collection agencies pulling my CR

I have the same problem, especially with the collection agency that is with the local Equifax office.

Will a cease and desist letter stop this?

 

Nope-I had C&D a collection agency about a year ago, and they are still pulling my report.

As for ideas, if you don't have a collection account listed yet, dispute it ASAP, as you don't have any account w/ these people, nor have you given them permission (or were you told) that they would pull your report. Good luck.

 

this is an interesting idea because the FTC acknowledges that a collection inquiry, in and of itself, is a negative indicator on your report... one that cannot be dealt with like a collection tradeline can.

in essence, it dings your score without much recourse on your part.

It's a well known fact that collection agencies, when their hands are tied and can't collect a debt, will purposefully (can) put an inq on your report... thus blackballing you for credit even when they can't collect it anymore (they can be spiteful).

If I were you, I'd immediately call and then write and ask them who in the H&^L they think they are in your credit, twice... since you have no account with them.

Are you expecting something to bite you? or is this a complete surprise?

 

You have heard, I'm sure, of collection employees using their positions to gather information on people through their reports and commit fraud.

whether your credit is perfect or not, someone in your file without your consent or knowledge is a serious issue.

You need to find you who they are and what they're doing.

 

One of the legal reasons to pull a Credit report, is when A creditor is trying to collect a past due debt.. Other reasons are when you apply for credit.. Insurance companies when trying to get insurance.., When you apply for a Job, a credit report can also be pulled, There are other reasons too, There is a lot of Imformation that creditors can use from a credit report to try to collect a debt.. You can get address's , Tel # and it also show what accounts you are paying..

 

OK, so let's say that the collector pulls your report-a hard inquiry-on an account that you have no knowledge of. To get your "correct address". Yet, they do not bother to use that information to notify you about the debt (alleged debt). And go ahead and put the account on your report, without your knowledge. You don't find out about it until you pull your report.

And if I didn't enter into an agreement with a collection agency on an account, nor was I informed that an inquiry, an item that usually drops a score by at least 7 points, was being made by someone that I never entered into a contract into, to collect information (that was never used to contact me prior to insertion) that wasn't even used as you claim...for a debt that was paid 3 YEARS prior to ANY of this..but I digress.

The irony-I have a copy of the check for this debt-that being the original amount, not the amount w/the interest fees and other stuff from the collection agency-and I am disputing it currently-but the fact remains that these inquiries are damning my report for a debt I do not even owe...not to mention the actual collection account.

Comments, Ruby Jean?

Original poster, the point being that you should watch your reports carefully, and require these agencies, who will regard you as guilty until proven innocent, and seriously damage your credit in the process, to justify that the debt is yours, it is in fact valid, and they follow the process of the laws designed to protect consumers from this stuff.

 

Hey, y'all, Greg is trying to write one of his expose articles about this. Send him your information. He tackles this crap head-on. As you know if you've read his letters.

 

I'd sure want to talk to Mr. David Szwak about this too to see if he can see any grounds there for a good stiff lawsuit. I'm willing to be that he can.

 

Yeeees, that's right breeze-o-roonie!

Unbeknownst to them, Illegal Inquiry Contestant Number One is about to enter the studio, and are they in for some fun (and, you'll never guess who it is!)!

In the meantime (on another issue), on many of these same stations (I've always wanted to say that), a real printed credit report with Equifax's bungling. I have permission from the owner to scan and post the pages. It's a humdinger!

Stay tuned, Buckaroos!

 

Ooooooooooohh Goodie!!!
I can't wait!!
Go Greg!!

 

Look at the application(s) AND/OR disclosure statements for your credit cards, loans or other debts.

I guarantee you that, 99.9% of the time, you'll see some legalese that, in a nutshell, gives the creditor, it's agents or to anyone it assigns to collect the debt the explicit permission to access your credit histories. This covers updating info or, in the event of default, actions taken to satisfy the debt. And it's transferrable. Does it state that it will be a hard inquiry? No, but it doesn't mandate a soft inquiry, either.

 

So, jshimmer, lay it on the line: In your learned opinion, is it illegal?

 

In most cases, no, it's not illegal and shouldn't be.

That's assuming that it's a legal binding contract to begin with, signed by those of legal age of of legal capacity.

If I lend you money on good faith, and you fail to repay me under the terms, I should have the ability to attempt to collect that debt. This includes my using resources to locate you (i.e., your credit history tells me where you're at if you happen to maintain credit accounts in good standing with other lenders) and to attempt to collect the debt.

As long as the contracts don't state anything illegal (i.e., failure to pay will result in our setting your principal place of residence on fire), I don't have a problem with them.

 

What if it was a verbal agreement (like for a Long distance company)?

That you have C&D the company in the past?

Or, that the company does not in fact contact you after they have pulled your credit report?

And, if the debt is proven NOT to be yours, should these inquiries be yanked?

 

So, on one hand you have the credit reporting agencies allowing creditors and their collectors to ding the score with inquiries that affect the score, and on the other hand, you have their boy Fair, Isaac saying that the score doesn't count "'administrative inquiries' â?? requests made by lenders to review your account with them."

DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME that The Wizard (Fair, Isaac)-- the all-knowing, all-powerful, omnipotent, omnipresent, benevolent-- IS BEING DUPED by those nitwits the Three Blind Mice (the national credit reporting agencies) who are, in turn, being duped by the Troll (collectors) from under his bridge?

This is so damned funny-- and I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. Glenn King-- are you listening? Maxine Sweet? Don Richman?

 

It's a real simple process, Greg.

Just pay your damn bills on time and you don't have to worry about any of it.

Simple. Very simple. Not even funny.

 

While this may be true, I have a very common name and have had to fight over several inquiries from collection agencies for accounts later proven not to be mine - please explain why they have the right to do this.

 

John, I have to agree with Hal on this. I ge emails all the time from people who are getting inquiries and entries on their reports for accounts they never had. Gulf State does this routinely. The big items now seem to be utilities and telcos.

These are people who have never paid anyone late, and in some cases, only have the same last name or a similar name. And they aren't getting letters or calls, where they can fight back, they are just getting their credit reports trashed.

 

Hal, I don't ever remember stating that it was okay for a collection agency to add hard inquiries to the WRONG person's account, regardless of the reason why (i.e., similar name).