Needing Advice - sorry so LONG!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2006
Needing Advice - sorry so LONG!
4
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 12:34am

before i even start, i should let you know that i am bawling my eyes out right now! i'm sorry in advance if this gets rather long.. i just need to vent. there's nothing really anyone can do. everything's my fault. i just need some P&PT please.

on a good note, DH and i have finally been seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with our finances. we have almost all of them under control at this point and are no longer feeling so overwhelmed by little inconveniences. but today, i opened a letter saying that an old cell phone account that i had 6 months ago is now delinquent.. and i owe $425 that must be paid in full by the end of the month. apparently, the account has been turned over to a 'collection agency' of some sort. ok. i understand what the bill is for: i won't lie and say that i didn't know that i owed the cell phone co money; but i definately did not know it was that much.

in aug 2005, i knew my cell phone bill was going to be more than usual, but i had every intention to pay it. well, then, the hurricane happened. and i still had a new orleans number (from where i never switched it after moving to this city earlier that year). well, b/c all of the towers in new orleans were destroyed, i had no service with my new orleans number for 2+ weeks (no telling how long if i would have stayed with that number). well, i was unhappy with the co anyway, so i decided i would sign a contract with a different co and deal with the big bill after things from the hurricane 'calmed down'. i knew it wasn't the best decision, but i wasn't sure WHAT i should do really. i also was thinking that if i didn't pay the bill, the only thing they'd really do is cut my phone off until i did pay it. first mistake.

then, DH and i moved into a our own apt the next month and i never even thought to have that account's address changed. second mistake. i did not receive bills or overdue notices or anything to really even bring it to mind. the only reason i know NOW is b/c our old roomie came over LAST night for the FIRST time since we moved out and she brought all of the mail with her. third mistake for not calling or going over to check for mail like this.

so, now this money is due.. and it's going to cause a *serious* strain. and i'm lost over what i can do.. we are already cutting corners everywhere to make the other bills managable.

and to make matters worse, along with the other mail my old roomie decided to bring over, i found that i am past-due on a Target credit card ($195.00) that i didn't even know i had! i think i remember *applying* for one like a year ago.. but i never remember actually having a card. i called the target people and they said that i probably used it the day i applied to get my whatever-percentage-off of my first purchase. well, i asked how i could pay the balance off and cancel it.. and they said that i would HAVE to have either the card or the account number to do that! that doesn't make sense! i can't even access the account to PAY the bill? i'm scared it's affecting my credit line! does anyone know how that works?

i feel okay about paying the target bill. DH and I can each pay 1/2, and that problem *could* be taken care of by the first of next week. but the cell phone bill is so stressful.

and if things couldn't be worse, i still have to call my current cell phone co about my $352 bill due this month! omg, i'm aweful with phones. i have spoken to a customer sales rep there and she said that if my credit is okay, i can be set up for mini-payments on that bill. i think i can deal with that one, too.. if my credit is still okay and the mini-bills really are MINI-bills..

regardless, i still feel horrid right now. i cannot stop crying. i know that doesn't help matters, but ALL of this was and is completely MY fault.. it is just so overwhelming when you've been struggling for some time, then finally reach a point where you're 'okay', and then BAM! 3 things like this -in a row- happen..

does anyone have any advice/words of encouragement? i need all of it i can get.

PS. DH actually received a gracious tax return 2 days ago, so we could actually afford to pay the $425 bill to the old cell phone co.. but that money was supposed to be put into a savings account for us when i am on *unpaid* maternity leave for 6 weeks (and we will need that money badly i fear). should we just pay the bill and get it out of the way or should we live for today and worry about my unpaid leave when the time comes?




Edited 3/12/2006 1:00 am ET by kara_b2006
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 12:58am

Hi Kara. I know it's late and there aren't a lot of people on the boards right now. Times like this - when it's late at night, you are in the last trimester of pregnancy, you are uncomfortable, and it all seems like an avalanche has crushed down on you that all you can do is cry.

That's ok Kara. Crying is good. Cry until you can't cry any longer, splash some cool water on your face and pat it dry, fix a cup of tea, sit down and take a deep breath. You are ok. You are healthy. You have your family and your friends and the promise of the future plus a precious baby on the way. All good things to make you smile.

Target. Who knows what in the world is up with that. Contest it. State you have no records to verify the account is yours. This is a legitimate and legal reply just for situations like yours. They will provide you with copies in their records and you can take it from there. Just tell them you were in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina effected area and you have no records. Put the ball back in their court and they will promptly fork over documents. Now keep in mind errors occur and it just might not be yours. So don't fret over it. Let Target know your situation, request they provide copies and they shall. That will take a few weeks. In the mean time let it go. Exhale. It's not worth frettng over.

Cell phone with the mini payments. That's manageable. Let them give you a repayment plan and take it from there.

Cell phone in your father's name is not going to cause him damage nor does it seem it will hammer your credit since you are not the owner of the account. Again, let this company know your records are gone, you have been impacted by the natural disaster and they should be able to work with you.

I went through a federally declared natural disaster in December 2003 and all creditors were generous in working with those households that were impacted. But you MUST let them know your situation. Once they are aware you were in an effected area that should open some opportunities to you. You still have to pay your debt but you might be able to negotiate a lesser amount or get the interest canceled so it doesn't compound problems.

Not bad all in all. You'll make it through this. The bills just popped up together and you are not at your best right now. A combination that will reduce many to tears. That's ok. You are only human and have done the best you can. Accidents and errors occur. That's why they aren't called an "on purpose."

Chin up sweetie.

Carolyn

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 6:11am
Kara - I totally agree with Carolyn.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-1999
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 6:14am
WOW! What a time for all of this to happen.... I think the one thing I would look at is what is going to work best for you in the long run. Will it be easier to live with less during maternity leave and get the cell phone bill off your record or perhaps spread the money around to convince creditors to cut you some slack until after the baby is born? Only you know that. The Target thing is questionable. They should be able to produce the records. If they are sending a notice about the card, they know what account any payments would apply to. I would at the very least file a formal complaint with everyone and God on this one if you truely believe you never applied for the card. In this day of identity theft it is not unreasonable to expect to see copies of the documents you signed.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2006
Sun, 03-12-2006 - 11:08am

thanks to everyone for your responses. i really appreciate all of it. i cannot imagine having to turn to anyone else.

well, after worrying myself sick over the situation, i finally decided to get out of bed and come up with as many ideas as possibly to get this stuff paid off as QUICKLY as possible so that i don't have to worry about it. so, i grabbed a pen, paper, and calculator and created a bill checklist and budget so that i could really *see* where my money is going. and once i put all the numbers down on paper, along with my typical bi-weekly salaries, the situation is not SO bad.

i get paid on the 15th (my paychecks are a month behind), and after examing the calendar extensively, i've found that *this* paycheck will be the one will all of my OT on it. (an extra $300) so i am going to pay the old cell phone co in full first thing on the 16th. it will still set me back (in my budget) $124, but i will get my paycheck from my second job on the 17th which should more than make up for that loss.

then, i am going to go ahead and pay off the $193.49 Target bill and cancel the card on the 20th. that will set me back to pay for my car note this month, but i have worked it out with DH that if he is willing to pull $200 from the *unpaid maternity leave funds* to pay that towards my car, i *should* be able to put that money back at the end of april ( and still before my leave).

last but not least, i have written an email to my Dear Mother to see if she is willing to put $100 towards my new cell phone bill ($319.78). if she does that, i can still pay my typical $58.02 and DH can pay $61.76 to bring us to an even balance of $100. and i can *hopefully* get that split into 2 $50/mo mini-payments. together DH and i should be able to afford that.

it will be tight, but i think this is the best way. i want this debt out of my budget ASAP!! thank you all for not being judgmental about us bringing a baby into a situation like ours. i know things are going to get better (in SO many ways, they already are). and it should be comforting for everyone to know that i'm absolutely positive that i will NEVER make these same mistakes again..

-kara