I just checked my credit report and saw this show up. I checked it last year and this wasn't on there, so the dates are weird...but whatever. I did use U-Haul around this time, so it might be legit. Either way, I need to find out how to contact the collections agency to pay the debt. Collection Agency 496YC03413 Original Creditor U HAUL Account Number 63927XXXX Whose Account Individual Date Assigned December, 2004 Date Reported August, 2006 Amount $60 Balance $60 Balance Date August, 2006 Date Last Activity October, 2004 Collection Status Unpaid Status Date August, 2006 Also, how would I go about making sure it doesn't stay as a negative on my credit report? Any help would be appreciated. Also, I had a 120+ late that went on for almost a year before I finally paid it in January. It was a long-running dispute over a measly $39 and eventually I just gave up. So this negative is still on there. I'm assuming my FICO (668 as of today) is being hurt by this as well. Its an "installment account" whatever that means. What can I do, if anything, to remove this from my record? I would really appreciate help...I need to get my score up to the low-mid 700's within 3-4 months, if possible.
The reporting agencies contact info should be listed on the report. I would contact them about paying it in full and ask for a delete. A written form of contact would provide proof of their intentions to delete the account, in case they fail to follow through with the agreement.
I had a collection from ATT on my report for $350 or so from several years ago. It just poped up on my report one day out of the blue. The collection was from an agency, and I found out about it when I went to rent a corporate apartment in a city I do not live in. I called and talked to them and said I wanted to pay as long as they deleted it. They told me that is against their policy. Each time I called, I wrote the name of the person I talked with. I called 6 times and I was told NO every time. Then a guy answered the phone with a VERY, VERY heavy accent and I told him I wanted to pay in full, if they deleted. I thought he was going to be a pain to deal with, but I was surprised. I told him that I went to rent an apartment and they won't let me rent it because I have a collection (this was not true, the apartment just wanted an extra couple hundred deposit) He said "You will pay in full today as long as we delete negative?" I said yes. Now this guy saw an opportunity to make a commission. Who knows $50? $75? I have no idea, but this new immigrant was my new friend. He put me on hold and then came back "Supervisor who can make decisions is not here, but I talk to him at 8am tomorrow and I call you" I did not want to give my number so I told him I would call him back (so I could record the call) I know they are not allowed to promise me that it will get deleted unless they actually delete it, but I wanted to record the call anyway. The next morning I call and he says we are set. If I pay by credit card, deletion letter to me and the big 3 can take 90 days. I'm assuming they wait to make sure I don't file a chargeback, but that is only my assumption. He says if I send money over the internet with Western Union I will have the letter the next day. This raised a flag, but I knew I could nail them on making false promises in order to collect a debt, so I sent the money via Western Union. The next day they faxed me a copy of the deletion letter that they were going to send to the big. It was deleted from all 3 within 30 days, even though they told me it could take 90 days. Yours is a small debt and what I did might not work. I just thought I would mention what I went through a couple of months ago. I think mentioning that I could not rent this apartment helped a lot, but I could be wrong. I knew that I probably owed this debt and I like to take care of my obligations. I probably could have sent out a bunch of letters and spent several months and not payed my debt, but that is not my style. I just wanted the darn thing off my report ASAP.
Update: I called U-Haul as there was no contact info for the collections company. They have their own internal collections and once I was transferred there, the CSR told me she would zero out my balance AND remove it from my credit report Wow. So thats a good one. What about my now-paid, 120+ day late note on my credit report? Its the only other negative thing on my report (other than one 30-day late from 6 years ago) but its a pretty big one. What can I do about it? Anything at all?
Installment account. I fit the criteria needed to cancel my subscription, but they kept billing me anyway. I disputed the charge with MC ($40). After months of them hounding me I finally paid it as it was destroying my credit. They said they would remove negative marks from my CR but I didn't get a letter saying so, and they didn't remove them. So now its been paid for about a year, but for almost a year it was late, so I have (8) 120+ days late sitting on this one account. Other than that I have one late 30days from 6 years ago...my credit is spotless otherwise.
I called the CA and the CSR said that given the fact that up til the last month they had an excellent experience with me, she will suggest to her manager that they remove the negative from my CR. I still haven't heard back though... :-( What would be my next step?
Update: They removed the negative from my CR. My Equifax jumped from 666 to 699 and my TransUnion is 773
