WEST ASSET MANAGEMENT

[jmack711]

I settled on a debt with West Asset back in 2007 unfortunately prior to knowing about a PFD. Now I would like to get the collection removed if at all possible. Has anyone ever had luck with them removing collection accounts or does anyone have any contact information such as email addresses? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

[Anonymous]

I can't believe no one responded to you before this.  It's been my personal experience that once a debt is paid in full, a collection agency will rarely verify a debt if you dispute is validity.

However, you say that you settled the debt.  If you settled the debt for less than what you owed, most collection agencies will refuse to do a PFD.  They usually require you to pay it in full for a PFD.  In your case however, it's been two years since you settled it.  At this point it's probably not affecting your CS that much, but it wouldn't hurt to just dispute it online.  It'll take a few clicks of the mouse on your part, and worst case is they verify it.

[jmack711]

Thanks a lot! Yeah I settled before I knew about this site. But I have tried 2 dispute it a few times and they keep verifying it. My conclusion is that because I did settle they will not remove it. But I am going to keep at them until they get tired of me and hopefully sooner than later they will give up! Thanks again!

[llecs]

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bigdog68 wrote:

I can't believe no one responded to you before this.  It's been my personal experience that once a debt is paid in full, a collection agency will rarely verify a debt if you dispute is validity......but it wouldn't hurt to just dispute it online.  It'll take a few clicks of the mouse on your part, and worst case is they verify it.

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On what grounds would you dispute it?

[jmack711]

Previously I've disputed it as not being mine or the creditor agreed to removed this from account. I'm not really sure which route I should take this time though. Possibly that I am no longer liable for this account? Idk what do you suggest?

[llecs]

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jmack711 wrote:
Previously I've disputed it as not being mine or the creditor agreed to removed this from account. I'm not really sure which route I should take this time though. Possibly that I am no longer liable for this account? Idk what do you suggest?

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I was actually going to drive a point, but didn't want to make any assumptions on the prev. poster's part, hence the question.

Moderator cap on: any advocation of disputing accurate info violates our Credit Repair Discussion Guidelines, Terms of Service, and User Guidelines that prohibit the promotion of certain types of credit repair.

Mod cap off: the only way to get rid of a collection accounts that were paid or settled on, and were paid without a PFD, is to send the CA a GW letter asking them to delete. Persistence is key.

[Anonymous]

Oops.....Sorry.  I am new to the FICO forum, and apparently I violated the community guidelines when I suggested you to dispute a valid entry on your credit report.  I guess I better read all of the rules on here.

What our moderator said is a very good suggestion.  Another thing you can try is to offer West Asset payment in full (the difference between the original debt and what was settled for), if they'll remove it.

If it were me and I had done everything you've already done, I'd just leave it alone.  It's over two years old, and listed as settled.  That's not good, but it's better than if you hadn't paid it.  The debt is history, and the entry will eventually die a natural death.  Until that death, it will matter less and less with each passing month.

[jmack711]

I understand as time goes on it has less impact but I plan to purchase a home within the next few months and I am going to need all the extra points I can get. So hopefully my GW letters won't just fall on deaf ears and will have some luck!

[Anonymous]

Also remember....Settled collections are not automatic declines for home loans, especially two year old settled collections.  Unpaid collections however are fatals, no matter how old they are.  Good luck with the home loan.  Please tell me how it turns out.

[Anonymous]

The myth that CA's don't verify disputes after paid is just that, a myth.  They do verify most of the time.

As stated by above MOD, it is against forum TOS to advocate or discuss strategies to knowlingly dispute through CRA's an entry you know to be valid.  However you can attempt various DV/PFD/GW processes directly with the CA.

Finally, in reference to West Asset Management specifically, they are one of the hardest CA's to deal with, IME.  I successfully had them removed from DW CR's, but it involved a long and complicated PFD process which ended up requiring me having an attorney correspond with them to get it finalized and deleted after they accepted and cashed payment.

 Once you have paid them, it is virtually impossible to get them to do anything for you....and IME GW will not work with West Asset.