I thought this would be appropos for this primer thread. I originally posted it in
another thread, so pardon the redundancy!
Doc
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Caveat: I realize that what follows is only a personal opinion and that others may indeed disagree. Whenever I author an essay like this, the intent is simply to assist newer Creditnet members. Hopefully, this will be fodder for productive discussion even among those who don't share these particular convictions.
Tip for better living:
Adopt a litigious mindset when doing your own credit repair.
Let me first contextualize this sudden exclamation with a few remarks.
First, I'll explain why the proper mindset is important.
Second, I'll explain what a litigious mindset is.
Third, I'll explain what it isn't.
Here's why the proper mindset is important.
Over the past few weeks I've noticed that a couple of Creditnet newcomers have posted messages whose tone runs something like this:
"Well, this is just great, and I'm really looking forward to doing my own credit repair! Last week I sent a validation letter to Oyvey Collections, and since I haven't heard back I gave them a call and asked if they've had time yet to attach the letter to my file. She said she would find out the status. I'm really looking forward to that being resolved because next I'm going to go for inquiry bumpage at Equifax!" Yet another Creditnet member wrote something like:
"I sent a Nutcase letter, but then I called the CA to find out how it is that the credit bureau can validate when my account number has changed -- the CA agreed with me that they can't possibly do that, so now I'm turning my attention to the CRA!"
In each case (and there are plenty of other examples), the consumer is doing a few things wrong, to wit:
1) The consumer is approaching the creditors as if they share the consumer's goal. Hint: they don't. You are a nuisance. You take up valuable time that could be better spent on more productive endeavors -- like collecting money and getting paid. They don't want to bother with you. Nobody there wants to hunt for a UDF form to modify or delete the tradeline by hand; even worse for the creditors, such action may require learning something new because usual CRA reporting is done by computer rather than by human beings.
2) The consumer is impatient. In each case, a letter was sent, but the consumer followed up with a friendly phone call a week or two later. Credit repair takes time. It's important to remember that it doesn't matter if they respond or not because IT'S ALL GOOD. If they respond quicky, that's good. If they don't respond quickly, then your next letter can hint at further violations of your civil rights under federal law. Either way, by remaining patient, you're in control.
3) The consumer defused their power. Written correspondence carries a certain weight. When you receive a formal letter, you don't know or really care how friendly its author might be. You don't know if the letter was prepared by his or her attorney. You don't know how the author will follow up. In short, a formal letter -- unlike telephone chat -- is a bit off-putting. By "checking up," the letter has been pierced like a balloon and its power has begun to leak away.
4) The consumer doesn't understand the larger context of their credit repair action. When you dispute the veracity of a tradeline (or of an allegedly outstanding debt, for that matter), you are basically asserting this very simple statement: "You, sir or madame, are wrong." By definition, you are striking an adversarial stance. So be powerful about it. We in psychology like to talk about how "CONGRUENCE" between feelings and behaviors suggests a level of mental health. In other words, when somebody's body language and emotions match their behavior, a few things happen:
-•- The person looks serious.
-•- Correlate: People who look serious are more often regarded seriously.
-•- The person appears to believe in him- or herself.
-•- Correlate: People who believe in themselves aren't likely to just go away, so the demand for attention appears stronger.
-•- The person appears to be dealing from a position of strength.
-•- Correlate: Strong people are more likely to receive positive attention than weak ones.
-•- The person feels better about themselves.
-•- Correlate: Those who have positive self-esteem (or those who can fake it while they build it) are more likely to inspire socially proactive, helpful behavior in others.
This is why suddenly acting like the other party's friend makes it far more difficult to achieve your credit repair goals. In this case, grandmother's adage about attracting more flies with honey instead of vinegar doesn't apply. With the singular exception of the Goodwill Letter request, you are not the other party's friend. You are an adversary simply because you are alleging their wrongful actions. Don't trade away your legal position by being impatient. Don't trade away your personal power by self-medicating your short-term anxiety with chatty and personable approaches. Remain strong, and contain your anxious feelings as best you can.
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