@Doc_Canada wrote:Hello All,
New user, first post
A little background:
I have relatively good credit, no blemishes, lates, etc...my score is 654. The only thing negative on my credit is from a final bill (that i did not receive ) from Att in 2012.
I was not under contract, nor devices with Att in sept 2012, and paid , what I thought was my final bill in on 09/14/2012. I transferred my number to Tmobile a couple days with no problem.
A couple months later I started receiving phone calls from Att stating I owed them $101. I ignored them because I felt I had paid them and there was no contract, so they were incorrect.
2 years later I'm in the process of buying a home and the degrogatory is still on my credit (surprise). I called att and they explained that the bill was not prorated for the 4 days of service I had between the last payment and when the number was ported. After a couple manager escalations, no luck on getting them to admit this was an erroneous bill.
Rather than draw it out, I paid the bill.
So now, how can I get this neg off my report( if possible), as Att was not the one who reported it to the bureau, rather the colleciton agency was. They probably do not know that the amount has been settled yet, as I paid it with Att directly.
Please advise, Thanks!
EDIT:
Forgot to add that my Mortgage credit specialist said this blemish is holding my score back by at least 35 points! And Att , nor the collection agecny is willing to budge on a removal of debt letter to the agency...
Gw letters to the CA and if its still reporting an open collection, dispute with the CRAs as having paid it. Welcome to the board 
@Doc_Canada wrote:Thanks gdale6! Sorry, Im not familiar with the lingo. GW=good will and CA? Collection Agency. and where do i find a letter, or sample? Up top at the head of this page under Frequently Requested Threads.... http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Rebuilding-Your-Credit/GW-letter-Q-amp-A-Examples-and-GW-Success-Sto...
It will probably show paid now, but isnt the goal to have it removed? Yes And who would the letter go to? GW letters always go to the entity that is reporting the entry on your CRs Att, the collection agency or Equifax? In this case to the CA. The collection agency told me numerous times they DO NOT provide removal for pay. 3 different people in the agency told me on separate occasions. Send the GW letter(s) anyway to the executive office of that Collection Agency at a rate of 1 per month until you get the desired results.
Also, im not sure if this is an issue, but I didnt pay the balance with the agency, rather I paid it witll Att over the phone. So they may not even know the debt has been settled.... If its paid to the OC that CA has no further collection authority and it needs to remove the item from your CRs or at minimum report it as a paid collection item, this is the law.
Thanks again!
@Doc_Canada wrote:Thanks gdale6! Sorry, Im not familiar with the lingo. GW=good will and CA? and where do i find a letter, or sample?
It will probably show paid now, but isnt the goal to have it removed? And who would the letter go to? Att, the collection agency or Equifax? The collection agency told me numerous times they DO NOT provide removal for pay. 3 different people in the agency told me on separate occasions.
Also, im not sure if this is an issue, but I didnt pay the balance with the agency, rather I paid it witll Att over the phone. So they may not even know the debt has been settled....
Thanks again!
GW means to write a goodwill letter asking the reporting entity to remove the entry on your credit report. It is called Goodwill because there is no requirement that the comply (or even respond), so when you write them, make sure to be respectful. I would also include a reason why. They are not supposed to remove valid marks from your credit report, go give them a reasons such as explaining why it shouldn't be there.
CA stands for collection agency
