I received the offer from Jefferson Capital to pay on my debt and then have them send me a new credit card. Sounded like a good idea to help me pay my debt AND improve my credit rating. I also figured it would supply an entry level credit card at some point.
I set up automatic payments with Jefferson Capital to pay a much larger than the minimum amount each month on my debt and after 5 months of automatic payments, I had the debt reduced and a new credit card sent to me.
The card came mid-cycle so I wasn't too surprised to find that they did not withdraw anything from my account around September 12th as expected. However, just before the October payment came due, I reviewed my checking account transactions to find the automatic payment. It had not been made.
I went to their website as shown on the back of my new credit card, registered, and logged in. To my surprise they were reporting a LATE PAYMENT on my card. I was shocked because I had automatic payments set up and in place. I called the company and they explained that they didn't have any record of any automatic payments that I may have had set up with the old creditor (Jefferson Capital). They explained that they were "Emblem" and that they were not the old creditor. [The original offer explained that Jefferson and Emblem were a seamless joint operation.] They blamed me for not taking initiative to be proactive and follow up on my payment status with them sooner. They had no solution except to blame me for being late. They said that they had the expectation that the customer should be able to read their mind and somehow know that the automatic payments that had been set up would no longer apply since they had sent the customer a credit card.
I explained to them that they were the one's in the debt and credit card business and that they were supposedly the experts in how such business should be done. I pointed out to them that the average person would not know that the automatic payments that had been put into place would not transfer to the new company that had been put into place due to "slight of hand". I asked to again set up automatic payments and to have any reference of late payment removed from my history with them as well as removed from any reporting agency that they may have reported it to.
I was again advised that any late payments were my fault. That they would not take any steps to portray my payment history in any favorable light... And that they would be happy to take my money.
I asked for my outstanding balance... And paid it all. I then cancelled the card. I don't need a credit card that goes out of its way to find new ways to create bad credit entries for customers that are going out of their way to build a good credit record. I also told them that I would be reporting this to ANYONE that would listen.
While I was on the phone, I did speak with a rep named "Harry" and his supervisor... But neither had an understanding of "customer service" and both opted to place the blame on me.
Final call... I paid the debt in full, cancelled the credit card, and am not reporting it to anyone that will listen.
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