EQ DOFD is blank?

[ForceMd]

Hello MyFico,

    So, after getting the run-around trying to obtain my free credit report through annualcreditreport.com (I am currently overseas and cannot access the site) I gave up and just bought EQ's score power (FICO and CR) for $15. (I already obtained EX and TU reports via backdoors using the dispute option on each site). A couple of accounts on my EQ report show no DOFD date even though there are lates on the accounts. The accounts are now current and the last late is about 5 yrs old, but is there a reason that there is no DOFD reported? How will EQ calculate the date that the account goes positive?

    I noticed that both EX and TU give an "estimated date that this account will go positive" but they do not show a DOFD. EQ, however has a DOFD block but on the accounts in question it is either blank or it says N/A. EQ does not show an estimated date that the account will go positive.

    If I write to have this corrected, what will happen. Will EQ put the correct DOFD based on the last late, or will it be an uphill battle not worthy of fighting. Will the accounts still go positive on schedule without an accurate DOFD reporting? Any info or insight will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

[guiness56]

Your account is current.  Look in the payment history to find each late.

The only reason it is derogatory is due to the lates.  Each late will fall off 7 years from the date of occurence.  When the last one comes of it will then become a positive account again.

DoFD is used for accounts that are subsequently COd or sent to collections. They use this date to determine when it will come of your report.

The statement about the account turning positive on a certain date tells you you have lates.  If it had a DoFD, it would say something like scheduled to remain on your report until......

[RobertEG]

Reporting of a DOFD to the CRAs is not legally required until such time as the OC either charges-off the debt, or refers the debt for collection.  FCRA 623(a)(5).

DOFD is irrelevant until a CO or collection referral has occured, because the only use of the DOFD is for the CRA to have a date for calculating the required cessation of reporting of a CO or CA after the 7 years plus 180-day period set forth in FCRA 605(c).

OCs do have the capability to report the current DOFD prior to CO or collection referral, and are requested to do so while the account is open, and delinquencies occur, but are not required to do so until they do a CO or refer the account for collection.  They are provided the ability to report a DOFD on the date a first delinquency occurs on the account.  That DOFD remains as the legal DOFD of record until such time as two events occur:  (1) the delinquent account is brought back into good-standing, and (2) a new, first delinquency then occurs.  The old DOFD goes away, and the new one supercedes it.  That pattern repeats while the account remains open. However, sicne DOFD has no real meaning until such time as a CO or collection referral occurs, there is no statutory requriement for reporting DOFD while the account remains open.

Once the OC does a CO or a collection referral, then FCRA 623(a)(5) kicks in.  It requires the OC, if they reported a CO or refered the account for collection, to provide the DOFD to the CRA within 90-days of the CO or collection referral.  That is the first time that a statutory requriement for reporting DOFD applies.

Even if a DOFD has been reported to your credit file, either along the way by the OC prior to CO or collection referral, or under the compulsory requriement of FCRA 623(a)(5), many commercial consumer credit reports simply dont include posting of the reported DOFD in their credit reports.  Some will report an "estimated date of removal," but this does not permit the consumer to accurately determine the reported DOFD.  CRA estimations are based on whatever date they choose to use to cease CO or CA inclusion in their credit reports.  While the maximum statutory time for CR inclusion is 7 years plus 180-days from DOFD, they can calculate and use an earlier date, and still be in complance with the max includion date.

If your CR does not show the reported DOFD, you are entilted to request the CRA to disclose it to you. FCRA 609(a) entitles a consumer to request a CRA to disclose "all information in the consumer's file at the time of the request," which includes DOFD.  Simply send the CRA a letter under FCRA 609(a), requesting the date of the DOFD reported to them under FCRA 623(a)(5).  Requests under FCRA 609(a) require the payment of a processing fee (FCRA 612(f)), which is currently $10.50.

Unless and until the OC does a CO or a collection referral, I would not worry about the DOFD.

[ForceMd]

Thank you both for your replies. I did not know that DoFD was only relavent if the account was a CO or sent to a CA. I guess everything is in order then.