A few people advised me to call back and explain my record and what happened, and since I've never had trouble before they should be able to take care of it for me, especially since it was not my fault.
So I called back to politely complain and got a clerk who seemed more concerned with getting off the phone than actually trying to help me. I told her I took pains to not be late and in many years of having several credit cards (with only a few hundred $ of outstanding debt, which will be gone by midsummer) I couldn't remember having any bad marks on my record. I didn't want a black mark on my record. Apparently the words "I received no electronic bill which does not get lost like postal mail can. I can't pay what I didn't get" went in one ear, through an empty skull, and right out the other. The woman paid no attention to a thing I said; going on and on about how I was 37 days late, yadda yadda, and trying to shut me up with "is that all for today?"
Oh, god forbid you actually TRY to help people who call in! I finally gave up on her. Waste of oxygen.
Anyway, I have an account with Experian that lets me check my record whenever I want. I checked it yesterday and there was no black mark on the record. Any tips with when I should check again?
P.S. - I did send a payment in, after finding out the balance and min. due - 2X the minimum payment, with the rest following it in next month - this month I picked up a semi-pricey aftermarket upgrade for my Volkswagen.