Try writing a GW letter. Below are examples provided by contributors Tuscani and Noah_Brodie. Gl and keep us posted.
velo90 wrote:
Any suggestions? I have 9 late payments showing on my credit report from 2005 for $7. The first two were during the transition into a CCCS program. The rest were after I had been making timely payments to the program. I thought that the purpose of Consolidated Credit Programs was to clear up issues as such! Any thoughts on what I can do to clear this up? -Thanks.
Below are example GW (Goodwill) letters you can use.
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YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS 1
YOUR ADDRESS 2
Month Day , 20XX
COMPANY NAME
DEPARTMENT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP
Dear Ms. NAME:
I have been an company name customer since 19XX and during that time, I have enjoyed my experience with company name greatly. I am writing to see if you would be willing to make a "goodwill" adjustment to your reporting to the three credit agencies. I have two a late payments on the above referenced account that date back to 19XX. Since that time I have been an exceptional customer paying every month on time.
Because of my exceptional payment history over the last X years, I would like you to consider removing the negative payments from my credit report. At the time of the late payments, I was in the process of changing jobs. I say that not to justify why the payments were late, but rather to show that the late payments are not a good indicator of my actual credit worthiness. I hope that company name is willing to work with me on erasing this mark from my credit reports.
I have been a very happy customer in the past and hope to continue a long relationship with company name. With today’s credit industry so competitive, I know how important it is to maintain good relationships with customers. Company name has been exceptional in my book so far and I highly recommend it to all my friends and relatives. I hope that you will deeply consider my request and prove once again, why company name is heads above the rest. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
your name
YOUR ADDRESS 1
YOUR ADDRESS 2
Month Day , 20XX
COMPANY NAME
DEPARTMENT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP
Dear Ms. NAME:
I have been an company name customer since 19XX and during that time, I have enjoyed my experience with company name greatly. I am writing to see if you would be willing to make a "goodwill" adjustment to your reporting to the three credit agencies. I have two a late payments on the above referenced account that date back to 19XX. Since that time I have been an exceptional customer paying every month on time.
Because of my exceptional payment history over the last X years, I would like you to consider removing the negative payments from my credit report. At the time of the late payments, I was in the process of changing jobs. I say that not to justify why the payments were late, but rather to show that the late payments are not a good indicator of my actual credit worthiness. I hope that company name is willing to work with me on erasing this mark from my credit reports.
I have been a very happy customer in the past and hope to continue a long relationship with company name. With today’s credit industry so competitive, I know how important it is to maintain good relationships with customers. Company name has been exceptional in my book so far and I highly recommend it to all my friends and relatives. I hope that you will deeply consider my request and prove once again, why company name is heads above the rest. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
your name
OR
Date
Regarding: Account No. XXXXX
COMPANY NAME
DEPARTMENT NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing a letter about my experience with xxxxxx that is a mixture of a grateful "thank-you" and a pressing request concerning a xxxxxx Charge Card tradeline in my credit files that I would like to have revised.
I received the xxxxxx card in [YEAR], several years before I [CHAOTIC LIFE EVENT -- A MOVE, A BIRTH, MEDICAL SICKNESS, ETC.]. Later when I experienced the [CHAOTIC LIFE EVENT] and while working on [WORK PROJECT], I became disorganized with respect to, as you saw, making timely payments with xxxxxx. I fully recognize my responsibility with respect to payable accounts and have worked diligently to rehabilitate my relationship with xxxxxx since that time.
To be honest, that year was a "wake-up" call for me regarding fiscal organization. Since then I believe I have learned the essential organizational and financial management principles I desperately needed at that point. Thankfully, responsible credit management is now reflected in my credit records which -- excluding the xxxxxx card late entry -- are excellent. I wish to thank you for renewing your confidence in me and for giving me a second chance at a relationship with you, one that I am determined to keep spotless.
We are about to shop for a mortgage, and it has come to my attention that the late notations from xxxxxx may preclude me from taking full advantage of the very lowest interest rates now available. Since those notations do not reflect my current status with xxxxxx, I am requesting that you give me a second chance at a positive credit rating by revising those tradelines. Your customer service representative suggested that I write you for a "goodwill adjustment." I sincerely hope that there is redemption at xxxxxxx, and I beg you for such consideration. Please let me know if any additional documentation would assist in reaching a positive outcome, and I thank you again for the time you have spent reading this letter.
Very hopefully yours,
Name
Address
City, STATE ZIP
Reply Re: GW Example Letters Options
Noah_BodieSuper Contributor
Posts: 664
Registered: 03-11-2007
Message 2 of 2
Viewed 1173 times
This worked on Chase. 3 closed accounts all deleted. 1 settled and late, 2 were 90 days late and PIF.
We are writing to see whether Chase Bank would consider making a goodwill adjustment to the credit reporting bureaus on our closed accounts. We are asking whether Chase Bank would remove the adverse late payment and settlement reporting from these accounts in reporting to the credit bureaus. We understand this is a rather unusual request--particularly as our accounts fell behind upwards of 120 days and one account was settled for less than the full amount.
Chase Bank was extremely helpful in working with us at a time of job layoffs and missed payments. The ease with which we were able to resolve these accounts gave us something to pay off and helped us to move forward.
If what we ask is too much, then any goodwill adjustment to the reporting bureaus would be most appreciated.
Regardless of your decision, please know that we thank you for helping us at a time when it was needed, and we hope to do business with Chase again one day.
GMAC, over the phone, confirmed it was their bad. But I didn't have any solid proof. Grey area between a goodwill and a dispute.
My wife and I recently pulled all three of our credit reports. GMAC appears to have mistakenly reported this account as 30 days late to Experian.
We disputed the account with Experian, but they closed the dispute without checking or there was some problem on their website. In any event, please correctly report this account to Experian--just as it has been reported to the other credit bureaus.
We know mistakes happen, and we would simply like this corrected. Both our vehicles were purchased new from Saturn and financed thru GMAC. We have been very happy with both Saturn and GMAC.
Wife got a delete from JCPenney from this.
I recently pulled my credit reports, and I discovered this JCPenney account was still showing as open. If that is correct, I would like to see about getting a replacement card issued so that I could use it when shopping at JCPenney.
I also noticed the account was reported 30 days late in 2001, although not consistently with all three credit bureaus. I do not recall being late on this account, but it is possible as my husband and I fell behind on several payments at that time.
If the late pay reporting is correct, then I would like to ask whether JCPenney would consider making a goodwill adjustment to its reporting to the credit bureaus and remove the late pay reporting from this account. I know this is probably a somewhat unusual request, and I ask you to consider my overall good shopping and payment history with JCPenney rather than one late payment.
Use imagination and creativity. Speak from the heart. Try to be honest, or at least use a plausible explanation. Put it in your own words. Don't copy GW letters word for word. The teacher might detect plagiarism and mark you paper down. But do read GW letter samples for ideas.
GW is akin to panhandling for a better FICO score. But take a shower, wear clean clothes, and make a good presentation. Think job interviewee and not homeless guy with tin cup.