I just checked my score power--I dropped over 30 pts! One of the reason I believe this happened was the following account: Company Name Account Number Date Last Type of Account High Items as of Date Reported Date and Whose Acount Opened Activity and Status Credit Terms Balance Past Due Reported ********* Arizona Public Services XXXXXXXXX JOINT ACCOUNT 01/1995 07/1996 Open CHARGE-OFF $0 05/2001 Prior Paying History 30 days past due 00 times; 60 days past due 00 times; 90 + days past due 01 times; ********* How can that account be open, charged off and paid off all at once? I have disputed this account two or three times, everytime it gets verified but this time, it added the 90 day late. UGH Okay, dispute experts, this is one of only TWO bad things on my report------where do I go from here? Thank you & eagerly awaiting your replies, suggestions and comments. AnnMarie
I am in no way an expert, but Ill give you a bit of advice. It sounds like this is a utility. If it is there are different ways of disputing them. Do you still have service with this company. Is it for the same address? Did you ever sign a contract or allow this company to record your voice for account verification? In Ohio it was easy for me to get a phone bill and a power bill removed for various different reasons. The goverment agencies such as the utilities commision or any agency that overlooks the utilities in your state can be effective if you play your cards right and dont divulge to much information. I dont mean to lie just dont incriminate yourself and play real dumb. If it was a previous address dont ever admit to living there during the time frame that the bill was dispursed. Also, make sure that you keep the account in reinvestigation status. I might be able to help more with more info. Good Luck! Godaddyo "live long and prosper"
**Please let me know if this is enough--I can now redispute this again as the end of my last disputeon it was yesterday. The only thing I know to do next is to validate but that kind of intimidates me Thank you for you help! AnnMarie
Keep disputing the address. They should remove it. Do not give specifics on your reasons why it is wrong. I did this on purpose to confuse them and I believe Bill Bauer had good luck with this to. He believes that they dont need a reason its the law, and I tend to agree with him. If you can get it removed then I would stick with my amnesia about never living there in the first place. Keep this stuff in dispute. Call the utilities commision and tell them that you have never received a bill for this item (the electric company is not going to be able to prove that they sent you one. Do not admit to living at this address just dodge it if at all possible. Write the electric company and send in one of this boards validation letters. Call the electric company and get as high up in there collection dept as possible(they are who turned you over) I dont believe that they are allowed by law to report directly to the CRA's. Once you get as high up in the collections dept as you can, make sure that you relay the name of the person that you are working with at the electric company to the person handling your case at the utilities. Make sure that you state to the utility commison that you never recieved a bill. Tell them that you want a copy of the original bill with detailed billing information it is your right to recieve one.(After all you never did receive one did you If they cant provide proof they will have to take it off.
make sure to send the validation letter to the collection agency reporting the infro to the CRA Godaddyo
What is there about the validation process that intimidates you? It is a straight forward process involving a single simple letter no more than one page long. But if you have verified, what was the result? Why was your verification unsuccessful? There has to be some reason why you would ever need to re-verify nor validate. There should have been no need whatever for you to do either. It should have been all over and done with the first time if you did the process correctly and followed it up with the attack phase which should have followed the verification phase like a cart following a donkey. Tell me what went so terribly wrong if you can. Bill Bauer bbauer1@netzero.net
Please don't advise anyone to ever call a collection agency. When you call a collection agency, you are playing right into their hands. They can hassle you, call you just about anything they want, intimidate you, bully you and do whatever they have a mind to do. They can often bully you into committing yourself to some kind of payment schedule or just about anything at all. Those people are experts on the phone and when one calls them, the potential risks are just too great to consider. Deal with collection agencies only in writing. It's the safest way to go. Bill Bauer bbauer1@netzero.net
While the Corporation Commission or the Utilities Commission, (whatever it is locally known by) is great, don't overlook the possibility of filing complaints on line with the BBB at http://www.bbb.com as well. You should file against the Collection Agency with the BBB on some kind of grounds, possibly for their attempting to extort sums of money not due or owed. You may be surprised at the results. Bill Bauer bbauer1@netzero.net
This account never went to collections--if it had, I would have known about it and could have paid it. I DO have a reporting $ from a company that I've done business with for many years---never has there been a break in service completely, so I don't know how that one got to collections but it did--but that's a different thread I think Okay, Bill.......What went wrong? Well, I followed the directions of the CRA by filing a dispute regarding this item. I used "not mine". Well, why am I initimidated? Because I think it's mine--I'm assuming it's mine since I don't remember a final bill. I went ahead and paid it 01/01, since I was told that any open things like this could stop one from getting a mortgage---yes, I believe people. Tell me, if you please, as much detail as you can about this correct process---assuming it makes sense, I will follow it to the T. Share....I will learn... thanks AnnMarie
Bill, you are probably are right. Most people should never call a collection agency (although I have had good luck with this) But if you look at my post I am telling her to call the internal collectors for this particular electric company. Many utilities have internal collection departments. They are usually never as slick as outside agencies that purchase the debts in the first place. This has been my experience only.If people are afraid of screwing up they should play it safe and forgot the guerilla tactics that I use. Also are you asking her or me if I am afraid of the validation process, if it is me please state so. Godaddyo
"Also are you asking her or me if I am afraid of the validation process, if it is me please state so." Bill, Please disregard this question, I think I was perusing the post too quickly. godaddyo
Hello God (wow, never thought I'd say THAT) I believe he's asking me since I admitted being a wimp regarding the whole process. I did start out at the collection dept of the electric company--they were evil, stating that it would stay on my account for 10 years since they were a private corporation....and that the only thing they would do is update is as a paid charge off (which they did) I begged and everything! Explained, etc--they didn't care/believe me. What I would really like right now if for someone to just tell me exactly what to do every second until this is over--or let someone else handle it. This account and the other "bad" one (paid collection from 95 another utility) is also on my husband's report. I'm letting him go thru Junum, maybe that's what I should do also....I just didn't think it was worth the money for only two items.....maybe it is. I don't know. AnnMarie
