Do Not Get Mixed up With Providian Bank
Jan 25 '00 Write an essay on this topic.
I could not agree more with JMB623's review titled "Aria Card Is Providian: Beware Gift Horses". I was interested in learning that they are now using a new name "aria" to do their dirty work. I also agree that one should always beware a company that changes their name, especially in the financial industry. Providian Bank is notorious for questionable ethics and business practices. They have highly attractive, highly visible marketing that is tempting to many consumers. Beware the fine pint, and there will likely be a lot of it. In case you need additional confirmation of this, type Providian Bank or Providian Financial into any search engine (e.g. mamma.com) and check out what comes back. Do not look at their sites, but check out the investigations, legal filings, newspaper articles about questionable business practices, etc. Then ask yourself, is the kind of company I want to do business with? I could not urge you more to not get mixed up with this company.
Providian's defense of accusations of unethical practices is to site testimonials from customers that say that Providian helped them straighten out their credit. There are too many other good options to consider doing business with this company. If you were considering Providian as the vehicle to improve your credit, I would urge you to check out Consumer Credit and Budget Counseling, Inc, check your local directory. Make sure that you are talking to the licensed, non-profit consumer education and financial counseling agency that serves individuals and families in financial distress. If you are talking the right people, this counseling service is free. They really can help.
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