Sheila D. writes a very eloquent letter to Target, asking for reconsideration of a Target credit card. Apparently she was denied credit, not based on her FICO score, but because she had a previous Target card that went unpaid and resulted in a charge-off in 2002.
We think.
The reason no one is sure is because Sheila doesn't recall the card or the charge-off and Target's records don't go back far enough to know what was charged. Sheila doesn't deny it's possible she could have had a card ~ she just doesn't remember. But Target does - or at least it claims to. And Target is well-known for carrying a financial grudge.
One commenter tells a story of how she bounced a check 19 years ago and Target STILL won't take a check from her. Now THAT's a long time!
With financial worries and increased rates of default being what they are, we suspect Target, like many credit card issuers, is being stricter on who gets credit cards. Perhaps the solution is for Sheila to contact Target and ask them to reinstate the charged-off amount and then pay it. That will show financial responsibility and will likely get Target's attention more than her protestations that she can't recall the charge and therefore Target must prove it.
After all, it was her responsibility at the time, not Target's.
--Contributed by Deb
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