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So, here we go:
In FEBRUARY 2016 I applied and was approved for Dell Financial to the tune of $3,000. In 2012 I applied and was approved for a Barclay Rewards MasterCard at $500 which has since grown to $4,330 and used semi-regularly as it is one of my higher rate cards.
After the approval of the Dell Financial, I purchased a new laptop for my wife. A mid-grade XPS for $1,300. This laptop arrives defective, so we ask for another one immediately so we could decide whether or not my wife would go with a MacBook instead. They sent a replacement. We had TWO laptops in our possession. Prior to the first statement even cutting, my wife decided she wanted to go Apple instead. We called, explained that we had two laptops, one being a defective replacement and the lady stated she could not issue two labels, so I had to ship them both in one box.
We shipped the laptops off in March and went on with life. April: you're late on your payment. No, I'm not. I returned them. Call and explain and told it will be taken care of, no late payments will be reported while the charge is in dispute. June: multiple credit trackers: "uh oh, it looks like you've missed a payment!" Reported 90 days late by who else? Dell Financial. Score drops by 50+ across the board. 478/479 payments made instead of 479/479 like it was. 100% perfect for the last 6 years.
Call in a tirade, guy is SUPER unprofessional (even though I was being less than nice, but within rights) and I have to explain to him how to treat customers. I ask why I'm reported late and why why why. He states it is because I did not return a laptop. Now I'm really hot. Get a case #, it will be taken care of in "months" because credit reporting isn't instant unless they're taking a dump on you.
At this point even with an incorrect Dell balance of over $1,300, I am at 28% utility. I get another alert last week: "you're using too much of your credit on this card." Figured it was my Bank of America card that I just balance transferred for 0% 18 months and almost maxed it. Nope. Barclay balance chased me from $4,330 to $1,500. Reason? Delinquency. Care credit cut me by $1,000 as well so far. And there is NOTHING I can do about it. In-freaking-credible. This is honestly a game I am tired of playing. It's been too long. To watch it start to crumble because a company claims I didn't return a product I had returned 3 months earlier. I need the $5,000 for utility purposes at the moment, but as SOON as I have enough utility to keep me under 30% Barclays is out. OUT! What kind of model says: "ok, he's late, on one account. He has 17 total trade lines. All current. Nearly 500 payments made on time. Payments have been made since the delinquency.....cut him." $&@! You, Barclay. And the horse you rode in on. These creditors don't consider the damage of false reporting and there's nothing we can do because it didn't hurt us financially technically.
Bummer. This is why I stay on top of everything including after a return or a mess like this. Just because you return an item you should still check the account every day or two. Can't trust humans with your credit score... ever.
ps. US post should have the weight of the package if you need to defend the 2 lappy's/ 1 package.
And I agree, I watch everything like a hawk. But when I woke up to an email stating "Dell has received your package! Your return will be processed and a refund issued to the method of payment!" I assume all is well, even though I know what that gets me. Didn't need to prove anything, they "found" it. But just such a sick joke. I was truly beside myself. Even when you do everything right. I arguably could've been more aggressive with the return process, but why is there a process at all if I have to handle the return myself? I ask my kids if they brush their teeth every single day, things that matter. I expect a return from a corporation be handled with some form of efficiency.
File BBB complaint. Stick it to em
Sorry this happened to you. But why didn't you return the defective laptop first as soon as you received the new one? I know you were deciding if you wanted to keep it but you should have returned the defective one and then the non-defective one once you decided you didn't like it. You could have avoided this. Anyway, good luck.
File a CFPB complain and always buy Apple. I can't believe people still use PCs these days.
Sorry about what happened. Dell products and customer service is the worst so good luck. Anyway, I do agree with others that while refunds are pending you should've kept an eye on the balance/payments. Unfortunately, the reported lates raised red flags for other lenders which cannot be blamed.