Hi. I am 20 years old now. When i was I believe 11 or so I got a magazine in the mail called fingerhut. and i went through and i ordered a lot of stuff. like 800 worth of stuff and i received every bit of it. well i did not know anything about it after that until i tried to get a verizon contract and they said that my credit was bad. and i requested a copy and it was on there. how can that be if i was 11 years old? I had some people from the collection agency contact me about 2 months ago and i told them about it and they told me that i cant do anything about it. but also on my report it says on record until august 2007 does that mean after that month its off or what? i just dont know what to do about that. please someone help me.
2007-05-05 20:17:54 · 9 answers · asked by Ladels Mommy! 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
Yes that does mean that it will drop off...but it shouldnt have been there in the first place. First...you have rights as a consumer...whatever you do before your 18 is the responsibility of your parents not you. They can not report to your credit report.
Go look up the FDCPA...stands for Fair Debts Collection Practices Act. Learn about your rights.
Than call the collector and rip a new one. Demand that it is removed off your credit report immediatly or you will sue them.
Additionally, call all three major credit reporting bureaus and report it.
And than...remember not to make the same mistake when your a child in your next life.
Good Luck
2007-05-05 22:30:46 · answer #1 · answered by smile4cobra 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would almost say human error on her getting the credit. When I was fourteen I had a telemarketer calling me asking if i wanted a credit card. I smart enough to know that you had to be 18. I also havnt gotten a call from them yet. (i'm 19 now.) so I guess all is good.
I don't know enough about contract law to tell if finger hut can still collect on it. They did extend the credit to an 11 year old however they could have thought she was 18. So then by her accepting the credit they accepted it as the proof she was 18. I think going by contract law it could go either way with my knowledge but like I said I don't know much about it.
I would assume that august is when it comes off. since this is the first time your hearing about it i'm assuming that this is also your first cell phone contract. (unless you may of had one under your parents) In which case I personally would just wait it off for a few months.
I also don't know your situation and you may have one to where a cell phone is a very good idea. If you do decide to wait see about a prepaid plan verizon may have or a tracfone.
2007-05-05 21:30:20 · answer #2 · answered by npwinder 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Smiley is correct (except the last part)...
There are some things you can do to get this off your credit, but since they will take a couple of months, and the report will drop anyway in that time, you really don't need to do anything.
However.......there is this issue of you trying to get credit and being denied.
According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, if you are denied credit or somehow "damaged" by an inaccurate credit report, you can sue for those damages. In order to win though, you would have to show you attempted get the problem fixed first. That involves filing dispute letters with the credit bureau.
So, lets try this scenario...
You send the letters....and after 45 days the report still shows this item. You then try getting credit and are denied. You could probably sue them for it.
But honestly, unless you need credit right away I would just sit tight and let this disappear on it's own. If they even try to do something stupid like sue you, then we can re-visit this issue. There is no way they can win such a lawsuit.
2007-05-05 23:53:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you didn't pay for it back when you were 11 years old then the debt is still outstanding and is still on your credit. You could try to pay it and get it off your record as "paid" and then when you go into a place for a loan you will have the letter that you paid it and explain your story. Also, you could offer them half and have a letter stated it was settled. Or you could forget about and just deal with what comes up.
When I was 15, I had a sprint bill of 150 dollars they said. They wrongly charged me when I went out of my contract. I was never late on a payment. Do you believe as an adult now, I have perfect credit except for that sprint thing. I refuse to pay it, I took a stand under principal.....but when I bought my house I had to write a letter explaining it. I am spending thousands of dollars and that stupid sprint thing came up for me.
These companies always win. No matter what. I reported them and everything. Alot of Loan officers in your future will understand. Chill out and make a decision....do you want to pay for it or leave it. And stick by that decision. They say things are removed after 7 years, but my little sprint bill is still there and its been alot of years:) after 7.
Good luck.
2007-05-05 20:37:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything on your credit record remains there for 10 years, after that it "falls off". So after August, you'll be good.
But the real question is, how can an 11-year old get credit? I thought one had to be at least 16 (probably 18) to enter into a binding contract (i.e., you sign on the "dotted line" when applying for credit.
2007-05-05 21:15:11 · answer #5 · answered by angrykeyboarder 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That "erase agency" is a scam. So shop you money top there. 2nd, take the $250 which you're able to have lost paying those scammers and pay of that debt! artwork out an contract including your series corporation to repay the debt. you may no longer threaten them to pay and then get what you pick out of it, you should gain which you are the only that replaced into no longer to blame including your credit and now you should stay as much as the effects of your strikes. you will ought to repay the debt quicker or later so make any preparations to realize this. Now, as on your credit checklist. as quickly as you compromise those bills and start up paying, your score would desire to flow up yet do no longer anticipate something amazing. The undesirable tips will stay on your credit checklist for some years yet to return. stable good fortune!
2016-12-28 14:50:10 · answer #6 · answered by digiambattist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that sounds kinda crazy, but by law they have to clean any collection after 7 or 10 years depending on the kind.
the best you can do now is play dumb and don't do nothing and if within a year you still have this problem just write a letter to the collection agencies asking for probes like a signed paper for you. if they can't probe it, they have to take it out of your credit record.
it's not easy, but neither impossible. good luck
2007-05-05 20:37:10 · answer #7 · answered by Gustavo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you purchased something and have not ever paid for it, it would remain on your credit score. It remains there typically ten years. So after August, it would be vacated. Have you ever thought of paying for the Fingerhut stuff, to make it good with them and to make your conscience clear? It would add to your credit score if you paid off a debt. Otherwise, it should be removed automatically after August.
2007-05-06 07:05:28 · answer #8 · answered by Kerry 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
legally you cannot obtain credit until your over 18 so by giving you credit at 11 they are breaking this law. when my brother ordered something at age 13 my mum rang the company and they asked my mum to pay out of goodwill when she said no they agreed to right the debt off. but i think you should get some professional advice because i don't think it should be on your credit record at all.
2007-05-05 21:42:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋