Guys, I posted a bit on this board but I'm still a newbie and today I graduated to amateur . There was a collection agency on my credit report listing a debt. I sent validation CRRR. They sent a response CRRR. I was shocked. They claim the debt is for a bad check. I said ok.... where is the check ? Uh... we don't have that. We have your bank number and routing number and the number of the check. I tell them... "ok I have your info also and I'm sending you a notice that you owe me money for a bounced check are you gonna pay it? " They state well this is all the information we have from the client. I tell them they are breaking the law and then I felt them softening way up.... I put the press on them telling them the client they are collcting for does NOT exist in CA, nor are the registered with the Secretary of States office. *silence*.... *stuttering*. I ask for a phone number.,... "uh we don't have one" After pounding something out of them about this creditor the give me an address. The address is to a shoe store at a shopping mall! I call the guy asking about this creditor and he say "who! Get the hell off my phone I don't know you or this creditor! This is a shoe store do not call back!" I call the CA back and they are at a lost for words.... "This account is old...uh ...uh" I tell them "I don't care if Moses wrote this check you should have proof of it. Where is the photocopy?" "Let me get this straight, You have no contact information for the creditor you are collecting for?" "No sir" "You have no phyiscal proof of this debt but just have numbers" "Yes Sir" That's all I needed to hear. I told her "thank you. I'll be pursuing this legally" Then She calls back and ask me to help her and work with her!!! "I'll put your account in a hold status for 30 days" "what does tha mean" well we'll need an addition 30 days to get verification for this debt" "you should have did it when I sent my initial letter that is what it was for" "well I need more time" "Your time is up.... I'll be talking to your Attorney General tommorow" "Sir please give me more time.... I have to do more research. It seems like you have some sophisticated systems to obtain the information you have obtained." _-- I used the internet DUH!! "I have some system of my own I'll reasearch to see if this creditor still exist" "Nope.... not good enough" "Ok listen here is my agreement... if I can't locate the creditor in 24 hours and proof of this debt I'm sedngin you notice it will be deleted from the credit bureau and you will receive notice of this." "Ok fine I'll be fair..... put it in writing and fax it to me before you leave work" The clock is ticking. Guys... STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. You are just another number to these agencies and they don't have substantial evidence of these debts. I'm a newbie but sounded like a lawyer on the phone lol! She was very very nervous and thrown off by an "educated consumer". I hope I'm inspiration to the rest of you folks. I'll update you guys on the tentative deletion. I doubt if she'll have proof in 24 hours. Take care
I did it!.... they faxed me to tell me they are deleting all entries from my credit report. Just like she said by twelve noon.
Great to hear. Keep it up the CA break the law all the time it is really great to hear stories like this I am sure others will follow your advice.
Good job!! It is possible to play their game and win. Keep it up. Also, you may want to fax the letter to the cra's. If it is on ca letterhead, with a sig., and says something like it was a mistake to report it, then the cra's will delete it within a few days.