Read Your Providian Insert

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by dogman, May 30, 2001.

  1. dogman

    dogman Well-Known Member

    I opened my great Providian bill - this card I have had for over 3 yrs - with its great $3200
    limit. I have $1800 on the card - I have snapped them $1500 this month. My rate with grace was 20.74%. Never late, overlimit.

    REMEMBER, they are sending me the GETSMART GOLD, which has reasonable terms.

    I opened the bill and effective JULY 1 , the rate is being increased to 25.99%!!!!!!! I called them and told them they had obviously made a mistake - my credit is better now than in years.

    They said there was nothing they could do. I transferred to close - I told them it was not even a reasonable business decision to do business with that type of tactic.

    I MADE 26% on my $1800 today. I closed the sucker.

    THEN, I transferred to GETSMART, told them there was no way I could consider doing business with any bank that used these tactics (so some Product Manager at Providian gets his budget approved by sticking it to us for new revenues.)

    I told them that obviously, AMEX had me rated quite differently than Providian. I told them to please NOT SEND ME the stupid Getsmart Gold. I am certain
    they would jack the rate after the intro period.

    PROVIDIAN helped me rebuild after my Chap 13. ITS obvious I no longer need or EVER WANT AGAIN
    any Providian product!

    I wonder if the people who bought their ridiculous health and destination plans got hosed...or...just the ones that didn't go for that crap!

    Check your statement - I wonder what their WORST
    rate is?

    Cya Dogman
     
  2. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    I GUESS MY FIRST USA 22.49% WASN'T ALL THAT BAD THEN...(why would FIRST USA go sub-prime)???

    But I still have NEVER been late, over limit, no collections, no BK...
     
  3. dogman

    dogman Well-Known Member

    I'M WITH YOU GEORGE!

    I knew First and Fleet were doing it to everybody - now I believe that Providian will "sell you" a new fee and a new GetSmart Card - but that Providian 0%
    for two cycles will jump to ungodly amounts after the intro period. I bet they sucker balance transfers too!

    While they give you the GETSMART with good terms, any other account you have with them is going through an interest UPGRADE. One idiot REP told me the Prime rate had changed.. I said, "YEAH, it went down."

    GEORGE - it was GREAT to be in a position to tell THEM I do not accept this offer.!!!! This company is now in my opinion the worst company next to Cross Country Bank. Hell, that lousy ASPIRE Visa is 30% - is Providian trying to match them to pay for past or future class action suits?

    Does that express my satisfaction level? :)

    c ya dogman
     
  4. eddie

    eddie Well-Known Member

    I have 18.49 with providian. I got my statement yesterday and there was nothing about a rate increase. I went back and read everything. I use the card alot. 8k last month. If they increase its gone.
     
  5. Jim

    Jim Well-Known Member

    That is an outrage Dogman.

    I am glad I wrote that complaint Providian via Planet Feedback when my gold card was new and at 23.99%.

    This is my 5th billing cycle and I am at 19.8% The other terms are fine but I will never carry a balance with Providian. Despite what I just said, I am going to keep pressuring them for lower rates and higher limit.until I reach my overall credit goals.
     
  6. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    Dogman

    When you say insert... do you mean an insert like the privacy inserts??? Or was it printed on the statement?

    Now I'm digging through the trash to reread an insert they sent me.

    Any chance you sent back the "no arbitration" letter saying no? I'm wondering if those who did are getting punished?

    I sent a letter saying no so I'm waiting for the retribution.
     
  7. Cadillac408

    Cadillac408 Well-Known Member

    Re: Dogman

    I just dug through all my stuff and didn't see a rate increase?? I'm currently at 16.9% on my gold and 23.9% on MC <sigh>. I need these for rebuilding purposes. If only Citi would quit BS'n and give me a higher limit than $1200 <big f'n joke!> . Providian would be SO GHOST!
     
  8. GEORGE

    GEORGE Well-Known Member

    Re: Dogman

    THERE WAS ANOTHER INSERT IN SOME OF MY BILLS...saying something about SHARING information with ANYBODY they see fit to share with...
     
  9. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    George

    I got the same insert. I didn't really read it so that's why I was worrying if I'd missed a rate hike mixed in with the privacy statement.
     
  10. Cadillac408

    Cadillac408 Well-Known Member

    Re: George

    I GUESS I REALLY WAS DUMPSTER DIVING FOR NOTHING! :-\
     
  11. dogman

    dogman Well-Known Member

    Separate CARD Insert

    Marie - it looked like a privacy insert but said change
    in account terms. then - buried half way down was pay it if you did nothing - or call them to close and pay off if you did not agree to the mere 6% increase!

    c ya dog

    interesting to see if Providian is starting this crap again. Not with me.
     
  12. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    Re: Separate CARD Insert

    great. now I get to dig through my trash in my study.
     
  13. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    Re: Separate CARD Insert

    ok, I haven't gotten this one yet. This week I got Privacy inserts from Cap1 (with 2 statements) and also one from Target. I opted out of everything.

    I haven't received my latest Prov statements yet. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye out for them.
     
  14. keltexx

    keltexx Well-Known Member

    Re: Separate CARD Insert

    Oh, yeah. This happened to me about three months ago. Had this card for two plus years, on time payments, etc. They stuck me for a "auto program" in September of last year, without my permision and the subsequent interest put me over by 1.00. That, in effect, is what I was told caused them to raise my interest to 25.99%. Never mind that this interest rate was applied six months after the event.

    I called twice and was told nothing could be done. Unfortunately, this is my highest limit open card. All of my other cards (whose accounts are closed) interest rates have fallen considerably over the past few months. Otherwise I would do a balance transfer.

    So my goal is to pay off providian, and only use it if necessary. Go figure. It really irks me that this happened, particularly when you read here about them lowering others' interest rates.
     
  15. fingrrrl

    fingrrrl Well-Known Member

    Re: Separate CARD Insert

    I got an insert in my Aria bill yesterday. It said that starting July 2001 that if I am late or overlimit two or more consecutive times, my interest rate will jump from 23.99% to 27.99% and then will return to 23.99% if I pay on time 12 months in a row. Ridiculous! Now they're sending me this new getsmart card. I should tell them to bite me. I've almost had enough.
     
  16. jonesing

    jonesing Well-Known Member

    What IS this GetSmart card anyway? I see it's from Providian but is it any better/worse than the clear smart card?



    I only the insert regarding APRs in one of my two Providian Visa satements...it says

    "As explained below, we are changing your Account Agreement to provide for Annual Percentage Rate increases if your payments are late.
    â?¦
    If we receive your Account payment late two or more times in any 6-month period after June 30, 2001 (or if you live in MA, TX or WI, after September 30, 2001) we may adjust the ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATES (APRs) for all types of balances to 27.99% unless they are already equal to or greater than 27.99%, in which case they will not be adjusted.

    If, after your APRs are adjusted to 27.99%, for any period of 12 consecutive months you pay at least the Minimum Payment Due by the Payment Due Date shown on your monthly statement, your Account will automatically revert to the APRs in effect immediately before the adjustment to 27.99%."

    It then goes on to say "Leniency for those who comply, severity for those who resist!" just kidding...it goes on to say if you comply, do nothing...but if you resist, well then write or call and you can keep the old terms--right after they close your account!
     
  17. Marie

    Marie Well-Known Member

    Ok, that makes more sense.

    I don't like it, but as long as it's not an immediate rate change for my account then I can live with it.

    It must be in my next bills, because I definitely didn't get any inserts in my last bills.

    Well, I think all my cards have similar clauses. This is at least reasonable in that you have 2 times to be late in 6 mos before the outrageous interest rate takes affect.

    In my Household insert, I believe it said 1 time late and your interest rate changes. And Household is the one where even their reps admit they have "some problems" with their payments posting on time (they claim it's the Anaheim mail system). Yea right.
     
  18. jonesing

    jonesing Well-Known Member

    I have never had a problem with my payments posting to Household. I think this is bacause my account was bought by Household and (more important) before the final conversion to HHB took place, I was using BofA's online banking and bill-pay service. So when HHB took over, my payments were being sent electronically...and they post within 24 hours! HHB has actually been faster than CapOne, Providian and others in posting epayments: monies transmitted on Friday post to my HHB account on Saturday but the others take until Monday or Tuesday.
     
  19. fingrrrl

    fingrrrl Well-Known Member

    Getsmart is really Aria with a different name. I guess they are switching everyone with Aria cards over to Getsmart cards in June. The funny thing is I got an invitation to apply for the "new" Getsmart card last week and when I did all I got was the exact same as my Aria card, but my Aria card when I started out two years ago, $500 limit, 23.99% limit, $89 annual fee and NO grace period. Well I've worked my way up from that considerably, no annual fee, $5000 credit limit, still 23.99% interest though. It was a shock however to get their Getsmart classic, the equivalence of an Aria Persona card. I'm still fighting with them on getting Getsmart Platinum. It's the same credit limit they already give me on Persona, except 9.9% interest. I think I've proved my creditworthiness to them. Apparently, they don't think so. I continue to send my Planetfeedback and e-mail complaints everyday and will do so until they stop ignoring me. Those that complain the loudest, get the most. :)
     

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