Deceptive Business Practice.

World Financial Network National Bank underwriting Express Credit Cards.

I received the following letter in the mail (it was actually sent to my parent's house). Immediately upon reading it I was concerned, thinking someone had applied for a credit card under my name.



At first, I was a little cautious about calling the number, wondering if the letter could've been sent from someone trying to get information on me - hoping I'd be stupid enough to give them personal information over the phone. I called them last night and waited on hold for 15 minutes, and finally decided to hang up and try them again today.

The customer representative I spoke with was VERY unfriendly from the beginning of the conversation - but he SHOULD hate his job, and the company he works for, so I'll let it slide.

I first told him that I'd received the letter above - and that it was actually sent to my parent's house, so it concerned me because I haven't lived there in several years. (Luckily it's my parents that live at that house, and not some strangers receiving pre-qualified offers in the mail...I can't believe after this many years that mail still comes to them in my name. Fortunately, I'm able to go through all of it and shred the items i do not want). ANYWAY, I told the representative that obviously whatever was sent in to the company was fraudulent because I have not applied for any kind of credit card. So...I gave him a number that was listed on this letter, the "application number". He looked it up and said that had i received the letter as a follow up because they'd sent me a pre-qualified offer that i had not returned. Then he says, "so, what we can do is continue filling out this information over the phone if you'd like to receive this credit card".

My blood begins to boil because I am realizing that they had sent this letter to try to trick customers into calling them, freaking out about fraudulent activity. I told him how sick this was and that i was incredibly annoyed that they'd wasted my time from a very dishonest and deceptive business practice--that the letter clearly states that there WAS a RESPONSE to a pre-qualified offer and that they were "unwilling to extend me credit at this time". i told him from now on, if i ever want to apply for a credit card, that i will make sure that World Financial Network National Bank is NOT the issuer of the card/underwriter of the card because I'm so frustrated at the way they TRY to gain business. Instead of keeping his mouth shut and listening to my complaint, he obnoxiously said, "we are not the only companies that do this"...and he kept trying to talk over me - which frustrated me even MORE. But, i let him get out that "they weren't the only companies that send out pre-qualified credit card offers". I told him i understood that and that I have received other "pre-qualified offers" but World Financial Network National Bank is the ONLY company I have EVER received a letter from stating that I was not being issued credit b/c my "name, address, or social security number was different from the information included in the pre-approved credit offer" and that THAT statement alone (taken directly from the letter) was completely deceptive b/c it forced me to waste MY valuable time thinking something fraudulent was going on, and realizing that all it was is a marketing scheme to try to get customers to call in to complete the application--which he basically agreed to (saying it WAS a marketing scheme).

i told him that I'd let EVERYONE that i know about this company and their deceptive practices. so..I'm telling you...and hopefully anyone that googles "World Financial Financial Network National Bank" OR "Express Clothing Company". i am LIVID.