My first post -- question on credit report item

[doingmybest]

I have been working on rebuilding credit, slowly but surely, by getting accounts paid for and disputing items.  I am signed up for credit monitoring and have a secured card from Capital One.  I am making steady progress...but now I want to ramp it up.  Hubby and I would like to purchase a home in about 2 years -- so we need to really focus on increasing our credit score (currently 567).

This month, I thought I would start with adding each other as an authorized user on our CapOne Secured Cards (we each have one) and working on one of the negative items on the report: Sam's Club card.

This was an account that went past due for a while (husband lost job...more than once) and I finally paid it off, but not the full amount (settled it).  What should I do?  The info for Equifax is wrong -- so do I dispute that?  And then write a goodwill letter?  Do I send the goodwill letter to the address on the credit report?

Thanks for any help -- really appreciate it!  I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without all the great advice on the board; I have been reading, just not posting, since February

This is what my credit report says: 

Experian -- nothing reported

Equifax:

Account Status - Closed

Mo Payment $494

Past Due $35

Payment Status Bad debt & placed for collection & skip

High Balance $824

Comments CHARGED OFF ACCOUNT, ACCOUNT CLOSED BY CREDIT GRANTOR

TransUnion:

Account Status - Closed

Mo Payment 

Past Due $0

Payment Status Payment after charge off/collection

High Balance $481

Limit $0

Comments Settled; less than full balance

[lae_lae]

That would be my plan.  Dispute the balance then write a GW letter.  Yes, send the GW letter to the address on your CR.  If after a couple of rounds of GW doesn't work, try sending an email to the executives at Sam's Club/Walmart.

[Shogun]

I would start the GW process first.  You wouldn't want to dispute and then GW.  If the GW route didn't work, then you could try a direct dispute.

[doingmybest]

Thanks for the help -- I have a couple more questions...

My credit report doesn't list the full account number for my Sam's Club account (it was closed in 2011 and I don't have the account number in my files).  the credit report lists a partial number -- what do I put on the GW letter?

Also -- I know to use the address on the CR, but what name do I put on the envelope?

Thanks!  

[guiness56]

Go with the partial account number on your CR.

No name would go on the envelope.