Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
Holy moley, I about had a heart attack when I pulled my credit report today... There is a 120+ days delinquent Chase credit card charge on my account for over $8000!!!!!!!
*FAINT*
WTF, I do not, nor have I ever had a chase credit card. What this has to be is a an ex's account. I do remember he gave me a card with my name on it, on his account for emergencies. Little did I know that it meant his debt would end up on my report! Can I dispute this? And wtf, since when is being an authorized user the same as co-signing? Is it? AHHHHH! What do I do? This debt is not mine.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
You need to contact the credit card company and see what they can do for you.
Was this your card, did you sign for it? If you did, then its your credit not his.
If it was under his name and you co-signed, and he hasnt been paying, then it goes under you and will until he re-pays.
Your best bet is to prove you did not buy those items, and to get it cleared by the company.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
I didn't sign for any line of credit. It's my 2004 ex's account, he just made me an authorized user on his card in case I should ever need it for emergencies. I don't even remember buying anything with it. Bah! I did not do a formal co-sign, which is why I dropped a brick to see this on my credit report. No bank in their right mind would have given me a CC for over $8000. I've been a dancer for 10+ years, I pay cash for almost everything. My credit is blah.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
read this, could help
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20030312a1.asp
Deleted previous post since, it states mainly whats written there, but more detail ^
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
Great link, thanks Kisca. I guess I've got my work cut out for me tomorrow morning! Glad I decided to pull my report well before my lease is up.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
if you are an authorized user you are not held liable for this debt. In order to be held liable you have to sign as a co-signer. If you look at your score it has not been factored into it.
You could dispute it with the reporting agencies just so it isnt listed on the credit report.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
The site on the link says it does affect my score.
"If you're an authorized user on a credit card your FICO score reflects that account in the same way a primary user's FICO score would reflect it," says Craig Watts, consumer affairs manager for blah blah blah....
^^^Not all companies do this, but apparently Chase bank sho does. It is indeed showing up as a delinquent account on my credit, and as my biggest debt its farked up my debt to credit ratio.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
I hate to go looking for even more problems, but where an 'ex' is concerned there is also the issue of potential 'joint' liability for debts incurred by either of the spouses before a legal separation and divorce took place. When I split up with my own 'ex' many years back, I got stuck paying off over $10 grand worth of credit card debt that my own 'ex' had run up just prior to our legal separation agreement being filed with the court ( but after we had actually separated ).
As far as credit card underwriting banks go, and particularly Chase, they are becoming increasingly aggressive in regard to attempts to recover delinquent credit card debt that pre-dates the recent passage of the 'credit card bill of rights' ( under which the terms of delinquent debt collection is more restricted ). One mechanism for doing that is to attempt to exploit the 'joint' legal liability of spouses for debts incurred while married. So a successful dispute of this charge / debt may turn out to be more complicated than just the basic 'authorized user' principle.
Agreed that the starting point must be Chase bank.
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
Ex bf, we were never married, but we did live together. In the years since, he has married someone else actually. If anyone wants to share this debt with him, let it be her!
Re: Can I dispute an Authorized User charge on credit report?
^^^ in that case you should be in good shape to dispute this charge on an 'authorized user' basis alone. However, as was already pointed out, Chase is technically within their rights to continue listing your ex-BF's delinquent debt on your own credit report due to the 'authorized user' association. Hopefully you'll be able to convince them to add a note to the credit file reflecting 'authorized user' status versus actual responsibility for this debt, as well as making sure that this debt is not included in your own credit score calculation.