Money Tips: Problems Paying Off my Emerge Credit Card Account

Posted On: May 1, 2006

Guest: cjbrad
Post subject: Problems Paying Off my Emerge Credit Card Account
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 11:34 pm

Emerge is at it again.

My husband and I have been trying for a year to get his credit score up. We were about $700 from paying off Emerge and they stopped sending us a bill. I sent them four months worth of emails, got no help, no paper bill and interest accrued on the account. When I had enough, I sent an email to the Better Business Bureau in Georgia. I am waiting to see if they get something done for me.

In the meantime, we are waiting for a return receipt on the paid total. If his credit gets restored, I will log back in and tell you what a nice thing they did for us. Until then, I will say that they stopped sending us a paper bill knowing that most peple forget they owe such a small amount and it ruins the credit score. I didn’t forget, although they are going to wish I had!

cj

Guest: maddybeagle
Credit Expert (100+ Posts)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:22 am

what is Emerge? So you think they stopped sending bills to get late pen. charges from you? For that much, why dont you just pay off plus residual interest?

What I do is send in an auto. monthly min. payment to my purchase card and bt cards so it wouldnt matter if I didnt get a paper bill.

Guest: Verne
SENIOR MEMBER (Member for 2 yrs.+)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:47 am

Over the years I’ve seen nothing but negative reports about Emerge (Aspire) or Compucredit. Here’s one of many threads: http://www.artofcredit.com/board/showthread.php?t=16656

I haven’t checked recently but last year they had a satisfactory rating at the Georgia BBB. But that may not mean anything. I seem to remember that a BBB in Florida (Tampa area I think) was taking bribes to give shady companies a clean bill of health.

In another case, a BBB threatened a website for allowing posters to quote their reports without permission. Another anti-consumer move. I have little respect for BBB’s anymore when I see the same rip-off artists again and again with excellent ratings.

I continue to follow the stories about Compucredit and hope to see a lawsuit or some action by the state attorney general. (unless that office has been paid for too)

Sometimes conspiracy theories are right and someone actually is following you. In fact, at this moment, someone is tunneling towards me. Time to move the burrow and stop reading so much Kafka.

Verne
_________________
Any agreement that can be changed at any time, for any reason, is no agreement at all.

Guest: maddybeagle
Credit Expert (100+ Posts)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:56 am

BBB works for the companies. I wouldnt even bother. Your state probably has a consumer protection office. I know here in the upper midwest, they are often suing credit card companies. MN recently went after Capital One, although I think their case wasnt really getting at the real problems.

Guest: Polonius
SENIOR MEMBER (Member for 2 yrs.+)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:04 pm

My FNB of Omaha card was sold to Emerge a few months ago. I had a 0 balance at the time and hadn’t used it for months. I have no idea why it was sold. Anyway, Emerge sent me new terms, including a stiff increase in interest rates–and I called, cancelled the card, and it was closed at once. I suppose that’s a favorable experience with Emerge.

Anyway, I’m tired of the paranoia that says major credit card firms simply stop sending monthly statements. Not one does that, even if it would be in their best interest (which it isn’t)–because thousands of people are involved in sending out these statements and crediting payments, and one of them would blow the whistle if these shenanigans were going on. Now, I’m not accusing you of lying. Sometimes people move and don’t notify the credit card companies. Sometimes other people move and the address change hits the wrong account. Sometimes the post office fails to deliver the mail, for whatever reason. Sometimes a neighbor gets your mail by accident and throws it out, or a child or spouse doesn’t want you to see that mail and destroys it. And so forth and so on.

None of that matters. You knew you owed the money. You knew you’d be dinged if you didn’t make the payment each month. But you still didn’t pay for months, even though you had the card and the payment address. Why blame Emerge for that? (It’s OK to blame them for the high interest rates and lousy customer service–but not paying was YOUR mistake and your problem to deal with.)
_________________
Polonius
“Neither a borrower, nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend”

Guest: maddybeagle
Credit Expert (100+ Posts)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 8:49 pm

Ouch, a little “tough love” from Polonius.

Guest: Ira
SENIOR MEMBER (Member for 2 yrs.+)
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:46 pm

Way to go, Mr. P!

I’m also tired of people blaming all their problems on someone else. That lousy credit card company raised my interest rate just because I was behind in my payments. Just because I did (or didn’t do) this or that they hit me with a last charge, refused to grant an me a credit line increase, wouldn’t negotiate a settlement for much less than I really owe, etc. Please look in the mirror for the solution to all your problems and get acquainted with what’s staring back at you.
_________________
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Ira

Guest: CustomerSeviceRep
Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:20 am

I have seen the replies of many to those who Emerge has screwed! Shame on you for passing judgement! I used to work for Aspire and you see I have purposely spelled service incorrectly for you do not receive customer service from Emerge. The company DOES purposely discontinue sending billing statements both periodically and when an account has dropped below a certain amount due in order to accrue additional fees (mainly for those whose credit ratings are not necessarily bad but whom they figure can’t opt to pay the total amount due quickly. The concept is out of sight out of mind! This may have been the idea of the individuals heading the department or even acknowleged at a higher level. I don’t know or care……all I know is that this practice is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!

I am a whistleblower and proud of it!!!! I have forwarded information on the practices of my FORMER employer and no, I was not fired!!!! I quit!!!!!