AMEX discards my goodwill letter. Wants full balance!

[fizgig]

Sent a goodwill letter to AMEX for a corporate credit card that was charged off back when I worked at MCI/WORLDCOM. $1,499 total balance. 5 years later.

 

Get what looks like a canned letter from someone at OA Special Research. WTF? Sounds 007 to me. Anyway, they enclose their card agreement with highlights and tell me that I need to send them the $1,499 principal balance.

 

What next? DV?

 

Thanks for any advice anyone may have to offer!

 

 

Fiz

[aescutie]

what was your goodwill letter for?...

[fizgig]

what was your goodwill letter for?...

 

 

In the letter, I requested that if the debt were truly mine, then to please send me any information regarding that debt. I also requested that if the debt were mine, could they forgive it?

 

Interesting line they gave me at the close of the letter and I quote:

 

"Unfortunately , we are unable to honor your request to re-age or forgive the debt."

 

Never admitted the debt was mine but those chose not to provide me with squat except the card agreement.

 

Fiz

[jmccray]

wow I never heard of asking the to "forgive the debt". That's a new one!!!!!

[mrskippy]

Corporate card? And you have to pay? Am I missing something?

[fizgig]

wow I never heard of asking the to "forgive the debt". That's a new one!!!!!

 

 

Allow me to explain why I sent the OC the letter. I'm assuming that's what you were trying to say above with your wording.

 

It was a Corporate Credit Card that had BOTH our names on the card. I have no recollection of any signed paperwork regarding the account. That isn't to say that I didn't sign anything either. Account was CO in 1999. Never sold to anyone. 2 years later, I was laid off from MCI/WORLDCOM. You may have remembered that huge accounting scandal that was the largest in history. Well, I happened to be one of the 30,000 employees that lost their jobs.

 

Anyway, I attempted to appeal to their sense of human decency by literally explaining to them what happened to me after losing my job. By this I mean I lost my family, my house, my car and my dignity. I've had some success writing these letters to other creditors and my accounts have mysteriously disappeared. Thought it might work in this situation. It didn't.

[stocks12]

I had a simliar issue with these bastards. Almost the same case, corporate card that would not allow any retail purchases, etc. Company spun out from major telco, went belly up, I got screwed. Sure enough in the agreement between AMEX and the CO, it states that I am liable for any charges, including company charges. Long story short, got to the Oasis group. I accepted a settlement for 70 cents on the dollar. Should have waited it out or fought harder but it was holding up my mortgage. There was no budging with these guys. Continue to try to fight it to no avail......Good luck and let me know if you get success.

[mrskippy]

Hmmm, it has been five years. So, you're likely past the SOL for them to sue. And, in two years it falls off the credit reports.

[mrskippy]

BTW, there is a section on the CRA disputes where you can dispute it as a "corporate account." I'm assuming that it was MCI's responsibility to pay charges and they allowed it to CO.

[fizgig]

I had a simliar issue with these bastards. Almost the same case, corporate card that would not allow any retail purchases, etc. Company spun out from major telco, went belly up, I got screwed. Sure enough in the agreement between AMEX and the CO, it states that I am liable for any charges, including company charges. Long story short, got to the Oasis group. I accepted a settlement for 70 cents on the dollar. Should have waited it out or fought harder but it was holding up my mortgage. There was no budging with these guys. Continue to try to fight it to no avail......Good luck and let me know if you get success.

 

 

Not sure who "OA Special Research" is, but it doesn't sound like the Oasis group. I am also trying to obtain a mortgage and the AMEX account is the only thing left standing in our way. Their letter seemed so impersonal and I don't feel like they will budge. They realize that the cannot sue because of SOL.

 

My question is what strategy should I use next to get this off or PIF as quick as possible?

 

Fiz

[fizgig]

BTW, there is a section on the CRA disputes where you can dispute it as a "corporate account." I'm assuming that it was MCI's responsibility to pay charges and they allowed it to CO.

 

 

I have already disputed this as a corporate account with all 3 CB's ..on-line though to no avail. According to the card agreement, it was my responsibility to submit expense reports with receipts to MCI. They in turn gave me the cash. I in turn paid the bill to AMEX.

 

AMEX quit bothering me after 2 years... never heard anything from them again... now that I'm trying to buy a home, I'm told this has to be settled. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

Fiz

[breeze]

It is in their corporate account agreement - at least the ones I've seen. Most people just accept their employer's word that the employer will pay the account. Not the first time I've heard this story. I have their small business card, they're always trying to get me to add others to the account - I read the agreement that goes with it - they would be agreeing to pay it if I didn't.

 

Have you checked with the mortgge board to see what some of those guys say? Maybe there is a way to deal with it.

[mrskippy]

I have already disputed this as a corporate account with all 3 CB's ..on-line though to no avail. According to the card agreement, it was my responsibility to submit expense reports with receipts to MCI. They in turn gave me the cash. I in turn paid the bill to AMEX.

 

OK, so AMEX gave you the cash, but you didn't send them the payment? Or did they not give you cash? If that's the case, did you keep the expense reports? If these were THEIR expenses, you may have an out.

[mixer99]

wow I never heard of asking the to "forgive the debt". That's a new one!!!!!

 

 

Allow me to explain why I sent the OC the letter. I'm assuming that's what you were trying to say above with your wording.

 

It was a Corporate Credit Card that had BOTH our names on the card. I have no recollection of any signed paperwork regarding the account. That isn't to say that I didn't sign anything either. Account was CO in 1999. Never sold to anyone. 2 years later, I was laid off from MCI/WORLDCOM. You may have remembered that huge accounting scandal that was the largest in history. Well, I happened to be one of the 30,000 employees that lost their jobs.

 

Anyway, I attempted to appeal to their sense of human decency by literally explaining to them what happened to me after losing my job. By this I mean I lost my family, my house, my car and my dignity. I've had some success writing these letters to other creditors and my accounts have mysteriously disappeared. Thought it might work in this situation. It didn't.

 

FIZ- Im a former MCI Worlcom employee...Had the corporate card, too. The agreement we signed said that we were responsible for the balance. Believe me, I know...as it was included in my BK7

[fizgig]

wow I never heard of asking the to "forgive the debt". That's a new one!!!!!

 

 

Allow me to explain why I sent the OC the letter. I'm assuming that's what you were trying to say above with your wording.

 

It was a Corporate Credit Card that had BOTH our names on the card. I have no recollection of any signed paperwork regarding the account. That isn't to say that I didn't sign anything either. Account was CO in 1999. Never sold to anyone. 2 years later, I was laid off from MCI/WORLDCOM. You may have remembered that huge accounting scandal that was the largest in history. Well, I happened to be one of the 30,000 employees that lost their jobs.

 

Anyway, I attempted to appeal to their sense of human decency by literally explaining to them what happened to me after losing my job. By this I mean I lost my family, my house, my car and my dignity. I've had some success writing these letters to other creditors and my accounts have mysteriously disappeared. Thought it might work in this situation. It didn't.

 

FIZ- Im a former MCI Worlcom employee...Had the corporate card, too. The agreement we signed said that we were responsible for the balance. Believe me, I know...as it was included in my BK7

 

 

That's too funny.. You filed BK and your scores are better than mine! I'm not making light of your situation but I find it amusing that I have shi**ier credit than you and you filed BK and I didn't. Makes me want to kick myself in the flowers for not filing it when I had the gut feeling to do so after I was laid off! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

[fizgig]

I have already disputed this as a corporate account with all 3 CB's ..on-line though to no avail. According to the card agreement, it was my responsibility to submit expense reports with receipts to MCI. They in turn gave me the cash. I in turn paid the bill to AMEX.

 

OK, so AMEX gave you the cash, but you didn't send them the payment? Or did they not give you cash? If that's the case, did you keep the expense reports? If these were THEIR expenses, you may have an out.

 

Well, sorta... some of the items I charged were "personal" and not covered... yeah, maybe I screwed up... but I've been paying for it in other ways for 5 freakin years...

 

I just want the damn thing off or settled or something...

[breeze]

Keep trying. I doubt anyone gets concessions on the first try.

[mrskippy]

Well, I'd keep the "corp card" defense going anyway, sending expense reports/reimbursement requests, etc. and anything else to the CRAs.

[fizgig]

Keep trying. I doubt anyone gets concessions on the first try.

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

Fiz

[centex]

I have to say "bravo" on having the cajones to ask them to just wash the debt...what may be worth pursuing is a follow-up letter asking about payment scheduling so that you may one day be in a position to obtain an AMEX product (they don't have to know if it is accurate or not...you just have to convince them that you would like to be able to do business with them again).

 

Given that they were work-related charges, you may also want to pursue whether your payment of the charge would entitle you to the tax deduction as unreimbursed business expenses. The expenses were in 1998, but I'm curious as to whether you could still deduct them in the year paid...

[fizgig]

I have to say "bravo" on having the cajones to ask them to just wash the debt...what may be worth pursuing is a follow-up letter asking about payment scheduling so that you may one day be in a position to obtain an AMEX product (they don't have to know if it is accurate or not...you just have to convince them that you would like to be able to do business with them again).

 

Given that they were work-related charges, you may also want to pursue whether your payment of the charge would entitle you to the tax deduction as unreimbursed business expenses. The expenses were in 1998, but I'm curious as to whether you could still deduct them in the year paid...

 

 

My reasoning was that they alread wrote this off as a loss and I'm more than sure that they can take this as a tax writeoff so it's not like they were totally out of the debt, especially since it was so small (IMO). They didn't bite so I need to come up with a different strategy. I like your point though. It makes perfect sense.

 

Their opening statements in the letter were "We are certainly not unsympathetic to the situation you have described. At American Express, we attempt to work with out Cardmembers, whenever possible. We are also aware that certain unexpected circumstances may arise which will cause a delinquency in the account. However, it is also important to understand that the continued success of our business depends upon our established payment guidelines, which supports our business goals." etc...etc..

 

Gave me an address to mail the payment on some nice letterhead too. No threats or anything.

 

Soooo...try again? sob story? DV? need a mortgage and soon... what do I do? need you guys and gals advice! thanks!

 

Fiz

[stocks12]

Fizgig -

 

Any movement on this? I tried the PFB route and got a nice woman who called me. She offered to wipe the reports clean for em paying the difference between what I already settled for and the original balance. She was willing to do an exception as this was a corporate account. She claimed to check with the credit reporting liason department and was told that if they just wiped the reports clean, they would be committing perjury and would not be willing to do that. I hate the idea of paying this. It was not my debt. If I pay this, I will be out over $12K. I am already out $8500.

 

Thanks,

 

stocks12