Complaint Review: First Premier Bank

First I am sorry for being slow to update this but I will now.

I contacted the state agency in my home state called financial affairs division (the agency that regulates banks, debt collectors and credit cards companies that either are state based or do business with residents in the state.

I filled the complaint with the state and forwarded proof that I requested this account to be closed with a surplus at the time sent. First Premier violated the law by contacting me directly after the state told them to have no further contact with me so I emailed an update to the state office. The state was very quick to inform First Premier that they have violated state law and were subjected to criminal and civil penalties for doing so. That the state also has the right to terminate their legal right to do further business with anyone in the home state if they continue to ignore the state. So I think that "woke" these idiots up really quick that they mean business.

So after that the bank claimed that the reason the surplus that I claimed disappeared and a new balance charged was do to old charges that just arrived to the bank after my first request to close this account and they did not want to "close this account" till all charges they felt came through. Now this makes no sense....I asked to close the account to further charges and if there is an outstanding debt then I understand that while the account is closed its not "off the books". So they sent me one last bill for $23 to which at this time I sent the payment to the state and they would supervise that the payment was made and the account now was closed.

The next statement I received showed a zero balance and the statement did say this account was now closed. The state sent me a letter saying the same thing and if I needed them in the future to please use the reference number shown on the letter to assist them assist me.

Ok now you think this was the end right? NOPE

Two months later I got another bill for $3.26. Now I was spitting nails and so mad that I was tempted to drive 320 miles to the main office and tell them off in person. The next day I emailed the state again with the reference number and informed the state that they charged me another $3.26 and I was requesting the $1000 violation fee that the state can impose on them if they are found to have practiced illegal activities.

The state was quick to get a response to them saying that they were mulling over my request and they expected a timely response to why they lied to the state and now charged my $3.26 after they told me and the state this account was paided off in full and closed.

They claimed that this was a billng error and that this was immediately corrected and would again forward a copy of the bill showing a zero balance and the account closed. (Which they did).

So here we are today.....I have not heard from these idiots in South Dakota. BUT I keep all the paperwork, copies of the closed statement and the state letters in a file forever and ever. Since I know darn well that this $3.26 did not go away but is slowly raking up late fees, over-limit fees, interest and whatever else they want to charge. And to that I say bring it on. I have my evidence to prove it was closed and have the state to ensure that they will be beat back into South Dakota.

FYI: the state denied the claim of $1000 violation fee this time but did warn First Premier not to mess around with the state since next time they will not be so lucky.

So here is my advise to everyone:

1. NEVER talk to these folks on the phone for any reason. EVER

2. ALWAYS send certified, return receipt requested U.S. mail on all mailings regardless of how small or immportant it seems to you. Yes the cost is a bit much but in the long run you will need this as proof that they did receive them and what day.

3. DOCUMENT everything. When you send a letter certified return receipt make sure you include the certified return receipt number on each document so that this is proof that this was part of the mailing and when they received it.

4. ASK FOR HELP with your state agency if you are having any types of difficulties with this company. Sure your problem may appear small to you but think about size of complaints the state will get on this company if everyone says something. Enough complaints and the state will investigate and possibly prevent First Premier from doing business in your state ever again.

5. SAVE everything is a folder forever and ever, AMEN. Sure this might sound like a waste of time to you now but think about the time you will be spending when this problem resurfaces years from now. If you do not believe me then take a few more minutes and read what others have said about debts that are 10 plus years old trying to be collected on now. If you have saved this documentation then you have a solid foot to stand on and knock these idiots back under the rock that they come out from under.

I hope this helps everyone of you. Just remember the five rules I have stated here and follow it to a "T". While the road might be slow it will be resolved and you will have the confendence knowing that you have won in the long run.

Ok in my endless attempt to close this credit card I am now growing tired of the same endless run around. I sent an on-line complaint to the State of Wisconsin - Financial Affairs division seeking help on this matter. (Nice to have the ability to file complaints online). I got a reply email from a state employee about my complaint. He stated that he has been assigned to my case and sent me a attachment of the letter that he sent to First Premier Bank demanding their reasons why they did not close my account as instruction via my certified, return receipt requested letter. Allowing additional charges to accur on this account make a negative balance (when there was a positive balance prior). This was back in the end of June and still no response back. My neighbor told me today (Sunday) that I received some affadiate letter requested from First Premier Bank some time this last week. As I understand it, Premier can no longer talk to me but via the financial affairs office (banking regulator arm of the state that handle credit card companies). I will email this employee that they have violated his direct order to contact him direct and again demand the following (allowed per state law):

1. erasure of all expenses that accured since acceptance of the letter
2. erasure and posting of good credit status on all credit reports
3. a full refund of nearly $100 (positive balance) at the time of acceptance of the letter.
4. damages for failure to abide by the contact, state and federal law for a total of $1000 as allowed by state law.


I am growing tired of this endless run around and being ignored. Hope my pain will disurge anyone in the future from using this bank for any purposes at all.

I am currently in Irving, TX for the summer hauling Polaris freight to the southwest states and have a neighbor getting and reading my mail to me. When as I guess I expected I got another monthly statement in the mail from Premier Bank.

Seems that they have not cancelled nor closed my account down. That the over payment I made is now a bill for nearly $60. They state in the billing statement that more "new" items came in the month of May. (Cannot remember ever purchasing anything for over three months now) and they are still charging me the "normal" monthly charges that they affix to this account.

SOOOO I am not more then upset I am hot under the collar. So I called the 800 number that my neighbor read off the statement and was VERY vocal on the phone to the operator that answered the phone on Saturday. Seems that after noon the main office closed and I got someone in card relations in Oklahoma.

I told her that this was now fraud and that I will be filing a police report when I get back to my hometown against the bank for allowing what appears to be illegal charges to my account and failing to close this account per my "certified, return receipt request" letter that they signed for.

She was happy to make sure that the card was closed (reported lost/stolen) which is all she could do (to further allow the bank to continue allowing charges to an account closed) and that I need to call these idiots and tell them to ensure that this account is closed.

I am sorry but I am not going to waste my cell phone (prepaid minutes) while on hold so I can talk to an idiot in a cubicle 900 or so miles away. I will be filing a complaint with the state financial affairs division in my home state and letting them deal with these idiots. While at the same time (per state law) requested that damages be assessed for their failure to close this account per my request.

I will keep you all updated on this as the story unfolds.

I drive semi over the road so when I get home I sure have alot of mail to sort thru. So last week when I got the pound and a half of mail I found a envelope from First Premier Bank. Hoping that this was the "refund" my yearly fee and a surplus I had with this account, I was disappointed to see that all it was is a monthly statement showing that I have a surplus.

Now folks I am a bit slow so in the end of March I did cut the card in four equal sized pieces and taped them on the bottom of a "certified, return receipt requested" letter demanding that this now cut up card be closed and all subparts of the account be terminated within five business days from receipt of this letter (verification of receipt via the certified return receipt requested slip) which I have gotten back. But it seems that they must hire idiots there at this company. Since the billing cycle should have shown this account closed.

So when I get home tomorrow (5/26/2007) I will be hoping that there is a check for return balance owed back to me. Otherwise I guess they will get to meet the financial affairs division of my home state. I know exactly what they are doing. They will mysteriously ignore my request keeping this account open slowing sapping my surplus funds out of this account and then close the account or (better yet) let the account charge more fees and interest till they send me over to a debt-collector or attempt to sue me in court.

I can not believe this company and how they can or wish to prey on society. Either way I am a man of my word. Screw me once and I left them all together. Now where is my refund? Did they want to play hard ball?

I drive semi over the road so when I get home I sure have alot of mail to sort thru. So last week when I got the pound and a half of mail I found a envelope from First Premier Bank. Hoping that this was the "refund" my yearly fee and a surplus I had with this account, I was disappointed to see that all it was is a monthly statement showing that I have a surplus.

Now folks I am a bit slow so in the end of March I did cut the card in four equal sized pieces and taped them on the bottom of a "certified, return receipt requested" letter demanding that this now cut up card be closed and all subparts of the account be terminated within five business days from receipt of this letter (verification of receipt via the certified return receipt requested slip) which I have gotten back. But it seems that they must hire idiots there at this company. Since the billing cycle should have shown this account closed.

So when I get home tomorrow (5/26/2007) I will be hoping that there is a check for return balance owed back to me. Otherwise I guess they will get to meet the financial affairs division of my home state. I know exactly what they are doing. They will mysteriously ignore my request keeping this account open slowing sapping my surplus funds out of this account and then close the account or (better yet) let the account charge more fees and interest till they send me over to a debt-collector or attempt to sue me in court.

I can not believe this company and how they can or wish to prey on society. Either way I am a man of my word. Screw me once and I left them all together. Now where is my refund? Did they want to play hard ball?

I drive semi over the road so when I get home I sure have alot of mail to sort thru. So last week when I got the pound and a half of mail I found a envelope from First Premier Bank. Hoping that this was the "refund" my yearly fee and a surplus I had with this account, I was disappointed to see that all it was is a monthly statement showing that I have a surplus.

Now folks I am a bit slow so in the end of March I did cut the card in four equal sized pieces and taped them on the bottom of a "certified, return receipt requested" letter demanding that this now cut up card be closed and all subparts of the account be terminated within five business days from receipt of this letter (verification of receipt via the certified return receipt requested slip) which I have gotten back. But it seems that they must hire idiots there at this company. Since the billing cycle should have shown this account closed.

So when I get home tomorrow (5/26/2007) I will be hoping that there is a check for return balance owed back to me. Otherwise I guess they will get to meet the financial affairs division of my home state. I know exactly what they are doing. They will mysteriously ignore my request keeping this account open slowing sapping my surplus funds out of this account and then close the account or (better yet) let the account charge more fees and interest till they send me over to a debt-collector or attempt to sue me in court.

I can not believe this company and how they can or wish to prey on society. Either way I am a man of my word. Screw me once and I left them all together. Now where is my refund? Did they want to play hard ball?

I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE. I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE OUT THERE KNOW THAT PRACTICES OF THIS SORT SHOULD BE LEGALLY BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. I MYSELF HAVE HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH FIRST PREMIER BANK..

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT TO PAY MY BALANCE IN FULL THEY NOTIFY ME THE IN THE NEXT BILL CYCLE THAT MY PAYMENT WAS DECLINED DUE TO NSF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR AND EACH TIME WAS AN ATTEMPT TO PAY OFF MY BALANCE.LUCKILY, FROM MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH AN NSF FROM FIRST PREMIER BANKCARD, I LEARNED TO KEEP A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY PERSONAL BANK REPRESENTATIVE.

THE ISSUE OCCURED WHEN I ASKED FIRST PREMIER TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE DATES THAT MY PAYMENTS WERE SUBMITTED AND RETURNED TO THEM,THEN I CONTACTED MY BANK REP AND HAD HIM VERIFY THAT THE PAYMENTS WERE DECLINED. MY BANK REPRESENTATIVE PROVIDED ME WITH BANKS RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS THAT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED, AND FIRST PREMIER HAD NOT SUBMITTED ANY DRAFT TO MY ACCO0UNT FOR THE ALLEGED NSF THEY RECEIVED.

WHEN I TRIED AGAIN TO SPEAK WITH A SUPERVISOR AT FIRST PREMIER HE ADVISED ME TO HAVE MY BANK PROVIED THEM WITH DOCUMENTATION SHOWNING THAT *A DRAFT +HAD NOT+ BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE PAYMENT I ARRANGED WITH THEM..

NOW IF ANYONE KNOWS ABOUT BANKING RECORDS(AS TOLD TO ME BY MY BANK REP), THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF SOMEHTHING THAT HAS +NOT+ BEEN SUBMITTED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.THEY HAVE THE RECORD,BUT OF COURSE, CAN ONLY PROVIDE THE INFO THAT IS ON YOUR MONTHLY STATMENT.
THIS ALL BOILS DOWN TO 2 1/2 HOURS ON THE PHONE LEADING TO A CONFERENCE CALL BETWEEN MYSELF/MY BANK/AND FIRST PREMIER CARD SERVICES.

ON THE FIRST OCCASION THE SUPERVISOR TOLD MY THAT THIS SIMPLY "HAPPENS SOMETIMES",BUT I HAD TO THREATEN CONTACTING THE BBB BEFORE THE SUPERVISOR WOULD FULLY CREDIT ME FOR +MOST+ OF THE LATE AND OVERLIMIT FEES THAT I WAS CHRGD FOR ...

I AM NOW TRYING TO GET INFO ON STARTING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THIS COMPANY,BECAUSE IF THIS SIMPLY "HAPPENS SOMETIMES", THEN THERE ARE A LOT MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT MY NOT HAVE PURSUED THIS ISSUE FAR ENOUGH. IF ANY ONE IS INTERESTED OR HAS MORE INFO I WILL BE FILING MY OWN RIP-OFF REPORT SOON, AND IF YOUR HAVE MORE SPECIFIC INFO ON FILING A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THIS ABSURDITY PLEASE CONTACT ME.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Someone mentioned in a post above yours that in order to cancell the account, you need to send them the card cut up and there were some other stipulations. Just thought I would give you a heplful hint. I have not had to deal with these people, but was thinking about opening an account with them, and I have learned a lot on here. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Someone mentioned in a post above yours that in order to cancell the account, you need to send them the card cut up and there were some other stipulations. Just thought I would give you a heplful hint. I have not had to deal with these people, but was thinking about opening an account with them, and I have learned a lot on here. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Someone mentioned in a post above yours that in order to cancell the account, you need to send them the card cut up and there were some other stipulations. Just thought I would give you a heplful hint. I have not had to deal with these people, but was thinking about opening an account with them, and I have learned a lot on here. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Someone mentioned in a post above yours that in order to cancell the account, you need to send them the card cut up and there were some other stipulations. Just thought I would give you a heplful hint. I have not had to deal with these people, but was thinking about opening an account with them, and I have learned a lot on here. Thank you for sharing your experience.

They reviewed the late charge and stand by their claim that I was late with the January payment even when the billing statement shows otherwise. But they agreed to dismiss (well in my case) credit me back my late fee payment on the next months billing statement.

I cannot believe how stupid this company is and how they feel that I was late even when the billing statement shows its not due till mid-February.

Well I will see if the February billing statement really shows the late charge being credited back. I was so close to filing a criminal fraud claim with the local police department and will be cancelling this card in March anyway.

Screw me over once I am OUT OF HERE.