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United Credit National Bank

United Credit National Bank
• United Credit National Bank
• 9/29/2000, UICI Completes Sale of United Credit National Bank
• 3/20/2000, UICI Plans to Sell UCNB
• 2/28/2000, Consent Order

Something is (or was) rotten in South Dakota. This Sioux Falls bank, along with something called American Credit Education, in the late 1990s targeted people with a poor credit history and sold them a credit card with a limit of a few hundred dollars, nearly all of which was immediately absorbed by a "credit education kit."

Promotional material for the offer claimed there was a 30-day money-back guarantee. The following is from the bank's Web site:

"If, during the first 30 days after you receive your ACE educational materials, you are dissatisfied, return them to American Credit Educators and receive a full credit for them. That's a money back guarantee. The ACE VISA^� credit card program is, however, an affinity program between American Credit Educators and our bank. Your VISA^� credit card is only valid as long as you are enrolled in the ACE education program."

As you'll read in the complaints below, any number of customers have tried to return the kit and cancel the card, with limited success.

Unfortunately, the "bank" was sold by its parent company, UICI, in September 2000 after getting into hot water with federal regulators. The debts supposedly owed to the bank have been sold to various investors who have continued trying to collect.

Betsy of Mesquite, TX, writes:

I received an educational kit that I wasn't aware I was to receive for $219 and it was charged to my VISA along with the annual fee of $49. I have not been able to pay off the balance of the card, nor was the information helpful. I still have the card and pay it on time because I don't want to mess up my credit.

Patrick of Houston writes:

I receive ad VISA card in the mail for $400. Then a seperate letter informing me I would be receiving a education kit.

Well, I do not need a credit education. I also am on a fixed income due to catastrophic illness and am living on Social Security Disability. I filed bankruptcy a few years ago.

So when I received the Visa, red flags went up and I looked the company up on the net. I do not have the funds for a stupid kit and do not need the emotional grief this is going to cause me. I know these people are going to just try and wear me down. I have dealt with credit card companies in the past. Did not even sign up for this thing. This is the last thing I need.

Sylvia of Los Angeles adds:

I received a call from UCNB asking me how I would like to repair my credit and that I have been pre-approved for a $400 limit Visa credit card.

I jumped at the chance to get my credit going by applying for the Visa card. The only problem is that they are going to charge $300 for the ACE credit repair kit -- an information package consisting of books and video tapes designed to help you manage your credit. Plus they charge you a $49 service charge...that leaves you $51 of your $400 credit limit left to play with.

I decided to go ahead and do so because they said after three months of on-time payments they would raise the limit up to $100 a month. I decided this is worth it because I am trying to improve my credit.

The first problem occurred about a month after I received the card by mail; I also received a letter stating that my card had been cancelled at my request. This was not true. I never called and in fact had not yet received the educational kit as well. I tried calling them up for days several times a day at different times at the 800 number listed to no avail.

I finally got through two weeks later, and the rep stated she would reinstate my credit card and passed me on to another 800 number so I could have the kit forwarded to me. I spoke to another rep and she said they would track the kit and re-issue that as well. Here it is four months since I initially received the card, I received my first statement and the payment is $35 per month and the ungodly percentage rate is 19.92% and it clearly indicates that I am being charged for the kit!

I am feeling very misled and abused when all I was trying to do is repair my credit. Now I feel threatened with the matter at hand which is that they will/might report me to the credit bureaus if I do not make my first payment for merchandise I have not even received when I am the victim here. So much for trying.

Daniel of Parma, OH:

I was forced to purchase a kit, from united credit national bank. They gave me a credit limit of $350 but after all the charges that they put on me, I had available credit of around $40 dollar. I didn't believe that was fair, but what could I do?

Some charges appear on my statements that I have never made, and then you have to try to get a hold of this company. They will charge you $20 if you're a minute late on a payment.

L.B. of New York City writes:

I received a pre-approved Visa credit card, stating I would hava a credit limit up to $400. When I called to activate the card, once I received the card, it stated that I had to purchase a kit which was $300, so my remaining balance would be $100. I was no longer intrested in the card after being informed of this new information. I cut the card up and called to cancel the card. The number which I called constantly ringing and no on ever answers. I am currently trying to clean up my credit report and do not want any more negative reports to show up on my report. Now every month I am receiving monthly statements.

Larry of Mishawka, IN:

I received a letter from UCNB stating that I was pre-approved for $500 LOC with Visa. The letter also stated in order to activate the account I would have to agree to purchase $399.00 worth of A.C.E. material. I called the toll-free number (not the activation number on the card) to obtain information to what type of material I would be purchasing.

I was told by UCNB, Equifax (of Tampa,FL) and A.C.E. that there was no information available to what type of material I would be purchasing.

I declined the LOC and sent the card back to UCNB. About one or two weeks later I received a bill from UCNB with the $399 charge on it. I sent the bill back to UCNB stating the account was not activated and I did not authorize the charge.

One week later I received a past due notice from UCNB stating the account needs to be paid or late charges would be added on. I called UCNB and demanded the account to be deactivated and stated clearly to them the account was never activated.

R.H. of Kaufman, TX:

I applied for a VISA credit card. I paid a $19 application fee. Shortly thereafter, I received a package from American Credit Educators, ACE, with basically a bunch of financial advice junk. Next came a letter stating that the cost of the package (around $300) would be billed to my new credit card. The one that I had not even received yet!!!

When I called to resend the package and cancel the credit card, all I got was a run around. They did tell me that I would be receiving bills showing that I owe for the package of financial advice junk. I have written several letters to stop all of this with no positive results. What's up with these people!!! What else can I do???

There have billed me for several hundred dollars of junk that I did not request and that I have sent back to them. I have heard nothing and can get no help from them.

A.P. of Torrance, CA, writes:

I responded to an credit card offer. I sent a $25 processing fee. When I received the credit card I called to activate it, and on the recording it said I was obligated to buy a credit kit for $239..

On Monday I called to tell them I was cutting up the card and sending it back and to close the account. They gave me a $300 limit. They told me to write this statement with the credit card. They sent me the kit anyway . I sent it back and got an acknowledgment that it was received.

A month later I got a bill for late charges incurred when I never used the card. I have saved all documents that I have written to them and responses I received from them. There is never an answer on the telephone whenyou call,so I've been writing to them. On this statement I received today it reads new bal. $138.96 and total due $259.53, credit line $0.00, overlimit $138.96, past due amt. $85.57. Please help!!!!!

Tammy of Romulus, MI:

I thought that I signed up for a credit card, but I did not. I found out that this was a bank debit card, and requested a refund for $100.00. I sent their tapes back to them, only to receive them back in the mail, with a bill for an additional $252.00. I want my refund back, and they are not giving me my money.

Charles of Sioux Falls, SD:

There have billed me for several hundred dollars of junk that I did not request and that I have sent back to them. I have heard nothing and can get no help from them.

Teresa of Lynn, MA:

I was called by this company and told that my Visa card was ready. They told me that there would be a card fee of $39. They mentioned nothing about a $300 card kit, which I never did receive. When they sent the card, it said to call a number to have the card activated, I had already received a bill from the United Credit National Bank in Sioux Falls S.D. I cut up the card and called them to cancel, I was put on hold for so long that I wrote them back on their bill. I keep getting late fees added on, and now I am told that I have to send a letter to Denver Colo. and it will take three or four months to do. Meanwhile the late fees continue to be $20.00 a month.

I do not think i should be held responsible for the fees to the bank. Or a card that i never authorized. I worry about my credit standing, as i have no intention of paying this scam. I am sick about this and don't think they should be allowed to continue with this. I am so stressed with the series of phone calls to disconnected 800#s I just can't deal with it, so I'm writing to you HELP!!!!!!!

Rafael of Orlando, FL, writes:

Well, firstly I am glad that this site is here. We recieved a card in the mail, and before activating the card, I wanted to find out who this bank was because I had never heard of it.

What happened to us sounds like L.B from NY's experience althought we have yet to recieve their "package". I called the customer service number on the back of the card, that gave me another number, that gave me another number, and finally, I talked to a real person. I told this lady that we had not activated nor signed the card, and that we would assume no responsibility for any charges made to the card.

She said that it would still be necessary to cut up the card, mail it back, and include a letter stating that we do not want the card. I have never had to go through all of this with a credit card. Usually , you just don't activate it if you don't want it and cut it up. I will be mailing this notice certified mail. I will be glad to let you know what happens.

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July 5 2008

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