Complaint Review: Aspire Visa - Atlanta Georgia

My part of this mess... First I have to say I don't work for Aspire, don't know any people, have no relatives the work for Aspire. Unfortunately I ran into some credit problems in the past due to many issues beyond my control and I am having to rebuild my credit. I decided to try to do it with a credit card or two and obviously I could not get a good card to start out with. I decided to go with two cards, one being Aspire. At the time, I had not read all the horror stories here and really didn't have a clue about them or I would have probably not activated the card. On the other side of things, I have always received a bill, and have had no problem contacting them. Once I talked on the phone to a nice person ( of course this was when I was setting up my account ) and then more then once through e-mail. Now I have not tried to contact them in over 6 mos, because I have had no reason too, but I am not saying it would be easy. As for the yearly fee, mine was not 150.00 as stated above, I think it actually depends on how your history with them is, I honestly don't know, but it was not 150.00. Also, My interest rate is lower with them then the other card I have. Another thing, when it came time for the yearly fee, all they simply did was increase my credit amount and charged it. My other card simply would just charge an over the limit fee and they also charge a fee to increase your limit. What kind of card charges people to increase their limit when they have a great payment history? I have to admit, after reading all about Aspire and my other card ( go figure ) I want to cancel them both. I wanted to keep them both a year or more to show some kind of long term payment history, now I am afraid of what will happen when I eventually try to cancel Aspire. All in all, I have no complaints about Aspire, they have been good to me and treated me well. I would like to close that I am a regular person with no ties to Aspire. You can see other posts on here from me in some of the Disney and Tupper Lake topics. I guess I consider me one of the lucky ones..

The very first thing I would tell every one, is to never bee too fast at trying to get a credit card if you have a credit score that is not real good. At one time I sold cars for a living and I have seen very good credit reports and very poor credit repeorts. Over the past seven years I have been studying the credit industry and what helps one increase their credit score. Last month I went to my bank to set up for buying a bigger home. My banker made a comment that she had not seen a Fair Isaac Score that was as high as mine for MANY YEARS! My Fair Isaac Score at the time she pulled a Credit report on me was 803. The problem that many consumers have with credit is they do not understand how it all works. Knowing the things to do and the things NOT TO DO are very important. I tell consumers to NEVER spend over 15% of their credit card limit. If you go over a certain limit your credit score will go down real fast. The credit industry has this special credit reeport that they will NOT LET consumers get their hands on that show a VERY CLEAR picture of how to understand much better how it works. BUT NO, They will not let consumers have one. Maybe one day I will post a picture of what one of these "Special Reports" look like so you can see what they will NOT let you have. Call it "TOP SECRET" if you want. I know how to get them and I have been watching how the system works for many years. The advice that I will give to one and all is the folling. If you have a low credit score and you want to improve it do the following. 1. Hide your SSN from EVERYBODY. Never be too fast to give it to any car dealer, or anybody that wants to get you into some kind of dept at all. 2. Start doing business with a BIG NAME bank only. 3. The credit industry will increase your credit score over a period of time if you show them that you are doing the right things with your money. So go to a BIG NAME bank and open a checking and a savings account. Make sure that you set it up for OVER DRAW protection for your checking account. Bounced checks to NOT do your credit at all. 4. Stop paying your cable, water bill, electricity and and things like that by check. Have it set up so they are paid automatic with your credit card. You must understand that these types of bills do NOT put good marks on your credit report. Knowing that, run these bills through your credit card account. Then you get a good mark on your credit report every month, and in some cases for FREE. 5. Kowning that it is very important to show the credit industry that you have stability in your life, Stop moving from place to place every six or eight months. Show the credit industry that you can plant some roots in your life and stay put at the same address for a FEW YEARS! This also helps your credit score. 6. STOP bouncing from job to job. Having job stability also will help increase your credit score. Showing the credit industry that you have a good work history helps your credit in a BIG WAY. Remember the last time you filled out a credit aplication? Did it have small section that asked a few questions about your employment? Questions like, How long have you worked at your present employer. Job stability is VERY IMPORTANT! So stay PUT at the same job for as long as you can! 7. One big problem consumer have with credit is they seem to want more then they can afford or they are too fast to let some slime ball fast talking car salesman lock them into a car deal that will prevent them from ever putting any money away for a rainy day. Never over extend your self. Try to set your self up so you can AWAYS put some money away each and every week no matter what. This way you never have to max out your credit card and send your credit score into a deep dark hole! 8. Try to get a BIG NAME bank's credit card and stay with it for a VERY LONG TIME. The longer you have a account open, or what "they" call a "Line of credit" you will increase your score in a big way. I have been with the same credit card company for 10 years. The longer you have a GOOD LINE of credit open with the same company will help send your Fair Issac Score to the area like mine! 9. Try to buy a home as soon as you can. Once you have a home loan in your name, you will increase your credit score by many points. 10. DO NOT let some fast talking car dealer tell you the best way to re-build your credit is to buy one of their cars that go down in value as soon as you head home! Going into some debt will not help you and going into the right kind of debt wil help you in a BIG WAY! It's your job to know which debt will help you. Don't EVER think that a car dealer has a goal to help your credit score. 11. DON'T be too fast to take on a BK. In many states they post your name, address, DL # and SSN on the internet soon after you file for a BK. The problem I have with this is that MOST BK attorneys never tell you that your private info will soon be on the net for all to see after the BK has been filed. If you do not believe me, post a request on this Rip Off Report for proof that consumers have their PRIVATE INFO on the net for all to see and steal! 12. Back to the credit cards. If you have a credit card that you owe a big amount on, Pay IT DOWN to owing less then 15% of the limit that your credit card has as soon as you can. Doing this will shoot your score up. 13. If you have ANY unpaid bills that you just have not paid for what ever the reason, GO PAY THEM OFF! Unpaid bills that can follow you for ever do NOT make your credit history look good at all. 14. Try to have a checking account, savings account and a credit card account all set up at the same BIG NAME BANK. It makes it easy for a bank to help protect you from small things that can hurt your credit score. 15. Please understand that doing the right things will not make your credit score go up in big numbers. Increasing your credit score takes time and it also requires you having the ability to stop fast talking sales people into digging you deep into debt. Remember their goal is to increase the size of their pay check, NOT your credit score! Hide your SSN and your private info from all and it will help your score go up. Much more helpful credit info will soon be comming so stay tuined!

I was not in the credit risk catagory, however the practices of this company bear looking into. I wrote the attorney General of Ga on them, and the stupid letter they sent me read: I don't know why you have not been receiving bills here are copies of the last three. Now one of the three NEVER landed in my mailbox. You can go back on the computer and print anything. They consider all consumers crazy and stupid. I am NOT the only one that did not receive a bill. It happens at least once a year to me. I got one more payment to them and then they are done finished, and hope never to be heard from again. They seem to have the ability to manipulate the facts so that the consumer is in the wrong. They are truly disgusting. I wish someone WOULD go after them. Talk about a company that sucks!!!! I can't wait to make the last payment so I can see what crap they come up with.

The problem with activating your Visa Card will be that the creditor will charge you the annual fee for the credti facility even if you do not use the credit card. My experience with Aspire is that this could amount to a substantial sum. Suddenly, without making any purchases, you owe money to Aspire, simply because they are willing to provide you with little credit. In actuality the problem is even worse. These companies generally provide credit facilities for people with poor credit rating. The maximum amount of credit they offer, genrally will not exceed $300. However, at the begining, they are not obliged to give you full $300. Generally, they gave you only half ($150). But the problem was that the annual fee for the credit facility was $150.00 and that was charged to the card. Your available credit at the first month? $0.00. See if you can rescind the contract. If not, try contacting an attorney who will handle class-actions. This appears to be a common problem. I am an attorney, and I am considering going after them myself. Good luck.

The problem with activating your Visa Card will be that the creditor will charge you the annual fee for the credti facility even if you do not use the credit card. My experience with Aspire is that this could amount to a substantial sum. Suddenly, without making any purchases, you owe money to Aspire, simply because they are willing to provide you with little credit. In actuality the problem is even worse. These companies generally provide credit facilities for people with poor credit rating. The maximum amount of credit they offer, genrally will not exceed $300. However, at the begining, they are not obliged to give you full $300. Generally, they gave you only half ($150). But the problem was that the annual fee for the credit facility was $150.00 and that was charged to the card. Your available credit at the first month? $0.00. See if you can rescind the contract. If not, try contacting an attorney who will handle class-actions. This appears to be a common problem. I am an attorney, and I am considering going after them myself. Good luck.

The problem with activating your Visa Card will be that the creditor will charge you the annual fee for the credti facility even if you do not use the credit card. My experience with Aspire is that this could amount to a substantial sum. Suddenly, without making any purchases, you owe money to Aspire, simply because they are willing to provide you with little credit. In actuality the problem is even worse. These companies generally provide credit facilities for people with poor credit rating. The maximum amount of credit they offer, genrally will not exceed $300. However, at the begining, they are not obliged to give you full $300. Generally, they gave you only half ($150). But the problem was that the annual fee for the credit facility was $150.00 and that was charged to the card. Your available credit at the first month? $0.00. See if you can rescind the contract. If not, try contacting an attorney who will handle class-actions. This appears to be a common problem. I am an attorney, and I am considering going after them myself. Good luck.

The problem with activating your Visa Card will be that the creditor will charge you the annual fee for the credti facility even if you do not use the credit card. My experience with Aspire is that this could amount to a substantial sum. Suddenly, without making any purchases, you owe money to Aspire, simply because they are willing to provide you with little credit. In actuality the problem is even worse. These companies generally provide credit facilities for people with poor credit rating. The maximum amount of credit they offer, genrally will not exceed $300. However, at the begining, they are not obliged to give you full $300. Generally, they gave you only half ($150). But the problem was that the annual fee for the credit facility was $150.00 and that was charged to the card. Your available credit at the first month? $0.00. See if you can rescind the contract. If not, try contacting an attorney who will handle class-actions. This appears to be a common problem. I am an attorney, and I am considering going after them myself. Good luck.

The person has a right to be afraid of Aspire. They are big now? No wonder the authorities refuse to try to stop their practices. Although you may be employed in the credit industry, unless you are employed by one that practices the deceptions used by Aspire, you have no knowledge of the type problems. I have heard of several horror stories in my area of people who are too ashamed or scared to post here. I suggest the postee get rid of that card ASAP, which might almost be impossible without paying close to $200.00. Thank Goodness, I was not in that trap, but the lack of sending bills, nasty customer reps, and phone calls day and night, having a payment hanging out there that could be seen and having a idiot telling me their job is NOT to see why payments arn't credited, their job was to see when I would make a payment made me wonder if the inmates were running the joint. My advice - - - run, don't walk away from Aspire.

I had to reply to you as a professional in the credit industry. Before you agreed to accept the Visa from Aspire which is (one of the largest credit card companies in the US)did you carefully read over your application on paper OR online before agreeing? If you are responsible, read and understand the terms of your contract, then you will be fine. Yes there are consumers who have posted their horror stories on this site, but please use your own judgment and now allow others to make you afraid. Don't abuse your card, and by the way once you recieve the card, before you decide to activate it, go over the terms page again (make sure you understand the interest rates, late penalties, nsf charge, grace period, credit limit and such). Don't be afraid to activate the card, once you do, keep in mind if you don't make any purchases ever, then the chances are yourself or Aspire will close your account due to non activity!!! Good luck