challenging negative items

[jdirilo]

So I know that one way to have negatives removed is by asking them to validate the debt or prove that its reporting accurately. Are there any sample letters to go off of? I am wondering how I should word it, and if I should include something about "under fcra I am asking that you verify this debt is accurate" or something similar? Any advice is appreciated!

[guiness56]

Who is the debt with the OC or a CA.  A DV is for a CA only.

[jdirilo]

Almost all of them are with CA. I have an idea of what to write but I want it to be my best effort. Is it best to.dispute through the Credit bureaus dispute process that they have online? I have had success in the past with that. But I recently had some experience with a credit repair co and they challenged 6 items(allwere included in my bk) and they were all deleted. And they.challenged them with a DV letter. Just wondering what's best. Also, on a side note, my score.didn't go up even a point for having those six things removed from TU.

[guiness56]

You can only dispute inaccurate information with the CRAs.  The balance is incorrect, not yours, etc.

A DV letter is for validation which for them consists of very little.  Who is collecting and how much.  If you ask for the name and address of the OC and an itemized accounting of the debt they have to give you that.  They don't have to prove it is yours.

A DV is simple:  You are reporting I owe this debt, account #_________.  Please validate per FDCPA 809.

If you could be more specific in what it is you want to dispute maybe someone could give better advice.

A score going up would depend on what else is on your CR.

[jdirilo]

Sorry, maybe I shouldn't use the term "dispute" in regards to the negative items. They are all accurate, I believe. Except for my BK that was discharged in 09, it is still reporting as "petitioned"

Should I dispute that through the CRA?

The items that I want to have verified are almost all medical. The biggest one is a charge off from U of PHX for $2200, which I honestly thought was a student loan, so I didn't include it in my BK in the first place. Then I recently learned that since i didn't complete the classes I was enrolled in, I still owe the school for some of those credits. Anyway, I honestly don't know how much that charge off is affecting me anyway since it is over 2 years old, and it is not even reporting to TU, and my TU fico score as of 3/5 was 600. Granted, it is my highest score, but my EQ fico was 544 at the same time, and EX 581(my CU pulled that for an auto refi). I was just hoping to clear up some more of the items that were included in BK because I think it will at least make my report cleaner.

[guiness56]

I wouldn't dispute but, send in the paperwork to the CRAs showing it was discharged.

For the medical, send a DV letter. If you just found these on your CR it would be timely.  They don't have to respond but cannot continue collection activity until they do.

A CO is a major degrogatory and can impact your score for nearly 7 years.  I would contact them, since you know what it is, and see if you make payments if they will delete once paid.

[jdirilo]

Well crap, I just went to all three cra and did the online dispute. There was an option that said "bankruptcy discharged" so I chose that one for all three. Sorry if I didn't make sense, but the negative items were included in BK. They aren't collecting on them. I just know that requesting verification has gotten 6 of them removed already.

[guiness56]

You had a valid dispute so it's ok.  Hopefully, they will update accordingly.

Disputes in general can be bad just because of the way they are handled by the CRAs.

[jdirilo]

Do you think it will make a difference in my score if they update it to discharged?

[guiness56]

I really don't know about that.  I know the BK it self will continue to hurt until it is removed.