I have an account on my credit report with AT&T for $1378. I contacted the CA six months ago and agreed to pay half of the total. I failed to get anything in writing. However, a note was put on my credit report that I was paying under a 'partial payment' agreement. In December, I disputed this item (through Experian) as being paid off because of the agreement I had made. The payments had been automatically withdrawn from my bank account for six months. Last night I checked my credit report on-line. This is what I found. COLLECTION AGENCY Address: XXXXXX XXXXXX No phone number available Account Number: xxxxxx Original Creditor: AT&T Status: Collection account. $689 past due as of Dec 2006. Status Details: This account is scheduled to continue on record until Nov 2012. This item was verified and updated on Dec 2006. Date Opened: 03/2006 Type: Collection Credit Limit/original amount: $1,378 Date of Status: 05/2006 Terms: 1 Months High Balance: NA Reported Since: 05/2006 Monthly Payment: $0 Recent Balance: $689 Last Reported Date: 12/2006 Responsibility: Individual Recent Payment: $0 Your Statement: Account information disputed by consumer (Meets requirement of the Fair Credit Reporting Act) Creditor's Statement: Paying under a partial payment agreement. Account History: Collection as of Aug 2006 to Dec 2006, Jun 2006, May 2006 If recent contact has been made with AT&T and they were forced to review the status, why did they not put a note on my credit report that the debt was paid off under a partial payment agreement and list the amount due as $0?
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear you disputed AT&T's tradeline, if there is one, rather the CA's. Moreover, it doesn't appear they're reporting inaccurately in stating "paying under a partial payment agreement" if you are still paying. If you have paid what you stipulated, they "should" report as paid or paid for less the full amount or something to that effect. However, since you have nothing in writing you really would have no evidence to prove up such an assertion. All hope is not lost insofar as they are reporting a common inaccuracy which is reporting a past due balance. A collection entity attempting to recover funds on behalf of a third party cannot lawfully report their tradeline as being in a past due status inasmuch as it was not they who extended credit to you. AT&T could report the account as past due but a collection entity that does is reporting an erroneous status field. Dispute that data field and you may have a shot at deletion. If they verify thereafter, file a Complaint or use the FDCPA and FCRA violations for leverage.
