Student Loan Debt Shows Up Multiple Times, What to Dispute?

[Johnny_Favorite]

My wife has 3 defaulted student loans. We are looking to take care of them, but the biggest issue to me at the moment is that it appears they are on her report 3 times each. Once from the US Department of Education, once from Nelnet and once from another company whose name I forget.

My question is, it's all the same 3 loans but it's on her report 3 debts x 3 companies for a total of 9 negatives. Is there any way to dispute some of those entries so that they can be removed so she only has the 3 defaulted loans? If so, which ones do we dispute?

Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Here's the thing - it's not impossible that they are reporting accurately. I wouldn't dispute anything until you can show an inaccuracy.

What exactly shows up as the balance due on each tradeline? Are they all reporting with a balance, or are some showing $0?

[magnumpi217]

Mine reported from us dept of edu and when they were sold to gsm&r they reported all at the same time so I had 6 all at once but I disputed them and they marked 3 as closed/paid

[Anonymous]

If you're going to dispute anything, you have to have a reason based on inaccurate reporting. In your case, is there an inaccuracy? Maybe not. "It is possible for the same debt to pass from debt collector to debt collector, and thus result in multiple collections being reported on the same debt.  Nothing in the FCRA requires the reporting of a former debt collector to be deleted after they close their account, even if a new debt collector thereafter reports their own collection."*

Also, I urge you to focus on the larger issue, which is getting these loans out of default. If the Titanic's going down, there's no use rearranging the furniture, you know? You have bigger things to deal with. Have you considered rehabilitation of these loans?

*Hat tip to RobertEG, who I've quoted here. I tried to word it correctly myself and just ended up researching his threads for the proper turn of phrase.