Experian full of $%!@..what to do.

Duplicats are a dream for someone trying to get something removed! You have them nailed if these two accounts are actually the same one. I had two creditors do this to me last year and ALL the tradelines they reported are now gone from my reports. It wasn't easy and I had to somewhat harass them to get satisfaction but the end result was what I wanted. If you want to take it further than I did you could sue them for damages, negligence, willful noncompliance, etc. I threatened all of these and they removed them completely.

 

I can only tell you what I did.

I didn't mess around much with the CRA's. The original creditors were verifying the duplicates and I only requested the CRA's do dispute investigations once and when they came back verified I went after the original creditors.


Creditor "A":
I had one account which had two 30day late pays. On EX they duplicated the date for one of them. In other words, it was listed as late 1/96, 1/96, 5/98 so now two lates looked like three and was taken into scoring as three. IN ADDITION, this same account was duplicated with a different account number, one THEY changed when they reissued a new card as they do after so many years. The new account number (same account) reported the two lates correctly, albeit, twice for the same account. The end result was that for this ONE account, on EX, it now showed 5 lates when there really were only two!

I wrote first letter to creditor pointing out their error in reporting and addressed it to their Credit Manager whose name I had gotten from some old correspondence or marketing. I sent it crr. I was very nice in the first letter...just a consumer trying to straighten something out. No reply. Sent second letter, somewhat more emphatic and threw in that I believed that I have been overcharged in interest/received terms which were less than I otherwise would have from other creditors as a result of their negligence. This one I send to the Credit Manager and also copied the President of the company. They faxed me an account history and of course the two lates showed. They never acknowledged the errors of their reporting or indicated they'd make corrections to the fact that 5 lates were showing on the CRA report. Next I filed a complaint with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Banking Division, of the state in which they are incorporated (Connecticut). I think this letter was ignored. Third letter...I ratcheted up the heat. I told them that I was going to retain not only a lawyer, but also a financial auditor whose rates are $500 an hour (true), to assess any and all damages from their negligence, willful noncompliance, violation of FCRA, etc., etc. I told them that since the first duplicate 1/96 that I had obtained a mortgage which could have been priced less than terms I otherwise would have received for my husband and self and that we would be assessing the pricing differential over the 30yr term of the mortgage in addition to other credit I applied and received which had terms not consistent with what I otherwise would have received. In addition, I had applied to several cc's and been turned down during the period in question and would add those to damages. I really laid it on but in the most professional way. At the end of the letter I included a summary of their transgressions and below that, what I expected them to do to rectify the situation. I told them I felt that since in the past they have PROVEN not to be able to report my account correctly and have verified INCORRECT information, that they could no longer be trusted to EVER report information to the bureaus on the account. I requested full removal of the tradelines.

For each of the letters I sent, I sent copies of previous correspondence (a good way to let them see you are keeping a 'paper trail').

This third letter was sent to the Credit Manager, the President, and cc'd to the Director of Banking, Consumer Affairs Div, State of Connecticut (he actually called me at home about this...te he)

Within a week of this third letter I had full removal.

Creditor "B"
Pretty much the same story only there was one late they made to look like three.

 

I had a similar case against Verizon. I was able to correspond via email with them. I did like Mist has said here, I outlined their violations and threatened to sue unless they deleted. It took a couple of letters, but they gave in the day before I was filing suit. I don't know if they will help you, but it will give you some idea of what to write. The key is to sit down and spend some time (read 3-4 hours) look at other letters, re-read the FCRA. Eventually you'll have the perfect letter tailored to your exact situation.

These are links to my emails:
First and Second email
Final email