Okay. Here's the story. I'm disputing five items on my credit report. Only one company responded with a half-ass attempt at validation. Of the four that didn't respond at all, two have pulled my CR. What are they doing? What does this mean? Is this legal? What's the next step. I've sent a second validation to each. I suspect they have no idea what I'm disputing because they can't find it and they're hoping my CR will help them validate. I'm confused. This negatively affects my score. Shawn.
Yes it is negatively effecting your report. I think you may have begun the process wrong in that you should begin disputing with the CRA's not the CA's and creditors. Send disputes to the CRA's ... they will either claim validation or they will delete...if they claim the CA/Creditor validates the debt, then do the verification with the creditors (some, me included, dispute several times before resorting to verification). My guess is that you are correct...they are searching your file (via the inquiries) for account numbers and such to find your file and therefore verify the debt. Are they pulling HARD inquiries? If so, I would argue that the inquiries were NOT for a permissable purpose. No hard inquiry should result from your request for verification. Threaten the CA with FDCPA violation if they do not remove and threaten with a lawsuit if they continue to put hard inquiries on your report. I would be PISSED. But that is what the CA's are good at...PISSING US CONSUMERS OFF. -Peace, Dave
They are hard inquiries. Do you happen to know what portion of the FDCPA they are violating? My next step should be to send them another letter calling them out. Do you agree?
No I do not...I did find out through some questions and searching this board that they REALLY do not violate the FDCPA by adding inquiries if the debt is VALID. And in fact the violations of the FDCPA will not REALLY matter until you actually get to court . Here is an interesting post from Marie. So you may have a bit of work to prove they have violated the FDCPA by continuing collection attempt (pulling your credit report) when in fact they had no right to do so. There are a lot of posts concerning this, do a search using words like (FDCPA inquiry - FDCPA inquiries - collection inquiries etc...) minus all the parens and dashes, and you will find much information and discussions on this matter. Good luck. -Peace, Dave
