Complaint Review: ADVANTA

Read about a balance transfer program offered on my advanta website homepage. 3% fee ($5min-$99max) to transfer up to your available balance, 0% interest until Mar 2005.

I called up to confirm what I needed to do to take advantage of this awesome offer. I had been an advanta user since 2001, upstanding perfect credit score and ontime pay off every month customer.

Advised that I had a $5000 balance that should be paid off first before taking advantage of the offer. Any balances not PAID PRIOR to the transfer, would incur the regular interest rate 13.99%. This amount $5000, would be the LAST dollar paid off if not paid off prior to the transfer offer.

Seems the payment higharchy is a deceptive trade practice waiting to lure even the most educated -PHD individual -who is computer and credit savvy. So to avoid being charged $13.99% on the balance I originally had, I logged onto ADVANTA.com, made an instand online payment to pay off that amount.

Then under the advise of the rep at ADVANTA, I could request the balance transfer (takes 2-3weeks to process). So I did as advised, the VERY next day, my payment did not show up, yet the $11,800 balance transfer I had done did! Not even 12hrs later!!

So concerned, I called ADVANTA explained what I was told, what I read, and why had my payment of $5000 not been reflected. Advanta rep (went through 2 and a supervisor that I had to disconnect the conversation with and call back to another individual who could refrain for being personal and rude). It was explained to me that I should have paid in full June 16, then waited an entire billing cycle (july 9) to pass before asking for the balance transfer.

Since I did not do that, then the total on my account $16,800 would stand ($5000+11,800) and my payment would be applied to the total balance transfer amount first, and the original $5000 would be charged at 13.99% until all paid off.

EVEN THOUGH I DID the payment FIRST, it does not reflect for a day, and the ambigeous 0% deal goes into effect IMMEDIATELY from the moment the button is click, forget about the whole 2-3 weeks deal, that is just how long it MIGHT take from the transfer process to be completed! GEEZ... rip me off!!!

So the payment I made June 9th $1200, the $5000 payment, all do not go to pay off any purchases I had done, no sir, it goes all directly to the balance transfer amoutn $11,800 that I had done AFTER ALL THOSE PAYMENTS POSTED...because I did not wait until July9th when the entire billing cycle comes around.

Not that the information ws anywhere to be found on the website...only the reps ramble it off AFTER THE FACT. Then to top it all off, the BIGGEST RIP OFF is that they said it was not a 0%, nor even a 5min-$99max deal, it is a straight 3% transfer fee..WHAT?!?!

Said no promo existed at that rate. they only have 3% no cap, 2.9 % until Feb! My $11,800 transfer costs me $450+2.9% now. I checked out the website that the day before I processed this transfer and would n't you know, my offer was not there, the 2.9% one was ...well guess what guys...

I had made a copy from the website, i have PROOF in black and white your own details of the offer and my confirmation of it, dated and all! PRICELESS~
DECEPTIVE CRUEL LOW LIFE CORRUPT SCUMBUGS-ADVANTA-
See you in court!

Rebecca
keller, Texas
U.S.A.