Got a verified this month that really is totally incorrect. I asked for verification. The only thing I could get was "we verified it by mail". So, I asked to SEE the proof... what did they send back to the CRA??? I was flatly told "we don't have to show you the PROOF we actually got verification.. we only have to tell you HOW we verified the information and how they responded". You've gotta be kidding, right??? That's like the fox guarding the... well, you know the saying. IS this true??? any thoughts??? I want the proof of verification or I want it off now!!!!! (Sallie Mae couldn't confirm any requests for verification, by the way).
RE: CRAs don't have to show me The usual procedure. Write SM a letter (certified/RR) telling them they have 30 days to do one of the following or face litigation: (1) Provide you with proof of the debt; (2) Send a UDF to the CRA's with removal instructions. In most cases that will do. If it doesn't, get an attorney to write them. 99% of the companies will give up at this stage. If they belong in the 1% group - sue the bastards. You'll get what you want plus court costs and attorney fees. Saar
RE: CRAs don't have to show me Sweet! I've got a nasty validation letter... it has all the "if you don't do this it becomes willful, wanton, and negligent" stuff in it which causes me "specific harms:... general harms...". It scares ME reading it! Thanks! I was about to go after Sallie Mae and ask for a UDF... I guess I really would like to bust TransUnion Just can't believe they don't have to SHOW me the proof that they have actually verified the debt. As an aside, since you're going to be a lawyer, do the CRAs have to SHOW us (Have real proof that they verified info) or do they really have to only disclose HOW they verified the info. I couldn't really find a definite phrase in any of the laws... Thanks again for your great advice!!!
RE: CRAs don't have to show me Marie, I disputed Ford Credit so many times,(I lost count) in 2.5 years, Experian finally sent me the UDF just to shut me up. It did however, take care of the duplicate problem and the open balance that was paid off in '96. Which is what I was after in the first place. If they would only do thier jobs from the beginning, they would have the time to research and report more accurate information instead of wasting time on something that was disputed 15 times.
RE: CRAs don't have to show me Can you post a sample of the letter you're talking about or let me know where you go it. Thanks
RE: CRAs don't have to show me I have one that I got off a website. Guerilla Guide to Credit was an amazing resource (hope it's ok to plug a bit) but this book totally made me rethink debts. I didn't realize how many rights we have and how few we ever use. The actual concept is, for lack of a better word, a validation of the debt. Meaning, prove to me it's mine, that you have the right to collect it, that the amount you're collecting is correct, etc etc. This is great for collection agencies too because they don't normally have much other than a computer screen telling them "what you owe". As long as you don't admit the debt and don't agree to pay the agency you can question their ability to collect it. That's my layperson's info. I used one I found online (free) and while I'm not certain the legal statutes quoted are correct... it worked w/my utility company. The other one I put together based on my particular circumstance... but I borrowed all the scarey phrases from the Guerilla Guide. I'd hesitate to give you mine cause I'm not a lawyer and I don't even know if when I was reading the laws if I quoted correctly (Saar would know). Tell you what, I'll post some quotes I use in another post... while asking the real experts for their input and together the info should be useful to you. FYI: the free helpful websites (they do sell stuff but the free stuff was amazingly useful)I used are www.primenet.com/~kielsky/index.html It's a shareware site w/lots of sample letters and explanations. There are sample letters around here but I'm reasonably new to this site...so I have no clue where they are (saw some when reviewing old posts). Hope this helps some...
