Hooray for the Bankruptcy Bill. Here come the credit card companies!

RULE #1. Never wake up thinking "What am I going to write in my blog today?"

So I received a letter from a collection agency yesterday. Apparently, I owe $191.42 that is "delinquent," and they wanted to be paid (although, interestingly enough, they're willing to let me just pay $155). Now, the husband and I are buying a condo, and we've both been working very hard to fix our credit reports and get everything nice and sunny bright. I just paid off a credit card and my computer loan payment last month. So needless to say, I was concerned. I called the agency.

I supposedly owed the money to Gap, Inc. "The Gap?" I thought, "I don't shop at the Gap!"

Well, here's how these wonderful things work.

I had a Banana Republic credit card; like Old Navy, they're owned by the Gap. Thirteen months ago, I made my last payment, called the BR credit card company (they still didn't have online payment, address change, or anything internet-related at that time... welcome to the year 2004!), and closed the account.

Well, apparently one of their employees didn't cross a "t" or dot an "i," because it looks like that payment was never registered.

And over the last 13 months, I've accumulated $165 in late fees. My account has been "delinquent" for just over a year.

I never got a phone call. I never received a letter.

Of course, the collection agency can't help you with that. You have to call the credit card company. *BIG SIGH* (I will say that, for the record, the woman I spoke to at the collection agency [I was given a REAL NAME and a DIRECT LINE for her in the letter. amazing] was very nice and helpful. I wish I could say the same for BR.) So, I call BR.

Well, they still have my New York address in their files. I haven't lived there since 2003.

The phone number they had for me was my parent's number. I haven't had that number since I left for COLLEGE.

In fact, BR didn't have my account listed in their computers anymore. I had to call their "financial agency." *BIGGER SIGH* "Can I get your name?" "Dolores." "Last name and direct line?" "We can't give that out, but anyone here can help you."

Yeah, I'm sure they can.

Now we call the financial agency. Okay, they see that I owed $30, and that I have $165 in fees and late charges. But we can't fix this over the phone, oh no. I can't SPEAK to anyone. I have to WRITE A LETTER and dispute this. "Is there anyone I can speak to about this?" "No." "Can I get your name?" "Miss Smith." "First name? Employee number?" "I'm the only Miss Smith here, sir."

Suuuuure you are.

Jesus Fucking Christ. So I call the collection agency back, speak to the very nice lady, and tell her what's going on. I have to send them a copy of the letter so they have proof that I'm doing something about this, and not just ignoring them.

I am trying to BUY A HOME. I've been frantically trying to make my credit perfect for years now, and although I didn't know it, this charge has been fucking me up every step of the way. And since it shows on my credit report that I've been "delinquent," anyone else that I'm in debt to can raise my interest rates sky high.

For thirty dollars.

Folks, get your ducks in a line. Now that these companies have nothing holding them back, they can go completely crazy. If you have any hopes of home ownership in the future, don't let them do anything like this to you. No matter how small the amount, they *will* find it, and they *will* come after you. Of course, they might not have any of your correct information... apparently, no one ever thought to get on fucking google and check my current address. My mail must have been bouncing back to them... wouldn't they CHECK? Oh no, they'll just send you to a collection agency, fuck your credit, and let them do the work.

Don't let them do these things to you. If you have credit cards, pay them off and get rid of them.

And never shop at Banana Republic, The Gap, or Old Navy.

Jesus, I have a major headache now.

(Cross posted from my blog)