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Question about gw letters..

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shortstuf283
Member

Question about gw letters..

I am currently reviewing my credit report and I have several paid collection accounts such as with my target card, an att cell phone, kay jewlers, chase, davids bridal, and capital one. These were paid about a year or two ago. The collection agencys aren't showing up on my report, but i know i paid them. I want to send them a gw letter and see if i can get them removed. Should I just send them to the OC?
Message 1 of 6
5 REPLIES 5
MizzB
Regular Contributor

Re: Question about gw letters..

To be clear, the CA are not showing up on your credit report, only the OC? If so, send the GW letters to the OC. The CA will be not able to modify anything they did not put on the report.
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Message 2 of 6
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Question about gw letters..

MizzB is correct.  If the CA's failed to report and you have paid them in full, then they may not report.  The only purpose for them to report is to "collect" the debt.  If there is no debt to collect, there is nothing to report because they are not your creditor who reports "history" of accounts.

 

If you send the GW to the OC, this will depend on certain elements.  For example, if they sold the account for a substantial loss, they won't know that you paid it (because they sold it and wrote the difference off).  As such, they may not be in a GW mood having taken a loss.

 

With that said, you can't really do worse, and you may get lucky on some of them.  Just GW the OC and leave the CA's alone.

Message 3 of 6
JJF
Contributor

Re: Question about gw letters..


@Anonymous wrote:

 With that said, you can't really do worse, and you may get lucky on some of them.  Just GW the OC and leave the CA's alone.


I went on a GW letter writing campaign after finding these forums.  Before you start sending GW letters you need to read everything you can find on these forums.  My thought process was it can't hurt to send a GW letter.  They may not hurt but they also may not help. A CA updated their paid account from 2004 to 2009.  Rather than a 5 year old collection, it appears to be a new collection.  I also had an OC report an account as disputed by consumer to all 3 CRAs.  It is easy to find the success stories threads, messages and stickie posts and overlook the unintended consequences of GW letters.

 

My biggest mistake was sending out my original GW letters certified mail.  It made the letter appear like a dispute.

 

Good luck.

Message 4 of 6
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Question about gw letters..

Sending a GW on a paid account can NEVER hurt you. 

The drop off date of a CA account is 7 1/2 years from the DOFD on the OC account.  FCRA 605(c).

Any DOLA you have wth the CA during their collection activity do not even have any affect on drop off date.  And most certainly GW letters do not even go the CRAs,and can have absolutely no negative affect.  A CA cannot update your DOFD, period.  But paying the CA does not remove the account.

The OC has no authority to withdraw or delete a paid CA account.  The legal chain of debt owed ended when the CA was PIFd.  Debt is gone.

GW the CA.

 

Message Edited by RobertEG on 05-03-2009 10:57 PM
Message 5 of 6
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Question about gw letters..

When you have an account that hasn't updated in some time and the GW letter prompts the OC/CA to update, it CAN hurt you.

 

When you have an account reported by the OC that is very old and you send a GW letter and they remove, you lose the good with the bad and it CAN hurt you.

 

To say that sending a GW on a paid account can NEVER hurt you is kind of misleading.


RobertEG wrote:

Sending a GW on a paid account can NEVER hurt you. 

The drop off date of a CA account is 7 1/2 years from the DOFD on the OC account.  FCRA 605(c).

Any DOLA you have wth the CA during their collection activity do not even have any affect on drop off date.  And most certainly GW letters do not even go the CRAs,and can have absolutely no negative affect.  A CA cannot update your DOFD, period.  But paying the CA does not remove the account.

The OC has no authority to withdraw or delete a paid CA account.  The legal chain of debt owed ended when the CA was PIFd.  Debt is gone.

GW the CA.

 

Message Edited by RobertEG on 05-03-2009 10:57 PM

 

Message 6 of 6
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