Card for
Bad Credit

marci · #1 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 08:20

Hi all,

I just wrote this letter to Citibank via PFB and am sharing it here for two reasons: for moral support and prayers that it will work (please!) and as a possible sample letter for those of us who are plagued by paid charge offs. Some background: I had a paid chargeoff with Citibank back in 1997. I applied for the Citi AAvantage card (many thanks to Roni, Sam and others for sharing their experiences) and was turned down. I got the card after explaining myself to a supervisor in the credit department (1-301-733-5501).

Yes, I admit to grovelling and admitting that I owed and paid the debt, but I choose to deal honestly in life (the charge off *is* my fault) and I hope that the grovelling will move someone's heart to delete this. By my tone in this letter, I by no means hold Citibank without fault in giving untrained college kids credit cards and using larcenous methods later on to get their money. Like Dani, I have a passion for getting that stopped as well.

Anyway, here's the letter. If you benefit from it, then enjoy; if not, then just overlook it.

"Dear Mr. Weill,

I am writing a letter about my experience with Citibank NA that is a mixture of a grateful "thank-you" and a pressing request concerning a Citibank Visa tradeline on my credit report which I would like to have removed.

I received my first Citibank card (Visa) in 1990 as a barely 18 year old first year student at ______ College. The account number for that card is #xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. In college, I used my Citibank Visa quite frequently as I discovered that it gave me the "freedom" to buy many of the things I wanted in life but could not afford with cash. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the freedom to buy things on credit came along with the responsibility to faithfully pay my credit obligations with Citibank on time.

In 1997, the account was charged-off and I immediately began paying the remaining balance on the account until the account was paid in full (not settled) in 1998. To be honest, 1997 was a "wake-up" call for me. Since then I have actively begun rebuilding my credit and have learned the essential personal financial management principles I desperately needed to know in college. My responsible credit management is reflected in my credit reports which - excepting the Citibank Visa entry - are clear of major negative credit information.

In March 2001, Citibank also recognized and rewarded my hard work in responsible credit management. The Credit Department approved me for a Mastercard after I told a manager of my significant financial progress and that I wanted a second chance at a business relationship with Citibank. The Platinum Select Mastercard I now have is a milestone for me in that it is my first card with Platinum benefits and that it offers a 6.9% balance transfer option which I am happily using to quickly lower my debt obligations. So for this, I want to say thank you.

I've seen the recent Citibank advertisements in magazines encouraging customers to use credit responsibly with a Citibank card designed to help them do so. I wish that I had had that kind of guidance when I was a freshman in college. Because Citibank is dedicated to building a financially responsible customer base with its new card products, I would hope that Citibank would desire to help me have a credit report that reflects my own hard work in credit responsibilty and the fact that Citibank has given me a second chance at a banking relationship with them, one which I am determined to keep spotless.

The paid charge off listing does not reflect my current status with Citibank and I would like the "credit world" to focus on my new successful relationship with Citibank. I am asking today that Citibank give me a second chance at a positive credit rating and remove the paid charge off reported by Citibank to all three Credit Reporting Agencies for Visa account number #xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

_____________"

marci · #2 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 08:24

Also,

For those who may have issues with Citibank credit reporting department, here is the address and fax number, which I got in January:

Attn: Dispute Unit
Citibank Credit Bureau Unit
PO Box 6241
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-6241

Fax # 605-330-6780

Donna · #3 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 08:42

Great letter, Marci. You write exceptionally well. I sure hope your letter achieves the desired result.

Good luck. I'll be praying hard that your paid charge off gets removed.

Donna

marci · #4 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 09:36

Thank you, Donna. I really hope it works, too. I want it deleted b/c after a failed attempt to dispute this with Experian, Citibank updated to all three CRAs last year and my credit score plummeted.

It makes me wonder if the last date reported has more weight with FICO than the last date of activity.

Also, Transunion counts this as equal to a public record, which I think is grossly unfair.

Thanks again,

miles · #5 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 15:47

That was a great letter marci. It was very well written and was sincere. Anyone with half a heart at Citibank would remove the chargeoff without a problem. They've got their money so there is no further reason to tarnish your credit file. I'm convinced this will work. Good luck and keep us updated!! :-D

Btw, I'm still waiting on Providian to contact me with their decision. :-/

Reshod · #6 (**permalink**) 05.29.2001, 17:06

Yes, this was an excellent letter. I even saved it to my hard drive to use on a paid collection from 1995\

Good Luck, i hope it works

Dani · #7 (**permalink**) 05.30.2001, 08:09

Great letter, Marci. Congratulations, on your current financial success. It takes real drive to rebuild and maintain your credit like you have. Wishing you the best and hoping that Citibank listens.

Dani

marci · #8 (**permalink**) 05.30.2001, 08:33

Thanks Miles and Reshod for your warm responses. Miles, what happened with the Con Advocate at Cap One?

Dani, thank you as well. Honestly, there is no way I can take sole credit for the way my credit report looks today. Almost all of the improvements my reports have gotten are a direct result of the postings on this board.

Because of the bright people on Creditnet Straight Talk, 12 of the 13 "baddies" on my credit reports are GONE. The Citibank item is the 13th and I thank you for your support in hoping to see this gone, too.

A very happy (and grateful) participant of CreditNet,

gavenraj · #9 (**permalink**) 07.23.2002, 15:19

In this attempt, did you try to verify that this is not your account or was never late?

-Raj

marci · #10 (**permalink**) 07.25.2002, 17:10

Quote:

Originally posted by gavenraj
In this attempt, did you try to verify that this is not your account or was never late?

No, I told the truth.

The account was mine and it was consistently delinquent to the point of being charged off.

I should also add that Citi called me the next day agreeing to delete - and by the next week it was gone from my reports.

Since then, I've gotten three more cards from them. :-)

picantel · #11 (**permalink**) 07.25.2002, 17:16

I hope you have more luck than me. A couple months I wrote a letter explaining why it went into chargeback 5 years ago and that is was paid in full. I told them I had paid all my bills on time since then but the paid chargeoff was keeping me from getting any credit. They respond with a letter telling me basically to stick it. I then wrote them a validation letter stating they had put the status wrong on my account(which they did) and they wrote back and basically told me to stick it. Now tomorrow I am faxing to their dispute department that the status is wrong and I am including the proof. Their response, I am sure, will be to stick it.

marci · #12 (**permalink**) 07.26.2002, 04:34

Picantel,

If this is Citi you're talking about, they are dfficult to work with IF you interact with the credit reporting or collections depts. directly.

Citi was reporting wrong on Experian for my delinquent account, and I tried to behave "nutcase" with them over it on the phone. I asked for proof of the CO and they sent me EVERY statement for 2 years worth around the CO time. Anyway, I wrote the above letter via PlanetFeedback.com to "Citibank, N.A." and the office of the president replied favorably. It helped a great deal that I had a new Card with Citi to say "see, if the credit dept. gave me a second chance, won't you?"

Sometimes, you have to keep trynig until you find someone with both the authority and the "okay, why not?" to give you the deletion. Executive level people generally have both attributes if you write nicely to them.

Don't give up!

Amy B · #13 (**permalink**) 11.02.2002, 14:44

Hi Marci, I was wondering what happened with citibank. I settled and paid an old acct with them about two years ago and I was fearful to try and apply with them again. When you were approved for a new card with them, what was your score etc?

marci · #14 (**permalink**) 11.02.2002, 15:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Amy B
Hi Marci, I was wondering what happened with citibank. I settled and paid an old acct with them about two years ago and I was fearful to try and apply with them again. When you were approved for a new card with them, what was your score etc?

I applied for the AA card, was auto denied (due to the above paid CO) and called their credit dept. asking for a reconsideration. I explained over the phone what I wrote in the above letter (obviously excepting the part about having received a card) and the supervisor stated that b/c the paid CO was over two years old and the rest of TU report was clean, she'd over-ride the denial. MY TU score was right around 600.

Two months later I wrote the above letter and the paid CO was deleted from my reports within two weeks.

Amy B · #15 (**permalink**) 11.02.2002, 16:22

I may go for it, since it's been awhile. Did they do BT? Do you recommend any other cards for low 600s min? I doubt any of them are over 650.

marci · #16 (**permalink**) 11.02.2002, 19:21

I did a "product conversion" to the regular Platinum Select, and then got a BT rate of 6.9% for 9 months.

I don't know if Citi underwriting is as liberal now as it was 18 months ago. Your mileage may vary...