Credit (card) question

EeveeFanboy

EeveeFanboy

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I tried signing up for the Chase/Sony card for the $100 off a purchase above $300 deal, but I found out my credit is shot. About a year ago, someone I knew took me to the emergency room when I didn't need it, but I wasn't really able to give a response that I was fine at the time, and the bill was $800-1200 (I forget which). I was supposed to be insured until 21 years of age and I'm currently 20, but it was expired for some reason and when I went to renew it, they declined me. I was not going to pay such a high amount when the hospital did not even do anything except waste my time, and long story short, they've stopped contacting me now and, according to my mom, who also does not pay off her many medical bills, they probably wrote it off by now.

So is there anything I can do now? Will I just have a very bad credit history for the next few years until it drops off, or is there any way I could get a major credit card that has perks with my bad credit rating? The 2/3 (one bank gave me another credit card without me filling out any paperwork/giving them my consent) credit cards I have now, I have no incentive to use them, and after hearing about different rewards I can get with major CCs, I'd like one of those. I'm mostly interested in the Sony card because of the immediate reward I can get using it since I can't make many purchases with my income. Is there anything at all to do? Is there anybody in the bank I can talk to and tell them my personal story to see if they can look at more than my credit rating? Also, anybody able to tell me in more detail how credit works? I've read some things about it on CAG, but that's as far as my knowledge goes and there's some I've forgotten or have heard bad information on.
 
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Your credit will be damaged for 7-10 years, maybe more. You won't be able to get a good credit card, get a loan, rent a car, etc. with poor credit.

Some companies also look at your credit history before hiring.

You need to pay your debts, not ignore them.
 
I'm not going to pay such a high (to me) debt when it shouldn't even be there in the first place. That's a long time though =/ At least I already have a car. Just can't get a house or a good CC now... Anybody know what happens when you move to another country? Does credit carry over or do you start at nothing?
 
There are some companies, that deal with the bad credit situations....And if your problem is only one hospital bill, with a couple of hundreds dollars, and a payment plan u should be ok.After the debt is paid, your credit should be ok, then...but u have to pay that hospital bill, yep...
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']I'm not going to pay such a high (to me) debt when it shouldn't even be there in the first place. That's a long time though =/ At least I already have a car. Just can't get a house or a good CC now... Anybody know what happens when you move to another country? Does credit carry over or do you start at nothing?[/QUOTE]

Umm, you owe the hospital $1000, and you're thinking about moving out of the country? The hospital bill you will have to pay, and you might have to see a credit counselor to determine the extensive damage to your credit (even after the debt has been paid off). Paying off the debt doesn't mean you'll have good credit. The damage has been done, so you'll need to find ways to fix your credit rating to ensure in the future you can apply for CC, loans, and mortgages.

Seriously, go find ways to earn the extra money (McDonald's, Walmart, whatever). Two months and you'll make that money to pay off the hospital.

[quote name='EeveeFanboy']Is there anything at all to do? Is there anybody in the bank I can talk to and tell them my personal story to see if they can look at more than my credit rating?[/QUOTE]

You can look at your credit history online. The amount of details will depend on how much you pay. My dad paid $100 to get a very extensive credit history report (over 100 pages) which has everything including every payment he has ever made on all loans, mortgages, CC's, all of his late payment, missed payment and how badly did each damaged his credit, and at the end he was given the credit score. I recently looked at my credit history online, the free one you get once a year, and it showed just how much I owe on each CC/loan and if I had any late payment. Then I believe at the end I was given some sort of 'tier' that I fall into. I didn't opt to look at my credit score since I didn't shell out $15 or so for it. Your bank will most likely not going to help you look at your credit history for free, but you should ask your bank anyway for the sake of it. Credit is something you build over your lifetime, basically through prompt payments on your CC, loans and also the ratio between your debt and credit line (among other sources as well). You're at the age where building credit begins for many people, so it is very important that you don't mess up your credit from the get-go. Unfortunately, you already think you messed up your credit, so now it's time to do something about it. Go check your credit online, and maybe see a credit counselor if you want to fix your credit. This is not something you should sit on and put the blame of your hospital bill on your friend or the hospital.
 
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You can come up with all these excuses as to why you are not going to pay off the hospital debt but the fact is, it happened, so you should just man up and take responsibility. Your friend took you to the hospital though you didn't need it? So? Just be glad you have a kind enough friend to take care of you like that. The doctors did jack shit to you and charged you a high fee? So? That's life (even though I don't agree with it). I don't think a grand or so is worth losing all your credit and what not, especially when so many things now are so dependent on it. If you think about, getting a shitty card now because of your lackluster credit can actually add up if you say.. miss a payment since the interest rates would be insane. A good credit card will save your ass a grip load of money from high cash back rates, membership benefits, cash advances, 0% APR, etc, and the list goes on. Also, with your crappy credit score, you'll probably only be eligible for student level credit cards with limits of like $250 or something. Having good credit can start you off as high as $4000 or something. Seriously though, man up, pay it off, and get your credit back on track because 7-10 years can potentially be like 10% of your lifetime.
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']someone I knew took me to the emergency room when I didn't need it, but I wasn't really able to give a response that I was fine at the time[/quote]

If you couldn't respond with two words (I'm fine), I would say your someone did the right thing.

The only time having a bad debt written off can be considered an acceptable/good thing is when you're dead. If you're 20, $1,000 won't kill you. I paid about that much when I was your age in taxes from a job that told me I wouldn't need to declare (who knew the mob would report income? :) ) I paid it over a few months, it never touched my credit.
 
You could try to contact the hospital and make other arrangements--many medical providers will work with you, they'd rather get 400$ rather than chase you forever for 800, or risk you claiming bankruptcy (even though it is more creditor-friendly nowadays). If nothing else contact them and set up a payment plan. Regardless of if you think what they charged was "fair", it is still a debt incurred for highly specialized services provided.

You're young--don't fuck up your credit this early for something like this. It can be a stone around your neck for literally decades, and it could end up costing you thousands in the end, via higher interest rates for cars, mortgage, possible denied apartment leases, jobs, etc. They may have written it off, but most likely it's still on your credit report. And technically I think if they do write it off, you are supposed to treat it as "income" and get taxed on it.

If I could pass on one bit of learning/advice/experience to people under 25, it would be "learn to use credit, don't let it use you." Colleges teach four years of undergraduate Basket Weaving and Old Literature, but they don't spend a minute on how not to screw up your life with credit (do they still take money to let the dealers on campus? that could be why they don't care, as long as you pay off your student loans.)
 
Well, it sounds like I should try to pay it off ASAP if I care at all about my future in the US (in case Europe doesn't work out). It turns out it's around $1300, though. Since it's already so late, would it hurt my credit any more to pay it off when it's convenient to me? Does it look better to pay it in payments or one lump sum? It'd be easier for me to do a lump sum, since it helps me manage better. And how much will paying the debt off help my score? Will it at least be enough for a good credit card? Home will be a while and auto is covered, so hopefully if I pay it off and everything goes smoothly, my credit will be a lot better when I need to move out.

[quote name='Kerig']If you couldn't respond with two words (I'm fine), I would say your someone did the right thing.[/quote]

She just said something that made me cry. Herself, being a former suicide case, decided that I was likely to do the same, and wouldn't leave me alone. I can't even cry in damn peace now without being rushed to the hospital? =/

[quote name='SOSTrooper']Umm, you owe the hospital $1000, and you're thinking about moving out of the country? The hospital bill you will have to pay[/quote]
Are you trying to say I will have to pay off the debt to move away? That doesn't really make much sense.
 
Its 100% your fault you were in the hospital. If you could not say i am fine i want to go home your not fine at all. Unless you were drugged and then taken to the hospital.
 
I think you should talk to a credit counselor before you pay anything. Find a reputable company as there are scams out there. I once heard a radio interview with a good counselor and what they said is many times paying a long standing debt like that can hurt you more then help. They can negotiate with whoever holds the debt, the hospital may have sold it by now, and the credit reporting agencies to amend your report.
 
You do NOT want this sitting on your credit report until you're 27-30 years old.

Even if you do not plan to buy a house, landlords will check your credit history before they will rent you a place.

Are you sure the car will last 7-10 years? Doubt it... You will probably need a new car before than. Willing to pay cash?

I'm not trying to bust your chops or anything, but you need to think about the FUTURE. You're 20 now and may have different goals for yourself than you will when you're 27.
 
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[quote name='EeveeFanboy']
[quote name='SOSTrooper']Umm, you owe the hospital $1000, and you're thinking about moving out of the country? The hospital bill you will have to pay[/QUOTE]

Are you trying to say I will have to pay off the debt to move away? That doesn't really make much sense.[/QUOTE]

Well you're the one not making sense, as you misunderstood what I said. I mean, you could move out of the country without the bad credit following you. But what if you're unable to move to another country (for whatever reason)? Then you will have to pay off the hospital bill in order to get a decent enough credit card, or a loan. It seems like if you leave your situation unresolved, you won't be able to get much of a credit card or any type of loan, mortgages, or even renting an apartment until you're well in your 30's. This is because you still got a long way to build up your credit (as you started out with bad credit I assume), and it takes about 5 to 7 years for a person who didn't have any bad credit history to actually earn enough credit to get a decent car loan or a good credit card.

Still, at this point, I think you are assuming your situation and we're just giving you advices based on your assumption. You should really make sure your credit is marked as delinquent by either checking your credit report online (you get one free per year), or go see a credit counselor before you take any action by yourself.
 
I checked my credit report through some site, but it didn't give me any status and I didn't pay to see my actual credit score. It said my credit report was available until March 4. Does that mean I can check it again to try to figure out where it's located? Can I use a different source that might be more user-friendly without getting the credit hit?

And about these credit counselors. Is there a company that stands out above the others? How much will getting a counselor cost? How do I know who to trust?

Pisses me off that life won though. I still think it's an unfair charge.
 
Call your back or credit union, see if they can either counsel you or point you in the right direction. I think you can check your actual credit reports free once or twice a year. Usually when you check it it's accessible for a certain time frame. I *think* checking your own credit score/record doesn't count as a hit on it.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com
That's actually one pro-consumer thing the government has done in the past decade, it's appalling how little access citizens have to *their own* credit report.
"you are entitled to receive one free credit report through the Central Source every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – so if you order from only one company today you can still order from the other two companies at a later date."
 
From my experience I would use Equifax or TransUnion over Experian. Experian seems to not track and missed some of my credit history, even though the credit score reported by all 3 credit report companies are extremely similar (+/- 3 points or so).

As for credit counseling, you might want to see if your bank can recommend one from your area. Or go through your local yellow page and call in. I don't know any national credit counseling services to recommend one, perhaps someone else might shine a light for you.
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']Pisses me off that life won though. I still think it's an unfair charge.[/QUOTE]

Unless I misread something, you have this debt because your friend wanted you to go to the hospital because you were crying and s/he thought you were suicidal. If nothing was wrong, all you had to do is say "no". But you didn't, you went to the hospital and apparently received some form of treatment, hence the $1,200 bill.

You went to the hospital. You were treated. You were billed. You chose to not pay.

I'm not trying to be mean, but trying to show you that it's not unfair, and life didn't "win". Life happened. Again, I am not attacking you but you really need to either be more vocal in what you want (refusing treatment) or accept the outcome and pay for your debts.

You shouldn't be worried about your credit so you can charge a PS3. You should be worried about your credit because someday you may want to buy a house.

Just my opinion.
 
I wasn't worried about a house because I thought it only stayed on your credit for a few years - not a few decades. Even if I stayed in the US, I'll still have at minimum 4 years of school left because I'm pretty sure I would go for a MA at least, so I thought I'd be in the clear after that.

I guess I'll have to work on being move vocal... When I get in a bad mood, I can go for days without talking to anybody or making eye contact. But thanks everybody for the help. At the least, you saved me from screwing over my backup plan.
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']I wasn't worried about a house because I thought it only stayed on your credit for a few years - not a few decades. Even if I stayed in the US, I'll still have at minimum 4 years of school left because I'm pretty sure I would go for a MA at least, so I thought I'd be in the clear after that.

I guess I'll have to work on being move vocal... When I get in a bad mood, I can go for days without talking to anybody or making eye contact. But thanks everybody for the help. At the least, you saved me from screwing over my backup plan.[/QUOTE]



Whoever says it stays for decades, is dead wrong....It will affect your credit for around 7 years, and then after that it won't appear on your credit reports, but the companies could still try to hunt you down for the payments....I kind of believe it is that way, since I going into Bankruptcy for having over 50k in debt, I know a little bit about this...
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']She just said something that made me cry. Herself, being a former suicide case, decided that I was likely to do the same, and wouldn't leave me alone. I can't even cry in damn peace now without being rushed to the hospital? =/
[/quote]


So you couldnt stop crying? And you cried into the car, and where driven to the hospital... and couldnt stop a seconed to say " dont take me to the hospital"... what?

and then the weird comment about eye contact...

Emo King much.

Why not just pay it off. Stop trying to get around it. Its not that much at all. People get screwed by the hospitals for thousands upon thousands... just be happy, stop crying, take care of it.
 
[quote name='Lice']So you couldnt stop crying? And you cried into the car, and where driven to the hospital... and couldnt stop a seconed to say " dont take me to the hospital"... what?

and then the weird comment about eye contact...

Emo King much.

Why not just pay it off. Stop trying to get around it. Its not that much at all. People get screwed by the hospitals for thousands upon thousands... just be happy, stop crying, take care of it.[/quote]

Posts like yours are so useful and bring so much information into this forum. I think I might just go look at your other recent posts and read them just to gain a bit of knowledge from you.

No need to be an asshole about it.

@ OP - Just pay it off. Saving up the money for your debt shouldn't be that hard.
 
As for paying it in one lump sum Vs. slowly: When you're ready to start paying, you can set up a payment plan with them to let them know how much you plan on sending them. Even $20 a month will keep them off your back.

Any hospital will tell you that so long as you're paying something, that's better than nothing, however they probably won't tell you that your account will still be sent to a "3rd party hospital repayment center" (suspiciously close to a collection agency, but they'll usually claim they're not).
 
To clarify... Checking your own credit report/score does not result in a hard inquiry. You can check your report/score however many times you damn well please and it will not have a negative effect.
 
[quote name='DarkRider23']@ OP - Just pay it off. Saving up the money for your debt shouldn't be that hard.[/quote]

Thank you for your insightful information. Being i told him the same thing you are just reiterating what everyone else said. Very helpful. I questioned and summed up the crazy situation that was played out in here, and if thats being an ass I shall continue.

He got his answer within the first few posts, and in cag tradition, pg 2 turns to asshattery. Thank you for participating.
 
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