On 61308 on my way out of town I stopped at the WAMU Visalia Branch 9402 and paid my mortgage (0614783777) with my Wells Fargo check 7084 in the amount of 2400. I received a receipt in the amount of 2400 and left to go out of town. At the time I made my payment I had over 50,000 in the Portfolio Account associated with the checking account where the check was drawn.
On Saturday, 71208 I received a threatening letter (dated 792008) from the above company division indicating I owed 4586.62. On Monday 71408 I went into the WAMU bank where I had made my payment. The Assistant Bank Manager, Saeeda Lokhandawala, saeeda.lokhandwala@wamu.net made several calls regarding the problem. Said the check had gone through my bank for 24.00 instead of 2400.00. Because of a mistake on the written out portion of the check. She said the bank teller should have caught it, but she would lose her job if anyone found out. She told me not to worry about the letter that these letters were automatically generated and that I did not need to call them as she had better phone numbers than I would. I paid her 4800.00 on that day. She indicated that she would have to put the checks through one at a time otherwise it would show as a payment on the principal of the loan instead of the payment. She told me not to worry.
The letter said that 'unless within 30 days after receiving this communication you notify us that this debt, or some portion of it, is disputed, it will be assumed by us to be valid'. I went into the branch and notified WAMU that I had paid 2400 and disputed the letter on July 14, 2008 within 2 days of receiving the letter. In addition, when I found out an error had been made with respect to the amount collected from my check written on June 13th I paid 4800 immediately on July 14th.
She could see that I consistently paid my account 2400 and that it was a 'harmless mistake'. In any case the payment was made prior to 30 days. I have a receipt for the 2nd payment on 71408.
On August 22, 2008 I received a letter declining my application for a corporate mileage credit card. After research I found that WAMU had reported me 30 days late to the credit bureaus. It was the only negative on my credit report. I havehad a credit score of over 750 (December 2007) and now 734.
On August 22, 2008 I immediately went to the bank assistant again at the same WAMU branch. This time she said she didn't have to do anything to help me but she would. She sent a letter asking that the 30 day report be removed from my credit report but would not give me a copy or disclose what the letter said. She also said that she would not write the letter if the teller had not left the bank as it would result in her losing her job. But because the teller was gone she would write the letter. Instead of writing the letter about the teller error she wrote a letter that I made an innocent mistake. Because of that my request to have my credit repaired was declined again.
On August 28, 2008 I applied for credit in a store and was declined again. When I called the credit department they said it was due to the report by WAMU for being 30 days late (just the one time). It was the only negative on my report. I called the Assistant Manager again. She said her request to their credit department was declined (they would not remove the 30 day report on my credit). She also indicated that she would appeal it. Her appeal was denied on August 28 and when she called me she told me she had exhausted her efforts to help me. She tried to tell me that she had helped me when she didn't have to do anything at all. In other words she started changing her story about what actually had happened. . . that she had told me there would be no problem and that she had taken care of everything. I believe she did not tell the truth in her letter for fear of losing her job.
First, I was not 30 days late. I paid my mortgage on time and I always do. Their erroneous report is affecting my ability to do business
On August 28th I called the Service Quality Management Executive Office 800-225-5497 and talked to Eddie. I explained to him what had happened. He said no problem he would call the Atlanta Office immediately and get it cleared up and return my call as soon as he heard from them. On September 2nd he called at 5:21pm from 818-775-8503 indicating that my claim had been denied because 'the reporting agencies would have required that it had been a bank error and it was not a bank error'. He was very rude and pretty much hung up on me indicating there was nothing I could do further. In my opinion, it was a bank error as I have never paid 24.00 on my mortgage and would have never paid 24.00 on my mortgage, the bank teller knew I did not pay 24.00, I have a receipt for 2400.00.
WAMU also does not allow people who do not have a checking account with them to pay their mortgage payments online which because I am constantly traveling is how I pay most of my bills. I believe this to be an unfair practice.
I also believe being reported to a credit bureau after having shown a receipt for a 2400.00 payment on time and paying it again within 30 days when the bankcheck error surfaced is also an unfair practice.
I trusted the bank teller, the assistant manager to pay the amount I had indicated. I was completely unaware that although everyone who reviewed my check knew that my mortgage payment was more than 24 and that I had been given a receipt for 2400.00 that they would be able to change my directive for the amount to be deducted from my checking account. I believe this is criminal.
It prevents me from refinancing or having any options with respect to credit. I have disputed the credit report '30 day late' information with Equifax, Experian, and Transunion Credit Bureaus. I have filed complaints with the BBB, OCC, FTC, CA Attorney General, and still going.
