My personal experience is that giving a specific reason, other than "not mine", works better. I have used past reporting SOL, for example. Equifax/CSC seems to be able to verify anything you dispute as "not mine". If you say it isn't yours, all they have to do is verfiy your name, address and/or SSN. There is more investigating involved by disputing something specific.
thanks if i dispute balance, date of last activity...do i still validate with collection agency and if so under what reason?
Yes. For most the first 2 disputes with a CRA are by far the most effective. Most use not mine the first one or two times. Good luck.
My basic thinking is that above all one should never tell a lie. It almost always works against you and even if it don't there is still the moral issue. If you have an ounce of morals in you then you cannot tell a lie and live with your morals. Especially if you can be easily tripped up. (LOL) So why do the credit bureaus specifically tell you to use that damned lie? Well, I can't be sure but my thinking is something like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. "The better to eat you with, my dear" Better to find something to argue with that won't trip you up quite so easily as has already been suggested in this thread. I don't fiddle with the credit bureaus much. They remind me too much of that wolf in granny's bed with her bonnet on for my liking.
I agree with BBAUER in respect to a persons dealings with the credit bureaus should be limited. After one or two disputes with the CRA's give it up and go after the furnisher of information. There are ways around the "not mine" thing if you are worried about getting in trouble. Adding prases in with the dispute such as "do not recognize" and "do not remember" will help clear you of any legalities. If the moral police are after you for telling lies when you are disputing items on your credit reports, then go on and live happily in the bad credit prison hell created by the credit bureaus.
All that may be well and good, but it just isn't necessary. There are just too many reasons one can use beside that one and you have pointed at least some of them out.
