Next step after account as disputed?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I recently received a letter from Collection agency while I have been trying to remove my collection records on Credit reports.

What I have done so fat is that I called collection agency and credior as well as I sent a GW letter to remove collection on credit reports. They showed negative when I called them but after the GW letter, Collection agency responded my request as below;

This letter says, " Please be advised we have contacted our client, XXXXXX (creditor, medical service provider), who has confirmed the name and address listed on the account and aslo confirmed the account is paid in full. ... In acknowledgement of your dispute, we have requested the consumer reporting agencies report the account as disputed. Consumer reporting agencies may take up to 30 days or longer to update consumer reports and this is beyond our control."

Does it mean that Credit bureau will update my reports and the collection may be removed about 30 days later so I need to stay clam and wait? If not or if I can not simply wait for it, what do you recommend me to do further?

This is an only collection record on the credit report which badly affect my point. 

Thanks for your time and advice in advance.

[RobertEG]

It does not say that the collection will be deleted, it says that they have notifed the CRA that you have filed a dispute, and that the outcome is that they verify that the debt is paid, and apparently that they will update your credit report to show a $0 balance.

What specifically did you dispute as being inaccurate?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your opinion.

I have not specifically disputed a point. I generally asked them to help removing collection records from the reports. I basically used a template for GW letter so it was about asking generosity.

On my credit reports, it already say "paid in full" so I do not quite get what the collection agency is talking about.

This was a bill from physician department and I believed that my insurance should have paid it so I dispute it against insurance company.  It went to collection while I fought against insurance company, then the bill was partly paid by insurance and partially by me. At that time, physician department and collection said that they would help this matter if I fully paid and yes... I was too naive to their words. 

I found collection record affect my credit later on so I tried to contact creditor via phone, they simply said that they did not have any information about the balance or bill since it was more than three years old. When I contacted this collection agency, they kept saying they could not do anything to remove this record out of the reports. 

[RobertEG]

If the debt collector had active collection authority at the time you paid the debt, then there is no basis for requiring deletion of their collection.

Any removal would be entirely at their discretion.

They apparently misinterpreted your letter as a dispute, and thus verified the accuracy of their reporting.

I would recommend that you send a renewed good will request, clearly stating that it is not a dispute.

You may get lucky.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot Robert.

I will send a renewed GW letter to them as you recommended.

Hopefully it will work.

[RonM21]

Sometimes these things can take multiple attempts. Even then, it still may not work, as they are not obligated to delete. Hope it goes your way though!!