Can I DV a paid acct?

[Anonymous]

I had a ATT acct with AFNI.  I was able to pay it and wanted to (felt it was the right thing to do) so I did and then sent a GW letter asking for deletion.  Just got this repsonse.   

Afni thanks you for your payment. Accordingly, in the normal course of business, Afni will report that that we have received payment in full of your account, and will report a $0 balance.  This will reflect the accurate status of this account.  We understand that you are seeking removal of this tradeline from your credit report; however, to remain in good standing with the credit reporting agencies, Afni’s policy is to furnish the accurate status only. 

Is it okay to ask them for a DV after I have PIF?   I'm in TX.  Does anyone know if they are licensed and bonded?  I really want to make this go away.

[Anonymous]

What would be the point? The purpose of a DV is to stop collection activity, not remove reporting. It a paid account, so there is no collection activity to bar. They would simply ignore any DV at this point.

A DV (even a Texas DV) does not require removal of previous reporting of an item that has been paid.

What you want to do is request GW deletion from both AT&T and AFNI.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Norman.  I did send a GW and it didn't work.  I know it takes time.  The reason I wondered about the DV is because AFNI has a bad track record of being shady and I was kind of hoping they might not meet the criteria to be reporting at all.   I can't remember where I read it (I spend hours every day) but someone, somewhere was able to get a deletion because they couldn't verify the debt by TX standards.  I'm still really new at this.  Did paying it take away the DV option?

[Anonymous]

Yes, paying eliminates any DV option. At this point you can only attack the accuracy of the item, or ask for GW removal. From what I have read, GW success requires both persistance and a REALLY good *story*. I know Gdale6 suggests personal letters (maybe even handwritten) rather than emails and phone calls. Its usually just a matter of getting the right set of eyes to see it at the right time. I would also draft a new letter each time, don't just send the exact same letter each time. The key is to make it personal, make the person reading it really feel your 'pain'.

[Anonymous]

Thanks!  I'll keep working on it.