We have an acct. on my hubbys EQ and TU report which he didn't pay for a long time. It's At&T phonebill from 98 and he didn't pay it for a long time. We finally paid it off this year (dumb us!!) and we only talked to At&T the whole time. I cannot remember talking to a Creditor at all. The acct says EQ Paid charge off closed by credit grantor TU Payment after charge off/collection. We made the payment directly to At&T not to anybody else and we have a receipt for that. Is this correct what it says in the reports??? Thanks for the help Steph
Charge off means bad debt was written off. Usually it's sold to a collection agency who hounds you for payments. Most credit card companies will charge off after so many days late, usually 150-240. Unfortunately, since you've paid AT&T may not be very helpful to you. Still, if it's only on TU then I'd dispute over and over until they let it go. As far as I know of, TU doesn't have a limit to the number of times you can dispute... GT
Well, what does dispute mean? Do I have to write them a letter and tell them to take it off or change the status of it? How do I do that? Sorry I have no clue about all this.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but yes, it is for several reasons. 1) Not sure about your state, but in Texas the majority pull Equifax. I'd be willing to bet that it's on Experian as well. 2) Obviously, it's a charge-off. But since it's in 98 they must mark the date 180 days after the first deliquency (I'm not sure on the exact date, but it's around that time) so they should report it around that date. Equifax is notorious for reaging accounts so that the charge-off appears as if it recently happened. Have to change my position. Don't dispute with CRA's just yet. Send a validation letter CRRR. Make a copy of the letter and keep all documents. See if they respond. If they don't, send Estoppel, give it 30 days. Then, if no response, send everything to the CRA's and dispute it. By doing it this way, they have to prove the account is yours, not verify they have an account in your name, ssn, etc. GT
thanks for your help, but I still don't know what you mean. CRRR? Estoppel? sorry, I feel really stupid not knowing all that stuff. if you don't mind, could you explain what that means for dumb people like me. Thanks so much
Your credit reports are marked correctly...your account charged off, you paid the balance, so they are marked with a paid chargeoff from AT&T. There is a chance for you to get the account removed. It's kind of a hole in the system. You need to write to each of the credit reporting agencies (transunion, equifax, experian) and dispute the account. Tell them you have no knowledge of it, or it is incorrect for some reason. They will attempt to contact AT&T to verify the account. AT&T has 30 days to get back to the credit reporting agency. If they fail to do this in 30 days, the credit reportin agency has to delete the entry on your credit reports by law. If it fails the first time, wait a month and try again...and again... It's a slow process sometimes, but it works many times.. good luck.. jmart
Thanks jmart for the advise. Is there an "official letter" I have to send?? I mean a strict look, how it has to be?? It's not on the EX report. So I just have to get it off of the other two. Should I mention that in the letter to EQ and TU that it is not on EX?? Thanks
Dispute item with credit bureau sample letter This is a letter to dispute a debt with a credit bureau. Send as certified mail, return receipt requested. «Your Name» «Address1» «Address2» «City», «State» «Zip» «Company» «Address1» «Address2» «City», «State» «Zip» «Date» Dear Sir/Madame: This letter is a formal complaint that you are reporting inaccurate and incomplete credit information. I am distressed that you have included the below information in my credit profile and have failed to maintain reasonable procedures in your operations to assure maximum possible accuracy in the credit reports you publish. Credit reporting laws ensure that bureaus report only 100% accurate credit information. Every step must be taken to assure the information reported is completely accurate and correct. The following information therefore needs to be re-investigated. I respectfully request to be provided proof of this alleged item, specifically the contract, note or other instrument bearing my signature. Failing that, the item must be deleted from the report as soon as possible: Name of Creditor/Agency, Account #_________ The listed item is completely inaccurate and incomplete, and is a very serious error in reporting. Please delete this misleading information, and supply a corrected credit profile to all creditors who have received a copy within the last 6 months, or the last 2 years for employment purposes. Additionally, please provide the name, address, and telephone number of each credit grantor or other subscriber. Under federal law, you have thirty (30) days to complete your re-investigation. Be advised that the description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information is hereby requested as well, to be provided within 15 days of the completion of your re-investigation. Sincerely, «Signature» «Your Name» «Your SSN» ___________________ pbm | Administrator
Here are some other credit repair links to ponder. http://consumers.creditnet.com/straighttalk/board/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=25 http://credit.about.com/library/bl/blwo_ltrs.htm http://www.mix6.com/credit/credit.html http://www.ohio.net/~nickt/ACREDITLINKPAGE.htm
