My elderly mother accidentally used my Lowe's card and charged $40.00 back in march...?

Question

She thought she was charging to hers. She didnt get a statement for the charge (obviously) & neither did I. This credit card has not had activity in years (I thought it was closed) and she signed HER name not mine which would be a HUGE red-flag that I didnt make the charge. I heard nothing that any charges were made (no statements, no calls) NOTHING until I got a call from someone at some collections acgency telling me that the account was sold to collections for being 90 days past due and that call demanding that I pay the back payment plus collections fee & that I have a collection on my credit now. I have pristine credit & enough $$ to pay. Right now I have alot of my credit on 0% interest. This snafoo could cost me my good name & my ability to keep the 0% rates to the tune of thousands in interest over $40 that I could pay easily. I dont want to declare this a fradulent charge because I dont want my mom to have charges pressed - it was an honest mistake on her part! What do I do?

Aparently its already BEEN sent to collections, it was collectoins not Lowes that called - which is why I am in shock!!!!

PPS, I dont mind paying the collections fee or anything. I have sufficient money. I want my credit restored, thats all I care about.

Answer 1

Well your first stop is to call the company NOT the collections agency. Tell them the truth and that you have never received any invoices until you answered the phone.

Then ask them why? Put it up clearly that THEIR mistake (if they made one) has the potential of costing you higher interest rates on your other cards.

There is no question that you owe the money. If your mother had the card because you gave it to her (old or not) then she was authorized to use it. So the signature part is not important. So your goal should be to come to an agreement with the company, pay the $40 and get the credit mark removed from your record with them. You might even want to pay the $40 up front if you can find an old statement with the account number on it.

Be honest.. be aggrivated... and be proactive. The company can resolve it.


Concurrent with this, you should get a copy of your credit report and check it out and then file and explaination with all three credit agencies.

good luck

Answer 2

All you can do is try calling the company and explaining that you didn't get a bill for it and it was a mistake. Explain that you have no problems paying the $40 and have been an excellent customer through the years. Ask that they not send it to collections and let you just pay the $40 plus late fees. Good luck!

I would call the collections agency and ask how badly that is going to hurt your credit. I had something sent to collections once (a similar type of deal.. no bill ever came) and I paid it immediately and my credit didn't go down one point! If anything it might go down a few points, but PAY IT NOW. You should be fine. And cancel that Lowe's card! Good luck. You'll probably be ok.

Answer 3

call the collection agency and tell them the truth that your elderly mother charged on it ,thinking it was hers and you will be glad to pay if they will be reasonable and not add interest to it . you might have to get a lawyer, though .

Answer 4

Pay it ! Explain to them what happened and this is why it wasn't paid on time( 'cause you didn't know about it.) They will understand. She has possession of what she bought though so it does need to be paid. Now, cut up the old card and be thankful someone dishonest didn't get ahold of it.

Answer 5

definitely call the CC and say that u never got a statement and that it wasn't your charge to begin with..but most likely they will tell you 'sorry we already sold to collections' and you will have to pay the agency...