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An original creditor is still considered to be a debt collector under the FDCPA is they choose to use a name in connection with their internal collection acitivities that is different from the name they use as the original creditor, thus suggesting they are a third party.
See FDCPA 803(6).
It is common and proper for both the original creditor account and a collection to simultaneously be included in a consumer's credit report.
The reporting by the creditor reflects your history and information on the credit account, and the reporting by the debt collector reflects the fact that collection of the delinquent debt was continued by them, either as the owner or an assigned agent.
If you consider any information reported under either the creditor account or the collection to be inaccurate, you must first file a dispute with the CRA, thus formally raising the issue, providing them the opportunity to investigate, and to either verify, correct, or delete the contested reporting. No basis exists for any liability regarding inaccurate reporting until the consumer as first disputed and received an investigation that verifies the accuracy of the information.
A dispute based only on both simultaneously being included in your report is not a disputable inaccuracy.
FDCPA 803(6) states, in pertinent part,
"Notwithstanding the exclusion provided by clause (F) of the last sentence of this paragraph, the term ("debt collector") includes any creditor who, in the process of collecting his own debts, uses any name other than his own which would indicate that a third person is collecting or attempting to collect such debts."
The "tarnish" is the result of you not paying as agreed. It's nothing personal against you.
Like you said, it will fall off next year. If you're brave enough, you can ask for EE when the time comes. It's usually 6 months before scheduled removal for TU, 3 for EX and EQ is best left alone till it falls off.
Is one being reported as a charge off and one reported as a collection account?
Dispute the second one as it should be showing $0.00 balance
ideally, you'd do direct dispute first, if that does not work, dispute with CRAs via certified mail (enclose proof you paid it) and if they fail to do reasonable investigation, file a complaint (again, attach all supporting evidence that you actually paid).
Good luck
The charge off should only be reported once is my understanding. And if you paid the amount due, then the creditor is required to show this amount as $0 or paid. Since it sounds like there are discrepancies in your credit report. I would open a dispute with the CRAs explaining the situation. The original creditor can only list the account as 'charged off' once. Even if they changed the account number (which I don't know why they would have done this), they can only list it once as it is still the same account. Are you sure there wasn't another account that you were not aware of??? Could someone have potentially opened a fraudulent account under your name?