I keep reading all the success everyone is having with disputing, validation etc. I can't seem to get anything done. I just checked CE and they have verified & remains EVERYTHING I disputed. Of course, I have my pending lawsuit with them. I send out validation letters and mine fill out the forms correctly and properly and provide verification of the debt. TU verifies EVERYTHING I dispute period. If I disputed my eye color they would verify that I'm sure. I do have Consumer Affairs @ Equifax handling my file now so maybe I'll get *some* luck there. I've done BBB & PFB to all the inquiries remaining on Equifax in hopes to remove those. I have nothing left to do. The medical collections will remain. I am going to use my income tax to pay off Cap One X 2 and PFB to ask for a better rating on those. I am almost paid off with Providian and they will change my rating when I hit -0- balance. CCB can KMA, I will NOT pay them off. The only other thing I know to do is pay the collections one at a time and hope they don't re-age my accounts and I can dispute them twice a year in hopes for deletion. My credit repair journey is done.... I am not having enough success to continue to spend all this money on CRR & all this time when I could be working agency nursing on the weekends making money to pay these @$$holes off. It looks like it will be about 3 more years till I hit prime but...stuff happens. I made my bed now I have to lie in it Good luck to you all and I'll still be reading daily & posting occasionally.
Sorry about your luck. Guess the best advice to give is to keep attacking - from what everyone says eventually you'll break them. I might be able to help you on the Cap One. A former boss of mine works as a Collections mgr. for Capital One. His work # is (972) 819-5870. Tell him George Taylor, a former co-worker from FirstUSA reccomended him to help you. Not sure what he can do for you but if it can be done he'll help you. *** NOTE - John Miller is a good friend of mine, and I'd like for him to consider me the same, so if anyone calls, please be nice. Thanks *** Hope this helps - let me know if John was able to do anything... GT
Christi, How long have you been at this? Credit is not ruined or repaired overnight! I have been working on mine off and on since Sept. 2000. I have been dedicated and POSITIVE about doing it since June of last year because I wanted to buy a home. I still read any new books I can get my hands on concerning credit repair. Those are helpful when it comes to drafting letters, etc. I have disputed and had things come back verified. In fact, I said that I was going to dispute my Ch 7 on EQ one last time--and this is the time it came off. I said "what the hell" and disputed it on Experian (they do not like me there), and it amazingly came off. DON'T GIVE UP! This is a rough spot in the road. I would recommend online disputing because it limits the amount of stuff that you have to come up with. I used to send these 2 and 3 page dispute letters--no more. I am disputing 3 things on Experian and I have barely used a half a page. My snail mail disputes are now just as short as the online ones. cariba
Well...just when I was ready to give up. I thought well let me pull my Equisux and see what Consumer Affairs has done for me lately. I got a 55 pt gain *woohoo*, I'm outta the 400 club now. They got 5 deletions in one week. Ok, so maybe I'll hang in here a bit longer. I still have a long way to go though. I would pay everyone 100% for deletion, but they don't work that way
Christi, Hang in there...I have been doing this MUCH longer than you, my first report is dated December 1999. I am STILL in the 500 club. I have been frustrated, discouraged, elated, and stressed. When I feel down, I take a break, and then go back when I feel like I can handle rejection again. LOL. But really, when I first started out, I didn't have any support. Now I have DH, and you guys, so that makes it easier. I do have to admit, it is very difficult to read about those who have moved up to Prime, and I'm still in secured CC land, but I know that I'll be there soon, and so will you. Hang in there! I promise it will get better!!!!
I've been doing it since latter part of 2000 myself. I only got really into in March 2001 this year. I started with ALOT of bad things, including BK. I've had success but what's remaining doesn't seem to budge and I'm just about tired of messing with it. I can only dispute twice with Experian..but I have a lawsuit filed on them now for FCRA Violations and hoping to settle out in exchange for deletions and some money. TU is just stupid period, I have nothing more to say on them and Equifax is making headway now that I have consumer affairs handling my file now. I just wonder if anyone has had any luck with charged off credit cards? I have 3 of those and the rest are medical collections and I have NO luck with them either, however I have about 2 wks left for them to answer the estoppel letter and I will be sending proof of their Non-response to the CRA's in hope for deletion.
Erica, Look at your scores girl. You are 600+ all the way. Hey I wanted to ask your opinion on the First Premier. They sent me a pre-approval and only needed a paystub and proof of address and said I was approved. I faxed what they asked for. I really didn't want to apply but since I only have 2 open tradelines (positive) furniture and FCNB I thought it might help to get one more positive going.
I have had good experiences with them. I do have a 100% secured card with them though, and I don't have all the fees. They told me that at 6 months, I could either get a CL increase or go unsecured (same limit). I haven't decided yet and 6 months was up in October. I also have FCNB, good experiences with them so far too, only had them since October, though. I say, go for it. You gotta start somewhere, right?
I'm not 600 with equifax anymore. Citi and Target checked that report. I got Target, and I'm too scared to call Citi. So my score went down with 2 inquiries in the same day, I'm sure. I hope Citi got forwarded to the old new address. (long story)
Citi checked Experian for me. It is the only inquiry I have in 8 months and it cost me 8 pts. Christi, I started out with a first premier. Yes they have a lot of fees, but I never had any problems with them. At 6 months they gave me a $500 increase, and last month they dropped the annual fee from $40 to $10 and they reduced my apr to fixed 9.9%. I can't complain. Go for it.
Well they sent me the pre-approval and said all they needed was proof of income (pay stub) and proof of address (since I have a PO Box) so I faxed it all in. I hope a new account doesn't drop my scores, but I think I needed to establish some positives besides the 2 I have, other than being an AU on 4 accts.
Well the new account will drop at first. But I think in six months you'll be better off. I can't see how keeping an account positive would hurt you, expect for being over-extended... GT
It is absolutely worth hanging on but chances are, you are not maximizing your situation. In a best case scenario, you really can make your score jump jump jump, take it from me. I was in the low 400's in April of 2001. Best case scenario would be to continue to dispute and validate, proceed toward litigation if necessary. But just as important, make sure you are doing the best things possible for yourself as far as score building is concerned. You must NEVER allow your balances to exceed 35% of your credit limits. And you must NEVER pay any balnce to $0. If you are financially able to pay an account to $0, pay it down to $1.50 like I do. And for God's sake, beware of those inquiries, especially on EQ.
My balances are pretty good, CE shows I have 78% of credit available. I have NOT applied for anything. I have almost all inquiries gone except Equifax, but I do have Consumer affairs handling this as well as I sent BBB & PFB to all the companies with that great letter and a copy of the FCRA Staff opinion letter referenced so I'm hoping to have those removed, it's only 11 inquiries in 2 yrs there. I will continue to dispute and validate, but my validations aren't panning out too well. I get the ones who have the information . I do have the lawsuit against Experian and I think I will file one against TU in the next week or so.
Christi - I know how you feel. I am just getting started with this, but I am not sure I am doing everything right and sometimes I just want to scream because I really don't know all the ropes yet. I have just been reading and doing searches and I get on here about 50 times a day just to see if I can find something that might help me. My credit is a mess from when I was in college and a single mom and before I found this board, I thought I was just stuck with waiting out 7 years. I just sent out my first round of disputes and have had two accounts deleted, but I haven't heard from the others yet. I have lots of medical bills that, fortunately, the hospital here has a policy of deleting those once they are paid in full. Also, two doctors offices were sympathetic with me and agreed (and put it in writing) to deleteing when they are paid in full. Sometimes I get discouraged because I don't get the answers I need when I ask a question, but I guess so many of these questions have been beat to death that people just don't feel like answering. At any rate, I hope you stick around and report your progress. Take care
Christi, DO NOT GIVE UP!!! you have triumphed over a lot of other negative situations.... you can prevail over this credit bs too. tu verifies everything..... what about procedure requests.... can you nail them on violations this way???
Diva, Thanks girl!! You are probably the only one who would understand what we've been through. I had such great success with that I guess I thought everything else in life would now come easy How are you doing on the other end? Is all OK? I reached goal and hope to have PS soon (when I can get a prime card or save up $5600).
hey I use to think like you. I thought that it was too much time to fix credit. well let me see. I had credit of 555 556 500 fro six years last of theses scores were 12/02/01 by 1/7/02 my score are 628 638 614 and I have a judgement and one collections, and three 60 day lates and a closed account with a zero balance ( i disputed as not mine charge off but they changed to closed no balance and paying on time , oh well) . so there have been some quick results. but clearly the other late payments and the judgement and the closed by creditor account will take some more effort and time but think if I do I ould probably get my scores in the 700's easy. by the way i was in with the holiday disputes. so take your time but do not give up. good luck oh yeh I have pre approval for a home purchase and are looking now. good luck keep the faith
Christi- I know this may sound ridiculous, but did you ever think about having someone CALL the CA (say your hubby or mom). Have them say "my wife owes a debt and I want to know how much it's for, who it's for and where I can mail the payments to?" Record it. A CA will listen to anyone who is willing to pay for ANYONE's debt, it could be your neighbor for all they care. Then you could go after them for FDCPA violations. I never thought of it until I called and paid on a couple of my hubbys old medical bills, then found this board, and got introduced to the FDCPA, they are NOT allowed to talk to anyone other than you about your collection debts, without your permission. It may be a stretch, but like I said before do whatever it takes to repair your report, without getting yourself a lawsuit. Just a thought! Of course it's entirely YOUR decision, but I was just trying to throw an idea out to you KHM
Christi, For about 2 months..nothing moved off of my EQ report. I was disgusted. Now mky score is still in the 500s, but hey I finally am down to one collection item and 4 bad lines..My student loan was removed and I am sure it will show up again. I was ready to throw the towel in some days myself. Oh especially when I got my mom's TU inquires removed using the bkev method or whoever that was, and mine wouldn't move. But keep fighting..you will win the battle. Take a deep breathe and keep on pushing. I am not the most deeply religious person (yet I am a chruchgoer) but here goes (and some of you have seen this before): P.U.S.H. P ray U ntil S omething H appens! Smile. How's that for you?
