After I tried twice to dispute (by mail) the current status of an account with Equifax, I telephone them directly. After requesting a supervisor, I asked, "What is the definition of Charge Off"? She explained with great glee, "An unpaid account". So why, I asked, does my paid account say "Charge Off" in the current status? She says that Equifax notes this in the "Additional Info" section, and the amount does say 0.00. My question made her so angry, because she had to admit that the current status does not reflect accurate info. Would she change it? Absolutely not. That's the way EQ does it, and it will never change. TransUnion changed it to say "Paid after charge off", Experian says, "Paid after charge off".
My credit report summary states this as a serious past due account, even if it has a Zero balance.
I have no others.
Do we as consumers really have to just sit and take this? I don't care what it does to me or my FICO, the principal of the matter is that the Current Status line on a credit report for an account should reflect the actual CURRENT STATUS of the account. Will someoe please agree with me, just to make me feel better?
By the way, it was the left over electricity charge of $17.00, (they won't show the amount on any of the CRA, I've tried) after we moved away. Don't ever mess with Southern California Edison.
Recovering FICO addict, (Instead of, What's your sign?, It's What's your FICO?),
JC
