General Credit Topics

[senseidab]

I had a collection account listed on my equifax report 6/06. Collection agency continues to report this as a paid collection.  Original Creditor gave me documentation that my account has been reprortrd to collection in error. 4x certified letter with evidence sent to equifax re-investigated and still remains on my report.  Can anyone give me a suggestion?  TY

[okrogius]

Mind elaborating on what "documentation that my account has been reprortrd to collection in error" is? If the OC erroneously sells an account to a CA, it's still CA's account.

[senseidab]

 Letter from OC states that account was reported in error due to divore dispute and change of address. TY

[scorebig]

Divorce decrees do not release you from a binding contract, however; I have seen items deleted from credit reports when you use the " Not mine" option and include that it is your ex-spouse's debt.

I think your tactic has failed because you dispute that it is a collection, whether paid or not it's still a collection and once verified it will remain on your report. Try the dispute above, all they can say is no.

One other note, use the online dispute- no paperwork required and I have removed items this way that belong to my ex-spouse.Also, anything less than 2 years old is hard to remove because they still have proof on file. Usually creditors archive or get rid of paperwork after 2 years and will not bother to verify that it is your account.

[okrogius]

"Try the dispute above, all they can say is no.

One other note, use the online dispute- no paperwork required and I have removed items this way that belong to my ex-spouse.Also, anything less than 2 years old is hard to remove because they still have proof on file. Usually creditors archive or get rid of paperwork after 2 years and will not bother to verify that it is your account."

Using "not mine" is generally a bad choice as it may lead to the CRA inserting fraud alerts on all of your reports, which may be an extra hassle to remove.

Using online disputes is even worse idea - don't do the CRA's job for them. In fact with an online dispute they very frequently just check that the item is indeed in their own database and verify that based on that, without ever contacting the person reporting this.

[HouseHunter]

It is my understanding that since you paid off the account, everything refreshes to the date of last activity by you.  It would seem it's just a matter of if/when the CA reports it again. 

I could be wrong because I'm as new as new can be to all of this stuff.  However, as I stated in a previous post in another thread, a friend of a friend is a lender and she advises not to pay off old stuff because it is new account activity and could remain for another 7 years.  Which I take to mean that if you make an agreement or make any form of payment, it changes the Statute of Limitations to the date the agreement or payment was made.

[Brammy]

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senseidab wrote:

 i recently disputed a collection account on my equifax report. I have a letter from the original creditor stating that my account was referred to collection in error.  Equifax continues to verify my account with the collection agency not the creditor.....It's been a nightmare  any advise?

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Send the letter to Equifax with dispute.  If you've already done so advise the CA that you have the letter forward a copy of letter to CA advise them that you will be contacting the FTC to resolve the matter for you. Give them 30 days to remove and request something in writing stating that it will be removed.

Contact the FTC make your complaint againt the CA they will probably ask you forward all info. let them know about the letter you have

Make all written correspondance return receipt cert mail..

[okrogius]

"

Send the letter to Equifax with dispute.  If you've already done so advise the CA that you have the letter forward a copy of letter to CA advise them that you will be contacting the FTC to resolve the matter for you. Give them 30 days to remove and request something in writing stating that it will be removed.

Contact the FTC make your complaint againt the CA they will probably ask you forward all info. let them know about the letter you have

Make all written correspondance return receipt cert mail.."

Primary problem is that if the CA owns the account, the OC's opinion is completely irrelevant. Plus, as mentioned above, a divorce does not nullify credit obligations.

[senseidab]

The OC states in the letter that the bills were sent to wifes address and never sent to my new address.   Will the FTC help me?

[okrogius]

Unfortunately not receiving a bill doesn't change a late payment. It may sound harsh, but the report is fully accurate. Whether you get divorced does not nullify past credit obligations, which is to pay appropriate amounts on time (how you're notified, or not at all, about these obligations doesn't change them).

FTC may help to get better results, but do realize the asking nature of your request.