Hi, first time poster, but been lurking for a little while. So I would like to apply for a new mortgage, but as I discovered recently, my credit score has taken a hit. TU and EQ scores are in the 670-690 range but strangely, my EX score is 780. The line item that appears on TU and EQ but not EX is a from a CA regarding an AT&T bill. This is a long story, but basically I had a mobile phone service with AT&T 2 years ago, switched about a year and a half in. They claimed I signed a 2 year contract, and I claimed it was a 1 year contract. They charged me a termination fee on all three lines for $500 or so. I repeatedly asked them to produce a contract showing I signed a 2 year contract and all they ever sent me was a bill. Around December of 2008, a CA called me. I received a mailing from them a few days later and almost immediately, I asked for a DV via certified mail. I still have the green postcard thing. They stopped calling and I never received anything from them so I thought it was over. I checked my credit report a week ago and they reported it to TU and EQ, dropping my score substantially. Since they didn't reply to my DV letter (and I have proof of sending such a letter), what do I do now? The obvious thing to do seems to be to dispute the TL to the CRA's. But do I include the DV letter and the subsequent lack of response? Do I try sending another DV letter? I'm sure this has been answered before and truthfully, I did find some reasonable responses in these forums. However, I've also read that a lot of the answers are out of date and would like current advice. Thanks.
If they did not send you verification before posting to the CRA, dispute the trade line with the CRAs. Then call them up and tell them to remove the entries or you'll be filing a law suit for FDCPA violations if they don't. That might get them off your report long enough for your house purchase, but it won't make it go away.
I can certainly dispute the trade line with the CRA's, but what do I write? That they didn't verify the debt? Is that cause enough to get the TL off the CR? And who do I call? The CRA's or the CA to threaten the lawsuit? Ideally, I'd like for this to go away permanently. Is the only way to capitulate and pay? I'd really hate to do that since I think I'm in the right here.
Go to the CRA's web site and try it from there. Dispute it as being completely incorrect or not yours (which is reasonable to believe because it hasn't been validated). If it's listed and you pay it, it'll stay there for the entire seven years. Your paying it is deemed proof that it was both valid and yours. Of course, if you're buying a house, you may not have time to wait for all this to work its magic. You may need to just pay it so you can get a mortgage. That sucks, but worse things could happen. You need to keep your perspective and remember what's more important: getting your house or fighting with a CA.
I'm just refinancing, not buying, and the rates have risen recently so I can wait a little. I'll dispute it with TU and EQ and see what happens.
