Worldwide Recoveries, LLC hard pull

[MaRain]

Hi all, 

I found the myFICO site while researching on ways to rebuild my credit a couple of months ago and been lurking around these boards every since. The information has been overwhelming but very informative and useful. 

I have subscribed to a credit reporting service and have been checking my credit reports each week (also through open disputes and updated reports). Yesterday (4/23/13), I discovered a "hard pull" from Worldwide Recoveries, LLC dated 4/19/13 on my EX.  I had never heard of them before this inquiry and it was done without my consent and/or knowledge. As of today, there has been no contact from them nor have I received any correspondece from them and believe that what they did was illegal and done without a permissible purpose (this company is not listed as an affiliate of the CA's still on my CR's). 

I've searched through the boards to see if this has happened to anyone else and was surprised to find others out there in the same boat. 

Using the information from these boards, I disputed the information with the CRA, BBB, and the FTC and will update this post with the results for anyone who is interested. I also reported this matter to the California Consumer Affairs office but was directed to the FTC. 

Has anyone ever heard of this company or done business with them? 

[guiness56]

I've never heard of them before but they must be collecting a debt if they did a HP.  And if they are, they do have PP to do so.  It happens all the time.

Now, since they have pulled your CR, you send them a DV letter and ask them to validate whatever they were looking for.

[MaRain]

Thanks for the advice. I will work on the DV letter when I get home!

As an aside, shouldn't I have received a dunning notice from them (especially before the inquiry)?

[guiness56]

No, there is no law that says they have to send a dunning notice prior, only on first contact.  This would be your first contact, IMO, and they should send you one within 5 days.

Most of the time that won't happen though.

I would just send the DV letter and see where it goes.  It could be a zombie debt also and if it is you can send them a cease and desist.  However, the debt will always be around and they could easily sell it off to another.

[MaRain]

It just occurred to me, how can I ask them to DV when I don't know what account it is in reference to? I am inclined to call them but don't want to open a can of worms. All negative accounts on my credit report is at least 6 1/2 years or older so if this is an old account of mine, it is past SOL (California is 4 years in my case) and nearing the end of CRT.  If it is in regards to a CO that is out of SOL or CRT then I don't want to restart the clock, lol. I can try to just hang tight until 11/13 and sweep through my reports to make sure that all of the baddies are gone. 

I will search the boards to get more info on this type of situation but any advice I can get would be appreciated. 

[guiness56]

Nothing can restart the clock for reporting.  Once that is past it is over.  If they tried they would be in trouble.

Just say something like, I see you pulled my credit report on _______.  Please validate the alleged debt.

[MaRain]

Ok,this morning I have received a response from BBB regarding my complaint. This is the company's response:

"To whom it may concern:

We are in receipt of a complaint submitted to your office by Ms. MaRain. Upon receipt of the complaint, a thorough investigation was launched regarding Ms. MaRains' statement and her account in our office.
Pursuant to the results of the investigation, Worldwide Recoveries, a debt buyer, purchased the US Bank XXX account ending in #### belonging to MaRain. Upon receiving Ms. MaRains' account in our office, a credit report was run in order to ascertain the next steps to take with regards to Ms. MaRains' account. Because we are a debt buyer, we legally own Ms. MaRains' XXXX account and, therefore, have the right to run Ms. MaRains' credit report. Should Ms. MaRain have any further questions regarding her account here in our office, I welcome her to contact me directly at (555) 555-5555 or via email at XXXX@wwrecoveries.com.
Our company is well versed in the FDCPA including other state and local collection regulations and we strive to ensure our representatives obey and adhere to all collection laws governed by the FDCPA, the FTC and the Attorney General.

With regard,

(Name deleted)
Chief Compliance Officer
Worldwide Recoveries,LLC"

Aside from this response to my complaint, I still haven't received any contact (phone or mail) from this company regarding this debt and I have not received a response to my DV. I did have an account with US Bank that was closed around 3/2006 so isn't this out of both the SOL and CRTP? My other accounts with US (CC and checking/savings) have been, and are currently, in good standing. 

What should my response/next steps be?

[guiness56]

With no response to your DV they cannot continue collection activity.  Which means they cannot put it on your CR now.

If the debt was CO'd in 3/2006 the latest it could stay on your report is Sep 2013.   That would be if the DoFD was at the same time.  You need the DoFD.  If it was before 3/2006 it could be too old for the CR.

As for your states suing SOL, I have no idea.  What state are you in?  This would fall under written contract if it was a bank account.

See if the bank will tell you what the DoFD is.

[MaRain]

Thanks for the response guiness56!

Aside from the hard pull, Worldwide isn't reporting on my CR's (near/past the CRTP) and the pull was only on my EQ. I'm in California and I believe that the SOL is 4 years in this case so any lawsuit by them would be past the SOL. The checking account in question was closed on 3/17/2006.

My concern was the hard pull. Since this item is past SOL and is nearing/past CRTP, do they retain PP to do a hard pull for eternity? Lol...

[Shogun]

They had permission to pull the first time.  That's not an issue.  Not answering the DV is not an issue either, they don't have to ever answer it, they just can't resume collection activity until they do respond to it.

The problem I see here lies with the lack of a dunning notice since they did a HP.  The absence of such is a violation.