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Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

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cesmith64
Established Member

Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Out of the blue today I get a email form my USAA credit monitoring service that there was a change on my credit report that I needed to look into. I was upset to see that a collection from a place called Enhanced Recovery has reported that I have a past due bill with ATT!! WTH!! I have tv, internet and cell service with ATT and I am in perfect standing with them. I called ATT and they have no idea why a collection agency is saying that I owe them money and they have no record of any past due balances of any kind. I have disputed the charge already earlier today with the Experian online dispute center. I have received no past due bills of any kind in the mail, ever, and I have never been notified in any way, shape or form that I owe any past due amounts. The collection has had a huge impact on my credit report and it says this collection will stay on my report until 2015! There was a phone number and address fpr Enhanced Recovery. Do I call them or write them a letter? I have racked my brain if there could be something from my past that I could have inadvertently not paid but from 2002-2008 I lived out of the country in the UK and prior to that I didn't even use ATT! How do I get this off my report? Thanks in advance, I have been using these boards religiously to get my scores up and now this!! Smiley Sad   By the way, I live in Texas and this Enhanced Recovery says they are in Florida! 

Message 1 of 22
21 REPLIES 21
guiness56
Epic Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Send them a DV letter.  Since you live in TX they have to respond within 30 days.

Message 2 of 22
cesmith64
Established Member

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Thank you for the reply, would I just send the letter to the address that is on my credit report? Any tips on righting a proper DV letter? 

Message 3 of 22
ptkdude
Regular Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Keep the letter simple, and send it CMRRR (Certified mail, return recepit requested).  Here's the letter I sent to Northland Credit when they popped up.  I actually got their unable to validate/closing account response of before I got the green card back from the post office.

 

Dear Debt Collector:

This letter is sent in response to a letter received by me on January 12, 2011. I am requesting that you provide validation of this debt.

If you do not comply with this request, I will immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Georgia Attorney General’s office.

Further, you are hereby instructed not to contact me via telephone.

Regards,

Message 4 of 22
cesmith64
Established Member

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Thank you for your help!

Message 5 of 22
guiness56
Epic Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

I really would not send that letter, not the first time.

 

There is absolutely no requirement for them to respond to a DV letter in any state but TX.

 

"I found this account on my credit report (xxxxxxxxx), please validate".  Since they only have 30 days in TX to respond give them the time.  Then if they don't send out a more aggressive letter. 

Message 6 of 22
payingoffdebt001
Frequent Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

They showed up on mine too, but i did actually talk to someone on the cell phone about 2weeks ago and asked them what was this collections call for, they said for an AT&T bill from 1993!!!  I quickly told them I do not know anything about this and please do not call me again, next thing I notice, it showed up on my credit report and they listed the DATED OPENED as 02/2011.  I have had cell phone service for years and never with AT&T so its not a new account, that I know for sure - plus what the person told me on the phone.  I sent a dispute letter and also did an online dispute to the CRA and informed them the SOL has passed - and mentioned the phone call.   I am willing to pay it just to get rid of it and to stop it from being purchased over and over if I must, but thought I would try this route first becuase it upset me that after so mnay yaers they would try and post as new on my credit report.  The amount is $143.00.

Message 7 of 22
guiness56
Epic Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!


@payingoffdebt001 wrote:

They showed up on mine too, but i did actually talk to someone on the cell phone about 2weeks ago and asked them what was this collections call for, they said for an AT&T bill from 1993!!!  I quickly told them I do not know anything about this and please do not call me again, next thing I notice, it showed up on my credit report and they listed the DATED OPENED as 02/2011.  I have had cell phone service for years and never with AT&T so its not a new account, that I know for sure - plus what the person told me on the phone.  I sent a dispute letter and also did an online dispute to the CRA and informed them the SOL has passed - and mentioned the phone call.   I am willing to pay it just to get rid of it and to stop it from being purchased over and over if I must, but thought I would try this route first becuase it upset me that after so mnay yaers they would try and post as new on my credit report.  The amount is $143.00.


If this debt is from 1993 it is clearly beyond the CRTP. This is a violation of the FCRA.   As for the date opened, that is the date it was opened with the CA, not the OC.

 

If they don't respond to your DV or don't remove it from your CR, the next thing I would do is send them an ITS.

 

As for now, I would file complaints with the FTC, BBB and your states AG office. 

Message 8 of 22
cesmith64
Established Member

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

The more I look into this the more annoyed I am. How is it legal for this company to be able to post a collection on my report with no notice or warning? I see that the collection on my report says the account was opened 02/2011 as well.  This is more of a rant at this point as I am now off to right my letters to try and clear up this mess. Ugh.

Message 9 of 22
guiness56
Epic Contributor

Re: Collection showed up on my credit report today!! Advice needed, please help!

Unfortunately, there is no law that says they must notify you first. 

 

But, if they put it on your CR first, that is considered initial communications and they have to send a dunning letter within 5 days.

Message 10 of 22
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