My husband had a credit card with a certain bank when we got married. He and I both had very good credit at that time. We worked very hard to pay off any unnecessary debt as soon as we were married, one of which was this certain credit card. We paid all of our payments early, and as I said paid off the credit card early. Shortly after it was paid off I called to verify that the balance was zero and that there was no other action I needed to take.The balance was zero for almost a year. Almost a year later I get a letter in the mail saying that I owed $90.00 and that the account was past due. So I immediately called and was told that I was charged membership fees and late fees. Then I was told this information had been turned into the credit bureau. How in the hell can they legally charge a card with a zero balance late fees? And now they have sent this to credit without ever attempting to call and to my knowledge this is the first letter they have ever sent! Obviously I would have paid the 90.00 before I let my husbands credit get screwed. Now its too late. I am very upset about the credit, as good credit has always been of very high importance to both of us. How can they legally do this?

How can they legally do this?Hello c:

They can legally do this because over the last 20 years or so, the conservative congress did away with most of the consumer protection laws dealing with credit cards. The law allows them to change the rules any time they want to. They can raise your rates just because they want to... They are allowed to print this information with teeny tiny type on a long and drawn out legal explanation printed on teeny narrow piece of paper inserted into your monthly bill. You know the ones I'm talking about... Of course, you didn't read it. Nobody does.. They're COUNTING on that.

In other words, you work for them - not the other way around... But, that doesn't help you much.

There really isn't a whole lot you can do... If it were me, I'd DO it ALL, though. I HATE credit card companies... First off, you need to PAY the balance. I'd negotiate a deal with the scum sucking collection agency, that includes their agreement that they'll stand MUTE when the credit bureaus investigate the challenge you're going to make about the negative remark on your credit report. Tell them the ONLY way they're going to get paid is if they agree to this IN WRITING first... They work on commission, so I'll bet they go for it...

Once that's done, you challenge the remark on all three credit reports... When they do their investigation, if the scum sucking collectors do what they said they'd do, they'll stand mute, and the negative remark will be removed...

If that doesn't work, you can always SUE the bank and the scum sucking collection agent... But, like I said, they have the law on their side...

excon