Step 1
Contact Your Bank or Checking Account Provider: Contact your bank or checking account provider and request that they send a copy of your report to you. Most banks will be happy to do so as they want you to see what they’re seeing before approving new lines of credit. Do not apply for a new credit card or line of credit without first seeing how your report looks! It is wise to contact them in advance of requesting a report, as they may take up to 3 days (or longer) to review and respond. Once you have received their response, carefully review each section – it should highlight both positive and negative accounts, loans, collections/bankruptcies/judgments/tax liens, as well as hard inquiries.
Step 2
Call Raymour and Flanigan’s headquarters to find out what credit bureau do Raymour and Flanigan use. It should be pretty easy to find a number if you google Raymour and Flanigan headquarters phone numbers or something similar. If it’s not on their website, it’ll probably be online elsewhere – but only if they have a public relations department. Most big companies do these days, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one. Once you have the number for that department, give them a call! (Most company PR departments will let anyone call in, not just members of the press). If the credit bureau Raymour and Flanigan use is Equifax (which is highly likely), then ask them how many complaints they get each year regarding damaged furniture or incorrect information appearing on their reports. It might seem like there are numerous complaints every day, but realize that millions of people get their reports each year; chances are most of them were probably filed by mistake – but many are also legitimate!
Step 3
Getting Approved for a Mortgage When You Have Bad Credit: If you have bad credit, or no credit at all, obtaining a mortgage might seem impossible. But it’s not—if you know what to do and who to talk to. In fact, most lending institutions are eager to work with people with good income potential who need a helping hand (or two). With bad credit or no credit history, there are some extra steps you’ll need to take when applying for a mortgage, including establishing proof of your employment income by producing bank statements and pay stubs for several months. Additionally, if you’ve had any foreclosures or bankruptcies in your past financial history, lenders will want to see evidence that these debts have been paid off before they issue a new loan. For more information on how to get approved for a mortgage if you have bad credit, look into programs such as SBA loans and FHA loans. Both programs allow high-risk borrowers (i.e., those with low-to-no credit scores) to obtain mortgages through special funding programs offered by their respective agencies; however, private mortgage companies offer products similar in nature so check around before settling on an option just because we mentioned it here.
Step 4
Apply for a credit card, preferably with rewards attached. Rewards help you save money in several ways, while also helping you build credit history and a stellar payment record. Use your new card responsibly, which means making payments on time, avoiding cash advances, and keeping your spending below 30% of your total available credit line. Within six months to a year of opening your account, you’ll be building up an impressive credit history that could land you much better interest rates on loans for cars or houses down the road. And remember: Avoid opening new accounts willy-nilly; there’s some evidence to suggest that applying for too many cards in a short period of time can actually hurt rather than help your score. Generally speaking, keep it to one new account every six months or so.
Step 5
Find out what credit bureau they use to check their potential employees’ credit, then find that same bureau’s website.
You can often get someone on their customer service hotline who will tell you what bureau they use. If not, do a little research to find out which agency uses VantageScore as its scoring system—this is your best bet. Next, go on that site and look up your score; if it’s 640 or above then you’re pretty much set (you could try applying at another furniture store).
Once you know which agency they use, send them an email inquiring about a job opening at Raymour & Flanigan: just ask for an application, which you’ll send in with a letter of introduction briefly outlining why you’re interested in working there.
Should You Contact Other Credit Bureaus?
When it comes to your credit score, you have multiple avenues for obtaining information. While you’re most likely familiar with your credit report from one of three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), many people are unaware that there are several other agencies out there that collect data about your financial history. Among these is Dun & Bradstreet, which compiles data related to business practices; ChexSystems, which keeps tabs on checking account records; and Innovis, which processes applications for international passports. Think you’ve been wrongly accused of fraud? You can request a copy of an Innovis report as well as Equifax reports containing information on civil judgments against you.
