Help! A collection was just put on my experian report

[Anonymous]

Okay, I have no idea what I should do. A collection for $250 was placed on my Experian report today. I have no idea what this could possibly be for since I have never received a bill from anyone for this amount. I tried calling the collection agency but they are closed and won't be open until Monday. I really don't think that this debt is mine. Is there anything I can/should do to get this removed quickly?

[Anonymous]

You need to see your credit report. If a new collection has been added, it will tell you who the original creditor is. If you haven't gotten an annual report before, annual credit report.com is where you go to get one free. If you have done this, using your report #, go to experian and got through the dispute process (but don't submit). You can see the inf o doing this. Once you see who turned you over to collection, it will be easier to help with the direction you will take.

[Imperfectfuture]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Okay, I have no idea what I should do. A collection for $250 was placed on my Experian report today. I have no idea what this could possibly be for since I have never received a bill from anyone for this amount. I tried calling the collection agency but they are closed and won't be open until Monday. I really don't think that this debt is mine. Is there anything I can/should do to get this removed quickly?

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Don't make any sudden moves

You have 5 business days from the time you see that on your report to see a letter.  If you don't get one, the CA has violated the FCRA and the FCDPA.  Google the collection agency, especially the BBB, and look at the complaints.  You should determine whether this is a junk debt buyer.

Immediately send out a debt validation letter, and file BBB complaint with the same letter content (you can use the debt validation process via BBB, and it tends to be not ignored).  Search this forum for the collection agency, and other validation procedures used.

Calm down, I know how hard you've worked.  I would be pissed too.  But using the BBB, debt validation process (don't call them yet, if they violate the 5 day rule, you have more legal sway), it's the quickest way to get them off your report.

After you get some invalid junk from them in reply, be prepared to call supervisor at experian, and start dispute process with the supervisors help.  The front line supervisors will say they can help, but they will just put it through the eoscar system (been there, done that), and it's validated the next day.  You need high mucky muck to help.

If it's not off within 3 to 4 weeks, open cfpb complaints against both CA and EX if they used the eoscar system, and have not removed the collection.  Call the supervisor back, and let them know you have filed cfpb complaint, but really need their help if can be done quicker.  You should see results within a week.

That's the quickest way I know how to remove invalid debt,  if it's valid, well, that's another story.

[Anonymous]

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@Imperfectfuture wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Okay, I have no idea what I should do. A collection for $250 was placed on my Experian report today. I have no idea what this could possibly be for since I have never received a bill from anyone for this amount. I tried calling the collection agency but they are closed and won't be open until Monday. I really don't think that this debt is mine. Is there anything I can/should do to get this removed quickly?

---

Don't make any sudden moves

You have 5 business days from the time you see that on your report to see a letter.  If you don't get one, the CA has violated the FCRA and the FCDPA.  Google the collection agency, especially the BBB, and look at the complaints.  You should determine whether this is a junk debt buyer.

Immediately send out a debt validation letter, and file BBB complaint with the same letter content (you can use the debt validation process via BBB, and it tends to be not ignored).  Search this forum for the collection agency, and other validation procedures used.

Calm down, I know how hard you've worked.  I would be pissed too.  But using the BBB, debt validation process (don't call them yet, if they violate the 5 day rule, you have more legal sway), it's the quickest way to get them off your report.

After you get some invalid junk from them in reply, be prepared to call supervisor at experian, and start dispute process with the supervisors help.  The front line supervisors will say they can help, but they will just put it through the eoscar system (been there, done that), and it's validated the next day.  You need high mucky muck to help.

If it's not off within 3 to 4 weeks, open cfpb complaints against both CA and EX if they used the eoscar system, and have not removed the collection.  Call the supervisor back, and let them know you have filed cfpb complaint, but really need their help if can be done quicker.  You should see results within a week.

That's the quickest way I know how to remove invalid debt,  if it's valid, well, that's another story.

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Thanks for all the detailed instructions! I'll definitely try this. As of today I haven't received a letter and it'll be 5 business days as of tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Also If you determine that this item is not relating to any account that you ever authorized, you should use the ID Theft provision of FCRA to remove this item. It will require a police report and sworn affidavit that you never authorized the account in question.

[Anonymous]

I ended up disputing this collection with each credit bureau. I haven't heard back from Experian or Equifax but I did hear back from Transunion today. And they decided to... delete it! I'm so glad that I went the dispute route instead of just PFDing it. I knew it was suspicious that I never got a bill before this hit my credit reports. I just hope that EX and EQ come to the same conclusion that Transunion did.

[RobertEG]

The more important issue is probably what the debt collector came up with, not the CRA.

If you dispute a collection on the baiss that the debt is not valid, the CRA first has the option of dismissing the dispute if it does not provide adequate documentation of an asserted error.  A simple statement of "debt not mine" can be held to lack adequate showing of any error, and thus the CRA can dismiss the dispute without any referral to the debt collector, or reinvestigation.

If the CRA does chose to reinvestigate, they must refer the dispute to the debt collector.  The debt collector has the option of either verifying the accuracy as reported, corrrecting so as to overcome any inaccuracy, notifying the CRA that they cannot verify the accuracy of the debt (which almost never happens), or deleting the collection, thus obviating any resolution of the accuracy.

If the debt collector choses to delete their collection, they need not repsond to the CRA, as the info is gone, and thus no longer under dispute.  Voluntary deletion does not equrate to notifying the CRA that the debt cannot be verified, thus leaving the CRA to do the deletion.

If the debt collector reported back to the CRA that the debt could not be verified (which, again, is very unlikely), they were required to also report that same finding to each CRA to which they have also reported the collection.  See FCRA 623(b)(1)(D).

However, if they simply did a voluntary deletlion without any report of finding back to the CRA, the dispute simply rmains unveriifed.

The difference is that the CRA did not delete based on lack of verificztion, the furnisher deleted prior to any findng by the CRA.

It could thus be reinserted at any time, provided that the debt collector include, with their reporting, a certification of accuracy of the debt.  See FCRA 611(a)(5)(B).

[Anonymous]

So then how do I find out if the CA voluntarily deleted it or if it was found to be unverified? It didn't specify which it was. It simply said that Transunion investigated and then deleted it from my report. I don't want this to show up again in a few months or whenever if Transunion didn't do as it was supposed to and verify whether this is my debt or not.