I am relatively new here, but have been reading this site for quite some time. Below is a listing of the negative items from my Experian report. Judgements: 4/96 $2300 (Capital One) (paid 2/02) 9/97 $10,000 (paid9/98) Charge-offs: Capital One (judgement) falls off 6/03 (paid) Radio Shack $170 falls off 2/03 (unpaid) First Union Bank $330 falls off 7/02 (paid) Collections: Dept. of Vet. Affairs falls off 12/03 $121 Was an overpayment of benefits that I paid back. EFG Technologies falls off 9/06 (paid) Lates: (student loans) SallieMae 90 days Complete Source 30 days The Capital One judgement was paid in 4/02, but is not reflecting as satisfied yet. The connected account had the balance changed, but is not reflected as a paid charge-off yet either. Can all of you experts here help me out and tell me what my first step should be? Also, there are MANY addresses listed and many variations. Should I clean that up first? Please help me figure out where to start. Should I try disputing any of these online? Can I do more than one at a time? Thanks!!! Dan PS... I also have three unpaid collections accounts on an Equifax report I pulled in January. I am focusing on the Experien one right now, but I would like to get these unpaid collections off as well. They are all past the SOL I believe. Any advice on those? One is a hospital bill for $330, one is a phone bill for $750 and the other is a bill from an apartment complex for $392 and all are with CA's. The hospital bill is from 96 and the other two are from 97.
1. Clean up addresses and name variations first. Do this online. 2. Try to ask Cap One to vacate the judgement, so that it can be deleted from the credit report. Use Planetfeedback.com (PFB) for this; it's better to have a very good reason as to why you got the judgement and how you've rebounded since that time. Mention the inaccuracies you listed below re balance, paid, etc... and tell them that it is hurting your ability to get other much needed loans. 3. If the $10K judement was not served properly, it is possible to have it vacated (or you can ask the company to do a goodwill deletion of it). 4. Cap One charge off - ask to be taken care of in the same judgment letter you write via PFB. 5. Radio Shack, wait 3 more months and ask *nicely* for the CRAs to delete b/c the CO is obsolete (6.75 years old). Or offer Radio Shack payment in exchange for deletion. 6. First Union Bank, just wait 2 more months for it to fall off. 7. EFG Tech - write a very nice goodwill letter to the Executive Office and ask for deletion, since it is paid. Again, how you went astray for a while, but you tried your very best to rectify things by paying in full - you've learned a lot since then and your credit life is improving, etc... If they say no, if there is an inaccuracy in the tradeline, dispute it, and hope that they don't respond. 8. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, good luck with the gov getting anything deleted, but you may be able to dispute any inaccuracy with it and hope that they've purged their files or don't get to it in 30 days. If not, then just let it sit until next year. At 6 years old, it may not be doing that much damage on the score now. 9. Sallie Mae. They are difficult. Maybe someone else here has successfully gotten lates removed with them. 10. For the 3 Equifax unpaid collections, since the SOL is over - offer to pay in exchange for deletion.
FYI First Union never ever ever verifies. I had a collection on it for $62 dollars they said $162, I sent proof it was $62. each of the CRA deleted it due to no response.
Can a judgement be deleted by a "goodwill" deletion???? I thought it had to be vacated. Any letters for goodwill deletions around? Thanks... Dan
I should have clarified a) vacated based on improper serving/proceedings where you are at odds with the company and have proof they screwed up or b) vacated as a goodwill measure where the company does you a favor. Do a search for "goodwill" and you'll eventually find some letters for that. I have not seen a "goodwill vacate" letter on this board, though. Why don't you create one for us?
How many things can I dispute at once? Does it work to dispute online with Experian or should I do it by mail? Dan
Dan, If you dispute online, you can dispute as many things as you're able to. If you dispute via snail-mail, it's best to keep it at 3 or less. Different people have different results wrt disputing online v. snail mail. You just have to try it and see how well things go for you. The pro for online disputes: you *know* that your dispute will get done and not thrown out for being frivolous or inadvertently lost. And even with Experian, who can lock you out after verifications, you can re-dispute verified stuff using "Doc's Trick". The con for online disputes: they lock you into choosing their wording for a dispute ("absolutely never ever late" v. "I do not recognize being late as this says") which may cause a hassle if things get legal. It's tough to dispute a valid trade online when you don't want to lie to the CRAs (as I don't). Also - you can'd demand a proof of verification method online - when you get into the 2cd and third rounds. You need CC/RR snail mail for that. Generally, online disputes are a quick and dirty - and free - way to get started and I think that they are a good starting place. I definitely recommend the online method for the name and address corrections.
