Providian-Emerge ripoff, fraud and lack of ability to admit errors. Atlanta Georgia

We paid off our Providian/Get Smart Card in May or 2002 and were pleased to do so. It was our obligation and our responsibility. Once this card was paid off, we never heard another word from Providian, other that the occasional "get a credit card" crap you get in the mail.

Mid to late last year, we were contacted by a company called Emerge. They told us that we owed 1,800 some odd dollars to them because they had "merged" with Providian and they were now in charge of our account. I told them they must be mistaken because we never held that much credit with Providian (at our request) and what we did have, we paid off in mid 2002. Emerge proceeded to tell me, that we were beyond 150 days past due, and had been charged late fees and over the limit fees for that period of time. Please keep in mind this was MY FIRST communication with this company.

I went on to ask how they could do that, and they replied it was all very much legal. We owed this money and had not paid it. I asked how you could pay for something that you didn't even know you owed? Their reply was, "it was not their problem." Never once did they tell me that they had reported this issue to the credit reporting companies. I had no idea, but they have and it is bad.

In a subsequent call, later that first week, that I initiated, I asked that this issue be investigated. I had one Providian account and it was paid off in 2002. "Carol" said yes and we hung up, me assuming they were willing to help. I called Providian and they said that they did not retain any records of the sold accounts, so they could not help me dispute the charge that we owed this money. Emerge said they showed we owed this money. I gave in because neither company could find records of me paying our account off and was going to pay it off yet again. I made the arrangements and began the process of paying this debt off.

In further investigation, we pulled my husband's credit report and there in plain view was the Providian account paid off in 2002, the one no proof seemed to exist for. BUT there was also another account there, issued by Providian, which was very much in the rears. Now we only had 1 Providian/Get Smart account. No other Providian products at all, just the one GetSmart Visa. How do we now have 2 accounts?

Well I called Emerge again.

Just today, after seeing the credit report, I spent another 2 hours between Providian and Emerge, trying to at least begin the dispute process on this and a possible fraud investigation going. WE DID NOT have 2 Providian accounts.

I found this web site out of frustration. I was googleing for information on Emerge. I am so utterly tired of hitting brick walls between these two companies. I have finally decided that Emerge nor Providian will admit that there may in fact be some sort of error. As one employee from Emerge told me today, "they don't make errors." I have now gone to Equifax and have started fraud alert procedures and they will be investigating this issue.

I will continue to pay for this account and try to post a "note" on my husband's credit report explaining all of this while the investigation is going on. I don't know what else to do.

Our credit was wonderful and now it is crap. The sad thing is, Emerge is the only bad thing on his credit report, but anything showing 150 days past due at one point is going to drop the FICO score.

Contrary to the belief of the Providian/Emerge Employees I have seen responding on this site, we had outstanding credit. It was a good offer to begin with and that is why we took the offer for the GetSmart card. We have a new truck bought before all of this mess, a new home also bought before all of this mess and we have a very low debt to income ratio. My husband's once wonderful FICO score is now horrible because of this company and their lack of prompt communications and sorry record keeping.

In short, they suck and the consumer is paying dearly for it.

Someone
Snow Camp, North Carolina
U.S.A.

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