Complaint Review: Emerge Visa Card - Atlanta Georgia

EMERGE SUCKS! It seems everyone is having a problem with Emerge. Last week I did an Internet search and found the name of the Vice President of Credit Card Services for First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), the company that provides the "bin" number for Emerge. I spoke to a very nice lady in his office who said she has received numerous complaints about Emerge. Obviously all of us folks who have complained went to a lot of trouble to find the contact information at FNBO, so that shows how angry we are. I told the lady I was writing a letter to CompuCredit (CompuCredit manages the Emerge accounts) and that I was faxing a copy to the Vice President of Credit Card Services at FNBO. The lady gave me the name and fax number of the Customer Service Manager at CompuCredit.

I also went to CompuCredit's website (www.compucredit.com) and got the name of the Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.

This morning I also faxed a copy of my letter to him. Below is my letter (with my identifying, confidential information removed).

You'll see the names and addresses -- and fax numbers -- of the important people at FNBO and CompuCredit you should contact. Don't even bother with the morons who answer the customer service phones at the toll-free number. They are useless. It's always best to "GO TO THE TOP" of the totem poll when you have problems. If I don't get a satisfactory response from CompuCredit, I am filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency that handles credit card complaints. You can do it online: http://ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

Let's keep up the pressure on Emerge and CompuCredit. Also, if FNBO knows how horribly CompuCredit and Emerge are treating their customers, just maybe FNBO will stop letting CompuCredit use FNBO's "bin" number.

Here's my letter send today (July 25, 2005):

Ms. Tracy DeFrance

Customer Service Manager

CompuCredit Corporation

245 Perimeter Center Parkway

Atlanta, GA 30346

Re: Emerge Card a/c no. XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Dear Ms. DeFrance:

I am writing to bring to your attention the poor customer service and unreasonable demands made upon me by Emerge.

In late June, I called Emerge's customer service department to change my address. Even though I had provided to the representative adequate information to identify myself -- my date of birth, the last four digits of my Social Security number, my mother's maiden name, and my complete mailing address -- I was told that I could not change my address over the phone. Rather, Emerge would send a letter to my old address, and I would then have to sign the letter and return it to Emerge. In mid July, I received Emerge's letter (attached), which was forwarded to my Mississippi address by the U.S. Postal Service. To make the change of address even more difficult and inconvenient, the letter states,

In order to update the address information on your account, please provide us with two forms of verification of your current address such as copies of your utility bills. As soon as we receive the necessary information, we will gladly process the address change.

I understand the need to protect customers from identity theft, but this creates an inconvenience for the cardholder. And yet the Change of Address form on the back of Emerge's monthly statement does not require two forms of verification. Nonetheless, I refuse to comply with Emerge's ridiculous address change requirements by sending copies of my utility bills. If Emerge continues to have any doubt about the validity of my Mississippi address, I suggest you contact the credit bureaus, since my other creditors are reporting my address correctly.

Emerge's website is almost useless. There is no way to monitor my account because there is no transaction activity. It is not possible to change my address and telephone number, view statements, order an additional card, add or remove an authorized user, or do any of the other functions that other card issuers make available at their websites. The only thing that can be done on the Emerge website is make a payment. On June 18, 2005, I called the customer service department and spoke to Jane and asked why the website is so limited. Rather than give a satisfactory answer, her vague reply was that other functions are not available at this time. When I asked when the website would be improved to add these functions, she only repeated that the other functions are not available at this time.

On June 28, 2005, I made an electronic payment, at Emerge's website, paying my full balance in the amount of $XXXX.XX. The funds were debited from my checking account two days later, on June 30, 2005. However, when I called Emerge's automated system on July 4, 2005, I learned I had only $XXX credit available rather than my entire credit limit. I spoke to a customer service representative and was informed there was a 10 business-day hold until the payment cleared my bank. When I told the representative that I had made an electronic payment and that the funds had already been debited from my checking account, his response was that the only way to confirm that and release the 10 business-day hold was for us to make a conference call to my bank to verify that the funds were good. I refused. Placing a 10 business-day hold on a personal check is reasonable, but not on an electronic payment. However, none of my other credit card issuers have ever placed such a hold on my payments, whether made by check or, especially, electronically.

During this conversation, I told the representative to immediately close my account. Instead of promptly complying with my request, he interrupted me and tried to convince me to keep my account with Emerge because of the many benefits of having the Emerge card. What benefits? My entire experience with Emerge has been deplorable. I had no problems when the card was managed by Fleet Bank, and FNANB prior to that. I have a stellar credit history dating back to 1980, and during that entire 25-year period I have never experienced such outrageous policies with a credit card issuer. I do not need the Emerge card. There are numerous other card issuers who will gladly accept my business without making me jump through hoops to get anything done.

To be certain that my account is closed, on July 21, 2005 I faxed a letter to Emerge's customer service department in Atlanta (copy attached). Unfortunately I felt obliged to put my previous California address on the header of my letter because of my concern that my request would be ignored if I showed my actual, current Mississippi address (on the header of this letter).

I hereby request that Emerge send a letter to me acknowledging that the account has been closed at my request, and kindly notify Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax accordingly. Please send the correspondence to:

XXXX

XXXX

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Enclosures

Cc: With enclosures:

by fax: 402.636.6019:

Mr. Matt Lawver

Senior Vice President

FNBO Credit Card Services

Omaha, NE 68197-3198

by fax: 770.206.6181:

Mr. Richard W. Gilbert

Vice Chairman & Chief Operating Officer

CompuCredit Corporation

Atlanta, GA 30346

Seamus

Hattiesburg, Mississippi
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Emerge