Ive been reading for about a year and i started to change my life. I thank all of you for being here. I do want to be sure if i am on the right track. I had a collector calling saying that i have a account with them for $7000.00. Which i do not !!! Well to make a long story short. I finally was able to get the company to send me a letter saying that they made a mistake and that they would send that info to the credit Bu well they haven't sent it. Should i send a copy myself.
Pull your credit reports, and if that item is showing on them, send a dispute to each CRA showing it on your reports. You are disputing the account as "not mine". The CRA should then ask the OC if the TL is accurate, and the OC should reply that it is not and should be removed. The CRA should then send you a report of the results of their investigation, showing that the item is being removed. If they "verify" the erroneous account with the CRA, you will then send a dispute to the OC, along with a copy of their own letter, asking them to remove this erroneous account immediately, as they had earlier promised to do. Also notify them that they have verified this erroneous account with the CRA, inviolation of FCRA. If that doesn't work, you may have to sue the OC. To hold them liable, you must first have disputed thru the CRA, and they must have "verified" the erroneous information. Send all letters CRRR, and keep copies. Also keep copies of any notices of rate hikes or changes of credit or insurance terms from other creditors, and request adverse action notices, should you need to prove damages. If they are incompetent once, they will probably be so again.
If it has been a while since the company admitted the account was not yours, you might send them a "helpful" letter to jog their memory and remind them they had promised to remove the erroneous account (including a copy of their earlier letter), and then send your dispute to the CRA a week after they receive it. To establish liability by the reporting company, you have to dispute thru the CRA. To get it off quickly, you want them already aware before you dispute thru the CRA. You want both a speedy correction, and a paper trail if you don't otherwise get results. Your best result is quick removal, not necessarily a lawsuit against OC or CRA, with finger-pointing and delay.
