exciting but misleading score jump

[haulingthescoreup]

Hi, everyone--Here's something to watch out for, in case it happens to you and you get all excited.

I have been trying to get Sears/ Citi to GW off a late from this past March. Their card website has the option to send e-mails. After having sent four, I'm pretty convinced that these are not read by human CSR's but go through some sort of word-recognition program. Every e-mail got a response referring to a refund of a late charge, or how to dispute a late, etc. I tried throwing in other terms like "derogatory" in hopes that I would get a different response, but no luck. The most recent reply again gave the instructions on how to file a dispute and ended with this:

You will receive a written response from Sears Gold MasterCard within 30 days.

I pulled all three scores the other day, and they had all jumped 25 points, plus or minus a couple, from those I pulled on 12/1. I have gone all through my TC reports, and couldn't find anything that would account for this. Finally, I pulled my full EQ report, and it showed that I had disputed my account, which I hadn't. I checked the others, and they say the same thing. Can a lender enter a dispute, saying that it comes from the cardholder?

When an account is disputed (other than collections and judgments, I think it is), it is removed from your score calculations. In this case, the account turns a year old today, it has a low CL of $775, and it has a 30-day less than a year old. Net effect: a 25-point score jump from the recent baddie not being counted. It's fun to see the scores, but I know this will go away soon. But it's good motivation for continuing the GW's, this time on paper, mailed to human Citi employees.

current scores: EQ 697 - TU 722 - EX 731
real scores: EQ 671 - TU 701 - EX 698

[MeganML84]

Its too bad you can't just close the account and it would disappear into CreditLand... BOO 7 years!

[haulingthescoreup]

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@MeganML84 wrote:

Its too bad you can't just close the account and it would disappear into CreditLand... BOO 7 years!

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Really! I hope the ground will open up and swallow me if I ever app for a card at check-out (at Christmastime!) again. WAY more trouble than it was worth, and of the stuff I bought that day, I still use exactly one (1) item.

[Anonymous]

Hey HTSU, I had a credit bureau enter a fraud alert on my account and subsequently bleed it over to the other two bureaus.  Saying I had been a victim of ID theft.  No such thing ever happened.  Creditors and bureaus seem to be able to do what they want to your files.  Been raising heck about it too.

The good news is that it they entered it as a disoute they are reqponding to your request.  Fingers crossed that it will come out good and that the entire tradeline doesn't just disappear.

Message Edited by Brammy on 12-20-2007 06:42 PM

[haulingthescoreup]

Brammy, if the entire tradeline disappeared, it would be the happiest day of my life! There is not a single solitary plus involved with that card.

[fused]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Brammy, if the entire tradeline disappeared, it would be the happiest day of my life! There is not a single solitary plus involved with that card.

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I was just going to say the same thing.

Sears...

[haulingthescoreup]

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@fused wrote:

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Brammy, if the entire tradeline disappeared, it would be the happiest day of my life! There is not a single solitary plus involved with that card.

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I was just going to say the same thing.
Sears...

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Ha! I still have my referee equipment around here someplace. I'll dig out my Wolf whistle and my Reebok boots and my flags and cards and go over to Sears and red card them. hmmmphhh

[Anonymous]

If you dispute an account with the reason being "not mine" the CB will likely enter a fraud alert. And, thinking they are doing you a favor, they will contact the other 2 CB's and let them know you may be a victim of fraud.

Disputing as "inaccurate or incomplete information" seems to work better. And you avoid a fraud alert

[haulingthescoreup]

That's the trick. I'm not disputing anything at all. I asked for GW, and they file that consumer initiated dispute. This has happened to another member as well --that thread is over on general credit.

No fraud alert, though.