ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 8, 2016 11:23:06 GMT -5
Just sharing, just because.
I got a collection letter for my Macy's credit card account for $273. I almost never use that card and pay it off in full every time. The last time I used it was in May 2015 and we paid it off when the bill came. I never got another statement after that. I checked my credit and it was listed as delinquent and close and it really tanked my credit score.
I called the collection company and they said the original unpaid charge was from March 2015.
I am sending in a written request for debt validation and then will dispute it showing our evidence that we were paid in full in Jun 2015.
I am curious as to what happened, though. Just a mistake on Macy's part? Fraud? Something else?
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Feb 8, 2016 11:25:41 GMT -5
How did you pay? Do you have proof of payment?
Possible they credited it to the wrong account, cashed the check and never applied it, etc. All sorts of "mistakes" happen all the time with these things.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 8, 2016 11:30:18 GMT -5
How did you pay? Do you have proof of payment? Possible they credited it to the wrong account, cashed the check and never applied it, etc. All sorts of "mistakes" happen all the time with these things. We pay via online payments with our bank. It is just strange that we have the May 2015 statement, which shows a beginning balance of zero and a charge we made in May (which we paid). So either they applied the payment correctly and then subsequently screwed it up or the original March charge was not ours and then mistakenly post it to our account sometime later? Just curious about the sequence of events and the fact that we were not getting statements showing a balance owed.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Feb 8, 2016 11:30:37 GMT -5
If you had paid it in time and have proof, you can contest this and they will send an update to the credit reporting agency and it should fall off soon - at least that is what happened with ours.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 8, 2016 11:37:24 GMT -5
I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it won't tank your credit score long. I had a delinquent lab bill and didn't know about it until collections called me. I was royally pissed as I had called the lab to get a final balance, but the figure that they gave it to me was $70 short of what I owed. I was writing a check for $450, another $70 wasn't a deal breaker. I paid it ASAP, but to this day have absolutely idea what happened in the year between my last lab bill and the call from collections.
2 years later, I'm over 800.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Feb 8, 2016 12:07:10 GMT -5
Except he's trying to refinance his ARM.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 8, 2016 12:19:54 GMT -5
Except he's trying to refinance his ARM. I thought about that too.. Luckily it looks like I will be able to not have to for a few months, but that could really throw a wrench in my plans.
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gregintenn
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Post by gregintenn on Feb 8, 2016 12:44:10 GMT -5
Isn't credit grand?
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Feb 8, 2016 12:45:50 GMT -5
Except he's trying to refinance his ARM. I thought about that too.. Luckily it looks like I will be able to not have to for a few months, but that could really throw a wrench in my plans. I wouldn't worry about it.
If you do decide to refi and this is the only ding on your credit report the underwriter will request an explanation. Just be upfront with your mortgage broker so s/he can deal with it ASAP.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Feb 8, 2016 13:07:33 GMT -5
If your score has dropped considerably won't that disqualify you from getting the best interest rate? Or can the underwriters disregard that if they like your explanation?
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Feb 8, 2016 13:32:49 GMT -5
I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it won't tank your credit score long. I had a delinquent lab bill and didn't know about it until collections called me. I was royally pissed as I had called the lab to get a final balance, but the figure that they gave it to me was $70 short of what I owed. I was writing a check for $450, another $70 wasn't a deal breaker. I paid it ASAP, but to this day have absolutely idea what happened in the year between my last lab bill and the call from collections. 2 years later, I'm over 800. This just happened to me. I just received a notice from a collection agency that a $30 utility bill got turned over for non-payment. The timing of the bill was from a very crazy time last year (crazy busy at work and knee deep into a rehab). But nothing shows on my on-line billing system for the utility company. Ive been in meetings all day so I need 5 minutes to call from my office when no one is around...don't want people overhearing that I'm potentially a deadbeat!
I'm nto happy at all. I hope it is a mistake but my biggest fear is that I misplaced the bill and it really is my fault...my score is going to tank for $30!
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Feb 8, 2016 13:38:14 GMT -5
I wouldn't worry about it.
If you do decide to refi and this is the only ding on your credit report the underwriter will request an explanation. Just be upfront with your mortgage broker so s/he can deal with it ASAP.
I kind of felt like the explanation letters to the underwriters were like a creative writing assignment. If they liked your story you were fine, if they didn't you were screwed. I never really understood what the explanations did in the long run. LOL, it often seems that way. I remember one request from an underwriter when we were buying this house 20+ years ago. They wanted to know why we were buying another house on the same street. I couldn't figure out why that was relevant to our qualifying for the loan. We had disclosed up front that we were renting the old house to my MIL.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Feb 8, 2016 13:46:00 GMT -5
If your score has dropped considerably won't that disqualify you from getting the best interest rate? Or can the underwriters disregard that if they like your explanation? They aren't in charge of the rates but I think they control how "risky" they perceive a borrower is. Someone who is in the loan business can probably answer better than I can but nowadays almost everything is regulated by FNMA and Freddie Mac guidelines.
Very few borrowers are "perfect". If there's only one anomaly the underwriter's have some discretion to ignore a blip on a credit report if they have credible documentation.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Feb 8, 2016 13:48:22 GMT -5
Oh well, I must have told a good story or two, I never got questioned on my explanations. (I did get complimented on them from my mortgage broker, though!) In the above case my mortgage broker wrote mine. I was seriously annoyed.
But it worked so I got over it.
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obelisk
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Post by obelisk on Feb 8, 2016 15:31:43 GMT -5
Did you or someone in your household purchased a prom dress?
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Feb 8, 2016 15:32:38 GMT -5
Did you or someone in your household purchased a prom dress? yes, but I was asked by a very nice boy. I couldn't just say no.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Feb 8, 2016 16:11:31 GMT -5
Something must be in the air, because I'm getting dozens of collections calls (I assume?) as well. They always call my house when I'm at work and never leave a message. I have no idea what they want, so leaving a message or sending something through the mail would be helpful. It's Allied Interstate and I have no idea if it's legit.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Feb 8, 2016 16:15:05 GMT -5
Something must be in the air, because I'm getting dozens of collections calls (I assume?) as well. They always call my house when I'm at work and never leave a message. I have no idea what they want, so leaving a message or sending something through the mail would be helpful. It's Allied Interstate and I have no idea if it's legit. some either gave them a fake number or someone transposed a number when it was being entered. They have to be careful about what they say wwhen they leave messages, might be due to the federal credit laws.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Feb 8, 2016 16:16:50 GMT -5
Something must be in the air, because I'm getting dozens of collections calls (I assume?) as well. They always call my house when I'm at work and never leave a message. I have no idea what they want, so leaving a message or sending something through the mail would be helpful. It's Allied Interstate and I have no idea if it's legit. some either gave them a fake number or someone transposed a number when it was being entered. They have to be careful about what they say wwhen they leave messages, might be due to the federal credit laws. I get that, but how about the good ol' fashion mail? It's been months of phone calls now and not one single piece of mail explaining what they are calling about.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Feb 8, 2016 16:19:11 GMT -5
some either gave them a fake number or someone transposed a number when it was being entered. They have to be careful about what they say wwhen they leave messages, might be due to the federal credit laws. I get that, but how about the good ol' fashion mail? It's been months of phone calls now and not one single piece of mail explaining what they are calling about. the mail is going to whatever address they have linked to that phone number. It may even be the proper address for the person they're trying to reach.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Feb 8, 2016 16:22:47 GMT -5
I get that, but how about the good ol' fashion mail? It's been months of phone calls now and not one single piece of mail explaining what they are calling about. the mail is going to whatever address they have linked to that phone number. It may even be the proper address for the person they're trying to reach. I guess I'll pull my credit report. I've had this phone number for 12 years.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 8, 2016 16:24:25 GMT -5
Something must be in the air, because I'm getting dozens of collections calls (I assume?) as well. They always call my house when I'm at work and never leave a message. I have no idea what they want, so leaving a message or sending something through the mail would be helpful. It's Allied Interstate and I have no idea if it's legit. Do they leave a number? If so, call them back. This is what the tin agency did to me too. I'd rather just deal with this now, rather than get blindsided later. What I thought was funny was that I was told that they left many messages on my cell phone. I asked the dates that they called, because I hadn't received any messages and looked back through my cell phone records and didn't see any calls. They did some backtracking after that. I never received a single piece of mail from them either.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Feb 8, 2016 17:01:19 GMT -5
Well I noticed a delinquency on DHs report. It was a $200 bill from a doctor in GA and we moved over a year ago. It was a doctor DH used, but we never got anything in the mail. We put in forwarding with the post office but never received any forwarded mail. We have the same cell phone numbers. It may be legit, but other than seeing on his report we have not been contacted.
I guess I should track it down.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Feb 8, 2016 19:50:28 GMT -5
Something must be in the air, because I'm getting dozens of collections calls (I assume?) as well. They always call my house when I'm at work and never leave a message. I have no idea what they want, so leaving a message or sending something through the mail would be helpful. It's Allied Interstate and I have no idea if it's legit. some either gave them a fake number or someone transposed a number when it was being entered. They have to be careful about what they say wwhen they leave messages, might be due to the federal credit laws. Even if they are following the proper script it isn't hard to figure out what they are talking about. I have fielded more than a few calls for a fellow employee from debt collectors. Most I just passed on the message and whatever happened we didn't get those phone calls again that I knew about. One person I remember is because the calls kept coming and coming. It is at the GC actually and the employee in question works night crew. So every blanking day I work there in comes a phone call for him with the same story. Yes he works there but no you can't talk to him because he isn't in right now. When asked if we could take a message but all they say is here is the number and it is personal business. Like I can't figure out what that means. My issues is that first of all I know he just came back from an week in WDW with the entire family so money isn't an issue when it is something he wants. But secondly after the first 12 times they are told he works night shift why keep calling during the day It isn't like he is going to just show up at 6pm for no reason.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Feb 8, 2016 20:22:46 GMT -5
I wonder if these collection companies are lax about contacting the debtor initially so they can run up the bills?
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obelisk
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Post by obelisk on Feb 8, 2016 20:29:32 GMT -5
Did you or someone in your household purchased a prom dress? yes, but I was asked by a very nice boy. I couldn't just say no. I fully understand your predicament, it would be hard to say no to a very nice boy. So the $500 dress with all the other accoutrement would mean a total of $850 or so just to be fair including transportation. What a deal to keep the family unit intact. I am taking notes to not fall in the same black hole of no return.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Feb 8, 2016 20:40:09 GMT -5
I get really upset when something like that happens. We have so much juggling to keep everything paid and our credit scores high (both 750+). When a little thing like that crops up, it really makes me irate. I hope it is all worked out quickly for you, Archie.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Mar 30, 2016 8:17:13 GMT -5
So the issues it that we paid our last credit card bill to Macy's late. They charged a $30 late fee. But we never received another statement showing that. They charged interest and penalties for 6 months or so and then wrote off the balance and sent it to collections. Collections is trying to collect about $250.
I asked for proof from the collection company and they sent us our monthly statements showing the balance owed every month. They had our correct address on them. I am not sure why were not getting the statements.
I disputed the balance with the three credit agencies, but they have all come back without a change, meaning the credit report is showing the correct information.
At this point, what is my best option? Pay the collections company in full? Write Macy's and explain what happened and try to cut a deal where they remove the credit info? Something else?
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Mar 30, 2016 8:24:13 GMT -5
I would contact Macy's. You don't get your statements via email?
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Mar 30, 2016 8:27:36 GMT -5
I would also contact Macy's.
I contacted my utility company and they assured me that the $30 was valid and that they sent it to collections. I "think" what happened is they sent me to email billing only (I must have agreed to this when I set up the online account) but I never check my email. I need paper statements...because I'm old, dammit! Because it was a valid debt and they had already sent it to collections, there was nothing I could do but pay it.
I took quite a hit to my damn FICO score for this screw up! Luckly I had an excellent score anyway (last time I looked it was 812 on the one) but I'm now down into the high 700's...I feel like a deadbeat having a score below 800
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