Quick questions on steps to take

[quadratini]

Couple years ago, before knowing about the credit boards, I got a call from a collections agency to the amount of only $100, I got spooked and PAID immediately on the phone I had not paid because I thought insurance would have it all covered and I moved around a lot as a student so I might have missed the collection notices. The thing is I still have an old credit card with a very low limit and I can't seem to apply for any raises because of this. So the steps for me to try to get rid of the collections entry would be:

 

1) Opt-out

-Which I did, but this was done maybe a year to 1.5 years ago, does it ever expire?

 

2) Delete old/inaccurate addresses

-Should I delete ALL the addresses except for my current address? Would it impact on any of my existing bank account history?

-What reason should I give them for deleting my old address if they are ACCURATE?

 

3) Send Why Chat's PRE HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER TO CRA

http://whychat.5u.com/hipaadisp.html

 

Are these steps correct? If so, can you guys answer those quick nagging questions that I have before I move forward?

 

Thanks.

Edited September 28, 2009 by quadratini

[quadratini]

Somebody please? Why Chat?

Edited September 29, 2009 by quadratini

[bonbonXO]

Couple years ago, before knowing about the credit boards, I got a call from a collections agency to the amount of only $100, I got spooked and PAID immediately on the phone I had not paid because I thought insurance would have it all covered and I moved around a lot as a student so I might have missed the collection notices. The thing is I still have an old credit card with a very low limit and I can't seem to apply for any raises because of this. So the steps for me to try to get rid of the collections entry would be:

 

1) Opt-out

-Which I did, but this was done maybe a year to 1.5 years ago, does it ever expire?

Good for 5 years

 

2) Delete old/inaccurate addresses

-Should I delete ALL the addresses except for my current address? Would it impact on any of my existing bank account history?

-What reason should I give them for deleting my old address if they are ACCURATE?

Try to get any old addressed deleted, if they are tied to a TL they can be difficult to get off.

 

3) Send Why Chat's PRE HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER TO CRA

http://whychat.5u.com/hipaadisp.html

Make sure you HAND ADDRESS the envelope, use personalized stationery and purple or teal font, ( preferably italic).

 

DO NOT send it RR -WAIT FOR THE FULL RESPONSE FROM THE CRA BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THE HIPAA LETTER PROCESS

 

Are these steps correct? If so, can you guys answer those quick nagging questions that I have before I move forward?

Your step are prefect, usually a paid medical collection will come off with the initial Pre-Hipaa dispute,

if the account is not deleted with the Pre-HIPAA these are the additional steps:

Send the reporting CA this:

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID

As soon as you have the green card back send any CRA reporting the account this:

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

Thanks.

[quadratini]

Thank you so much! I'm going to go and get as much of my old addresses deleted first. I really appreciate your help thanks!

Edited October 1, 2009 by quadratini

[quadratini]

Update:

 

I deleted all my address from Equifax and Transunion no problems by calling in and talking to a CSR. With Experian, I was directed to an automated service and it let me delete all addresses except the one that is tied to my PAID medical collection entry (~$100 worth). So:

 

1) Can I start sending the pre-HIPAA letters to EQ and TU first or should I wait until the addresses in EX are taken care of?

2) If I'm having a hard time convincing EX to delete those associated addresses, should I continue with the pre-HIPAA process or should I try harder to get the addresses deleted first by somehow sending them another letter request to delete the addresses?

 

Thanks.

[Why Chat]

Update:

 

I deleted all my address from Equifax and Transunion no problems by calling in and talking to a CSR. With Experian, I was directed to an automated service and it let me delete all addresses except the one that is tied to my PAID medical collection entry (~$100 worth). So:

 

1) Can I start sending the pre-HIPAA letters to EQ and TU first or should I wait until the addresses in EX are taken care of?

2) If I'm having a hard time convincing EX to delete those associated addresses, should I continue with the pre-HIPAA process or should I try harder to get the addresses deleted first by somehow sending them another letter request to delete the addresses?

 

Thanks.

You can send the initial dispute letters to all 3 CRA's.

 

The goal is to TRY to get the old addresses off.

 

Experian ( AKA "THE DEVIL) is always hard to deal with, however, it is still doable even with them. If all the others delete everything and Ex does not, then an FTC complaint against them ( to add to their growing pile of complaints) will likely do the trick.

[quadratini]

Thanks again Why Chat...as always, you've been very helpful.

 

I'll keep this thread updated on my progress. I'll be sending off the pre-HIPAA letters this coming week

[quadratini]

UPDATE:

 

Got a letter couple weeks ago from TU stating that they deleted my collections entry.

 

Got a letter today from EQ stating they they verified that the item does belong to me. Given after this is the name of the client, date collection was reported, assigned, paid date, status, balance, creditor address and telephone number, etc... Basically repeating the info that was on my credit report.

 

So is this the end of the road for EQ? What else can I do to persuade them further?

 

I know that Chase pulls only TU so would it be ok if I called them now to see if they would re-consider my credit limit increase?

 

Thanks everybody.

[Why Chat]

UPDATE:

 

Got a letter couple weeks ago from TU stating that they deleted my collections entry.

 

Got a letter today from EQ stating they they verified that the item does belong to me. Given after this is the name of the client, date collection was reported, assigned, paid date, status, balance, creditor address and telephone number, etc... Basically repeating the info that was on my credit report.

 

So is this the end of the road for EQ? What else can I do to persuade them further?

 

I know that Chase pulls only TU so would it be ok if I called them now to see if they would re-consider my credit limit increase?

 

Thanks everybody.

Please be patient and finish the HIPAA letter program before reapplying for credit.

 

The next step is to send the reporting CA the medical DV(for accounts reporting as "paid"

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID

And then send the re-dispute to Equifax

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

Have you heard back from Experian??

If not, wait until you hear from them as you would be then sending TWO medical DV's ( in the same CMRR envelope to the reporting CA)

Edited November 27, 2009 by Why Chat

[quadratini]

UPDATE:

 

Got a letter couple weeks ago from TU stating that they deleted my collections entry.

 

Got a letter today from EQ stating they they verified that the item does belong to me. Given after this is the name of the client, date collection was reported, assigned, paid date, status, balance, creditor address and telephone number, etc... Basically repeating the info that was on my credit report.

 

So is this the end of the road for EQ? What else can I do to persuade them further?

 

I know that Chase pulls only TU so would it be ok if I called them now to see if they would re-consider my credit limit increase?

 

Thanks everybody.

Please be patient and finish the HIPAA letter program before reapplying for credit.

 

The next step is to send the reporting CA the medical DV(for accounts reporting as "paid"

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID

And then send the re-dispute to Equifax

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

Have you heard back from Experian??

If not, wait until you hear from them as you would be then sending TWO medical DV's ( in the same CMRR envelope to the reporting CA)

 

Thanks WhyChat. So following your advice, I should:

 

1) Wait until I go through the whole HIPAA process for every agency before applying for credit.

2) Wait for a reply from Experian

3) To each of the CRAs that gave me an unfavorable reply to my first HIPAA letter, I should send them the "http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID" letter and a "http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE" letter in the SAME envelope and send it CMRR

 

Is this correct?

[Why Chat]

UPDATE:

 

Got a letter couple weeks ago from TU stating that they deleted my collections entry.

 

Got a letter today from EQ stating they they verified that the item does belong to me. Given after this is the name of the client, date collection was reported, assigned, paid date, status, balance, creditor address and telephone number, etc... Basically repeating the info that was on my credit report.

 

So is this the end of the road for EQ? What else can I do to persuade them further?

 

I know that Chase pulls only TU so would it be ok if I called them now to see if they would re-consider my credit limit increase?

 

Thanks everybody.

Please be patient and finish the HIPAA letter program before reapplying for credit.

 

The next step is to send the reporting CA the medical DV(for accounts reporting as "paid"

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID

And then send the re-dispute to Equifax

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

Have you heard back from Experian??

If not, wait until you hear from them as you would be then sending TWO medical DV's ( in the same CMRR envelope to the reporting CA)

 

Thanks WhyChat. So following your advice, I should:

 

1) Wait until I go through the whole HIPAA process for every agency before applying for credit.

2) Wait for a reply from Experian

3) To each of the CRAs that gave me an unfavorable reply to my first HIPAA letter, I should send them the " NO! the medical dv "paid" goes to the REPORTING CA--not to the CRA -- however you need to send an individualized medical DV to the CA for EACH CRA that verifiedhttp://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID" letter and a "http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE" letter in the SAME envelope and send it CMRRNO!! the follow up dispute goes to the CRA with a COPY of the individualized medical DV you have sent to the reporting CA

 

Is this correct?

[quadratini]

UPDATE:

 

Got a letter couple weeks ago from TU stating that they deleted my collections entry.

 

Got a letter today from EQ stating they they verified that the item does belong to me. Given after this is the name of the client, date collection was reported, assigned, paid date, status, balance, creditor address and telephone number, etc... Basically repeating the info that was on my credit report.

 

So is this the end of the road for EQ? What else can I do to persuade them further?

 

I know that Chase pulls only TU so would it be ok if I called them now to see if they would re-consider my credit limit increase?

 

Thanks everybody.

Please be patient and finish the HIPAA letter program before reapplying for credit.

 

The next step is to send the reporting CA the medical DV(for accounts reporting as "paid"

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID

And then send the re-dispute to Equifax

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE

Have you heard back from Experian??

If not, wait until you hear from them as you would be then sending TWO medical DV's ( in the same CMRR envelope to the reporting CA)

 

Thanks WhyChat. So following your advice, I should:

 

1) Wait until I go through the whole HIPAA process for every agency before applying for credit.

2) Wait for a reply from Experian

3) To each of the CRAs that gave me an unfavorable reply to my first HIPAA letter, I should send them the " NO! the medical dv "paid" goes to the REPORTING CA--not to the CRA -- however you need to send an individualized medical DV to the CA for EACH CRA that verifiedhttp://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#PAID" letter and a "http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html#DISPUTE" letter in the SAME envelope and send it CMRRNO!! the follow up dispute goes to the CRA with a COPY of the individualized medical DV you have sent to the reporting CA

 

Is this correct?

 

ok, just so that I don't mess up. If Experian verifies my account too, then:

 

1) Send both the EQ and EX versions of the medical dv paid letters in the same envelope CMRR to the collection agency (CA).

 

2) Do I need to wait for the CA to give me a reply before sending the re-dispute letters CMRR to the CRAs since you mention that I will have a "copy enclosed with proof of their receipt"?

 

Thanks for clarifying this for me WhyChat, I appreciate it.

[bonbonXO]

Close you almost have it, don't worry the medical stuff can be confusion.

 

ok, just so that I don't mess up. If Experian verifies my account too, then:

 

1) Send both the EQ and EX versions of the medical dv paid letters in the same envelope CMRR to the collection agency (CA). This is correct!

 

2) Do I need to wait for the CA to give me a reply before sending the re-dispute letters CMRR to the CRAs since you mention that I will have a "copy enclosed with proof of their receipt"? No as soon as you have the green card back from your dispute with the CA, your follow-up dispute gets sent to the CRAs.

Thanks for clarifying this for me WhyChat, I appreciate it.

[quadratini]

Close you almost have it, don't worry the medical stuff can be confusion.

 

ok, just so that I don't mess up. If Experian verifies my account too, then:

 

1) Send both the EQ and EX versions of the medical dv paid letters in the same envelope CMRR to the collection agency (CA). This is correct!

 

2) Do I need to wait for the CA to give me a reply before sending the re-dispute letters CMRR to the CRAs since you mention that I will have a "copy enclosed with proof of their receipt"? No as soon as you have the green card back from your dispute with the CA, your follow-up dispute gets sent to the CRAs.

Thanks for clarifying this for me WhyChat, I appreciate it.

 

Thanks! I'll do that right away when I finally get my Experian reply back Thanks again!

[quadratini]

Update:

 

I sent the letter CMRR to the collection agency which turns out to be a law office. I recently checked the USPS status and it says that the letter has been forwarded because either the address on my creditreport is incorrect or the office has moved. So my queston is, what if they have moved and I was therefore not able to reach them? Can I still go ahead with the process somehow?

 

Thanks guys.

[quadratini]

Anybody have any advice for me?

[bonbonXO]

You need the green card or proof of delivery for the medical DV before you dispute with the CRAs again.

[quadratini]

You need the green card or proof of delivery for the medical DV before you dispute with the CRAs again.

 

thanks for the reply. What if I never receive the green card since the letter never reached its intended recipient because they have moved or are refusing to reply?

[Why Chat]

You need the green card or proof of delivery for the medical DV before you dispute with the CRAs again.

 

thanks for the reply. What if I never receive the green card since the letter never reached its intended recipient because they have moved or are refusing to reply?

Send it with a notation that the address provided on your credit report is not valid and the letter was undeliverable, include a copy of the printout that states the letter had been forwarded.

[bonbonXO]

Thanks-Why Chat!

[quadratini]

You need the green card or proof of delivery for the medical DV before you dispute with the CRAs again.

 

thanks for the reply. What if I never receive the green card since the letter never reached its intended recipient because they have moved or are refusing to reply?

Send it with a notation that the address provided on your credit report is not valid and the letter was undeliverable, include a copy of the printout that states the letter had been forwarded.

 

thanks for the reply WhyChat. So

I don't need a reply from the CA then before I send my letters to the CRAs again then?

[Why Chat]

You need the green card or proof of delivery for the medical DV before you dispute with the CRAs again.

 

thanks for the reply. What if I never receive the green card since the letter never reached its intended recipient because they have moved or are refusing to reply?

Send it with a notation that the address provided on your credit report is not valid and the letter was undeliverable, include a copy of the printout that states the letter had been forwarded.

 

thanks for the reply WhyChat. So

I don't need a reply from the CA then before I send my letters to the CRAs again then?

Correct, the phrase in the follow up dispute letter covers ALL responses, or lack of responses.

I have disputed this unknown medical account with the reporting Collection Agent,( copy enclosed with proof of their receipt),as per your instructions in your response of xx/xx/xxxx to my dispute of xx/xx/xxxx and have had no valid response.

[quadratini]

I just received a reply from Experian stating that they were able to contact the collection agency and that they were able to verify the account. They mentioned that unless I provide to them anymore proof, they are going to cease replying to my dispute requests.

 

I don't understand how they were able to contact them. I sent the CA the "Paid Collections" letter and it's been more than a month now and I got no reply from them - USPS status says that my letter was redirected to another address (no specified) from the address that was listed on the report. I recently got the green card back with "Returned for Carrier Endorsement" stamped on it. There is also no phone number available on the credit report!

 

Am I out of luck with Experian?

 

I got no reply yet from Equifax yet. Still waiting.

[bonbonXO]

Wait for Eq to respond and then update this post with their response.

[quadratini]

UPDATE:

 

WOW. I just pulled all my credit reports. And strangely, all my collection entries are gone from all reporting agencies!!!

 

Thanks everybody (especially WhyChat) for all the help

 

Would my score automatically be increasing since my collection entries are gone now?