What's your FICO score?

[DING-DONG YO]

Also, don't be afraid to haggle with your credit card companies. Have a balance on one card and a zero balance on another? Call the zero balance card CS and tell them you're thinking of cancelling the card but you need to xfer a balance and are wondering if they can give you an intro rate. They'll do it 90+% of the time just to retain you as a customer. If you haven't paid it off by the time the intro rate expires, then call the other card CS and do the same thing.

Rinse.repeat until it is paid and save $$$$ on interest.

[TheJackyl]

I have an old Providan Card (WaMu) now that gives you a free score update every month. Mine has varied from 740-760 depending on how much is on there over the past year

[TheMetetron]

Mine was 720 or something like a year ago.

I purposely didn't pay some medical bills because my insurance refused to cover them even though I was assured ahead of time that they would. I also never got the results of the tests they wanted to charge me for. That went to collections and I told them to [censored] themselves.

Then when I left my apartment in Vegas, I called Cox and asked if I could leave the receiver in the apartment for them to pickup whenever they had a chance. They said sure as long as they could get in. I told the apartment, they said okay. I left and got a letter a month later saying they wanted $500 for the receiver they never got it. Apartment complex says they never came and they don't know what happened to it (wtf it was in the apartment I'm assuming they rented to someone else after, where did it go??). Unable to find anyone with a brain at Cox. Goes to collections. I dispute it and tell them to sue me [censored] along with a letter explaining everything. They ding my credit. Awesome.

I also paid off my car loan during this time.

So now my score is like 600 even though I have 2 perfect record credit cards, one which I've had for over 5 years. They both have a $0 balance and no late pays.

So my credit sucks, but I'm not so concerned. I don't even live in the states at this point and hopefully that [censored] goes away by the time I do move back in however many years. Even if it isn't, I don't ever plan on buying a house and I have enough money to buy anything else I could possibly want in cash. Nothing like being in the top 1% of income earners in the USA with zero debt and having a [censored] credit rating.

[DING-DONG YO]

metetron, did you send a letter to all 3 credit agencies explaining your side of the story and that you are currently disputing these charges? That will often make a world of difference.

[emon87]

Is there any way to get your SCORE (not a report with out the score) for free?

Freecreditreport.com or whatever it is just gives you a report.

[danlux]

I got my score for 5.95 at annualcreditreport.com. I figured it was worth it.

[TheMetetron]

[ QUOTE ]
metetron, did you send a letter to all 3 credit agencies explaining your side of the story and that you are currently disputing these charges? That will often make a world of difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it matters I will. I figured the whole credit thing is pretty one-sided, no? I'm not too concerned either way, but if a letter will do something, I'll send it.

[DING-DONG YO]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
metetron, did you send a letter to all 3 credit agencies explaining your side of the story and that you are currently disputing these charges? That will often make a world of difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it matters I will. I figured the whole credit thing is pretty one-sided, no? I'm not too concerned either way, but if a letter will do something, I'll send it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The letter will show potential borrowers that you're disputing the charge b/c you don't agree with it. Without a letter, a potential borrower will just assume you're not paying a bill cause you're a deadbeat.

Sending the letters to the credit bureaus is pretty important.

It actually isn't one-sided at all. Just most people don't know how to deal with it. I am a [censored] animal when it comes to this [censored]. When someone tries to get me to pay something that I don't feel I owe them, then tries to ruin my credit over it, I consider it extortion and blackmail. Not only do I take steps to cover my own ass as noted above, I'm not above contacting BBB, professional organizations (AMA for example in regards to medical bills) or complain to a local DA.

Businesses HATE IT when you complain to a DA, esp if you live in a big city. Make sure you send the Company's legal department a copy of your letter to a DA.

[guids]

Ill dig the link up, but I found a site detailing exactly how to get stuff taken off your credit report. Its kind of a pain if you arent that worried about it, you have to write usualyl 2 or 3 letters to each company, make sure each letter is certified so you have proof they received it, etc. When I get my laptop Ill find it.

[DING-DONG YO]

[ QUOTE ]
Ill dig the link up, but I found a site detailing exactly how to get stuff taken off your credit report. Its kind of a pain if you arent that worried about it, you have to write usualyl 2 or 3 letters to each company, make sure each letter is certified so you have proof they received it, etc. When I get my laptop Ill find it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks guids. Yes, send all letters certified mail always and retain documentation of the letter and the fact you sent it.

Once the Company gets it through their head that you're going to fight the charge tooth and nail, they usually back off. The trick is to convince them of this before they put it on your credit report.