Disputing through the Credit Reporting Agencies

Target data fields that report nothing and dispute as incomplete. Before doing so, remove all old addresses and name variations. Enroll in a credit monitoring service which allows daily updates. Track the removals of the names and addresses and as soon as they're gone, hit the tradelines.

 

You won't see all the fields on True Credit. Get your actual reports and you will see some.

Reduce every dispute to writing.

 

Apex, you have referred to removing old addresses and alias in several posts, what is the procedure for that please?

Tony

 

Sorry to barge in, but Tony: Send a real piece of paper letter to the CRA and tell them plainly its not accurate.

If you're changing what they think is your current address its likely they'll ask you for two forms of ID, like a utility bill sent to that address and such; do it if they ask.

 

You just write to the credit reporting agencies and request that they remove all old addresses insofar as they're obsolete and you do not wish to have pre-approved credit card offers sent to places where someone else lives now. In addition, provide a utility bill as proof of current address and perhaps, a state I.D.

It is also a good idea to "opt-out" because debt collectors buy skip tracing tools from the credit reporting agencies.

 

I would not tell the credit reporting agency that an old name or address was obsolete. They will just tell you that the old information is just part of your file and will remain.

It might be a clever angle to use opt-out as an excuse to ask for deletion, but I am not sure if that will work, they may just tell you to contact the opt out company in writing and submit a list of all past addresses needing to be removed from offers. I usually tell them that the old addresses are incorrect. They may want you to send in driver's license / or copy of utility bill showing current address.

If you remove an old address, sometimes the old account you wanted removed link to that old address - will just automatically be removed when you get the old address off.

And if you have any multiple names like me: Pammila, Pamilla, Pamela, Pam - just tell them the ones that are not legally correct and get them removed. I have known them sometimes to tell consumers that a current creditor is reporting the incorrect name and leave it up to you to contact that creditor and have them update their reporting before you can get the incorrect name listing off.

 

I think we're saying essentially the same thing but, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree, in part. Telling them (the CRA's) that old addresses are incorrect; i.e., inaccurate, when they aren't will lead to a real re-investigation. Moreover, you may get a fraud alert on your reports by virtue of stating that. In addition, we as a CSO cannot advocate making false statements to creditor or credit reporting agency, we don't in our business practices, and we won't do it here.

With that said, Experian will often say it is a part of the record but, Equifax and Trans Union will delete old addresses and name variations.

I do agree with you on the method for removing name variations.

I think we're having a disconnect as to my suggestion to opt-out perhaps. I'm advocating opting-out through the credit reporting agencies so debt collectors cannot as easily access your information. In addition, it corresponds nicely to removing old addresses for fear of pre-approved credit card offers going to old addresses. You have a right under the FCRA to opt-out through the credit reporting agencies pursuant to the FCRA. They can't refuse the request.

Again, I think we're saying the same things in a different way and both methods would probably work. However, I just don't want someone to get an inadvertant fraud alert or get placed in special handling.

 

I see what you are saying, I had not heard of the credit reporting agency activating a fraud alert on a consumer, the other way around that the consumer calls to activate the fraud alert.

Well that is fine, I will let that go on the dispute wording.

I hear people talk about using opt-out to skirt the collection agencies from finding them. Some have suggested that the collection agency was using the pre-solicitation to gather address list on potential debtors they have accounts on. I really don't think the pre-solicitation lists are that narrowed down to capture who the collection agencies are specifically looking for.

Yeah they can submit a request for say all consumers in such and such zip code that are credit card holders and see what the credit reporting agency will kick back, but they are going to end up with a whole lot of people that they have to sift through just to find the few they wanted.

When any given industry wants a solicitation list that is what they are doing, setting some criteria and seeing what comes back. Most of the time they are asking for zip code area. They might even ask for a credit score range, or a specific consumer like say one who shows with the credit reporting agency that owns a home.

I don't think it is as easy as them submitting a specific list of names, social security numbers. Oh and another thing, the collection agencies really don't need the solicitation lists, they have access to products such as Social Search - when they want they just type in the consumers social security number and the credit reporting agency kicks back all addresses ever reported on that consumer, it also gives the date it was reported, the lender who reported it, and the address & number to contact that lender. These reports won't cause an inquiry for the consumer to ever know a collection agency made such an inquiry because no actual credit report was obtained.

Another product is Subscriber can not locate tag. One the lender version of consumer credit reports sometimes you will just see the initials SCNL - if a new company accessing the credit report sees this, they are expected to contact that collection agency and notify them that their debtor just tried applying for new credit and they might have a new address to pass on to the collection agency to start collection efforts again.

Also if they don't want to wait for a lender to call them, they can just ask the credit reporting agency to notify them as soon as a new address gets reported to that consumers credit report.

I really think that opt-out option is a moot point with all the other products at the collection agencies disposal.

Edit: sorry, me and the page breaks are not getting along on this posting part.