Spurred on by our recent home approval, a friend decided that he too would move out of his hovel. (I can say that because he's a great guy but he lives like the stereotypical bachelor...) Anyway, the bank tells him there's a problem with his credit report: collections activity! He asks them to fax his report but he gets that old "we can't do that" bullshit. I told him to get his own Equifax or TU (the main ones up here) reports online. Yep, *two* entries from our old friends: I C Systems! He called them and found out that the phone company sent his final local and long distance bills to collections! These are bills from 2 years ago. So he of course asks how could he have gotten new phone service when he moved 2 years ago if he hadn't paid his last bill. The answer? They told him they didn't know or care, just send the money. So before they could interrogate him about his current wherabouts, he hung up and called the phone company. The billing rep told him that he got new service becase the new accounts center for different states don't talk to each other. Since he moved to an adjacent state, they didn't deny him service. From what he said they will update his credit report showing paid in full if he pays the final bills. I asked him what about removing it altogether. He asked and was told "they don't do that" it would have to stay. Does he have a leg to stand on or is he going to have to wait 4 months to dispute it off?
really? I'd like to pass that on to him before he runs over to some check cashing place and makes a payment without some type of reassurances.
I have had no luck getting ic system off my report for a pif bill through collections. They just update but wouldn't take it off for me. I thought someone just recently was having a thing w/ ic systems?
I don't have ANY phone company on ANY credit report... If I don't have ANY, why does it have to stay???
He could play a bit of hardball... take his old address off his reports send a request for proof of the debt to the phone company (they don't have signatures on file)... letting them know they may hold up a new home and if he loses it he'll hold them responsible... use the nutcase approach as bargaining power... He needs to think like they do. If it's his bill, he admits it, there's no dispute to amount, then they would be violating their subscriber agreement to delete with payment. However, an account in dispute (not his, wrong amout etc) can be removed with the justification that there were errors in the information that the phone comany was reporting. push comes to shove, he can pay the bill, take the proof to the broker, get an expedited reinvestigation, and get the mortgage with the items paid whether or not they get removed from the reports... the rollover and beg approach didn't work... now to play hardball... even admitting the debt is his, they had an obligation to bill him (and they definitely had his address)... this is what I would consider creditor abuse... he would have paid if they'd bothered sending him a bill... utilities think they're above the law
Thanks for the tips! I looked over the nutcase letter and let me tell you, he's like that for real everyday! LOL I guess the phone company is going to be sorry they ever gave him a phone! LOL
I'd try and make it simple: Get an agreement in writing from the phone company stating : If I pay you (phone company) you will call off CA and require them to remove any derog info. Be sure to have the CA cc:'d on the agreement. Only acceptable in writing. Otherwise, yes, NUTCASE 'em! DB
I pointed him to one of those web sites that show whether CAs need to be bonded & licensed to operate in this state. It turns our IC System isn't licensed in our state regardless of what their web site says. Since the bill is indeed his, I suggested he pay the phone company diresctly and simultaneously send a nutcase letter to IC system with a cc to our attorney general. Would this course of action work?
