FYI- GMAC is the same way- 2 30's for me- only got close to a GW once.
Robert makes a great point-
By definition - a GW adjustment is a business decision to 1. Retain customer, 2. Retain brand loyalty 3. Good for business
A few of us have been lucky to get GW for reason #4 - Cheaper to make this person go away. 
afewcrowns wrote:
If you ever figure out how to get Ford to budge, let me know. I have been trying to get them to GW one and no way are they moving. Last Ford For me also!
1. We had two 30-day lates removed from an account with Pioneer Credit Company. The situation was: Small-town lender. We took out while overseas, via SIL, a bank manager who knew the management at this company. SIL had to handle all payments, as we were overseas, they didn't accept CC payments or bank drafts. So she had to hand-carry a check over once a month (Very nice SIL!!!)... In May 06, pmt was late -- she was going through a divorce and in Aug 07 the very last payment (DOH!) was late -- she had just gotten remarried and was moving to KY.
The lates were removed because they're a small-town lender, they understood that we didn't have much control over the payments b/c we were overseas, AND I got to chatting w/ the manager after my GWs were received, and come to find out his wife was having the exact symptoms DH had before the brain tumor diagnosis, so we had empathy for each other in dealing with a sick spouse for months, while docs were telling them it's "just migraines." It was a variety of reasons..
2. I had three to five (can't remember now) lates on Sallie Mae. I GW'd, told them we'd been overseas cuz DH is military, and I didn't have consistent phone or internet access to make payments. They told me to eat it. Then I searched a little more and found the Heroes Act... I GW'd them again, included a copy of the act, a copy of DH's military orders for when we were overseas... only this time I told them they had no choice but to remove my lates and I was embarrassed for them that they didn't know the laws they, as a government institution, are required to act under, when I wrote them the first time.. and if they told me to eat it again, I was going to make them feel really stupid in a very public way.
They removed the lates
The lates were removed because they're a small-town lender, they understood that we didn't have much control over the payments b/c we were overseas, AND I got to chatting w/ the manager after my GWs were received, and come to find out his wife was having the exact symptoms DH had before the brain tumor diagnosis, so we had empathy for each other in dealing with a sick spouse for months, while docs were telling them it's "just migraines." It was a variety of reasons..
2. I had three to five (can't remember now) lates on Sallie Mae. I GW'd, told them we'd been overseas cuz DH is military, and I didn't have consistent phone or internet access to make payments. They told me to eat it. Then I searched a little more and found the Heroes Act... I GW'd them again, included a copy of the act, a copy of DH's military orders for when we were overseas... only this time I told them they had no choice but to remove my lates and I was embarrassed for them that they didn't know the laws they, as a government institution, are required to act under, when I wrote them the first time.. and if they told me to eat it again, I was going to make them feel really stupid in a very public way.
They removed the lates
I got a medical collection taken off about a year and a half ago using a goodwill letter. I was never notified of the balance before it was sent to collections. I paid the $45 and 3 months later mailed a very nice letter explaining that I never knew about the money I owed until I saw the collection on my credit report. Three weeks later it was gone from all three reports. My FICO went up like 80 something points over night when the 6 month old collection was taken off. 
