i had a fingerhut card and purchased some shoes on the card that were around 90.00. well when i got the shoes they did not fit as well. i brought over a mail catalog well i returned the shoes and was told that i would be credited for my account.i did see the statement where did credit the account.That was the last statement i got from them. well now 3 months later i get my credit report and it says that the account is charged off? how is that? when i called the customer service they told me that they could no longer help me cause my account was being handle by NCO a collection agencies when i called NCO they told that is what i owned them 100.00? who do i need to deputed this to. who can help me? when i told them i returned the item they said maybe they where late fees? late fees for what? im really confused. can i still do something about this even after 3 months later? i did dispute it on the credit report, however should i write to someone else? thank you Donna
Yes, Donna, you can win this one. NCO is an easy collection agency to beat in the first place. I've beat them twice now, and with the same tactics. Once you get them to disobey the law, you are just about home free. I'd like to catch them at least one more time and then go for a good defamation of character lawsuit against them. I don't know if I will ever get that chance, and I really hope I don't because that would mean that I would have had to take another hit on my credit report which I don't need just for the sake of filing a lawsuit I may or may not win, but it's at least an interesting thought. Right now, I have a matter coming up over two homes that were repossessed 5 years ago come Aug. 1, so I'm going back into court at the earliest possible moment after Aug. 1 and take those back. They made quite a few reverseable errors in their filings with the court, so the first thing will be to file quiet title on the properties and that will fire the first shot. The resulting battles and skirmishs should last for several years yet. It will be fun. But, yes, you can win against NCO/fingerhut quite easily. If you have posted all the facts, you might very well be able to go against fingerhut for their error in turning the matter over to NCO in the first place. If you were never late with any of your payments, then you would have grounds for suit. If your payments were sufficiently late, then you would not have grounds for suit against fingerhut. It's a whole different ballgame when it comes to NCO. And it's very winnable and it won't be necessary to file any suits against them to do it. You just have to learn how to do it.
what i dont understand is what was i late on. i mean i had just open up my card and then charged the shoes on it. i returned them that same week. so what would i be late on? i mean what is the charge?i would have thought since i return them i would get all the credit in return. i only use the card this once. so that is why im confused. that was the last bill i ever got saying they credit my account. so all along i was thinking i had this card in good standing cause i never had charge anything else on it.now on the credit report it shows as a charge off? my question for what? return a item? i dont see that fair. i did dispute the credit report. so my question is now where to go next. can i write to fingerhut somehow? cause there reps say they can not help me. which i just see wrong. what do i do? thank you donna
What I would do is write a letter to NCO (return receipt) and dispute it ASAP! Ask them to provide proof, etc. What NCO will have to do is go to Fingerhut for all the details. I guess it's sort of a *prove it or remove it* tactic. I'm sure someone else can elaborate more since your situation is different and it's already on your reports. I did this with Fingerhut and Plaza Associates. They claimed that I owed Fingerhut over $1000!!!! I was like: :-O Definately TRIPPIN.....so I immediately wrote a letter to Plaza stating that I disputed the account, etc. I have never heard from them since. I guess they sent the account back to Fingerhut and since they couldn't prove it, they left me alone. BUT you must remember that this was NEVER on any of my reports. I'm starting to get the understanding that a lot of collection agencies don't bother doing validation and just send your account back to the original creditor. I've had this happen to me this case and 2 others. Only one time have I requested validation from a collection agency and they respond back with what they call proof. I am in the process of responding back to their *proof* that the debt is mine. This debt is not on any of my reports and the SOL is up in August.
I've ordered from Fingerhut before. One thing you have to realize is they charge exorbitant shipping & handling charges. I would not doubt that the S&H on those shoes were probably close to $20.00. When you returned them, they don't refund the shipping charges. I think that is probably how they make alot of their money. If you never got a bill or paid anything then the S&H are still outstanding. Add on late fees every month and it grows pretty quickly. As for not receiving any statements I'm sure they will say "they can't control the mail" and insist they sent them out. What doesn't make sense is why, when you were a day late they weren't calling and harassing you like they do everybody else.
Acegirl, I'm with MP$40....dispute ASAP to fingerhut using any of the good dispute validation letters online...don't give them info, have them prove to you that the money is owed...and let us know how it goes!
I would warn anyone to stay away from Fingerhut.They are one of those catalog charge cards with crazy inflated prices,plus they don't report to theCRA'S unless it's a derog.If they get a sucker who pay's on time.they sure don't want to share them.Been there,done that.
Stay away from Fingerhut???? You got that right!! And if you go to their home offices, you can go to their discontinued merchandise center and buy their junk for pennies on the dollar. My step-daughter borrows my little trailer every once in a while, hooks it on behind her van ahd she and her family go up there to Fingerhut and come back loaded with stuff they bought for pennies on the dollar and sells it for good profit here in Oklahoma City. Yep! Stay away from them weasels.
XXXkcredit card? I had a friend who used to have a different name for this company . It started Finger but the then he said something that ends in ck! Fingerxxck Credit Card - free gifts for all and = I gather - high shipping and handling charges . $20 on a $90 pair of shoes? Maybe he was pronouncing it correctly. I hope this email finds you in good spirit! - dogman
Re: XXXkcredit card? Bill,Dogman-LOL,Bill does your daughter drive all the way to there main distribution center in St.Cloud,MN?
Re: XXXkcredit card? Yes, she does. She and her husband lived there for about a year once while they were in a federal witness protection program so they got to know a lot of people up there during that time. So they go up to visit friends and then go to Fingerhut and load up. It's about a 12 or so hour drive from here and they normally leave Friday nite and get back late Sunday nite or even Monday nite sometimes. They usually clear at least a grand plus expenses on selling the merchandise here so it's well worth their time. And in order to make that kind of money, they usually spend at least a grand to make a grand clear. They buy bedspreads, shoes, pots & pans, silverware and whatever. My wife spent $35 for a set of silverware they brought back and they all had red plastic handles which promptly broke. I think we still have a couple of pieces left out of a whole set
Re: XXXkcredit card? Well, try what you want. They do have a discount mdse show room that you can go to and buy discountinued merchandise. I know that much for a fact. And I know that's where my step-daughter goes and she's the one that knows about it.
I've had a fingerhut charge almost since my BK in 97. You are partially correct, the did not report to the bureaus in the past. They are now doing so beginning this month. I called them to make sure my payment history was good with them because I was gonna write the the bureaus and get it added on but Fingerhut said not to worry because they have already begun phasing that process in and will be complete in July. I don't use them often becasue thir shipping is expensive BUT it is/was a good tradeline. Tom
