Sorry! Providian SUCKS!!!

Discussion in 'Credit Talk' started by roni, May 15, 2001.

  1. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    I called Providian back again tonight. The first rep told me that I have to estalish my account for more than 1 year to get apr reduction and my original contract was for that rate....blah, blah, blah. I told her my history has been perfect, pay ontime etc. she transfered me to retention.

    I tell the retention lady the same thing. I she tells me that 23.99% is typical for someone trying to establish credit. I told her that my credit report had many mistakes when I got their card and it has been corrected and I have other cards with better rates etc. She asked what those rates were. I listed a few at 15.99% etc. She puts me on hold for a long time, comes back and says..."I dont know why it isnt letting me lower the rate. But that doesnt mean in a few months you can get a better rate". She then says, "You have a good record, I dont understand it".... I ask her again. She says no there is nothing I can do.. I said well then I am going to close the account then. She said "OK".................
    I closed the account.

    WHAT THE FUNK?..... That goes against everything that I have ever heard on this board about providian and retention. Now I paid for increases and all those stupid programs that they have which I never used for THIS?

    Whatever! I am just really pissed off right now.
     
  2. mother2

    mother2 Well-Known Member

    Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I cannot believe they didn't lower your APR. I've had nothing but luck with them lately. I've managed to get a $2k limit increase, my secured deposit back, and they lowered my APR from 23.99% to 18.9%. I know that's still high but until I get out of sub-prime hell I guess that's the best I'm going to get.

    Sorry Roni. But at least you're well on your way to buying a house.
     
  3. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I dont get it either. Like I said I am so PIssed. I think back on the stupid products I got from them: health advantage ($149), Destination unlimited ($149) and credit protection ($149) and $99 for a $1K increase in November. I paid for those increases. They only gave me one increase for $400 back in August. UGH! I am angry. They made a money off me. My balance was $600+ this whole new year. You have no idea how stupid I feel playing the providian game and being a providian customer.

    You wont hear me say anything good about them from now on.
     
  4. DaveLV

    DaveLV Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Wow, that's so opposite of my experience with them -- and I never bought one of their add-on services either.
     
  5. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Wow, doesn't that make me feel better???
     
  6. DaveLV

    DaveLV Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I'm not really trying to make you feel better or worse. I'm trying to figure out what's going on. With each person's retelling of their experience with a company you can usually figure out a little about how a company works and when and why they do things.

    Given my success with them just since mid-March and from reading the other experiences people have posted here I though I'd gotten a pretty good idea of how things work at Providian.

    It's hard to reconcile your experience with mine and the experiences others have had. I'm really beginning to think that the people who are talking about where the calls get routed having a lot to do with how you are treated may be right. Since I am west coast and you are east coast maybe different call centers with different standards have something to do with what's going on.
     
  7. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Maybe. Maybe not. I dont think everyone on this site is EAST Coast. And Everyone hear seems to get the red carpet treatment by providian retention department.

    I always was hesitant to call providian for things b/c when I have called before they didnot treat me nice at all.

    But, with the help of this board I got up the nerve at the 1 year point. NOT.

    Like I said, I feel real stupid. I am not asking anyone to make me feel better about it. That can't happen.

    There is obviously something going on with my case. The rep last night told me that I needed to use the card more. I think it has nothing to do w/ EAst Coast or WEst Coast. It isnot gender related either. A male closed my account last night. A female closed this one.

    It is just as the customer service rep said. I dont make more than a few purchases in the card. I had $600 balance and I send it $100 / mo. Arenot they making money? Something?

    I cant afford to put $2K on their card with the apr is 23.99%. Why would I if ALL my other cards have better rates. UGH!
     
  8. Cindy

    Cindy Well-Known Member

    Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    In 14 months time I have gotten my deposit refunded,APR lowered to 15.9% credit line increased to $4000.I never bought any add-ons. I am sorry that Providian has not been better to you,Roni.I am happy with them,they gave me a chance when others wouldn't.
     
  9. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    WEll, I wont have anything else to say about the subject then.

    The more stories I heard about how they treated all of you, I really feel like an A*S*S
     
  10. miles

    miles Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I know you're p***d roni. BELIEVE ME, I understand! I have had an account with Providian for 5 years. I have been happy with the account and the service, but since I have slowly risen out of the subprime market, they are not at all helpful in giving me better account terms. Yes, I have a high limit, but that is not all there is to a card. My apr was lowered to 16.9, but that is not enough. It is now my highest apr. In addition, I can't even get a grace period! It makes me sick that I have been with this company for this long and new customers receive an annual fee free card AND a grace period. It just doesn't make sense. I used the card A LOT and carried a balance most of the time. It apparently doesn't make a difference with them. You would think they would do all they can to keep a customer who pays the bill on time each month and uses the card. I don't understand them. I sent a letter to Planetfeedback almost 2 weeks ago in addition to sending them an e-mail from the company website.
    Guess what? No response!

    The only reason I am keeping my account open
    right now is because of the age. It is paid off. As soon as my new accounts age a bit, Providian and CapitalOne are history. I am a patient person, but this is ridiculous! Enough is enough! ;-I

    I think they are great to ESTABLISH or RE-ESTABLISH credit with, but it is apparent that after that, they are useless. Too bad, I really liked Providian.
     
  11. DaveLV

    DaveLV Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I asked about a grace period on my two Providian cards in March. At that time both cards had a balance. The retention rep was very snide and said something like "You know you have to pay your balance in full each month to take advantage of a grace period." and said that a grace period was not an option on the products I had with them.

    Two months later (yesterday when I called back) after paying one card completely off and one about 45% down they offered me a grace period on both accounts. The actually offered me an upgrade on my mastercard to gold with a 25 day grace and a $1,000 limit increase. They also offered me grace on my visa but I took a lower APR instead since I'll have a balance for another few months.

    Maybe it was my paying off so much of what I owed them in such a short time that got their attention.
     
  12. dave

    dave Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    I've gotten some concessions from Providian such as a grace period and permanent waiver of the annual fee but can't seem to get the APR down from 19.8. My other APRs range from 7.99 to 15.9 but heavily weighted around the 10-11% range.

    I've had the account five years so the credit line is now over 10K. A few months ago I talked to a retention rep and supervisor about the APR. They acted dumbfounded saying they didn't understand why "the computer", which has more power than the CEO at Providian, won't give me a lower rate. This was my third try.

    The computer is a cousin of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey Unless Hal says its ok, forget about getting what you want.
     
  13. keltexx

    keltexx Well-Known Member

    Roni:

    I have had this card since Aug 1999. It is my highest credit line (1500$) that still remains open. The only two increases I have ever received have been two that I bought.

    In March, I noticed that they raised my interest rate to 25.99%. No late pays, nothing! I call, use the logic that has been posted here about liking the card, please lower apr, please give me a CL increase, etc. Transferred to retention. Nothing, nada, etc. Threatened to close the card. OK by them.

    I cannot explain it; particularly given that I have had this card for a while and have always paid on time. And now I get raped on interest; meanwhile, the APRs on my closed cards keep falling- Discover has gone from 23 to 18; Wells Fargo from 25 to 20; Another Wells Fargo from 18 to 14.

    In the last several months I have acquired some other sub-primey's with lower interest rates. Now just trying to get them to raise the limits.

    Providian-go figure. I haven't had any luck either.
     
  14. miles

    miles Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Lol. That's funny dave.
    They have told me that a grace period is not available with my "type of account". Whatever that means. I assume that since our accounts are so old, they are in a different category? I don't understand this. It doesn't make any sense. I could be wrong, but I think the grace period is somehow tied to the apr. What I mean is that those who have a much lower interest rate are either unable to get a grace period or it takes an act of god. Those who have a higher apr are able to receive a grace period. I don't think I've seen anyone on this board with a 16.9% rate or lower with a grace period.

    I have worked hard at improving my credit as have many others here. We DESERVE to be treated better. Myself and I'm sure many others DESERVE to be transferred to the "high end" of Providian with a platinum card. Not everyone who starts in subprime will stay subprime. They need to realize that. They are going to lose a lot of customers.
     
  15. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Well, thanks for sharing your experiences. I have cooled off abit after a good nights sleep. Nonetheless, they closed my account with out much resistance, so I am no longer a PRovidian customer. Capital one is my oldest account in good standing($3200 cl and apr reduced to 15.99%). That is my worst card w/o providian. When I look at it like that, it aint so bad.
     
  16. VJ

    VJ Well-Known Member

    Re: Sorry it didn't work out for you.

    Roni, you could always reconsider closing the accts and have them re-opened if they were in good standing.
    If you paid for increases it must be harder to let them go.
    It would take 1-2 weeks to re-open verbally but you should be able to get your original accts back with credit for previous months with providian, and you could just not use them and let them age if you wanted for the fico effects

    Good luck either way.

    VJ
     
  17. judyputy

    judyputy Well-Known Member

    THEY DID NOTHING FOR ME EITHER!

    Roni,

    Don't think you are alone in getting screwed by Providian. I have been screwed over by them for at least 7 years! I started calling about 6 months ago when all the people on here were writing thier success stories about getting lower rates. I had been calling for years trying to get lower rates with NO SUCCESS.

    So I started calling again and saying I know you have lower rates than 21%. I finally got someone to lower my rate down to 19.4. I have gotten some crap story that since my card started as a First Union card and I came over to Providian at the 21% rate I couldn't get anything lower. The last time I called I tried to get them to send me to retention, the rep refused! I said I wanted to ask questions about closing my account since they could do NOTHING FOR ME. She said Oh, hold on.... okay your account is closed! I about slapped her right through the phone. I told her I did not give her permission to close my account....I had QUESTIONS! I got a supervisor on the phone and told her the girl closed my account. She said the rep told her I wanted to close my account and then changed my mind. She said she would re-open it. I call 2 days later and find out it's closed. The nice rep I got opened it up again for me.

    Since then I have paid off half of the account and I am going to call again today and ask for another rate reduction. I have started using the account again so maybe they will work with me. I won't close the account until I pay it off and I am keeping it until I get a mortgage since it's a very old tradeline.

    JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE SCREWED BY THESE IDIOTS!
     
  18. SEAN

    SEAN Well-Known Member

    Re: THEY DID NOTHING FOR ME EITHER!

    It could be worse...Cross Country....First Premier...FCNB......First National Bank of Marin....Providian gives you half way decent limits and the retention dept is known to throw $1500-2000 at you with one call. I have had no problems with Providian other than the occasional call to join Destinations Unlimited, even after an opt out request. Sorry to hear about the troubles, but it could be worse....like Crooks Country or First Premier that think nothing of charging $100 or more for a line increase.

    Sean
     
  19. roni

    roni Well-Known Member

    Re: THEY DID NOTHING FOR ME EITHER!


    THanks JUDYPRUTY,

    Your post makes me feel a whole lot better. Not that I am glad that you had a hard time but it makes me feel a little better. But guess what, I called this morning about my refund on the credit protection plan, and I was told that my account is still open. HUH? I was like, well maybe because I closed it just last night. She said NO, when you close an account it is instant and that retention didnot close it. So I said transfer me to retention so i can ask WTF! And then I get put on hold again,...FOREVER. I was at work and had to hang up. So I am still a providian customer. I ran home for a second, and saw VJ's post and I am considering keeping it opened. I dumped all the programs got $145 in charges off my account which lowers my credit limit but I DONT care. I will never use the card except to maybe buy a CD or nail polish. Thanks for words. WE will rise above this.
     
  20. mother2

    mother2 Well-Known Member

    Roni maybe your bad luck has to do

    with you being a "prime" customer now. I was just thinking about it last night. I'm still in "sub-prime" hell and maybe all these increases they are giving me is to keep me a "sub-prime" customer. Hell, they just sent me a MC. I think once I rise up out of "sub-prime hell", they will treat me bad as well.

    So consider yourself lucky.
     

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