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Hi, everyone -
I apologize in advance because this is going to be a long post, but pleasae bear with me and try to help because I have tried to do everything right and feel absolutely hopeless right now.
My then-fiance and I had a $2200 apartment bill to a debt collector because they didn't have our correct forwarding address and we never received a bill. As soon as I got a call about the debt, I worked out a payment plan with the agency (National Credit Systems) to where as long as I paid every month, it wouldn't be reported. It was called the credit protection plan. Paid every month of the 15th for about 6 months (I have records from my bank of all of these transactions)
Last month, I got a credit monitoring alert stating that I had a new alert, saying that debt had been reported. I freaked out and called the company - she said it was an error and she apologized but there was nothing they could do to remove it unless it was paid completely. My now-husband is in the final round for a new job in the financial sector and we can't risk anything messing that up, so we paid the rest of the balance in full the next day and the lady I spoke to stated it would be removed from my credit report when they reported on the 7th of November. Before I did that, in my panic, I started a dispute with credit karma.
Note - YES, I know I should have gotten it in writing; however - they say it isn't their policy. If you search "national credit systems" here, multiple people have been through the same thing and have gotten it successfully removed.
I have checked everywhere yesterday and it wasn't removed (wasn't even updated to say it was paid!), so I called my rep at NCS. She told me (extremely rudely) that because I had filed the dispute, the company was not responsible for reporting it any longer, even though it had been paid in full.
So where do I go from here? At this point, I feel incredibly hopeless because I have tried to do everything right and keep running into problems, and my husband could lose out on this job opportunity and who knows how we'll be able to get an apartment lease if this doesn't go away. My credit score has dropped from a 675 to a 590 from this and has erased three years of building decent credit.
Is what the debt collector told me even true? Who can I ask about this? All of these "credit help" law firms want to look through your entire file and I just need help on this one thing. I tried to call TransUnion and couldn't get anyone who understood my concern to talk to me.
Please, please give me any advice you have because I truly have no idea where to turn or what to do next.
Do I need to dispute with every agency?
File a complaint with CFPB (consumer financial protection bureau). They help with ensuring that business are compliant when it comes to consumers. These collection agencies are very good and intimidating people and telling them what they can and can't do. They also delete accounts from the credit bureaus all of the time. This one sounds like they're not interested in helping you out, because they already got their money out of you, so why help now. Too bad you didn't try to get help with this when they first broke their promise after you finished your payment plan. Do you have anything at all from them regarding that agreement? If you were on a "credit protection plan," it seems they would've sent you the details, breaking down your payments. When you go on to CFPB to file complaint, be prepared to give all dates and details of your conversations with CA. Any documention you have to upload will only help you. Many times, just getting a complaint from the CFPB will jumpstart a company into action. These complaints are not taken lightly, if a business is truly in the wrong. Again, NCS has the absolute ability to remove that file from your report. Just curious though... I understand your husband is seeking a position in a public sector, but why would something on your credit report affect him? In fact, the potential employer wouldn't even find out about it. My husband has is in a career that I promise you, is the most critical when doing back ground checks, and has a very high clearance of security, and never once has anyone ever asked for my credit report. They've asked for info about me on these clearances, but I don't think it's legal for them to request my credit report, unless it's actually me applying for said clearance. Good luck... I hope you get this resolved. Don't back down, if you think you're in the right.
Hi, Sadie!
Thank you for your caring and thoughtful response - I really appreciate it.
My apologies - I may not have explained it well enough. The apartment was in both of our names and therefore on both on our reports.
I do have some documentation and all calls were recorded, so if it goes to the point of getting a lawyer (because at this point, I will 10000% go that far if necessary), I'm sure those can be pulled. I also have all banking receipts and a paid in full email from them.
@Sadie5150 wrote:.. I understand your husband is seeking a position in a public sector, but why would something on your credit report affect him? In fact, the potential employer wouldn't even find out about it. My husband has is in a career that I promise you, is the most critical when doing back ground checks, and has a very high clearance of security, and never once has anyone ever asked for my credit report. They've asked for info about me on these clearances, but I don't think it's legal for them to request my credit report, unless it's actually me applying for said clearance. Good luck... I hope you get this resolved. Don't back down, if you think you're in the right.
She said the job was financial sector and the way I read it was that the debt was a joint debt from when they had an apartment prior to marriage. It could be on his report for that....or maybe they will ask to run a credit check on both...hard to say. I too work in a job with a high security clearance - my husband's credit wasn't run - but I am pretty sure that my boss (higher yet on clearance) did have his wife's run in the midst of his background check.... so anything is possible.
Please correct me if I am incorrect on any of this.
UPDATE!
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts.
I called again today and was super nice and apologetic (I am in Account Management so I am good at working people on the phone lol) and explained that I was sorry for disputing, I was just trying to make things right, can they please respect the request for delete, etc. She asks me to hold and comes back and tells me that they DID indeed do the request for delete on November 7th but it's just not showing up because of the dispute with Transunion.
So, I then spent the next two hours on the phone with every credit bureau (sounds fun, right?). Also, for anyone searching, I asked for an American-based supervisor every time and that got me to more helpful people. Here's what I got:
1 - Transunion: They said that they can't see any update on the account because of the dispute. Recommended that I cancel the dispute and check back in a few days, because then the reporting should show up automatically.
2 - Experian: Said the account hadn't been reported since October 21st but to check back at the end of the month because they have 30 days to process request for deletes.
3 - Equifax: Said the account also hadn't been reported since October 21st but has heard that request for deletes can take up to 60-90 days.
So here is my current plan of action:
1 - Cancel the dispute immediately (done). If Transunion then recognizes the update, that means the other two credit bureaus can't be too far behind. Transunion said check back in 5 days for cancel status.
2 - If it in fact was not reported as request for removal, send a very friendly "goodwill" letter to NCS and outline what happened with the credit protection program, etc.
3 - If that doesn't work, file a BBB complaint? I would do this now, but I have reviewed the complaints ( see here: https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/atlanta/profile/collections-agencies/national-credit-systems-inc-0443-6000...) and it seems that they "play" a lot nicer if there isn't a dispute open. It seems that every time a dispute is mentioned, they say that it stays on the credit report.
4 - If that doesn't work, dispute time! With all 3 credit bureaus and all of the documentation I can find (with a BBB record this time).
5 - File a complaint with the CFPB
6 - Retain legal council (pray it doesn't get that far!!!)
I will update as I go, for anyone looking for answers.
This can be made even less complicated, if you can get NCS to send you a letter confirming your conversation you had with them, and states that they have requested the account be deleted on Nov 7. If you can get them to email that to you, then you can send that to the credit bureaus yourself. It MUST be on NCS letterhead and include a name of Customer Service Rep writing it. I've seen items removed within that same day with a letter from the CA.
Just to clarify.. the current husband you reference to is NOT the ex fiance, correct? That's what I understood, but the commenter above raised a good point.
Oh gosh, sorry haha. It is the same person! I just meant we were engaged then and now we're married.
Gotcha... So, then since this will definitely have an impact on your hubby as well, then I would push to get their promise to delete in writing. If they've really requested the deletion, I don't see why they wouldn't at least give you a simple letter. Especially, since you paid them in full after they had made a payment plan with you. Keep us up to date!