HOLY CRA*%*, I can't believe it!!!!!!

[NavyLifter]

Hey all. Here's a story that I had to share.

For the last 6 months I have been cleaning up my credit and becoming credit-wise after being totally oblivious for the first 25 years of my life. Last October, my FICO scores were 690 (TU), 678 (EQ) and 646 (EX). Since then, I have tried numerous goodwills to erase the approximately 9 late payments on my account as well as a collection. I had limited success deleted an old Cap One tradline and getting rid of a few bad payments.

However, the last two credit cards with late payments and the collection would not leave, no matter how many goodwills I wrote.

After reading all of the helpful on here, I decided to dispute the accounts directly with the CRA's. Tonight, that work paid off big time!

I got home and received the results of TU's investigation into my claims. I figured they would have just verified everything. NOPE! They corrected my other closed Cap 1 account to no late payments, deleted an old Citi tradeline with late payments, and also deleted my collection account!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a result, I decided to forgo steak tonight (sorry George) and purchase my TU score from myFICO. I was hoping it would bump to 700 or so after being stuck at 698.

IT WAS A 749!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Thanks to everyone for their advice and to the forum mods for having such a wonderful resource. I am so proud of what I've been able to accomplish with help!

For those of you who feel like it will never get better, it will. Just keep plugging away and don't let creditors or the CRA's scare you into submission!

I forgot to argue the collection with EQ, but I will be writing another dispute letter for that. My EQ score jumped up to 698 as well.

[gpeach]

deleted an old Cap One tradline

Did you send a goodwill letter to them for that? Fax or Registered? I am having no luck with them so far. 

[Schoolbuskid]

Congrats to you on your new success!! Keep up the good work!

[Anonymous]

gpeach,

I also had an old charged off Cap One deleted.  It was charged off in Jan 08, I paid in Feb 08, and 2 months ago sent a GW to the basic Salt Lake City PO Box.  It was deleted without any reply.  I was very excited.

If you can't get it done with a GW, then try disputing different things with the CRA.  Hopefully they won't answer.  Good Luck.

[guiness56]

Can you explain why you disputed these entries?  Were they inaccurate, did not belong to you?

You do not really explain in your post.

[moondog7324]

I'm curious about the CRAP1 deletion- I have an old charge off from them, beyond SOL- everything I dispute it updates as CO causing my scores to tank. Who did you write the GW to, and how much was the charge off?

[guiness56]

moondog:  When you say beyond SOL are you referring to the time it remains on your report or the one in which they can sue you.

[moondog7324]

SOL- statute of limitations for a lawsuit- varies by state- My state's SOL is 4 years. The time it reports on the CRAs is 7.5 years. Two different items.

The SOL on my CRAP1 account has expired, so I dont have to worry about a lawsuit, however it will remain on my credit reports for 2.5 more years. Everytime I disput it gets noted as CO and I think that is hurting my scores- It had been updating as OK- for years- (still listed as charge-off) until I disputed hoping to get the entire TL deleted- now itjust updates as CO. I'm no expert on how scoring works- but I think my disputing has caused damage to my score.

[NavyLifter]

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@guiness56 wrote:

Can you explain why you disputed these entries?  Were they inaccurate, did not belong to you?

You do not really explain in your post.

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Sorry, I was just so excited and tired last night when I got in that I just wanted to get the basics down.  Actually, I think everything was accurate on the accounts I disputed.  I had tried numerous GWs to Cap One and Citi as well as the CA.  After getting the "reporting accurate" spiel from them, I decided to just dispute them.

For Cap 1 and Citi, I just said that they were reporting missed payments that I didn't make and that I wanted them to either correct or delete the tradelines.  Citi was deleted and Cap 1 kept reporting but erased the lates.

For the CA, I stated that the account number, check, and dates didn't match the "info" in my files.  That was removed as well.

As for why did I dispute....well, because I had nothing to lose.

Message Edited by NavyLifter on 04-02-2009 06:41 PM

[Schoolbuskid]

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As for why did I dispute....well, because I had nothing to lose.

Message Edited by NavyLifter on 04-02-2009 06:41 PM

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And it very well paid off, great job, i know it feels great to be "baddie" free!