Advice Please: I had a citibank card, it went to collection in 1/01. I got on the ball and paid $100/month to citibank, (not the CA) at that time. The $1000 balance had just $100 left to pay by 12/01 when I returned some merchandise that had been purchased on the card when it was still active and the merchant credited it to this account, even though it was already a closed account. Foolishly, I didint pay the last $100 but wrote to citibank trying to verify this credit for merchandise was made so I could pay the final correct amount of $40 bucks with acknowledgement tha tthis was the correct amount. Since the account was with the collections dept, I could never get anyone to access my account with regular customer service, and could never get a person at the collections # they gave. I sent letters to 4 different citibank addresses, but not via certified return receipt (though I have copies) in 3/02. I never got a response, finally paid the entire $100 to the collection agency that was sending me letters in 1/03, and sent a new round of letters in 4/03 (before any credit saavyness) explaining wny I hadnt paid in so long, and requesting my $60 refund for overpayment since I have the receipt fo the merchant credit from 12/01. I stupidly paid the $100 to the CA in 1/03 without demand for clearing derrogatory info, since I was scared of my CRA reports at that time and hand't seen them. Now there is the paid chargeoff which looks like it came on in 1/03 when i paid the $100. Who knows what it said prior when the $100 was unpaid for a year. Do I have any leverage to get the paid chargeoff removed given that citibank didnt respond to any of my letters, and didnt reduce the balance owed by the amount of the merchant credit from 12/01 or refund the amount to me? Not sure what method to use as first approach... 1) write to some VP to correct the injustice give me $60 and clear credit? 2)go crazy nutcase? 3) Ask Cbank to verify? (afraid they will) 3)I am afraid to dispute w/ CRA as first method since it was paid so recently theres a good chance cbank has good records... Please help!
