PROVIDIAN BANK SERVICES - CREDIT CARD CO. - payment troubles

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on June 3, 2002:

From:

RE: PROVIDIAN BANK SERVICES - CREDIT CARD CO. - payment troubles PROVIDING BANK SERVICES, CREDIT CARD CO. 1. DID NOT POST, OR APPLY MADE PAYMENTS TOWARD ACCT. IN A TIMELY

MATTER. THUS, GIVING A NEG. (POOR BEACON SCORES ) ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT

2. DOES NOT APPLY TOTAL AMOUNT PAID TOWARD YOUR ACCT. ( DEAD AREA ) PLUS, YOU CANNOT GET THE SAME EXPLANATION OF WHERE THE MONIES WERE APPLIED TWICE.

DIFFERENT EXPLANATION EACH TIME YOU CALL IN, OR YOU SPEAK TO A DIFFERENT

PERSON. ( SEE EXAMPLE #1 BELOW )

(

EXAMPLE #1 )

STATEMENT READS, ON 5-10 -01

ACCT. BALANCE---------------------- $6,540

MIN. AMOUNT DUE------------------ $200

DUE DATE-------------------------------- 6-1-01

LAST PAYMENTS RECEIVED 4-11-01

IN THE AMOUNT OF $200

LATE FEES & CHARGES, TOTAL $106

TOTAL MIN. PAYMENT DUE $ 306 WHEN I SENT THE PAYMENT FOR 6-1-01 IT WAS MAILED OUT ON 5-20-01 IN THE

AMOUNT OF $306.

IN THE SAME ENVELOPE I SENT A COPY OF MY RECEIPT FROM WESTERN UNION DATED ON

4-20-01 FOR THE AMOUNT OF $1475.00 WHICH WAS ELECTRONICALLY MAILED THE SAME

DAY.

THEY CLAIM IT WAS NEVER RECEIVED. WESTERN UNION GAVE ME A CONFORMATION #

PLUS A COPY OF THE PAY STATEMENT SHOWING IT WAS TRANSFERRED INTO PROVIDING

ACCOUNT ON THE SAME DATE. THEIR REPLY TO THIS WAS, WE WILL HAVE TO RESEARCH

IT.

AFTER 3 MONTHS OF WAITING, I CALLED AND ASK THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH.

I AS TOLD, THE MONEY WAS APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT ON 7-01-01 IN THE AMOUNT OF

$902.00. MY NEXT QUESTION WAS WHERE IS THE OTHER $573.00. I HEARD A LONG

PERIOD OF SILENCE, I ASK AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD THE LATE FEES & CHARGES

EXHAUSTED THE $573.00.

MY REPLY WAS, IF YOUR COMPANY WOULD HAVE APPLIED THE MONIES WHEN RECEIVED,

THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY FEES OR CHARGES. AND IF YOU APPLIED $902.00 TO

MY ACCOUNT WHY IS MY BALANCE $6281.00.

THIS IS A TRUE STORY AND I CLOSED THE ACCOUNT THAT SAME DAY. HAVE MADE

PAYMENTS EACH MONTH AS DUE, GUESS WHAT MY BAL. IS NOW MAY 2002 STATEMENT,

$6001.00 STILL OWED.

THERE IS NO POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS, EXCEPT VERY POOR BUSINESS

PRACTICES. DO YOU FORESEE A LAWSUIT? I DO

3. POST INACCURATE INFORMATION ON YOUR CREDIT REPORTS. KNOWING IT'S WRONG

BECAUSE YOU HAVE WASTED A DAY PREPARING, MAILING, AND FAXING COPIES OF PRIOR

PAYMENTS ALONG WITH BANK STATEMENTS PROVING THE ACCT. IS CURRENT. THEY STILL

POSTED WITH THE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCY 120 DAYS LATE ON NUMEROUS TIMES. AT THIS TIME WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING THE MEDIA, AND THE ATTORNEYS

INVOLVEMENT.

NO MATTER THE ANGLE YOU CHOOSE TO VIEW THIS, THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR

THE VERY POOR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BEING USED BY THIS COMPANY.

Comment On This

Those companies have a machine that opens envelopes for them. Your best bet would have been to A.) Mail the WU receipt separately; B.) Keep a copy of it for your records and disputing purposes; C.) FAX IT rather than mailing. If you deal with someone on the phone that has no connection to the payment department, obviously they will need to investigate. It truly sounds like you were ripped off, don't get me wrong, but you really should have gone about proving this or that in a smarter way. For instance, are you certain you used the correct Code City and Code State, etc.

Comment On This

I had a very similar experience. I think they do it on purpose, trying to collect more money.

I calculated how much i owed, paid them according to them according to the terms of our original agreement. They turned me over for collection, The collectors violated the Federal Debt Collection laws over and over. I invited them to sue and despite many threats I have heard nothing and am sure I will not.