My wife and I are trying to clean up our credit reports. Everything that it at all negative, is from before we were married. When going through her Equifax report, we found 2 accounts listing her as authorized user, both R9 charge offs for a total of around $8000. She has never signed up as an authorized user on anyone's card. The thought is that the two cards are either her X Husband's card (one was opened before she married him) who filed chapter 13 or that it might be from her Mother (who also filed BK) We're 99% sure that the cards are either the X's or mothers. And she knows for a fact that she never signed to be an authorized user on anyone's cards. We don't want to have to wait the 3 more years until these things fall off, they're hurting our chances of buying the new home we're looking for. Now if these accounts had been included in a BK, isn't it illegal for them to be reported on her credit report? What type of action should I take. A validate letter to the original creditors (Fleet and Citibank) stating that she never signed to be any type of Authorized User, doesn't know who the account belongs to, and they're violating the FCRA by blemishing her credit report? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Chris
Chris, I had a similar problem, all I did is dispute with the CRA as not mine and they removed it immediately. As an authorized user you are under no obligation to pay....the original creditor did right a letter saying they would remove but that they had every right to list it....whatever....it's off...and it only took one dispute. Good luck.
Soup is right. Just dispute with the three credit bureaus as not mine. AUs are the easiest accounts to get deleted. Dani
I have a sears account I am an AU on, and the CRA's won't remove it or show a 0 balance. They are showing the card as maxed. It is my fiance's account and has a 0 balance. I would be happy if they either removed it from my report or reported a 0 balance.
That's odd, I have gotten two AUs removed from my reports with no problem. Have you tried contacting Sears? I have gotten to the point that I just deal with the creditors; the CRAs don't want to help so I don't bother. Dani
That's somewhat the thing I was wondering. I know the CRA's are pathetic about insisting on reporting false information. I send them a letter saying it's not mine, they ask the credit card company if my wife is shown as an AU, and the company replied "Yes, she's an AU" and it's returned to me as verified. So I was wanting to know if you think I'm better off going just to the credit card company with the complaint. One more quick one. If I go to the creditors asking to validate a debt that is not mine, and get them to agree that it isn't mine. Do they send a remove order / request to the CRA's or do you have to go to the CRA's too? Thanks
I had the same problem with Providian, they swore I was an AU on the account and it got charged off. I sent providian a letter saying if it wasn't fixed I would sue. Gone about 30 days later.
Sears did the same thing to me. It won't it from my credit report even though I am just an authorized user. So annoying
I have the creditor send the CRAs a remove order. It takes a couple phone calls to have this done though, due to some creditors forgetfulness. But, I have learned they will accept what the creditor (their customer) reports, but not what I dispute (even with proof). Dani
