Bank Of America, Credit Card Services Dubious practices, perhaps a scam. What can I do? Anything? Charlotte North Carolina

I first want to say that I'm not trying to cheat debt. I'm merely at my wits end to try and remedy a problem I have with BofA Credit Card Services.

In April 2007, I worked out a Payment Plan again with BofA after some 4 years of endless payments and rate changes. I had done this once but it was not well documented and they still charged me Interest even though they said they wouldn't. By this time, I hadn't used the Visa in a couple of years - I believe 2004 was the last year we ever used it for anything. I didn't even keep it in my wallet anymore. I had heard that it was possible to work out a payment plan that locked down the Interest Rate and all I had to do was pay off the outstanding balance in installments. I called them and asked them about this and they said that I could do that. Actually, they called me.

I had already been on a payment plan which had just expired and they were hitting me up for more than I had been paying. I paid them over the phone - so I thought - and started making my agreed cash payments of $50 a month thereafter. It turned out that they had the wrong PNC account on file - I don't know who's acc't it was. When she first asked me if the PNC account on file was still valid, I said yes - she didn't confirm the acc't number and I didn't know they had the wrong one. They then charged $86 from my account, incl. an NSF charge. Whatever.

In August 2007, I lost my job but managed to pay my bills since I was drawing Unemployment. According to me, and I'm certain this was confirmed by one of the Reps, I made my payment for September. I certainly withdrew the funds to pay but the reciept was lost along with all but one (July '07) reciept from this Payment Plan period. In October, I wasn't able to manage to pay all my bills on time due to delays stemming from a dispute filed by my former employer with Unemployment. November was even worse and I only was able to draw one more check before my funds were cut off for good.

On November 3rd, I got a call from GC Services saying I owed $47. $47? I thought my payments were set at $50. Anyway, it was hard to get more information from the guy since he immediately started calling me names then began shouting over me. At one point he came back down in tone and said that records showed I hadn't paid on the acc't since April '07. Then he started yelling at me more, made threats against my credit standing and how it could ruin my life, blah, blah, blah. Then he hung up on me. Funny thing is, if he'd been more polite and let me speak, I'd probably have paid the $47 right there.

Oh, something else came up in October as well. My wife got a transfer to another office located in another area. We were now moving by the end of Nov. In fact, the day GC Services called and yelled at me, we were up in the other area we now live in scouting out apartments. After the call, I became concerned that there was something to what he'd shouted at me; that I hadn't paid since April. It didn't make sense since I had spoken with BofA several times since April and they never indicated anything of this sort. We found an apartment we liked and in the application process, we had to pass a Credit check. Just out of suspicion and curiosity, I wanted to see what my Credit records with all three bureaus had to say.

According to records on Experian, Equifax and Trans Union; Bank of America had reported me as non-paying and deliquent from April 2007 right through October. There was no record of a Payment Plan. And as I said, back in February, my credit score was 707, now it was 586. The only negative credit on my records was BofA. Since November, we have been trying to figure out exactly what we can do about this. We can file a complaint it seems, but exactly how do we go about it?

I have spoken more recently again to a rep at GC Services. He seemed more interested in making me say I wasn't going to pay rather to than to hear me out - He also didn't tell me the call was recorded which is purportedly illegal.

I even tried to explain that I was still unemployed and that neither BofA or GC Services can get their story straight. Depending on who I talked to, I either hadn't paid since April or August, and I owed anywhere from $47 to nearly $4000. No one would address the fact that a payment plan was made and agreed to in April, nor that it looks as though they were still applying Interest to the acc't. Nor would anyone explain the discrepancies between their files and those of the three Credit Bureaus and myself. Nor was it explained how I can get simultaneous bills from both BofA and GC Services demanding payment for the same account; Is it in collections or isn't it?

Helpful, realistic comments and suggestions are welcomed. Snide remarks, scolding, negative assumptions made about my character will be ignored.

Former_someone
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.

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