It seems to me that there is an obsession with credit scores. If your score at any one of the three major "rating agencies" is under 700, you will be sentenced to damnation forever more. Apparently 700 is magic as far as qualifying for preferred loan rates and being looked at as a "good risk".
Because there is an obsession with the credit scores, companies use it as leverage to scare you. You know, if you don't make the payment, they will report it to the rating agencies and your score will be affected. It is the ultimate tattletale. "We will tell on you".
Where this whole issue gets a little "dicey" is when you deal with a company and you have a legitimate customer complaint. If you withhold payment (even if you are right), the company threatens to report you to the credit agency for non-payment. Normally you'd like to say "screw you, go ahead and report me". Then your brain kicks in and says "wait a moment". If I get reported, my credit score might go under 700 and it will affect all my other financial dealings. So you make a payment even though you feel it is wrong.
Grasshopper No. 1 got a bill from a direct satellite provider. It was a service she and Tom had in Wausau. The service had been cancelled when they moved to Sheboygan. She had a $3 credit coming. She never received the $3 because they never issue a check for less than $5. They did spend the money to keep sending her notice of credit. Then 9 months after cancelling the service, Grasshopper No. 1 got a bill for one month of service for $30-$40. Huh. They don't even live in Wausau anymore. How could they get a bill? I don't know all the details but it has something to do with a signed contract and agreement to automatically re-activate the service after 9 months. Talk about bullshit trickery.
So No. 1 called the direct TV service. After several calls and persistant arguments, Direct TV agreed to settle the whole deal for $10. After applying the credit of $3, No. 1 could make the whole deal go away for $7.
So now the decision comes down to "standing up for what is fair and right" or pay the lousy $7 to make the situation go away. The answer would be pretty simple except if you don't pay the $7, Direct TV will report you to the rating services and your credit score could be affected. In that case if your score falls below 700, it could affect all your other financial dealings. They will tell on you.
I don't know what No. 1 did. My guess is that she paid the $7. It ain't right. I guess it is a sign of the times.
Retribution would be to tell every person you can about the negative encounter and hope that it affects Direct TV's future business. It is called free speech. It is the consumer version of "I will tell on you". Maybe you even put it in your blog. How about that?
Love,
Dad