It was going so well. Can somebody help me figure out what to do now? Three problems: I had two credit cards stolen. Notified the companies (Bank of America and CapOne) and they closed the accts and reissued the cards. NOW my credit report shows four accounts (all open with balances) where there used to be two. And the worst is, both of them had 1 30 day late each (the only negs on my report). Now I've got FOUR 30 day lates (1 on each). How do I get rid of the duplicates? The acct nbrs are different. And the third prob. Have been fighting with Defense Finance Acctg for two years over a bill they say I owe. I do owe part of it, but no one, including DFAS knows how much. The acct has been in audit for two years as they know the amt is wrong due to errors that were made when the Navy entered dates in the computer, but they can't figure it out. A 6 mos suspension was placed on it until they could sort it out (and also because for over a year -- seriously --, the Navy couldn't figure out how to pay me my pay, so I had no money to pay them). The suspension just expired in late Feb. Shortly after, they referred the thing to a collection agency (even though they to my knowledge, they never completed the audit). It now shows on my report as a collection acct, +120 days past due. I got someone at DFAS to go back to the record, where she found that they told me it would be suspended for six months, and on that basis, she recalled from collections. I now do not have any payment due until Jun 15, so I am current, but I can't get it off my credit report. Any ideas? Incidentally, I retired from the military in Dec, 2003, and the same agency (DFAS) just now figured out how to set up my pay acct. Took 5 full months for them to pay me, but they referred me to collections for a bill they aren't even sure I owe. Sigh. Any ideas?
Dispute the late payments on each credit card account as "nerver late". Dispute the collection account as "Not Mine" See how that comes back. You will neeed to disoute for each credit bureau. Equifax. Trans Union. Experian.
It was going so well. Can somebody help me figure out what to do now? Three problems: I had two credit cards stolen. Notified the companies (Bank of America and CapOne) and they closed the accts and reissued the cards. NOW my credit report shows four accounts (all open with balances) where there used to be two. And the worst is, both of them had 1 30 day late each (the only negs on my report). Now I've got FOUR 30 day lates (1 on each). How do I get rid of the duplicates? The acct nbrs are different. Sheesh! I would write to B of A and Cap One. Send them a copy of the report, black out the other stuff if you don't want them to see it. Identifying info should be visible. Explain the situation in plain english (the people who read your initial correspondence are hourly employees who don't give a hoot, and won't make much effort if your letter is hard to understand). I have my pet peeves with Cap One, but they and B of A usually will do what's right, when presented with issues like this. You should be able to get the closed accounts marked closed, and have the lte on only one of the accounts. If you've been good for over a year, and were always good before that, ask them if they would help you out (they're your favorite card, you LOVE them). They just might take the real late off. And the third prob. Have been fighting with Defense Finance Acctg for two years over a bill they say I owe. I do owe part of it, but no one, including DFAS knows how much. The acct has been in audit for two years as they know the amt is wrong due to errors that were made when the Navy entered dates in the computer, but they can't figure it out. A 6 mos suspension was placed on it until they could sort it out (and also because for over a year -- seriously --, the Navy couldn't figure out how to pay me my pay, so I had no money to pay them). The suspension just expired in late Feb. Shortly after, they referred the thing to a collection agency (even though they to my knowledge, they never completed the audit). It now shows on my report as a collection acct, +120 days past due. I got someone at DFAS to go back to the record, where she found that they told me it would be suspended for six months, and on that basis, she recalled from collections. I now do not have any payment due until Jun 15, so I am current, but I can't get it off my credit report. Any ideas? Incidentally, I retired from the military in Dec, 2003, and the same agency (DFAS) just now figured out how to set up my pay acct. Took 5 full months for them to pay me, but they referred me to collections for a bill they aren't even sure I owe. Sigh. Any ideas? Well at least you aren't active duty now! Get a validation letter from the letters section (re-word it if you need to) and send it to the CA certified, get a return receipt. When the little green card comes back to you, dispute the entry on your credit reports. It should come off. If it doesn't, come one back and we'll tell you what to do next. You can click on my name to email me if you need to. Thank you for your service to our country.
Re: Re: Sigh .. CapOne, BOA and the US Navy Originally posted by breeze It was going so well. Can somebody help me figure out what to do now? <snip> Well at least you aren't active duty now! Get a validation letter from the letters section (re-word it if you need to) and send it to the CA certified, get a return receipt. When the little green card comes back to you, dispute the entry on your credit reports. It should come off. If it doesn't, come one back and we'll tell you what to do next. Thanks for the advice. But it's not with a CA anymore. DFAS recalled it due to the fact that they told me it would be suspended for 6 mos (thus, it wasn't really +120 days late). the supposed debt is back with DFAS now. The problem is that getting anything done via either the Navy or DFAS is next to impossible, regardless of what's true or right. As example, for two years, I tried to get Hostile Fire pay ($150) that I was entitled to due to my location in the Pentagon on 9/11. I never got it because they couldn't figure out how to do the paperwork. It took a year and a half to get incapacitation pay that I was entitled to by law because of ongoing med probs from 9/11, and not because they didn't agree they owed it. I was living off credit cards and literally begging the Navy to pay me, and finally, my Senator had to call someone way up high to get it done. And I've still got medical bills that haven't been paid (to a civilian doc that the NAVY MADE ME SEE) because no one has ever figured out how to make the Tricare system recognize me as eligible. My point in telling you that is that I think I need to find some way to get it off my report without depending on the military to do it. Because that will never happen. And because apparently, the Fed. Debt Collection act, or something like that means they can continue with collection activities, even while they are validating or auditing or whatever. My understanding is that the FDCPA basically doesn't apply to the Fed. Govt. Is that true? I'll pay the bill, even what I don't owe, just to make it go away. I just want it off my credit report so I don't have to deal with this for the next 7 years. You can click on my name to email me if you need to. Thank you for your service to our country.. Thank you very much for that . That made me smile. At the hands of the USNR for the past two years, I had quite truthfully forgotten that anyone thought my service valuable. thank you.
Re: Re: Sigh .. CapOne, BOA and the US Navy I'm a wayyyy grown up army brat, now living in Norfolk, VA. I heard the military was so backed up with all the paperwork from 9/11 onward that they had called up reservists to work at DFAS. Obviously, that didn't work. If they don't want a law to apply, it doesn't apply, unless you can find someone who will sue them. Sounds like this isn't worth it, and it's hard to find a lawyer who doesn't mind going to court and not getting paid for it. I think a retired Air Force officer sued them over medical care - but he was also the lawyer. I mistakenly assumed that "collection account" on credit report meant collection agency, since they can use them. It was this part of your post that confused me: First, just dispute it with the CRA - since they can't get anything straight, maybe they won't answer the dispute and it will come off. Since it isn't a CA, the FDCPA doesn't apply, the Fair Credit Billing act applies, I believe. If you've got the money, and your credit is important to you, pay it and then fight about it. I would just dispute it first, you may not have to pay it. I will try to send you someone who is more proficient with military issues. I know what they do, but not how to deal with it. I know every word you say is true, I've seen it first hand. Like you can live on air... After 9/11 no one takes you folks for granted anymore. I know I love to hear those noisy 18's flying over me. The sound of freedom.
Re: Re: Sigh .. CapOne, BOA and the US Navy On second thought, Fair Credit Billing Act only applies to credit cards. What state are you in?
Re: Re: Re: Sigh .. CapOne, BOA and the US Navy Will email you privately with more info, in case you have any ideas. Update, called CapOne and the CSR put me thru to their section that deals with CRAs. A really nice guy told me that it takes 30-60 days for the old acct to show as closed, zero balance. Then he said he was more concerned about the late as that would hurt me worse. Asked why it was late, and I explained the situation back then, and he said he was going to do a CRA review, whatever that is, as maybe they could take it off altogether under the circumstances. Then my cell phone died! (*@$#*% Alltel). Called back, and the next person I got told me they COULDN'T take it off if it was in fact late. Anyway, they are at least going to update the report so that only one 30 shows. As for DFAS, they noted my request to clear my credit report, for all the good it will do. But maybe I'll finally catch a break with this thing. At least I'm not dealing with the CA anymore on that (nasty woman who lied thru her teeth about the FDCPA, what I HAD to do, etc.) She actually told me that if I paid it, the federal collection account would HELP my credit score because it would show credit . . yeah, right. Thanks for your help.
