Sister's credit card debt affecting my parents' credit score?

[kreditkuestion]

A question coming from Vermont.

My 25 year old sister is behind on a credit card (a credit card she signed up for a few years ago, as an adult). The credit card company contacted our father and said he was signed on the account as an authorized user (this occurred without his permission, they have no paper that he signed authorizing it, and was most likely only there so he could speak to the credit card company at some point because our parents have made some payments on her card). The company said that anyone could sign anyone else up as a co-signer on an account and of course they claim they never get complaints about that policy. Really, how could they when no one even knows they were co-signed. The credit card company called him and said that if her account goes to collections he will not be contacted, but it will affect his credit score. How is that possible if they say he isn't even liable but it could still affect his credit score? Is this legal or even true? Or are they trying to scare him into making the payments for her?

 

[ShyCat]

When a credit card is reported for an authorized user, it will either benefit the authorized user (e.g., credit age, high credit limit, low balance, good payment history) or hurt their score (e.g., high balance, late payments). Once removed as an authorized user, that credit card will no longer be reported on his credit report.

Have your sister contact the credit card company to remove your father as an authorized user. Then have your father pull his credit reports and follow the dispute procedures if the card is still being reported to his credit report as an authorized user after a few weeks.

 

[Zigner]

What is the credit card?