How can you tell if an item that has been deleted from you credit report is a hard (permanent) removal or soft (possibly temporary) removal?
Sorry ! It is kind of a weird question. Let me rephrase that. I have heard that if you dispute an account with a CRA and they delete it from your credit report, you need to keep checking your report to make sure it stays off. The reason being is that there are two different types of deletions...Hard and Soft. A Hard Deletion means that it can not be put back on your report. A Soft Deletion means that there is a possibility that is can be re-inserted if the OC or CA verifies/validates it later on. When you receive a letter from a CRA stating that an account has been deleted, is there any way you can tell if it was a hard or soft deletion?
It wasn't your fault, I just read the question to quickly as thought you were referring to inquries. Anyway, as far as hard/soft deletions are concerned. I believe you're referring to "cloaking" of an account. Which is when a supervisor at the CRA makes it so that the account will never reappear, even if it shows up in the monthly tape update. As far as "regular" deletions go, sure it *may* show up at a later point, but that's why we have: § 611. Procedure in case of disputed accuracy [15 U.S.C. § 1681i] (B) Requirements relating to reinsertion of previously deleted material. (i) Certification of accuracy of information. If any information is deleted from a consumer's file pursuant to subparagraph (A), the information may not be reinserted in the file by the consumer reporting agency unless the person who furnishes the information certifies that the information is complete and accurate. (ii) Notice to consumer. If any information that has been deleted from a consumer's file pursuant to subparagraph (A) is reinserted in the file, the consumer reporting agency shall notify the consumer of the reinsertion in writing not later than 5 business days after the reinsertion or, if authorized by the consumer for that purpose, by any other means available to the agency. That way, if a CRA does reinsert an previously deleted item (a soft deletion as you call it) and they do not notify you within 5 days of doing so, they've violated the FCRA, and now NEED to take it off. When you receive a letter or UDF from a CA saying they are deleting the account, while it may not be an account that will now be cloaked for all eternity, it, in all likelyhood, will not be reinserted on your report, because, heck, you've got a letter from the CA askign the CRA's to specifially delete, and it would be really dumb of either the CA or CRA to go ahead and place the account back on your report.
