Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before

[cyrano]

So apparently I have a credit card with Wells Fargo. Who I think are great big evil avaricious pederasts. Apparently I've had it for about twelve years. Apparently I maxed it out and then doubled the limit with fees and interest. And apparently I live at 4902 Calle de Escuela in Lewisville ID, a street address I once lived at in Santa Clara and the town my parents live in.

The only thing I can guess happened is in 1991 I got a $400 credit card from First National Bank of North Dakota while in college and stopped using it. Then Wells Fargo bought FNBND sometime in 1996 poossibly and instituted a yearly membership fee. When they couldn't contact me, they charged me a 'failure to pay' fee and then combined that with 'over limit' fees. And so now, over a decade later, my parents get mail (because the postmaster knows them and says "Isn't that the name of their boy?" Ah, small towns.) that now they're really pissed and by golly I'd better cough up the $850.
So I called the Customer Service rep who said 'I'm going to be honest with you. You can dispute the charges but since you paid on the account for five years they won't take it very seriously.' I appreciate her honesty at least. And since they have my social security number, that pretty much absolves them of needing any further proof of my guilt.

So hurrah for being completely screwed. I hate my life.

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

That could explain why the credit history.

Didn't you get a credit history check sometime in the last three years from one of the Big 3 credit history companies? This information should've been on it.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

That's total BS and I think you can totally fight it, though you might need to be ready to be really really bitchy for a long time to people on the phone/in letters or get some professional help from consumer credit counselors. =/ You haven't used the credit card in 6 years, which I'd say is pretty good proof of an inactive account.

But yeah - one more reason to check your credit reports _every year_.

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

*hug* Wow, this really, really blows. I'd agree with Amy and that you can probably fight it, but it may be a difficult road. I'm always happy to wield a bat for my friends, though, so lmk if there's anything I can do to help, or if just being here and supportive helps.

My very strong advice

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Some sites worth checking out:

http://www.cardweb.com/cardlearn/

http://www.ftc.gov

http://www.equifax.com/

http://www.experian.com

Get an up to date credit report and go over it carefully, with a highlighter, take notes. Then make sure you contact any companies with which you know you haven't done business in at least a year and make sure your accounts are closed. Ever since my fraud episode I've been fanatical about making sure my accounts are just as they're supposed to be and have limited myself to two active cards. That way I know precisely what I'm spending and what I owe.

You can and should fight this, no question, but I can see how it would be a bit overwhelming just now. Make sure you get the documentation from your folks and read over the paperwork very carefully, if you can dig up the original paperwork on your card even better, going into something like this informed is really the only way.

[technoboggan.livejournal.com]

My advice? Be very very proactive about this. You're never going to see or speak to these people again, so don't worry about being "nice".

Be very polite, but very very firm. At the very least, they should write off the fees and charges for years of inactivity. It would be one thing if you were using the card, but not using the card and not receiving the bills, you should definately be able to talk someone into writing off the vast majority of this that was not actually things you purchased.

I tend to use this formula when dealing with such people.

a) Initial contact: be very polite, explain the situation, explain what you are willing to do, and what you would like them to do. Sometimes this solves the problem right here. Some collection departments aren't "allowed" to "offer" to write things off, but can do so "at customer request with extenuating circumstances".

b) if this gets you "I'm not authorized to do that", ask who, within the company is. If you get told "noone", ask "There is no one in your company with the authority to write off fees that were added to inactive accounts?" If this gets you nowhere, ask to speak to the supervisor. This will, in all likely hood, get you transfered to another person in the office (not the supervisor) who will play the role of the supervisor.

c) If you are getting the same story, or have a hunch that you're not speaking to the head of the collection department, don't be afraid to ask for the main switchboard number, and call that, asking to be informed of who is the head of collections. Don't be afraid to ask questions. "What is your title? What are you authorized to do? How can you help me with this situation?"

Be very clear about offering what you are willing to do, but follow that up immediately with what you are not willing to do as well.

We recently had a situation with Nicole where, because Trent has Keizer Permanente (an HMO) and we have Blue Cross, both with coverage of her, Blue Cross was not wanting to pay on something we had done while she was up here, because KP was the "primary". I finally spent an hour or so on the phone explaining to the woman how KP was a HMO, and of course would not pay for anything not done in their offices, and how I would have ran it through anyway, but could not do so as it was a hostile divorce situation and my ex would not provide me with the information I need (group numbers, etc) to do so. Eventually, they ended up running it through with a special overide, and it was all handled. Sometimes you just have to be firm on "this is what I will and will not do."

"I will pay for what I have charged. I will pay a reasonable amount of interest, per our initial agreement. I will not pay for "over balance" fees that were created by you adding more fees onto my card. I will not pay for 6 years of fees you added to a card without ever making a reasonable attempt to make certain the bills were getting to me. I have no proof you sent the bills, I did not receive any of them, and I would appreciate if you would do what you can to help me resolve this situation to our mutual benefit."

[wilson-lizard.livejournal.com]

*hugs* That so sucks. I'm glad that you have friends offering you such good advice here. You have a good case.