Advice 30 DAY Late for $3.12

[tim1017]

I have a recent 30 day late from Fist National Credit Card Company, for $3.12.  Anyone have any luck on having it removed from reporting by this credit card company?  This was opened as a builder, never use it and the balance is zero.  I'm thinking about asking them to remove from reporting via phone call and threaten to close it if they don't.  Thoughts on this or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, trying to secure a mortgage as part of a relocation to another state.

[Reviewers]

Take a look at this website https://www.ceoemail.com/ and try to find their contact information and if you don't try to Google their contact information for First National Credit Card (https://firstnationalcc.com/). If I was you, I'd try to find a e-mail, call and send out goodwill letters to them. The more ways you have in contacting them the more hands of people it will get into. This helped me remove a late payment that I had on my credit report as well. When you send the letters, be sure to send them certified at the post office.

Example Letters

Goodwill Example Letters

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/GW-Example-Letters/m-p/4521/highlight/true#M1...

GW Saturation Technique

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Rebuilding-Your-Credit/The-Saturation-Technique-Best-GW-adjustment-...

[coldfusion]

I suggest you not threaten to close the account unless you're prepared to risk their taking you up on your threat.    It's been reported on the site before that after such a comment the CSR called the cardholders bluff and after a few keystrokes announced that the account had indeed been closed.

[coldfusion]

I should have made clear above that this didn't happen with this specific issuer, my comment was intended as a general warning. 

[tim1017]

I have no problem closing this account.  My rationale was to dispute paid in full never late after closing the account if it comes to that.  

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@coldfusion wrote:

I suggest you not threaten to close the account unless you're prepared to risk their taking you up on your threat.    It's been reported on the site before that after such a comment the CSR called the cardholders bluff and after a few keystrokes announced that the account had indeed been closed.

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[Jnbmom]

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@tim1017 wrote:

I have no problem closing this account.  My rationale was to dispute paid in full never late after closing the account if it comes to that.  

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@coldfusion wrote:

I suggest you not threaten to close the account unless you're prepared to risk their taking you up on your threat.    It's been reported on the site before that after such a comment the CSR called the cardholders bluff and after a few keystrokes announced that the account had indeed been closed.

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I would try to goodwill approach. Not sure disputing a legitimate late will get you anywhere .

[coldfusion]

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@Jnbmom wrote:

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@tim1017 wrote:

I have no problem closing this account.  My rationale was to dispute paid in full never late after closing the account if it comes to that.  

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@coldfusion wrote:

I suggest you not threaten to close the account unless you're prepared to risk their taking you up on your threat.    It's been reported on the site before that after such a comment the CSR called the cardholders bluff and after a few keystrokes announced that the account had indeed been closed.

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I would try to goodwill approach. Not sure disputing a legitimate late will get you anywhere .

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Well, it probably wouldn't get them anywhere good.

[FireMedic1]

Sitting here shocked over 3 bucks. Do as they said above. If you get a GW. Close it like you never had it. After the GW. Three bucks. Sheesh! But you have to stay on top of all your accounts at least every 2 weeks min. for any weird stuff. Never ignore accounts or forget about them.

[SoCalGardener]

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@tim1017 wrote:

I have a recent 30 day late from Fist National Credit Card Company, for $3.12.  Anyone have any luck on having it removed from reporting by this credit card company?  This was opened as a builder, never use it and the balance is zero.  I'm thinking about asking them to remove from reporting via phone call and threaten to close it if they don't.  Thoughts on this or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, trying to secure a mortgage as part of a relocation to another state.

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Perhaps you picked a poor choice of words, but "threaten" strikes me as a very bad idea. For one thing, you're not exactly a high-roller with this company! A THREE dollar bill?! If you had charged--and paid--three HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars over your time with the card, that would be one thing, but you didn't. Threatening to close the account won't even make them blink.

Plus, just in general, using a threatening tone in business situations usually isn't a good idea. I get a lot of stuff done, the way I want, but do it by being polite, calm, factual, and logical. I present the facts and I do it in a calm manner. If the CSR I'm speaking to cannot help me, I politely and respectfully ask to be connected to a supervisor who can. I suggest that you do the same.

Call them and politely, even humorously, point out that you somehow overlooked a minor balance, and you're eager to get this cleared up. Say that you're very happy with the card (I know, it's okay to lie like this!) and planned to keep it for a good long while. Tell them you'd hate to have a ding on your credit reports for a three dollar balance you overlooked, you'll be much more careful in the future, and could they please remove the derogatory mark from your reports?

Keeping this card is in your own best interest, long-term, from an overall credit standpoint, so having it closed really shouldn't be your objective--and you don't want to force their hand by threatening to close it, and then have them act on it!

[tim1017]

First attempt at calling, and the response was that there was nothing they could do.  I'm not sure if there is a different number I could call, the numbers I called take directly to their general customer service line.  Google was not my friend in this case as I have access to the genereic information provided on their web site.  I'm drafting a letter now.

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