Need some advice please. Was unaware of this site at the time this occured but am having second thoughts knowing now what I know about how to handle this last payment: Had an AMEX Gold Card for the last 11 years, always paid on time, never late. In September, 2002, had medical emergency and car broke down to the tune of $1600. Couldn't pay it all off in October, called AMEX explained and would do payments for two months. Good payment history for the past 11 years so they said don't use card until you're caught up. That was fine. Could only pay $350 in October, and could only pay $350 in November, told them I would catch the balance up in December. December 1, I paid $250 and told them would pay complete balance after Xmas (still in December). They took my payment of $250 and told me that account was just turned over to NCO and that AMEX checked my credit report (which isn't pretty) and due to the balance still owed and my report, they were cancelling my card as well. I was not feeling too happy about now! Within days NCO calls reporting that I have a balance outstanding with AMEX (didn't know about validation in December) of $650. I was still furious and told her that since I paid $250 in December, I was not paying anything to NCO until at least January. She called January 2 (!!) I paid her$250. She called February 2, 2003 I gave her another $200. Now I am getting a little knowledge, have been introduced to you guys since early Feb. I figure I owe $200 which I told her I would pay in two weeks and that I wanted this deleted from my credit reports. She says fine for the 2 weeks, but I owe $304. I say why? She says well Amex is hitting you hard with late fees and interest!! Can they do that since they didn't hit me with late fees and interest while I had the card, and can they add it after they pass it to NCO? Then I tell her I will pay the balance but I want IN WRITING a letter stating the above amount, not one penny higher, and that I want all collection info removed/deleted from my credit report. She tells me absolutely not, all she can do is report it as Paid/Collection. Since I have not yet paid the last payment to the Wicked Witch of the West, do I have any options before I pay this off. Is she correct with the $304 vs. $200 and do I just take the Paid/Collection and dispute with CRA a few months down the lane? Thanks for your time.
Will do it first thing tomorrow a.m. But (at the risk of really sounding stupid) what am I looking for either way? If they validate, that will prove I either owe $204 or it will show the extra charges making it $304. If I continue to refuse to pay this amount without a promise of deletion in writing (which she insists just "ain't gonna happen"), can they still sue me or garnish me for such a small amount? If they don't validate, then do I send a c&d letter to them and then just dispute with the CRAs? Oooooh God, this is all so confusing - why couldn't I have just been born rich!!!! Once again lbrown59, thanks alot
If it were me I would pay it and let it age for awhile. I would then work at removing the paid collection. You don't want this to go to a charge off for this small amount. You were right on the mark to ask for deletion and continue to push for it but the chance of actually getting it with this account is pretty low. You might want to try the Bill Bauer endorsment method. Perhaps others will have ideas also.
pnwman: Thanks so much, that feels comfortable, I'm going to go with it. I paid this far, I will finish it and tackle the removal down the line. God knows, it's not going to be the only thing I'll be tackling!! What's one more. Thanks so much for the help.
It's cheap, easy and might possibly save you a lot of hassle later. For $5 or $10 or so what have you got to lose? Definitely going to cost you less than $15 no matter what. Kind of depends on what the bank charges you for their certified check, photocopy costs, gas to go get it together. Only if you choose to use overnight express delivery do the costs go up dramatically by whatever the P.O. charges you.
If they don't validate, then do I send a c&d letter to them and then just ============================ Send them the estoppel 30 days after you got the green card back. The END ************************* LB 59
I would then work at removing the paid collection. You don't want this to go to a charge off for this small amount. pnwman ===================== It's all ready a collection - how could it get any worse? The END ************************* LB 59
Now that's a new twist. Silly me. I always thought I was supposed to count from the day they received it. So what am I supposed to do if the green card don't come back for a week or two? Or if it don't come back at all. I've seen that happen more than once too.
Re: Re: Best way to go with this? So what am I supposed to do if the green card don't come back at all. bbauer ======= ============== ----------------------------- Kinda hard to tell the difference between the date signed and the date you got it back in this case isn't it? LOL ~~~~~The END ****** ******* LB 59
Re: Re: Best way to go with this? I always thought I was supposed to count from the day they received it. Bill Bauer ============ You are but if you want to be generous you could go from when you got the card back. You're only looking at 2 or 3 more days so it's really no big deal.
Re: Re: Best way to go with this? Not at all. It makes no difference whether you get it back or not. That is why there is a tracking number. All you have to do is go to http://www.usps.com and enter the tracking number in the little search box on the right and it tells you the date and time it was delivered. That is the date you always use, not the date you got it back. That is the difference between knowing what you are doing, having a well planned program of strategies have been tested and proven over time and that lead to success almost every time and being left out in the cold because you didn't think of some little detail. The average person can read these boards for the next hundred years and probably still won't know all the tricks until they go try them all. Its just like going to college. You can come out with a master's degree and you still won't know the ropes until you actually go to work and put what you learned into actual use and practice. It can take years to learn all the tricks.
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? It can take years to learn all the tricks. Bill Bauer ================ How many more you gotta go~~~~~~~~~~~LOL The END ************************* LB 59
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? Well, that all depends on who you ask. National statistics says the average American male will live to the ripe old age of 76. I'm 71 so that means maybe you only got to put up with me another 5 years. If you ask me, I'm gonna live to be older than Methusela or his tom cat either one. If you ask my wife I'm gonna die and leaver her a young widow. I tell her that I love her so much that if I can't take her with me I ain't goin. So who are you going to believe? (LOL)
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? Hey bbauer and lbrown59 - before either of you go (and I hope it's not for a very very long time) do I read you guys right in that I go to that USPO site, get the date they received the validation, and then send the estoppel letter? One other minor point is that I am confused as to whether or not your above advice is to pay this small amount and do the above, or am I doing the above without paying this last payment?
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? Well, you send the estoppel after whatever amount of time you decide to give them to get the validation done has passed. If you plan on making the last payment you don't want to send estoppel but rather use the contractual endorsement on your final payment. Estoppel would only be used if you intend to fight rather than pay.
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? bbauer: NOW I understand. Since I paid it all but this last payment, I am going to use your method and see what happens when the get the check with the endorsement. Thanks.
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? I think I smell a rat here. Before you do that let us review just how you intend to implement the idea. How do you plan to put the endorsement on the check? Do you realize that the endorsement must be in 6 point type in order to get it to fit on the back of the check? You can't even use caps because that would make take up too much room. So how do you plan to do that?
Re: Re: Re: Best way to go with this? Ugh! I didn't KNOW that. I thought I could just type it on, but I guess not. Didn't realize it was so specific, even to type size. Guess I don't do that either. I've got so much other work to do with cleaning up credit reports and an active CA which I just recently sent validation letter to, I think I'm just going to pay this dang thing and then in a few months tackle that with letters to CA, disputing CRA, etc. I think, since I have so many issues going at once here, that I might have too many oars in the water. This is the least threatening, although I am not dismissing its seriousness, so I'm gonna put this baby on the back burner for now. Now I'll just continue to bother you about all my other issues!!!
