacing Providian. I received only the "new card" in the mail, never anything else. I had a $2,000 credit line with Providian, and my balance was $1000. I have "never" used this card, but when I was making my payments, I noticed that I was receiving an "over limit" fee, which are not cheap. I also noticed that my interest rate jumped to 29%, which I would never have agreed to. Long story short, it is now 2006, I have made numerous payments to this account, but with the balance never coming down. They were always adding another "fee". Well, it is now 2006, and my balance is now $2,100, without ever using the card. I have repaid over and over the original balance which stemmed from Providian. I've contacted their customer service to complain, but you're speaking into deaf ears.

Upon death, they require impossible documentation beyond the death certificate. After submitting documentation they tell you that insurance is "accidental death", and if the applicant was not killed in an "accident" it is not considered payable. There is nothing of this statement in their application. The Providian Emerge credit card application states that insurance coverage is for death.

Providian Emerge are pathetic as far as credit card companies go. When it was Providian it was fine, but then when Emerge took over, they closed my account (it was in good standing), raised the rate to over 20%, and then when I called, they said there was nothing they could do about it.

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.

Providian Emerge charged me for an annual credit card fee that they never disclosed! They told me that they would take off the charge for the annual fee and cancel the card. They cancelled the card, but they left the charge on there!! Now I'm being charged a late fee!

This company has no scruples! I will be taking it further.

Just 1 month after being 18 (I am now 23, 24 in July) I received my first credit card. It was an Emerge visa from Providian. They cancelled the card three months later due to late payments. Except, to my knowledge and according to Equifax, Experian, and Transunion, I have never been late in my life. Now it is 5 years (almost 6) later, and I am still getting a monthly bill for a $1000 credit card that has been closed for five years.

I call them about once a year to see if they would re-open the card, that way it won't be so bad on my credit score, but they just keep saying our reports indicate late payments. When I say "what reports"? they say "Equifax". Well, maybe they should contact Equifax and get the right information, but they won't because they don't care that I can't get a school loan to pay for collage. All they care about is that they get there check every month.

I was with Providian for a good amount of time. Just starting my credit I was just happy to get a card. I, as many of the reviews here, got hit with the over limit fees for the extra programs they sell. They tell you they will increase your credit line. All of a sudden I am at 30% interest. I was told in a year "we will review your account for a rate reduction". When that year came around my account was "sold" to Emerge. Now they say "too bad, you get no review". On my bill I noticed Providian National Bank were the owners of Emerge, but when I called, this was denied. Because of other issues along with this, I have now gone into a debt management Program (American Financial Solutions). I now know to research cards before getting them. If I had seen all the bad reviews and class action suits etc., I would have never dealt with Providian or Emerge.