General Credit Topics

[mxp114]

EQ randomly deleted five positive/closed accounts that were due to be removed in three years. There is no way I can contact OC to get them to reinstate the TL's. I searched online and saw people have reported success getting EQ to put the old info back on but no one has identified how they achieved it and some of the threads were from 2008. Do I mail a dispute with a copy of a report from last month showing the accts I want added?

Now I know they aren't required to keep the positive accounts, so I don't need replies about the law or what's required, etc. I also don't need to be told my score will bounce back, etc. I need replies that can assist me with my specific request. I need these accounts back on the report. Thanks.

[haulingthescoreup]

I've not had any success with this, nor have I read any convincing posts by others who have. The best bet is to contact the lenders, rather than Equifax, and ask if they would resume reporting, but of course, you say that that's not possible.

Typically this happens on EQ if there have been lots (and lots) of soft inquiries, so it frequently happens with those who pull reports daily to keep an eye on things. Closed accounts get knocked off because there's not enough file space for everything. But it happens to others as well.

Good luck.

[mxp114]

Thanks, I agree. I see people have done it but none seem convincing or explain how, just that they called and got it done. I guess I will just initiate a dispute via mail and ask if they can please post those accounts back. If I have success, I will update this thread. I have about 25 softpulls that I initiated plus another 15 or so from lenders. I have heard EQ has a file limit or they split it, which is another nightmare to deal with.

[RobertEG]

When you say "due to be removed in three years," to what are you referring?  Have they, for example, been closed for 7 years?

I ask because removal of accounts by a CRA is not regulated.  It is simply their internal policy.

If they deleted prior to 7 years from closure of the accounts, you may have a basis to contest.

The subjective deletion by the CRAs should not occur prior to 7 years from closure, as their is still the possibility that derogatory items on the account have not passed their normal credit report exclusion periods, such as 7 years for monthly delinquencies and 7 1/2 yrs from DOFD for a CO or collection.  Derogatory information could still be reported after account closure.  They have no way of knowing..  The integirty of the credit reporting system mandates that any such information should be available in your credit report.  After 7-8 years, that argument mostly goes away (except for tax liens).

Maybe an equitable argument of premature deletion if less than 7-8 years from closure, but after that, kinda hard to fight a non-regulated policy.

[mxp114]

Yes the accounts were closed 7 years ago, so I was counting on them for the next three years since CRA's can report closed accts for up to 10 years. I am aware this is a goodwill situation and not a mandatory compliance issue since they can delete before the 10. Many have reported success getting very old closed accounts reinstated but no one has explained how. I will try my best for a goodwill but seems unlikely. Thanks.

[mkm77]

I've had 2 trade lines put back on that were deleted. They may have even accidentally been deleted by me! I've found out the hard way that if you dispute info on a positive account instead of correcting it, it just gets deleted.If you new what I went through to get these added back you'd rather be sentenced to hard time in a Turkish prison. Even with both creditors on board it just wasn't getting added back. Now this was with CSC that handles Equifax in Texas but its the same deal client revives will not talk to you about anything even with their client on 3 way after many many failed attempts and stalls. Nobody cared and the normal customer service where disputes are done can't help because there is nothing to dispute. Ultimately, Believe it or not, I got almost immediate response once I filed a BBB complaint. The part I failed to mention was that in both cases, the companies I had on my side whose trade lines where missing also stone walled me forever. You can't just start rotting again....that will not work. They have to "re-insert the data. It took many many calls, emails, and investigative tactics to finally reach the right person there BEFORE Equifax stalled me. The kicker? Even though they were old positive trade lines my score droped because the added accounts kicked me into a new bucketl.

[RobertEG]

On the related topic of deletion by the creditor as opposed to a CRA....

I agree that disputing information on a closed account, unless it is very significant in adverse affect, may lead to deletion, and thus loss of all credit history.

Once an account is closed and debt satisfied, the creditor does not want to take time to review water under the bridge, at no useful purpose to them.

An easy way to cut-off a current of any future FCRA dispute is to simply delete the account rather than deal with correcting any inaccuracies. 

No information of record in a consumer's file = no dispute over its accuracy.