Complaint Review: Consumer First

I am a college student, and like most other students I have a very tight budget. I was in the process of trying to get a credit card to transfer balances. I had looked online and filled out a couple of applications to major credit card companies. None of the companies was willing to extend me the credit. Just when i though all hope was lost, i recieved a one page paper form Consumer first that stated that i was eligible for a $5000 dollar limit. The paper had no phone number, no web address and also had no other paper with it to show that i had ever recieved any kind of mailer from them.

Without thinking i sent them $49.00 for their rush delivery, i sent it on 11/7/02. Thanksgiving had come and gone, and still no card so I got a little paranoid and tried to find them on the web. The first thing that came up was this site. I could not stop the check because it had been cashed within a week of being sent out. Today, 12/10/02 i recieved my card with a huge catalog of things that i could purchase. I looked through the catalog and notice the poor quality of everything in it and i also noticed the high prices for everything. The catalog had no telephone number, no web address and no ordering information. I had to search to find the web address in one of the additional papers that i had recieved.

The company sent 2 order forms, and a paper stating that this was my card and nowhere did i see anything about interest rates or anything else you would see with a credit card, Though one of the other things that i saw was a page stating that you had to send in 15% of the total purchase price Via check for them to even process the order. I tried calling the customer service number on the back of the card for an hour, and no it was not a toll free number. Finally a woman anwsers the phone and asks if i was a card holder to which i irritatingly replied yes. I told her that i had saw on the original paperwork that i could get a refund if i was not satisfied, To which she responded by asking me a couple of questions like Did i apply for the card because i had bad credit or no credit and if so that that they report to a major credit bureau to which i did not get a name.

I responded NO to her questions. I think she was startled by my response because she just gave me the information and bid me a good day. Supposidly if i send all the information back to them within 30 days, Take note not business days. Then they will cut a check within 7-14 BUSINESS DAYS and then send it to me, probably the slowest way they can. The package ways quite a bit so i am guessing that they want me to go to the post office and pay Their rediculous rates to have it sent back to them. I will let you know the outcome if and when i recieve my refund.

Travis
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.