Complain about a product or service

ACE - American Credit Educators

2000 S Colo Blvd Ste 330
Denver, Co

Christina of St. Joseph MO (10/10/03):
In 1999, I was living in Virginia. I had virtually no credit. A salesperson called my home, offering me a credit card through ACE. It was a VISA, and I thought "This is my chance to get some good credit started". He said that I would recieve a credit counseling kit, and the fee would be "two ninety five", which to most people sounds like $2.95.

A couple weeks later, I received the card and the materials. The annual membership fee was $49.00, the fee for the materials was $295.00, and the shipping and handling charges brought the total amount up to a whopping $365! I only had a $400 credit line. I called the ocmpany and explained what happened, and how the telemarketer had stated the fees. Their customer service person was extremely rude. I sent the materials back, but it is STILL on my credit!

I received several phone calls from their collectors, and none of them were able to assist me in dealing with this issue. I eventually spoke to a person that agreed to do a charge-off, but that adversely affects my credit now.

Christine of Danville VA writes (11/5/02):
Back in 9/'99 I had a telemarketer call from ACE pitching a credit repair credit card. He said I'd have a balance of $400 on a Visa. He told me that I would be sent a credit repair kit that would be billed to this Visa and that I could pay off the cost of the kit on my monthly billings. He also stated that there was a 30-day money-back guarantee if I decided I didn't want the card after viewing the kit.

It sounded good the way he stated it, so I agreed and gave him the info he wanted since I had had credit problems after a divorce. About two wks later I did recieve a credit "kit". I found it to be far too highly priced at $374, leaving my available credit at $26! I returned the kit by mail within the next 10 days. I never received any credit card. However, about a month or so later,I did recieve a bill stating I owed $374, so I called the phone # which referred me to another phone #, which referred me to yet another phone number (not toll-free).

I spoke to a very rude man who stated that there was nothing he could do, I owed the $ and had to pay it! I received another notice later, but ignored it. Eventually, they stopped and I thought everything had been taken care of on their end. This past summer I applied for a mortgage and was turned down, so I investigated my 3-bureau credit reports, and lo and behold, there was ACE stating that I was still owing them $374!

Not only was ACE listed, but they had sold "the account" to United Credit Nat'l Bank in Sioux Falls, SD. who also had reported the "alleged debt" to the credit bureaus! Wait! I'm not done! UCNB had then in turn sold the "account" to Household Bank in Las Vegas which also reported it on my credit report! Yes! these now are all listed as bad debts! I have since written certified letters to all 3 credit bureaus. Only two have responded within the required 30 days. (I have not yet heard from TransUnion.)

Experian has deleted ACE and UCNB but not HhB! Equifax has deleted UCNB but not Hhb (also listed as Household Credit Services on their report)and they have not deleted ACE. That leads me to believe that these companies are still "verifying my alleged debt" as of this date-11/4/02. I've heard that changing my credit report can take quite a long time since they believe the reporting companies over the consumer. Yet we're the victims of these scams and fraud schemes.

Latrice of Bloomington IL (9/4/02):
I was sent an educational kit from ACE. I didn't agree with the terms and sent it back. Now it is on my credit report. I got a loan from my bank to pay it off because they were threating to sue me, (for something I had returned), and it is still on my credit report as not being paid. I did get in contact with a gentleman saying that they had switched companies and I would be sent a refund. Never received and it is still showing up on my credit report as a negative balance.

Eric of Thousand Oaks CA (8/5/02):
I received a credit card application that seemed very useful and applied. They approved me and sent a card in the mail, I then activated it. About a week later, I received a package in the mail that was a set of videotapes of credit card management. When I asked the postman what this was, I became suspicious and called the ACE right away.

They said that by activating the card, I automatically signed up for the purchase of these tapes, the fee was $300.00. I was shocked and immediately cancelled the card and repacked the items to return. This turned out to be a long delay as I recall as they were still planning to charge me the fee because I opened the package. I clearly remember speaking with a representative of higher authority daily to ensure that I will not be charged. This individual told me to return the package, and I did with a proof of signature from the post office. The item was signed for by one of there receivers and I thought everything was fine.

Three years have passed, and then I received a letter from them May 21, 2002 stating that they want to collect for the video tapes, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? They even threatened to send this to my CREDIT BUREAU to give me bad marks on my TRW.

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