A so called friend (ex-friend now) of mine added me as a authorized user to their credit card without telling me in 2004. The ex friend racked up a notable balance on the credit card and stopped making payments on it. The credit card co. sold the debt to a collection agency. Then that collection agency sold the debt to a another collection agency and each time it changes hands they harass me for money, lower my credit rating and so on. Its effen ridiculous and I still have no idea how to undo what this turd has done to my credit score. Anyone know what I should or can do?
2007-08-07 06:28:21 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
Yes, I agree with the previous posters. You should check your credit reports for any additional credit fraud or identity theft. Make sure all the open accounts on your history were yours.
If you are a responsible party (legally liable for the debt), the primary holder of the account would have had to use your ss# and you would have had to sign an agreement. If you didn't it's identity theft. Authorized users are not accountable for the debt.
2007-08-07 07:57:50 · answer #1 · answered by PK 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless your friend used your name and SSN on the credit card application, you are not responsible for this debt.
You can be an authorized user without being responsible for payment of the debt. For instance, I can make my son an authorized user on my credit card account, and he can use the card, but he'll never be held responsible for paying the bill.
If you're being harrassed, sent to collection, credit score impacted, etc., I'm guessing this "friend" stole your SSN and used it on the account. You need to do some digging and find out if that's what happened. If so, you've got a legal case against this person.
2007-08-07 07:27:35 · answer #2 · answered by Christie 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are an authorized user and NOT joint owner, you have absolutely no legal obligation.
Dispute any entry on your credit report as not your account.
Collection agents are going to call and try to convince you that you are responsible. You just have to tell them to pound sand. Send them a drop dead letter that the debt is not yours and tell them to prove you signed any kind of agreement.
You're probably going to have to keep send out that letter when the debt gets sold. You might include any contact info for that ex friend so the collector can go after him.
2007-08-07 06:40:26 · answer #3 · answered by bdancer222 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You were not added as an authorized user, then. You were added as a responsible party. This is called identity theft and fraud.
As I see it, you basically have three choices:
1) Ignore it and never have any credit,
2) Pay the amount due, or
3) Prosecute.
I recommend No. 3.
2007-08-07 06:44:14 · answer #4 · answered by Tom K 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋