Date Placed For Collection Is Wrong

[Anonymous]

I recently had my credit limit on a store credit card that I've held for 11 years lowered to my balance (zero available credit), even though I've never gone over the limit and never been late with a payment on this card. In the letter I received, they cited as one of the reasons: "Number of delinquencies in the past 12 months."

I have had no delinquencies in the past 12 months. I have several from 2006 (when I had to default on several credit cards), but none since 2006.

So I got my credit reports, and the only thing I saw that had anything to do with the past 12 months was an item on my TU report from a credit card that was first reported delinquent in 3/2006, and was given to collection in 10/2006. On the TU report for this item, under "Date placed for collection," it says 12/2008. (It still correctly shows the "Estimated date that this item will be removed" as 2/2013, 7 years after the original delinquency.)

Looking back at previous years' credit reports, I see that this item has been reported by the original lender. This is the first year it was reported by a collection agency. So, presumably, this agency just go the debt in 12/2008, and listed that date, even though the debt has been "in collections" for several years.

So I'm wondering if that might be what the "number of delinquent items in the past 12 months" thing was referring to. (But one would assume that the person reviewing my credit report would be smart enough to realize that this wasn't a new delinquency, but was just a transfer to a collection agency.)

Any thoughts/advice here would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Neil

[DI]

What is being reported for DOFD? CO date?  Those are the two dates that are used to determined how recent the derog is. The DOFD should definately be correct.  It determines when the 7.5 years reporting will end.

[Anonymous]

On the TU report for the collection agency's entry, there are only three dates:

Date updated (5/2009);

Date placed for collection (12/2008);

Estimated date that this item will be removed (2/2013).

For the original item (still showing on the report), it shows:

Date Opened: 4/1995

Date Closed:  2/2006

Date Paid: 1/2006

Date Updated: 10/2006

Estimated date that this will be removed: 12/2012

I suppose the simpler thing would be to call or write the creditor and ask them, specifically, which item(s) they're referring to as delinquent within the past 12 months, since there shouldn't be any. I guess I just thought I wouldn't get an answer if I did that, but that they would just refer me to the credit report. But perhaps I should just call or write them and request more info.

[DI]

Neil-

Also....

Important Note: Payment history that occurred with the previous lender,
which is already on the consumer’s file, must not be reported by the new
lender.    Source: CDIA's website.

[Anonymous]

Thanks.

I was looking at my Experian report, and I found something interesting. Under the collection agency's entry it shows the following:

Status:  Collection account. $15,084 past due as of May 2009.
Status Details:  This account is scheduled to continue on record until Dec 2012.

Date Opened:12/2008

Reported Since:02/2009

Date of Status:02/2009

Last Reported:05/2009

So this shows a Date Opened of 12/2008. Perhaps that's the problem.

Both this entry and the original one from the lender show the same Address Identification Number. So a credit reviewer should be able to put the two together and realize it's not a new debt. Still, I wonder if that's it.

[DI]

Contact the CA and asked for a copy of the Universal Data Form.  It will show what date is being reported as the FCRA 1st Date of Delinquency. 

If thats all the CA is reporting...status and status details then they are not violating the FCRA.    Thedate when the account is suppose to delete shouldbe the same with the OC and CA. Your DOFD doesn't change becuase the CA bought the account.

Message Edited by DI on 07-02-2009 03:20 PM

[DI]

Have you paid the account off already?

[Anonymous]

No, I haven't made any payments on the account or paid it off.

[DI]

Oh. Disregard my response about calling the CA to ask for the UDF.  I was thinking you had already paid it off. 

[Anonymous]

I had the same thing happen. I had read that when a collector takes over an account they will do this to make it look like a new debt but you can dispute the dates on your credit report and have them fixed.

They can say that it is still past due but they cannot change the open date.