This is an old problem that has once again reared its ugly head. And, it is all my fault. To recap: Lat year a collection agency reported to all three CRA's that I had paid a $50 collection that they got from a creditor. They claimed that the debt was from 2 1/2 years earlier and that they had collected the money from me in two payments. No reason why they waited two and a half years to report it. The bottom line is that this was not my debt and I had never dealt with them. I am positive I never paid them any money. This was all before I knew about this board. I started by calling the CA and explaining their mistake. Their reply was that we have your name on file - it must be you. Then, I wrote all three CRA's, explaining that this was a big mistake and requesting they verify the debt with the Creditor, not the CA. I now realize that was a stupid request. I did it that way because I did not have an address for the creditor and assumed they would. Both EQ and EX went to the CA and verified the debt. TU dropped the item from my account and it has never reappeared. I finally found this board and started reading. I was able to track down the address for the creditor and contacted them. They said all records from that time period were destroyed so they had no record of me at all in their files. They wrote a letter to that effect to both EQ and EX and asked for them to delete. Both EQ and EX went back to the CA and verified. I then discovered the Lizardking validation letter and sent it CRRR last September to the CA, attaching a copy of the letter from the creditor. I also asked for copies of the two checks they claim I used to pay them. The CA never responded but the item dropped off my EX report at the end of the thirty day validation period. It has never reappeared. The post office lost the green card from the certified mail and cannot find it so I do not have proof. I have had an ongoing battle with EQ and have extreme difficulty getting my report from them. I was very busy at the time and tried to get my report but did not follow up. Here is the STUPID part: I assumed that the CA deleted rather than validate. Since it dropped off EX 30 days after I sent the validation letter, I assumed it dropped off EQ also. Well, it is now almsot five months later, and I just got around to getting my EQ report. It is still there. The CA has never responded to my validation request. On my report, I got a 659 score. The #1 reason for the low score was the paid collection. The #4 reason was the recent nature of the derogatory info. Where do I go from here? I can't prove I sent the validation request. Do I send another validation request? I know I should have followed up. It is my fault. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
I just looked over the EQ report I just got. The paid collection was last reported September, 2001. This was about the time that the 30 days was up for validation. They first reported this item in March, 2001. Everything is in storage because I thought this was behind me. I will have to dig it all out. I have had a rough time the last few years because of a couple serious illnesses. I am doing much better now. I would prefer some solution other than a lawsuit. My heart is just not in it right now, but I need to get this corrected. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
If there is any way that you have the receipt that they stamp when you pay for the CRRR then they can track it down and give you an official letter saying who signed for it and when. I had to do this myself when I lost a greencard.
I had a supposedly "lost" crrr green card. It never came back to me. I went to the post office and an administrator took me back to her office and pulled an electronic copy of it for me. From what she told me the recipient has to sign a salmon colored form which then is scanned into the computer in addition to the green crrr that goes back to you. Go talk to your post office again. It is a hassle for them and time-consuming so most times they won't volunteer that there may be another way to trace it or get you your proof. I told them that there was an "important" legal matter, etc., etc.,
The "GREEN CARD" costs money...if you don't get what you paid for, you get your money back, or you get a duplicate request of service...
This isn't much consolation when it cost you $8000.oo because you can't prove a CA tried to collect from you 8 times after you sent them a Validation Letter:
