DMP- credit issues

[smartashjake]

I am hoping someone is able to give me some advice with my current situation. I'm new but I've read a lot- I can't find any remedy to this in any posts. I entered into a DMP (CCCS) and paid my first payment to them in March 2009. I pulled my reports to check progress last week and here is what I am seeing:

 

Cap 1- March 90 days late

April 60 days late

May 60 days late

 

Chase- March- May 120 days late

 

Macy's- March-June 120 days late

 

GEMB- March-May 60 days late

 

VS- March-June 120 days late

 

Zales/CBSD- Charged off as bad debt

 

What is going on with this plan that is supposed to "help"? I would have rather eaten Top Ramen and just paid at their crappy interest rates rather than take a 200 point reduction in my FICO!! Is anyone able to provide some insight as to how I can get this fixed?

[breeze]

Wow! Sounds like they are not making any payments at all. Is that what they told you they would do?

[smartashjake]

Well, according to the woman I have spoken with since enrolling in the plan, they would make monthly payments to all creditors (that's what the paperwork she mailed says too). Interestingly enough... I looked on my Chase account online today and it showed a single payment a couple of months after I enrolled in the program of $300, no payments showed for the months of March-May. I am at a loss as to how I can fix this!

[breeze]

Wow! Did they tell you if the card companies accepted the plan? Did you check with the card companies yourself to see if they accepted it?

[smartashjake]

All of them either sent me a letter and/or included acknowledgment of the plan enrollment in my monthly statement. When I spoke with the woman at CCCS for a 90 day follow-up, she made no mention of any issues regarding creditors not accepting the plan. They also all have reported with the CRAs that the accounts are being managed by a 'financial counseling program'.

[radi8]

Ack.

They may have agreed to the plan, but the payment due dates aren't aligned with the date CCCS is sending the payments.

Call the creditors and verify they are getting a payment each month. I bet it's getting there after the due date and you have a rolling late every month. If that's the case, ask them to move the due date to at least 2 weeks after the day the CCCS payments are arriving.

Also ask them to "re-age" the accounts and remove the lates- many will after 3 months of on-time payments.

 

Also get a printout of the payments made (from CCCS) and compare it to the payments showing as received on your CC statements. If there is any discrepancy, you may have to do a conference call to get it squared away.

[smartashjake]

Thanks Radi8, I am getting ready to make phone calls- I'll post the results!

[breeze]

Great! Your results will help someone else, down the road, when they face similar circumstances.

[smartashjake]

4 phone pho made yesterday- here were the results:

 

WFNNB-VS: rep did not have the authority to process request, request must be submitted in writing (letter in progress)

 

GEMB/GAP: see above

 

Macy's: see above

 

Capital One: Ugh... phone call was almost an hour long. I discovered after the phone call ended that the account manager I spoke with lied to me. I advised her what I was told when the DMP rep enrolled me in the program- after 3 consecutive payments were made, that the account would be re-aged retroactively from the inception date of the DMP. The account manager told me that Capital One did not offer a re-aging program when I enrolled in my DMP, she stated that the company's re-aging program began in June of 2009 (which is coincidentally three months after I enrolled in the DMP) when I asked her for the inception date of the program, she placed me on hold for 5 minutes and then came back on the line an told me that she could not disclose that information- I would assume this is because she and I both knew that the degree of honesty she was providing me was inversely proportionate to the number of questions I asked. When I asked her how customers became enrolled in their latest and greatest re-aging program, she told me customers had to call in and request it (keep in mind she has already told me I was enrolled in the program as of June 2009). As I was certain that I did not place any phone calls requesting to be enrolled in the 'Capital One re-aging program of June 2009' I asked her how I became enrolled in the program- there was a long pause, and then she said "Thank you for calling capital one..." and acted like she had disconnected the call (from personal experience years ago in the customer service industry, I knew that companies rarely permitted reps to disconnect customer calls that did not involve use of profane language) so after about 10 seconds or so of silence she said "is there something else I can assist you with?". I again told her that I was merely looking for a means to remedy the situation, she provided an address to send my request in writing.

 

Any thoughts on how to handle the Capital One phone call? After rising from the trenches of a CSR position, I made myself a promise that I would always be polite and direct with people I speak with on the phone because I know how it feels to be treated poorly and cursed at by customers, so I am livid about the fact that the rep not only lied to me multiple times, she did so with a reeking undertone of condescension.

 

Sorry if anyone is tired of reading by now

 

Send me a message if you would like the addresses I received from GEMB/GAP, Macy's, or WFNNB/VS.

[breeze]

You can file a complaint regarding the rep who wasn't "helpful" with you. Sounds to me like she doesn't know much and was making stuff up. The call is recorded - I guess you know that. I would try another rep, and the instant you detect that the rep doesn't know what they're doing, politely get off the phone, wait long enough for the shift to change, and try again for another rep.

 

Maybe there is a special number or someone up the line at crap one - They do have a lot of special numbers.

[radi8]

Maybe there is a special number or someone up the line at crap one - They do have a lot of special numbers.

 

 

Send a letter to the "office of the consumer advocate",

1680 Capital One Drive, Suite 1400

McLean, VA 22102

 

Explain the miscommunication and ask to be put on the re-aging program.

[smartashjake]

Thanks for all of your help guys! I actually spoke with a Senior Account Manager with a clue, it went well, and the dispute has been submitted, I should get confirmation of dispute submission in writing within 14 days!

[breeze]

Let us know what happens.