Hi everyone! I am very fortunate to have found this community of folks with insightful advice on credit repair. I have read all the getting started links and have been lurking around here for a week or two. I'm sure my situation is not unique, but I was unable to find a post similar to it. Perhaps I should look harder Anyhoo, I got out of school last may with student loans that were daunting to say the least. As of now, I owe around $70k. I applied for a special consolidation program through my state that would save me an enormous amount of money (monthly payments drop from $700 to $400), but was denied due to my credit. I then went ahead and pulled all 3 of my credit reports. Everything was peachy except for two negative items. #1This was from my school in the amound of $330 dating back to May 2000. I did not pay it initially, because I was hotly disputing the validity of it. I eventually refused to pay after they would not budge on the issue. So now, it's with a CA (dating back to May 2001) with a running balance of $397. #2 I really have no idea what this is. It apparently was some sort of credit account (store charge card perhaps) with Conseco Financial. It states that my last activity was in 9-2000 and was closed in 9-2002 BY THE CONSUMER, which puzzled me. Would the creditor close it instead of me? I think I owe $249 on the card, because it read "high credit" 249 and credit limit $300. It also showed that I was 120 days past due (in Sept 2002). I did dispute this debt with Experian, and after a month, it showed that the debt was valid. Regarding #1, I moved soon after the initial charge on my school account and was never notified by the school (OC) or the CA. I'm not saying they didn't send anything, but rather that I never received anything. I didn't even know it was with a CA until I checked my Fico score a few months ago. Should I just send in a generic validation letter to the CA, or should I add the fact to the validation letter that I had not received any corresponce and became aware of the collection only after checking my credit report recently? Regarding #2, How do I go about getting contact info for Conseco Finance? Should I call the CRA and ask for their contact info? Would it be wise to call them (Conseco)to find out more about this account or should I just send in a validation> I'm dying to find out what the heck this was. Since it's the OC, can I assume they would be more friendly then a CA? Whew! Sorry to make all of you read this tome of a post!
It won't hurt to start your letter with "in a recent review of my cr, I became aware FOR THE FIRST TIME...never hurts to set the pace and see if/how they reply. How long ago did you dispute? If not too long ago, I think my next step would be to ask the CRA for procedures. Conseco went belly up a while back. I have an RV loan, and it was sold to Greentree, but I can't be sure if the BK included all parts of Conseco. Yes, the CRA can provide you with contact info. I wouldn't call them, I would send a letter CMRRR. If they are out of biz, and the letter comes back undeliverable, it will give you some evidence that the CRA did not do an investigation.
UPDATE: This whole credit thing is really depressing me. I know my credit is not as bad as some on this board, but nonetheless, I find myself thinking about this when I have a lot of better things to think about (read: happy thoughts). So I finally call up Experian and ask for contact info regarding Conseco Finace (#2 on my original post). I talked to one of the most rudest CSR that I have experienced. I told her that I really didn't know what the account was. I did note that I did dispute the charge as "paid off," but obviously, the account I paid off/closed was not the one in question. She wouldn't give me a telephone number or even the address of Conseco. She kept telling me that the address is on my CR. Well, all the information on the CR is truncated: account numbers, as well as addresses. She then suggested in a condenscending tone that I'm wasting my time, because that negative report will be there NO MATTER WHAT for 7 years as Conseco finance had closed my account. Please tell me that this isn't true!! So where do I go from here? I still don't know what this account is. I tried googling the truncated address. It seems like the address on the CR is of their coporate headquarters. If I send it there, what are the chances that it will reach the appropriate person/department? Arrrrrgggggggh. I'm so frustrated with the whole thing!!!!
This is the CRA's CSR? The CRAs are required to provide contact information on TLs. If they are refusing to, file a complaint with the FTC, and send your next request to their agent of service. It is not the CSR's job to give you bad advice, instead of providing what they are legally required to have.
Re: Re: Please help: Method of Attack.... Try entering the abbreviated address information at the USPS web site. http://www.usps.com There is a form for Zip+4 lookup for a business. Enter the business name, and the address provided, and it may be able to find the correct complete address that way. If the city name is good, try a white-pages listing for the company. With EX however, you will have one heck of a problem getting any account they claim to have 'verified' re-investigated... It can be do-able, but not easily.
Re: Re: Please help: Method of Attack.... Or, send a CMRRR dispute to the abbreviated address exactly as the address is provided on the CR trade line. If the address is abbreviated and is returned as un-deliverable, then they can't say that you sent the letter to an address which was not on the CR... Photocopy the envelope, and ask simply, if the address that your company allegedly contacted this company at doesn't exist, how did you allegedly get a response from them. Keep the un-opened letter for safe keeping just in case you need it later.
