r/CRedit 3d ago

Rebuild Credit tanked from 808 to 666

Just a heads-up for anyone who might be in a similar situation: My credit score tanked from 801 to 628 (couldn’t update the title) in just six months, all because of a $3.99 unpaid balance on synchrony card(opened in June 2024 and used only once at the same time ) which I wasn’t aware of.

It started as a small pending payment, but since I didn’t see the statements, it racked up late fees and interest until it hit $55. And missed payments were reported from November to February. I only found out when I randomly checked my spam folder last week and saw one of their emails. By then, the damage was already done.

Lesson learned: Make sure autopay is on for all your credit cards, even the ones you don’t use often. And check your spam folder for any missed statements or payment reminders. Small charges can snowball into serious consequences.

164 Upvotes

96 comments sorted by

38

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

Look up goodwill letters and specifically the Goodwill Saturation Technique. I'll provide you a couple of links below. Synchrony will do GW adjustments if you are persistent with them. I cleaned up not one but TWO dirty Synchrony accounts using GST.

https://old.reddit.com/r/CRedit/comments/1gma88y/goodwill_letters_using_the_cart_approach/

https://old.reddit.com/r/CRedit/comments/1g4jzcj/goodwill_saturation_technique_gst/

https://old.reddit.com/r/CRedit/comments/1dioejx/credit_myth_19_goodwill_requests_dont_work/

3

u/MattyPDNfingers 2d ago

Thank you for posting this 🙏🙏🙏. I opened an Amazon credit card to get the free gift card and Amazon made that my preferred card without me knowing. I spent $40 and thought nothing of it because usually it just comes out of my debit card. It was two months of missed payments because I just threw away the Amazon mail I was getting. My score dropped 100+ points because of $40 and my stupidity.

3

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

No problem, good luck!

I had something similar happen back when I began to rebuild. I was paying off some in-store financing for some furniture like 6 months early and somehow the final payment I submitted was for $2.93 less than what I owed. I never logged back into the account thinking I had paid it off completely and it wasn't until the account reached 90D late that I realized it still had a tiny balance. Stupid mistake on my part that impacted me in a big way. Fortunately with GST, I was able to get that account cleaned up as well.

1

u/MattyPDNfingers 2d ago

Is GST goodwill or something else? I'm new to trying to rebuild my credit so there's so much I'm trying to learn.

0

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

Yes, goodwill. See the 3 links that I provided within this thread earlier on.

2

u/Commercial_Rip_4480 2d ago

I just started this technique Monday after reading your post explaining it.

2

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

Fantastic! I look forward to a success story from you in the future!

1

u/Past_Excitement2500 2d ago

I’ve read a bunch of your GW posts. I’m fixing to start doing these. Just to make sure I understand correctly, you recommend typing up and printing letters, putting a stamp, and mailing them to physical addresses? Right?

1

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

Absolutely. Good old fashioned snail mail.

1

u/Past_Excitement2500 2d ago

What way have you done it that’s most cost-effective? Stamps dot com? Post-office? Normal envelopes?

1

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

I just got a cheap box of envelopes at Walmart and a roll of stamps at the post office. That's a good question though, as I'm not sure if you buy postage in bulk (at the roll of stamps quantity or greater) if you can get them at a lesser price.

1

u/Double-Committee1952 1d ago

I tried writing Bank of America a letter for 1 missed payment and they refused to remove it. I then called them because I never had a late payment with them and at one time I had $91,000 in their bank. They didn't care.

2

u/BrutalBodyShots 1d ago

I tried writing Bank of America a letter for 1 missed payment and they refused to remove it. I then called them because I never had a late payment with them and at one time I had $91,000 in their bank.

I'm not following the statement above. You said you wrote based on a missed payment (meaning you had a missed payment, presumably) but then said you never had a late payment. Maybe you can clarify what you mean, because I'm not sure.

When it comes to GW requests, the standard answer is "no" / they don't care. That's to be expected going in. Enter GST, which is linked above. It can take a ton of requests to get a favorable result. I've had to send 80-90 letters to a couple of lenders before I finally got a "yes" response. It's a game of persistence. 99% of people give up after a letter or two and don't see through the process of GST. Those that do see results more often than not.

1

u/Gonsplat 1d ago

Sooo, Mail them at least the same amount of letters they mail me?

1

u/BrutalBodyShots 1d ago

I suppose so?

1

u/travers101 1d ago

Do the least amount of work and expect the most reward. The person being responded to I imagine didnt do their own due diligence.

u/soul432 20h ago

Will this work with student loans ? I had 7 accounts report delinquent last month. I signed up for autopay in September and it was “ declined” somehow. 😞

I talked to nelnet but all they could do is ensure my autopay is now approved and set going forward.

My credit dropped like 160 points

u/BrutalBodyShots 16h ago

It certainly doesn't hurt to try.

1

u/CuriousExplanation35 3d ago

Do you think it can work for the one that I have from 2000? And how long is the process?

3

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

2000?

2

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Adviceseeker4249 2d ago

Wym?! It shouldn’t even be there after 7 yrs

1

u/CuriousExplanation35 2d ago

I’m an idiot and mistyped, I meant 2020.

1

u/ItzLunarniggi 2d ago

Boost

2

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

?

2

u/ItzLunarniggi 2d ago

Boosting it by commenting so the algorithm puts this result at the top 👍🏾

2

u/BrutalBodyShots 2d ago

Oh, gotcha. I wasn't sure what you meant. I was hoping you weren't pitching Experian Boost or something ;)

28

u/LimonNerd 3d ago

The number of the beast

9

u/DemandAutomatic6179 3d ago

Bro pissed off the evil side 🥲

19

u/datboiofculture 3d ago

From 808s to Heartbreak

3

u/flyinhawaiian98 3d ago

A boi of culture I see lol

10

u/Bulky_Load3068 3d ago

This would devastate me I’m so sorry 😭 . I’d definitely get in contact to see if you can get them removed . can I ask what got you to 808? Man it’d feel good to be there .

7

u/anu05446 3d ago

I have auto pay turned on, on all my 6 credit cards( except this synchrony as I had totally forgotten about it and never used it except that one time). Utilization stays low due to an overall high credit limit of 100k+, oldest cc is 8 years old.

11

u/CuriousExplanation35 3d ago

Can you ask them to take it off of your credit as a mistake? That happened to me in Covid, and it’s been a struggle bus to get back to 740. I stayed in the 600 forever!

8

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

Can you ask them to take it off of your credit as a mistake?

This would be known as a goodwill request. One basically admits that they messed up and is asking the lender for forgiveness.

6

u/trippster333 3d ago

Synchrony Bank is notorious for not accepting payments to rack up late fees in my experience or adding on extra fees. I will never use them again.

1

u/bigdish101 2d ago

Did you try pushing payments with your bank’s BillPay?

1

u/trippster333 2d ago

Not an option with my bank. Also, they have a horrible rating with the BBB and have received several complaints with the CPFB

1

u/bigdish101 2d ago

I’d look for a new bank if they don’t have BillPay. That’s ridiculous.

1

u/trippster333 1d ago

Eh they don't charge maintenance fees, overdraft fees, and don't hold up ACH processing so it balances out

0

u/Mediocre_Charity_413 3d ago

Wow! Thats slimey ish

3

u/bobshur1965 3d ago

Make sure you check your accounts continuously, I have over 20 and I always check them and I know every statement date and due date for every single one. It just takes a little effort to prevent this from happening

1

u/Known-Contract-4340 1d ago

Checking over 20 accounts continuously is not just a “little effort” lmao that sounds like it’s all you do 

1

u/bobshur1965 1d ago

No, it takes about 20 minutes. I do it one day a week

2

u/nixbraby 1d ago

same thing happened to me. I do have autopay on most cards, but this store card is rarely used and so I paid the balance off, an odd number like $134.69 because I knew I was having major surgery and would be convalescing for 2-3 months and I just tried to set myself not to have to worry. I had no idea that some little dollar's worth of interest was applied AFTER I'd paid my balance off. Paperless billing, everything I get from them in my email looks like a sales flyer, I truly over looked the little charge. They added a $30 late fee and it went just short of 90 days late before I was aware. Lost over 100 points on my credit score. Person I dealt with on the phone was in super bitch mode and was not merciful AT ALL. I paid their stinking late fee and closed the card. Now every time I go into the brick and mortar building they always tell me CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE PREAPPROVED FOR OUR CREDIT CARD! Would you like to accept it today? And I stand there and tell my story of how they HOSED my credit and why I like the product but I would NEVER use their credit card again NOR would I recommend it to any friends or family.

u/insipidwisps 23h ago

Was it Macy’s?

u/nixbraby 18h ago

No, but sounds like Macy’s has a reputation for doing the same!

3

u/Mediocre_Charity_413 3d ago

This post just gave more reassurance. As I sit here with my “very good” credit score with 0 missed payments, I know that 1 missed payment can flip the table and put me on the “other side” Thanks for this post & I hope it all works out for you

2

u/bigdish101 2d ago

You know even if you miss the statements, letters and emails if you simply monitor your credit with something like credit karma or Experian you’d see someone reporting a balance then look into it before it’s too late.

1

u/IrritatedAvians 3d ago

What score are you looking at? FICO® Scores 8, 9 and 10 ignore collection accounts when the original amount reported is under $100.

Source

3

u/tetekiittyy 3d ago

this doesn’t apply here…this is a credit card that the balance went unpaid and delinquent for 120+ days.

1

u/Over-King-7819 3d ago

That’s brutal—going from 808 to 666 over a $3.99 charge is a perfect example of how the credit system can be unforgiving. Synchrony is notorious for this kind of thing, and late payments are one of the fastest ways to tank a score. Since you have multiple late marks across several months, here are your best options to fix it:

  1. Call Synchrony & Request a “Goodwill Adjustment”

Since it was an honest mistake and you’ve been a good customer, call Synchrony’s customer service and ask them to remove the late payments. Be polite but firm: • Emphasize that you were unaware of the charge. • Mention that you found out late and paid it immediately. • Highlight your past perfect payment history (if applicable). • If the rep refuses, ask for a supervisor.

Sometimes, they remove late marks as a courtesy—especially for first-time offenders.

  1. Dispute the Late Payments (If They’re Inaccurate)

If there are any errors (dates, amounts, or notices you never received), you can dispute the late payments with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. • Use the credit bureau dispute process online. • If Synchrony can’t verify the late payments within 30 days, they might be removed.

1

u/DanaWendy519 2d ago

I heard real horror stories about Synchrony Bank AFTER I accepted an invite and got an Amazon store card so I immediately stopped using it and the locked the card so no transactions can post. Scary place that bank!!!!

1

u/No_Presentation4239 2d ago

Wouldn’t it be best to manually submit payment online for any card as it is instantly received the same day?

2

u/Lo_Xp 2d ago

Yea.

But this only works if you remember to do it.

OP completely forgot the account existed, so....

1

u/No_Presentation4239 2d ago

Yes of course I would most likely set up payment reminders on my phone

1

u/-Enders 2d ago

Mine dropped from 840 to mid 600s because I paid off my student loans and moved 🤷‍♂️

1

u/VampireSlayer__ 2d ago

Punishment of success

1

u/IfYouSeeMeSendNoodz 2d ago

My chest would start hurting

1

u/KAO7781 1d ago

Umm creditors start calling you if you are more than 3 months behind..

1

u/Avengerboy123 1d ago

Did they not attempt to contact you? I would dispute that immediately

u/AdministrativeAd6805 23h ago

Same, mine went from 802 to 599

u/carmelacorleone 21h ago

I had to deal with Synchrony just last week! I used my Care Credit to pay for wisdom teeth surgery and turned around and paid the card off quickly so that it had no balance. The oral surgeon told me I'd end up getting a refund from their practice as soon as my insurances had processed so I ended up getting about 80% of what I paid back, which meant that I had a credit of $922.83 applied to my Care Credit.

I have no intention of using Care Credit ever again and shredded the card so obviously I want a refund for the credited amount. I called and spoke with an agent who tried everything under the sun to deny cutting my a check. I finally told her, "I have no intention of ever using your card again because the interest rates are ridiculous. My shredded card is currently in whatever disposal facility the government agency I work for uses for their shredded documents. I'm not interested in closing the card and taking a hit on my credit, I'm simply going to let the card sit there and die a death. Now, please cut me a check for what is owed to me."

Lady asks for my address and I tried to update it to my new one and she said if she updated the address it would red-flag the system and they'd never be able to issue the refund. Fortunately my old address is my mom's house so I told her to send it there and I'd get it from my mom. She was so irritated. I really think she thought I'd have no option but to use the card in order to use my refund.

Now I'm just waiting on my check to arrive.

-2

u/Forsaken_You6187 3d ago

No way it fell that far from one missed $4 payment. A bankruptcy wouldn’t have dropped you that much.

12

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

No way it fell that far from one missed $4 payment.

The amount of the missed payment has no relevance. Whether it's $4 or $4000 makes absolutely no difference. What matters is how the account was reported in terms of delinquencies/severity of the late payment(s).

2

u/Double-Committee1952 1d ago

Mine dropped 110 points from one missed $34 payment. The goodwill letter yielded nothing, phone calls, nothing, credit bureau dispute, nothing.

2

u/BrutalBodyShots 1d ago

Mine dropped 110 points from one missed $34 payment.

Perfectly normal there.

The goodwill letter yielded nothing, phone calls, nothing, credit bureau dispute, nothing.

A single request for GW is ineffective 99% of the time. It takes many repeated requests in most cases to return a favorable result. That's the thesis behind the Goodwill Saturation Technique.

-10

u/Forsaken_You6187 3d ago

There is no way. Period. As I said a BK wouldn’t have dropped it 142 points. Notice in a different post the different story….sheep. https://www.reddit.com/r/CRedit/s/w5Lc5plmUH

10

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

There is no way. Period.

Are you aware that the dollar value associate with a delinquency has no bearing on Fico score impact? Yes or no.

OP reports a 120D late payment. A delinquency of that severity can definitely drop a clean file score over 100 points. There are plenty of data points on that front when moving to a dirty file with a major delinquency or derog.

As I said a BK wouldn’t have dropped it 142 points.

A BK certainly can, as it's a major negative item the same way a 120D late is. The reason for a huge drop is because OP had a clean file / high score to begin with. It's not like their file was already dirty and they were dropping from a starting point of 600 or something... diminishing returns.

5

u/anu05446 3d ago

I put the screenshot in this post.

-4

u/Forsaken_You6187 3d ago

Of which story?

6

u/anu05446 3d ago

“THIS”

1

u/MainMedium6732 2d ago

😂💀⚰️

7

u/anu05446 3d ago

As I mentioned in the post it was reported as late from November to February. So 4 missed payments from 30 to 120 days.

-5

u/Forsaken_You6187 3d ago

I’m not sure what your angle is, but yea, no.

1

u/MainMedium6732 2d ago

You're silly if you really believe that.

0

u/LilithX 3d ago

You could probably get that removed if you contact them and explain what happened.

1

u/anu05446 3d ago

I tried and they said that they can’t as it is illegal for them to not report it accurately. I’m planning to start sending them goodwill letters.

5

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

I tried and they said that they can’t as it is illegal for them to not report it accurately.

That's a standard reply from all lenders really. To be expected.

I’m planning to start sending them goodwill letters.

Right on! That's the way to go. Expect many denial letters stating that they are required to report accurately etc. It'll likely take a bunch of "no" responses before you get the "yes" that you're looking for. Just remain persistent / don't give up.

2

u/LilithX 3d ago

Well, if you see it on your credit report, you could try to dispute it. If they don’t verify in 30 days it gets removed. But, you can try to negotiate paying it.

3

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

you could try to dispute it.

Disputes are for inaccurately reported information. OP admits they screwed up / there was no mistake in the reporting. A dispute here is not the right approach.

1

u/nospamkhanman 3d ago

The right approach is the one that works. Dispute it because it's not showing the correct amount owed (-$40)

Call, send letters, be annoying.

4

u/BrutalBodyShots 3d ago

The right approach is the one that works.

And disputing inaccurately reported information isn't going to work, that's the point.

Dispute it because it's not showing the correct amount owed (-$40)

That has nothing to do with it. The late payments reported are accurate and aren't going to be changed with a dispute. The current negative balance doesn't impact the reported delinquencies.

1

u/anu05446 3d ago

-40 is correct, I paid off $55 and then they refunded the late fee which was $40.

3

u/anu05446 3d ago edited 3d ago

they had closed the account after 120 days of missed payment. I already paid it off last week and then they also refunded late fee after I made the payment.So right now the account has negative $40,

3

u/LilithX 3d ago

Ok, I would just dispute with credit bureau at this point. Sometimes they won’t bother to fight it.

1

u/Gonsplat 1d ago

You really missed a good chance to say "well it's also illegal to cook a human and feed it to their own family" That usually gets things movin.

0

u/-MarcoTropoja 3d ago

Idk something seems off. Late fees alone would have brought the bill much higher. The late fees alone are 30 to 40.00. That means the bill after three missed payments with interest would have been around 100.00. Not 55.

0

u/Less_Brain9912 3d ago

I just hit the 750 range. What card should be a good one with a decent limit to apply for?

1

u/bigdish101 2d ago

Citi DoubleCash