American Credit Solutions AKA Consumer First Possible AKA Signature Credit Corp. Because I was careful I got lucky. Research potential creditors before applying. Tampa Florida

A few days ago, I received a credit card offer in the mail from a place called Consumer First in Tampa, FL. The offer promised me a guaranteed credit line of $5,000 without checking my credit report. The offer included 0% financing for the first year, and a low APR thereafter. All they asked was for me to include a check or money order for $45.00; then they would send the credit card.

Since I owe high balances on other high interest cards, I have been looking to consolidate them for a lower interest rate, and this sounded like a great solution to me. I had already decided to send them the $45 when I noticed the card didn't specify if this was a Visa or Mastercard, or whether balance transfers were even allowed.

Curious, I looked them up on the Internet, but no web site was available. Then I began to wonder why they did not give me a phone number to call on the credit offer. I looked for them in the National Yellow Pages, and no number was listed. I looked Consumer First on the Better Business Bureau Web Site, and they were not listed. The only address Consumer First gave me was a P.O. Box in Tampa, FL. I decided to exercise caution, and sent them a letter with no money, asking them for more information about their company before I would send money. I have not yet received a reply.

Today, I received a yellow post card in the mail from a place called American Credit Solutions, also located in Tampa, FL, informing me that this would be my final notification for my guaranteed, unsecured credit card. The card had an "800" number to call. I sat down to call them, then noticed they were located in Tampa, FL, just like Consumer First. I had not received any prior notification from a company called American Credit Solutions, so I wondered if they were the same company.

I looked up American Credit Solutions on the Internet, and found this web site full of reports from people who had been ripped off by them. I feel lucky that because I did some research, I was not their next victim. My husband recently received a similar credit card offer from a place called Signature Credit Corporation, located in Orange, California. Like Consumer First, there is no web site for them on the internet, they are not listed in the National Yellow Pages, and are not listed with the Better Business Bureau. If Consumer First is operating under the name American Credit Solutions, I think it feasible they or a similar scam company could be using the name Signature Credit Corporation.

Please, before you apply for credit with any company, do some research about their company. Any legitimate company should be able to provide complete information about their services before you send any money. Because I researched American Credit Solutions, I did not suffer the misfortune of the other people who have reported them. Please do the same.

LaRue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma