How to Handle Credit Card Lies?

[Anonymous]

I recently posted about an American Express card debt I had and how to handle it. So the situation goes.... I called AMEX and told them i saw a delinquent account on my credit report and was unsure all the charges were mine. I asked if I can recieve a copy of the charges being held against me and he told me they didint have that info. He asked if I would like to handle the debt now and i told him due to the nature of not knowing what the charges are for I would only agree to pay the balance if it was removed from my credit report (since it was that large of a balance). He said he had to talk to the supervisor, he did and came back and said it was ok. I paid in full and then he said call back in a week and they will send me a letter stating I paid. I called and he said he has to connect me to the credit team. Talking with them they stated that their is nothing they can do and they just will put a dispute on the credit file. Can they legally do this? Do I have an action I can now take?

[Appleman]

Is it in writing? Is it a recorded conversation where both parties were aware and consented to the deal?

Otherwise, you are out of luck. Verbal agreements over the phone are almost impossible to enforce. You agreed to pay and that was all he needed to get the money owed.

[Anonymous]

amex records all calls. Ask them to pull up the audio to verify your story.

[Anonymous]

This is why I never PFD without getting it in writing.  I think we've all made this mistake once.

I had a collection for under $200 and I must have called them and written then 20 times and every time they said "Sorry, we can only report the actual relevant information."  Over and over.

Finally I must have gotten an agent who wanted to make their monthly quota or something and she agreed, so I told her to put it in writing (via mail) or in an email under the company's domain.  She had a manager or something who wrote an email saying "If this debt is paid in full by this date the tradeline will be removed from all credit reports."  Obviously they did it before.  I paid, an within a cycle or two it was removed.

Without that email I'd be without any option.  Amex doesn't have to commit to what one agent said over the phone.

[steelers1]

Lesson learned ALWAYS get it in writing before paying .01 cent.

[RobertEG]

Contested billing issues are handled under the provisions of the Fair Credit Billing Act, with very specific documentation requirments on the part of the credit card company.

When you contest any charges, you have the right under the Fair Credit Billing Act to dispute the charges and invoke the detailed provisions of the FCBA, which include the requirment to send documentary evidence.  That is different from the dispute of accuracy of credit reporting under the FCRA.

However, to invoke a dispute of billing, the FCBA requires that the dispute be filed within 60 days of becoming aware of the inaccurate billing.

Credit card companies are requried to document in response to a timely FCBA dispute, but not thereafter. 

It apppears that you missed the FCBA timeliness window........?