topic Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter? in Rebuilding Your Credit

To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 08:13:11 GMT

Hello all,

I have a collection on my account that has hit 7 years and on my credit report from annualcreditreport shows that it is due to be removed April 2021.

What is the best way to get this removed from the CRAs? Currently it is only reporting to EX and TU. It's not been reported to EQ.

The collection agency is Aargon Agency.

Should I call and try to get it removed? File a dispute with the CRAs (I haven't had the best luck doing disputes on different issues)? or should I send/email a deletion letter? (I downloaded some templates from a different thread that a poster had posted). Should I call?

Should I deal with the Collection Agency instead of the CRAs? I just want to make sure I do this right.

Here's a screenshot of what it says on my CR if this help.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

simplegirl — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:55:31 GMT

From the screenshot it looks unpaid meaning you can't deal with the collection agency unless you plan on paying it and they do PFD but even if they did it will still fall off the same time as if you just left it alone. If it is due to fall off in April then you could just wait until the middle to end of April.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:57:40 GMT

Don't mess with it. The bureaus are pretty good with removals of time-barred tradelines. April is tomorrow. Why question trying to remove it when the actual drop date has yet to arrive?

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:11:48 GMT

No point in doing it now, but in the future, you would not dispute, you would request early exclusion and escalate to a supervisor immediately on the call to do it. Also, never request EE from equifax as it normally causes more problems than it's worth.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:38:27 GMT

@simplegirl Thanks. Leaving it alone it is then lol.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:39:29 GMT

@Anonymous Thanks. I won't mess with it then. I just wasn't sure how good CRAs were at deleting/removing those items. Thanks.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:42:19 GMT

@Brian_Earl_Spilner Thanks for the info. Good to know about the EE. What's funny is I have a charge off that is due to fall off July 2021. I requested an EE from each of the three CRAs about a month ago and Equifax was the only one that removed it early (they removed it like a week later?) I only found out from you and someone else not to mess around with Equifax and EE's. I guess I got lucky lol.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

OmarGB9 — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:54:35 GMT

@CorySoccer wrote:
@Brian_Earl_Spilner Thanks for the info. Good to know about the EE. What's funny is I have a charge off that is due to fall off July 2021. I requested an EE from each of the three CRAs about a month ago and Equifax was the only one that removed it early (they removed it like a week later?) I only found out from you and someone else not to mess around with Equifax and EE's. I guess I got lucky lol.

You should be well within the TU EE window if it's falling off 7/21.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 17:08:52 GMT

@OmarGB9 That's what I thought too (which is why I did the EE) and TU came back and just said that they verified the account was mine and accurate. I never heard back from the other. I did a dispute for the EE. Should I have gone a different route and called or sent in a letter instead?

Should I try again?

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

OmarGB9 — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 17:38:40 GMT

@CorySoccer wrote:
@OmarGB9 That's what I thought too (which is why I did the EE) and TU came back and just said that they verified the account was mine and accurate. I never heard back from the other. I did a dispute for the EE. Should I have gone a different route and called or sent in a letter instead?

Should I try again?

Yes, you shouldn't dispute. You should call and ask for a supervisor and request early exclusion. They then process it similarly to a dispute, but not an actual dispute. If the frontline CSR refuses to pass you on to a supervisor, HUCA.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 18:06:24 GMT

@OmarGB9 THANK YOU! For the info. I'll be calling. Appreciate it.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 15:51:21 GMT

@Anonymous Thanks for the advice. I called TU yesterday (with it being April and all) and spoke to in the "Special Handling Unit" and he said they could/would not remove this account (even though the SOL is up). What's ironic is that Earlier in the day they removed a $3,900 Discover charge off that was set to be removed in July. Yet this guy was telling me they couldn't remove an account that was due to be removed in April? Which it's April right now? I asked to speak to a supervisor but he said they were all gone for the evening.

Was the guy giving me the runaround? He told me to call back Monday which of course I'm planning on doing.

Or as you suggested, should I just wait throughtout the month of April and see if it falls off on it's own?

Thanks!

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:50:33 GMT

@CorySoccer wrote:
Hello all,

I have a collection on my account that has hit 7 years and on my credit report from annualcreditreport shows that it is due to be removed April 2021.

What is the best way to get this removed from the CRAs? Currently it is only reporting to EX and TU. It's not been reported to EQ.

The collection agency is Aargon Agency.

Should I call and try to get it removed? File a dispute with the CRAs (I haven't had the best luck doing disputes on different issues)? or should I send/email a deletion letter? (I downloaded some templates from a different thread that a poster had posted). Should I call?

Should I deal with the Collection Agency instead of the CRAs? I just want to make sure I do this right.

Here's a screenshot of what it says on my CR if this help.
Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

This is an EX credit report. Their "on record until" date is 6y 10m from DoFD, meaning their drop off date is 2 months earlier (generally) than the other 2 bureaus. EX does not drop off these accounts til more like mid-month. There is debate on how to exactly narrow it down, but it will come off by month's end, certainly.

That means it is unlikely to age off TY until June. They generally drop things off right at the beginning of the month. You can always pull your credit report from annual credit report or directly through TU for free (both reports are identical and most thorough of any source). It will list "estimated date of removal". That way you know exactly when it ages off. You can call and request EE (early exclusion) up to 6 months prior to that date, meaning you can likely call now and request it removed from TU.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:59:30 GMT

@Anonymous Thanks for the info!

I actually spoke to TU the other day and they dropped it off after being on the phone for about 3 minutes with a lady from the "Special Handling Department." I HIGHLY suggest if anyone has any issues with getting something removed, as you said go up the food chain, but ask to be transfered to this department because everyone I had been speaking to up to that point was in another country. The second the lady in the "Special Handling Department" answered I knew I was going to get somewhere lol. So she ended up getting it taken off immediately within like 20 minutes.

I also stupidly forgot that I had another account in collections that was supposed to "fall off" in July 2021 and I called back and went through several reps until I got transfered again to the "Special Handling Dept" and she removed it immediately lol.

You are right about EX. They would not budge. At all. But he did say to call back at the end of the month and do an EE and they'll get the Discover charge off removed.

Thank the lord lol.

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

CorySoccer — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:15:12 GMT

@Anonymous On a side note...I have an outstanding energy bill (TXU) and it's a small amount. But no Collection Agency has it. I guess their own internal billing department handles it (it does show collections on my account). I know Collection Agencies will oten settle for less when you do a PFD....but what about the original creditor? The bill is $286. Any chance of them accepting less? I can pay full and probably will if I HAVE to, but do you know if they'll settle for less?

Thanks!

Re: To remove a collection, should I call/dispute/or send a letter?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:20:59 GMT

@CorySoccer wrote:
@Anonymous On a side note...I have an outstanding energy bill (TXU) and it's a small amount. But no Collection Agency has it. I guess their own internal billing department handles it (it does show collections on my account). I know Collection Agencies will oten settle for less when you do a PFD....but what about the original creditor? The bill is $286. Any chance of them accepting less? I can pay full and probably will if I HAVE to, but do you know if they'll settle for less?
Thanks!

They may settle for less, but don't expect much less. I had several smaller collections/COs ans they only offered a few bucks off and they were outside the SOL and within a year of aging off. All you can do is ask! $286 isn't a terribly large balance, so if possible, it may just be best to pay it.