If any of you have any of their dept store cards... www.mayco.com I'd close them or keep very low balances etc... If you fall on hard times....they are not the least bit understanding, willing to help the consumer, etc. I lost my job in early '99. I immediately informed Kaufmanns (dept store in central NY) along with several other creditors of my dilemma in an effort to get on reduced pymt plans etc., explicitly stating the desire to protect my credit rating. Kaufmanns CSRs said "sure we've got a reduced pymt plan..just pay $x now and every month". Granted all this occured in my naive days when I only looked at my credit report every once in a blue moon. cut to March 2001...I pay the account in full. In anticipation of going for a mortgage, I pull my reports and Kaufmanns had collected my "reduced" payments from 2/99 to 3/01 but marked me 21x 90+ days late! So, I've disputed through CRAs...comes back verified every time. I've written Kaufmanns, they just send a copy of the "card member agreement" and say too bad, so sad. Anybody have any tips to get my letters to the right person who has the power to see the injustice and make the changes??? Is it the CEO of that division (Kaufmanns) or should I go with the CEO of the May company in total? You guys have such great tips and ideas how to find the pertinent information needed... Please help!
Isn't Filenes part of the May Co? I had very good luck getting deletions from them. I had no luck at the time of the lates, and ended up w/ 31 times 90+ days late. I finally paid them off though. This was around 97 I think. In June I closed the account (though for the life of me I can't figure out why it was still open, with that many lates, and it just sitting unused for 5 yrs) They deleted all lates within a week, and left the 15 yr tradeline as pays as agreed. I wanted to send her a thank you note, but my hubby told me that it was stupid! LOL what the hell does he know anyway? He didn't understand what a big coupe that was for me! LOL
yes, Filene's is part of the May co. I just don't want this thing sitting around on my report for that long. I will need to apply for auto loan within a year and I think those notations just look horrible! Plus, every time they "verify" doesn't that start the 7 year clock over as of that date? I just wish I had known of this site when I was going through my bad times. I would have (hopefully) been able to negotiate a "pays as agreed" rating before paying them off. Now, it seems as if I'm at their mercy....
No, the clock doesn't change if they verify. They can verify til the cows come home, doesn't change a thing. Do you have your exp report? When does it say this is supposed to come off? I sent my goodwill letter via planet feedback. I was very nice, and begged for reconsideration (well, not really begged) I couldn't believe how fast they updated my CR's.
Exp scheduled to come off date is 7-2006...ugh! I think I checked PFB but they didn't have any info for Kaufmanns. It was just gonna give the letter and I had to find who to mail it to. I'll check again though. Would you be willing to email or post a copy of your letter (if you have a copy)? I thought I'd sent very detailed nice goodwill letters but they aren't budging...
search the May company on PFB, and you'll be able to send the letter that way. I don't think I have my letter anymore. I only saved the copy of the letter from Filenes saying they would update my CR. I just sent the standard goodwill letter, and modified it to my situation (divorce, debt, got the card in college, etc)
Here's my PFB letter, what do you think? The last part I borrowed from Quixote's letter to Macy's (or Chevron)...I forget now. TO: Eugene S. Kahn, CEO May Department Stores Company 611 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63101 FROM: learnmore RE: PLANETFEEDBACK REFERENCE NUMBER xxx Dear Mr. Kahn, I would like to bring your attention to a complaint I have about the experience at your department store. Specifically, I'm writing about credit/charge information. I hope you are able to resolve this situation. I opened my Kaufmanns account in 1995. It was well used and in good standing until I lost my job in 1999. I immediately informed Kaufmanns customer service representatives (CSRs) of my situation and the desire to protect my credit rating while making smaller payments. They informed me I could do just that. I continued from 2-99 to 3-01 to make those smaller payments as outlined by Kaufmanns and as evidenced on my statements. I asked the CSRs why my statements still showed late, overdue charges, etc. They informed me that was the way the computer still printed them but that my account was under the reduced payment plan and not to worry. In March 2001, I was able to pay my account in full (which included $425 of fees). I didn't begrudge the fees. I was just glad I had gotten through my hard times and paid my debt. Low and behold, shortly after that time my husband's job required us to move to a different state, thus required getting approved for a mortgage. At that time, I found out Kaufmanns had noted my account (#xxx) 21 times 90+ days late!!! So, basically, I was lied to by Kaufmanns CSRs and it appears as though I didn't pay at all for virtually 2 years! The reduced payment plan which they explained to me would help protect my credit, apparently never existed. We were turned down for 3 different mortgages due to this gross late rating on our reports. I have disputed through the credit reporting agencies and written Kaufmanns directly. Each time I get the curt response "this is what was in your card member agreement". I feel totally misled by Kaufmanns and the May company. If this problem were resolved I would bring my business and that of my friends and family and my internet family (~5000+ members on different credit dispute forums) back to May Department Stores Company. On average, I would spend $1000 if I patronize your store each year. Multiply that times all the potential customers reached when I report the amicable resolution of this matter, and the number could be quite large. Here's what I'd like to see happen: I would like Kaufmanns to either delete the tradeline altogether or change the rating to "pays as agreed, never late". If this matter is not resolved, I will consult my attorney and bring damage charges based on these inaccurate notations. While you may think that I have no right of private action due to the way FCRA is worded, let me hasten to assure you that such beliefs are quite ungrounded and false. That point has been vividly illustrated by the ruling of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Nelson v Chase Manhattan, March 3, 2002 in which the court pointed out that Section 1681s-2(b) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act creates a cause of action for a consumer against a furnisher of erroneous credit information. But my pending suit against you will not be about FDCPA nor FCRA but about how you have damaged me after I acted in good faith in dealing with you. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, learnmore
I, personally, would suck up a little more. My plan was to be really nice for the first letter, and then get increasingly meaner. I don't mean beg or anything, but i wouldn't necessarily say you were lied to, if you want them to do a goodwill. Of course, if you're copying part of the nutcase, then be as mean as you can be! LOL
In my first 2 or 3 letters I was extremely nice. They were the ones answered with "you should've read your cardmember agreement" form letters. I probably should've started nice on my first round of PFB letters but I couldn't resist a little "I mean business"...
I closed my MAYCO before I moved from CALIFORNIA. (NOW ROBINSON'S-MAY) I have a FOLEYS (CO) also MAYCO (haven't used it in a long time...I don't even think it is on any credit reports)
I have 2 seperate contacts (from my own dispute with Kaufmann's): Carrie Bilkey Credit Bureau Reporting Specialist Kaufmann's 400 Fifth Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219 1-412-232-4988 8am-4:30pm Mary Springman Manager, Credit Compliance Kaufmann's 111 Boulder Industrial Drive Bridgeton, MO 63044 1-800-600-5402 I have 2 different problems and I was successful with both.
These accounts came off my cr between June and July of this year. Actually just the derogatory information came off, which is even better :-D. They both say paid as agreed.
May Department Stores Customer Services Department. 1-800-867-6490, this is LIKE a retention department. I dealt with them for a Filenes account and they were VERY accomodating. I was very nice about it didn't go the rude approach They deleted the acct. in question!
Sorry to hear your experience. I used to be a collector for May Company when I was in college. They were a pretty understanding at that time. The collectors work out of the Kaufmann's store in downtown Pittsburgh, 9th Floor to be exact. All of the credit operations were located there.It might be a place to start.
