Getting confused....

[wishIknewb4]

Here's where I stand:

 

I have 3 derogatory accounts on my credit reports.

 

One is a disputed medical bill which I never paid because the amount was ludicrous and after many letters phone calls etc I was unable to get it reduced so decided not to pay. It is for $2500. It is beyond the statute of limitations but of course shows as an unpaid collection. Oddly enough it shows one payment of $10.00 on the account (I had another account I did pay off at the same medical provider I don't know if they inadvertently applied a payment to this account?)

 

The other 2 accounts are paid collections. One is quite old (reported 03/04) for $185.00 and the other is an account I just paid in 04/09 off for $242.

 

The only CRA that these accounts show up on are Experian so I have been targeting my efforts at them.

 

My questions:

 

1) I have disputed with Experian the unpaid collection and the paid collections -they verified them. Since I know I haven't made a payment on the unpaid collection do I have a hope of getting it removed by requesting verification of the balance? How would I go about it - I don't dispute that I owe this bill, it's just the amount is incorrect.

 

2) For the paid collections: I can't recall how I handled the oldest one but I know for the most recent one I never paid the CA anything. I made all remittances to the OP. I wasn't even aware that it actually had gone to collections -it only showed up on my CR AFTER the account was paid in full (my 02/09 credit report did not show this item on it). I wrote pre-hippa letter to CRA (they verified the accounts), so I then wrote to the CA requesting validation of the accounts. That was over a month ago and I have received no response. So now I send a letter to the CRA with copy of letter to CA and proof of delivery requesting them to remove the debt as the CA has not responded?

 

Thanks I'm a newbie like many-rapidly learning.

 

Carolyn

[wishIknewb4]

For item # 2 - I should clarify that though I have just found this wonderful site today the letters I wrote were almost verbatim to whychats letters. So since the CA hasn't responded I write the letter to the CRA requesting removal and if that fails then what?? Is my only recourse legal action? Or do I take the nice guy approach then....and nicely ask the CA to remove the derogatory accounts (yeah as if that will happen).

[Why Chat]

Here's where I stand:

 

I have 3 derogatory accounts on my credit reports.

 

One is a disputed medical bill which I never paid because the amount was ludicrous and after many letters phone calls etc I was unable to get it reduced so decided not to pay. It is for $2500. It is beyond the statute of limitations but of course shows as an unpaid collection. Oddly enough it shows one payment of $10.00 on the account (I had another account I did pay off at the same medical provider I don't know if they inadvertently applied a payment to this account?)

 

The other 2 accounts are paid collections. One is quite old (reported 03/04) for $185.00 and the other is an account I just paid in 04/09 off for $242. You can send the initial dispute letter as soon as you have opted out and deleted old addresses on all 3 medical accounts;

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

 

The only CRA that these accounts show up on are Experian so I have been targeting my efforts at them.

 

My questions:

 

1) I have disputed with Experian the unpaid collection and the paid collections -they verified them. Since I know I haven't made a payment on the unpaid collection do I have a hope of getting it removed by requesting verification of the balance? How would I go about it - I don't dispute that I owe this bill, it's just the amount is incorrect.

 

2) For the paid collections: I can't recall how I handled the oldest one but I know for the most recent one I never paid the CA anything. I made all remittances to the OP. I wasn't even aware that it actually had gone to collections -it only showed up on my CR AFTER the account was paid in full (my 02/09 credit report did not show this item on it). I wrote pre-hippa letter to CRA (they verified the accounts), so I then wrote to the CA requesting validation of the accounts. That was over a month ago and I have received no response. So now I send a letter to the CRA with copy of letter to CA and proof of delivery requesting them to remove the debt as the CA has not responded?Did you use the letters from the HIPAA letter program??, if so, then yes send the follow up letter to the CRA

 

Thanks I'm a newbie like many-rapidly learning.

 

Carolyn

Have you opted out??

http://whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

Have you deleted ( if possible) old addresses if you have moved within the past 6 years??

 

You need to concentrate on one type of dispute at a time, i.e. do not try to dispute addresses and account disputes within a few weeks of each other. Do not dispute a medical account and a non medical account until one is cleared up, it adds 15 days to your dispute time and will get NEITHER deleted.

 

You say the accounts you referred to are JUST on your Experian reports?? Is that because you disputed them and they were deleted by TU and Eq??

 

If so, and your dispute to Ex on your medical account was verified-- at what point did you contact the reporting CA??

 

Since you are posting in the medical forum, I will try to help you with the medical account, and then help you with the other AFTER the medical account is off your report.

Edited October 28, 2009 by Why Chat

[wishIknewb4]

You can send the initial dispute letter as soon as you have opted out and deleted old addresses on all 3 medical accounts;

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

Ok I have no old addresses and have already opted out quite a while ago.

 

Did you use the letters from the HIPAA letter program??, if so, then yes send the follow up letter to the CRA Yes I did so I will mail the follow up letter to the CRA tomorrow.

 

Have you opted out??

http://whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

Have you deleted ( if possible) old addresses if you have moved within the past 6 years?? No old addresses and opted out.

 

You need to concentrate on one type of dispute at a time, i.e. do not try to dispute addresses and account disputes within a few weeks of each other. Do not dispute a medical account and a non medical account until one is cleared up, it adds 15 days to your dispute time and will get NEITHER deleted.

 

I should clarify all the accounts are medical collection accounts. I just started with the 2 paid ones as I figured they'd be easier to remove.

 

You say the accounts you referred to are JUST on your Experian reports?? Is that because you disputed them and they were deleted by TU and Eq??

Actually no. I have no idea why neither the paid collections nor the unpaid collection appear on TU or EQ reports.

 

If so, and your dispute to Ex on your medical account was verified-- at what point did you contact the reporting CA??The dispute with EX on the paid collections was verified after I wrote the first letter. And then I sent the letter to the CA

 

Should I also venture a try at getting the unpaid collection removed? I haven't started on that one yet - I was wondering if the fact that the CA is reporting I made a payment can be used to help me? I have never paid anything on this account. Should I write to them asking them to verify the original amount and current amount and then if they reply that it is verified alert them to the fact that I have never made a payment and that obviously the information is wrong?

 

Thanks a bunch for your time and dedication to this board.

[Why Chat]

You can send the initial dispute letter as soon as you have opted out and deleted old addresses on all 3 medical accounts;

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

Ok I have no old addresses and have already opted out quite a while ago.

 

Did you use the letters from the HIPAA letter program??, if so, then yes send the follow up letter to the CRA Yes I did so I will mail the follow up letter to the CRA tomorrow.

 

Have you opted out??

http://whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

Have you deleted ( if possible) old addresses if you have moved within the past 6 years?? No old addresses and opted out.

 

You need to concentrate on one type of dispute at a time, i.e. do not try to dispute addresses and account disputes within a few weeks of each other. Do not dispute a medical account and a non medical account until one is cleared up, it adds 15 days to your dispute time and will get NEITHER deleted.

 

I should clarify all the accounts are medical collection accounts. I just started with the 2 paid ones as I figured they'd be easier to remove.

 

You say the accounts you referred to are JUST on your Experian reports?? Is that because you disputed them and they were deleted by TU and Eq??

Actually no. I have no idea why neither the paid collections nor the unpaid collection appear on TU or EQ reports.

 

If so, and your dispute to Ex on your medical account was verified-- at what point did you contact the reporting CA??The dispute with EX on the paid collections was verified after I wrote the first letter. And then I sent the letter to the CA

 

Should I also venture a try at getting the unpaid collection removed? I haven't started on that one yet - I was wondering if the fact that the CA is reporting I made a payment can be used to help me? I have never paid anything on this account. Should I write to them asking them to verify the original amount and current amount and then if they reply that it is verified alert them to the fact that I have never made a payment and that obviously the information is wrong?

 

Thanks a bunch for your time and dedication to this board.

You should dispute ALL your medical accounts, paid or unpaid at thhe same time in the same dispute letter.

 

There are different follow up letters for the ones reporting as paid and the ones reporting a balance due.

 

As to the "phantom" $10. payment--this is an old trick of the garbage CA/JDB's to re-age the reporting.

 

As to checking your Eq and TU reports, you really should do all 3 at the same time as any follow up letters would just have to be duplicated if you find that the same accounts are on the other CRA reports too.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Why Chat

[wishIknewb4]

Gotcha - I was wondering since I"m at the follow up letter with the paid collections and haven't done anything with the unpaid one -can I put the first dispute letter for the unpaid in the same envelope as the follow up letter or should I send them separately?

[Why Chat]

Gotcha - I was wondering since I"m at the follow up letter with the paid collections and haven't done anything with the unpaid one -can I put the first dispute letter for the unpaid in the same envelope as the follow up letter or should I send them separately?

NO NO NO!!

 

Get the ones deleted first that you have already disputed BEFORE sending in ANY new dispute to the ONE CRA you are disputing..

[wishIknewb4]

I received a form letter from experian today in response to follow up letter sent last week.

 

It reads "we are responding to your request to verify items on your personal credit report. We have already investigated this information and the credit grantor has verified its accuracy...."

 

I don't believe the "follow-up" is asking for verification is it? What is the next move. Somewhere in this notice it says if you have new information to send it them. I was wondering: For one of these accounts I paid every payment to the original creditor- If I send them this information will that substantiate my dispute to have that account removed? I have yet to received a reply from my letter to the CA.

 

What is the next step -this isn't the answer I would expect for the "follow-up" letter.

[Why Chat]

I received a form letter from experian today in response to follow up letter sent last week.

 

It reads "we are responding to your request to verify items on your personal credit report. We have already investigated this information and the credit grantor has verified its accuracy...."

 

I don't believe the "follow-up" is asking for verification is it? What is the next move. Somewhere in this notice it says if you have new information to send it them. I was wondering: For one of these accounts I paid every payment to the original creditor- If I send them this information will that substantiate my dispute to have that account removed? I have yet to received a reply from my letter to the CA.

 

What is the next step -this isn't the answer I would expect for the "follow-up" letter.

Wait another week or so and check your report. It is waaaay too soon to have received a full response, the CRA's send out automated responses to add to the allowable time they have.

 

When you recheck your report, see if it is being shown as in dispute.

 

If it is ONLY reporting on Experian, and it has not been deleted ( after another few weeks) and is NOT showing as having been disputed or being under investigation, then you can file an FTC complaint and send them a copy with a cover letter.

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

Edited November 6, 2009 by Why Chat

[wishIknewb4]

You are a true good samaritan!

 

I thought it was rather quick...I'll wait and check.

[wishIknewb4]

Still no response from CA...will wait the 30 days (the waiting is the hardest part I plan on waiting the 30 days before I do anything further but I wanted to chart my course of action.

 

I was rereading the most recent entry for one of the paid collections:

 

It reads: Collection as of Apr 2009, Reported since April 2009

 

This account was paid in full of March 2009. My last payment to the OC was made in March 2009 - and in fact I have a check from April that was returned to me as I made one EXTRA payment on the account (they didn't cash it and sent a letter saying I had no unpaid accounts-unfortunately I don't believe I kept that letter I bet I could use it now! ).

 

If Experian doesn't remove this paid collection could I use the above information to get it removed? They do state in their correspondence that if you have any further evidence to support your dispute to send it...

 

Just wondering and planning my next strategy...

[wishIknewb4]

Still no further response from Exp. If appears that letter they sent out the week after submitting the follow up letter is all I'm going to get.

 

Is it now time to send the FTC complaint letter. What should I include in this letter - I clicked the link you posted for Gudziel and see this is an online filing. Experien is the only CRA that has ever reported this account.

[bonbonXO]

I would wait 30 days plus 5 for mailing before you file the FTC complaint, the CRAs have 30 days to respond to our disputes, 45 (plus 5 days for mailing) if you are disputing from a free credit report.

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

 

If you have opted out and deleted old addresses and checked your credit reports to see if there is any change in the reporting, and there was no response to your dispute to the CA, then you need to file a complaint with the FTC against each CRA that has refused to delete and refused to properly investigate. FILE A COMPLAINT

 

Print out your complaint BEFORE clicking enter. Your complaint should list the actions you have taken,( with dates for each) i.e. filed a proper dispute on an unknown medical account, contacted the reporting CA with a dispute and request for validation on this unknown medical account as per instructions from ( name of CRA) re-disputed to ( CRA) with a copy of your dispute/validation letter to the CA, along with proof of the CA's receipt of the dispute. (CRA) refusal to properly investigate or properly mark the account as in dispute is a violation of the FCRA and FACTA. Send a copy of the complaint with another dispute to each CRA. Make sure that your follow up dispute to the CRA is addressed to their compliance dept. sent CMRR and includes this phrase; "I reserve the right to take further action including filing appropriate complaints with ( your State) 's consumer protection agencies, the BBB and to take civil action to recover damages".

Edited December 1, 2009 by bonbonXO

[wishIknewb4]

I submitted my FTC complaint today. I'll recheck my credit report in a few days and if nothing has happened will send out follow-up letter to Experian.

[wishIknewb4]

Nothing has happened. I filed an FTC complaint in January, sent a copy of it to EX in March with copies of all the former letters, copies of mail receipts etc. and still no deletions. Is there anything more I can do?

 

I would love to see these gone. It really irks me that one of these items didn't even appear on my credit report until after it was paid (I was paying OC and wasn't even aware it was in collections or I wouldn't have paid without a settlement letter).

 

I noticed that one of the accounts says "date opened Jan 2005, reported since March 2004"-obviously this is wrong. Should I restart saying the information is inaccurate? Or just chill and wait some more....

[wishIknewb4]

I received a letter from Ex today basically saying they have verified the information and investigation results. So they are not going to do anything....grrr...

 

Is there anything I should do now? Should I start the process over? I want these items gone!

[Why Chat]

I received a letter from Ex today basically saying they have verified the information and investigation results. So they are not going to do anything....grrr...

 

Is there anything I should do now? Should I start the process over? I want these items gone!

If it is ONLY on Ex. and you have had NO response from the reporting CA then you can try the HIPAA letter insert "b" to the OC;

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

[wishIknewb4]

I just want to confirm (because in big bold letters at the top of the linked page it says;

 

"This letter should ONLY be used AFTER the initial dispute letter has provided you with a documented current relationship between the Health Care Provider and the reporting CA."

 

The CA never did respond to my HIPPA letter -so I don't believe I do have a documented current relationship between the Health Care Provider and the reporting CA. EX says I do...but I haven't seen proof.

 

Is it safe to go ahead and mail the letter?

 

Is there any follow-up I can do with the FTC ?

[Why Chat]

I just want to confirm (because in big bold letters at the top of the linked page it says;

 

"This letter should ONLY be used AFTER the initial dispute letter has provided you with a documented current relationship between the Health Care Provider and the reporting CA."

 

The CA never did respond to my HIPPA letter -so I don't believe I do have a documented current relationship between the Health Care Provider and the reporting CA. EX says I do...but I haven't seen proof.

 

Is it safe to go ahead and mail the letter?

 

Is there any follow-up I can do with the FTC ?

It is true that you have no documented relationship between the OC and the reporting CA, however you have tried almost everything else so the HIPAA letter insert "b" and the follow up dispute to Ex and copies with a cover letter to the OC may be your only shot. Experian (aka "THE DEVIL) is the worst of the CRAs.

[wishIknewb4]

I sent the Hippa letter insert b to the OC. I received back a letter today from their billing service just confirming the account is paid and that it is showing as a paid collection and if I have any questions to contact them.

 

So almost a year has past and I haven't gotten rid of one item off of my credit report. Is there anything I can do to get rid of these paid collections? Would a nice letter to the billing service requesting removal since I did pay the accounts and was unaware they were in collections hurt at this time? I truly would love to clean this up. It really really irks me that one of the accounts was only reported after it was paid...it just doesn't seem right that they can do this. Should I restart the process by sending the dv letters? Or maybe contact experian directly again -the information such as original amount is not coorect on one, on the other the reported date is before the service date...surely I can get them on one of these errors?

 

I also haven't tackled the unpaid collection. I disputed the bill at the time of service with the hospital and never got anywhere. I believe it is now statute barred so don't intend to pay it ...however I'd sure like to get it off of my report.

Edited June 22, 2010 by wishIknewb4

[Why Chat]

I sent the Hippa letter insert b to the OC. I received back a letter today from their billing service just confirming the account is paid and that it is showing as a paid collection and if I have any questions to contact them.

 

So almost a year has past and I haven't gotten rid of one item off of my credit report. Is there anything I can do to get rid of these paid collections? Would a nice letter to the billing service requesting removal since I did pay the accounts and was unaware they were in collections hurt at this time? I truly would love to clean this up. It really really irks me that one of the accounts was only reported after it was paid...it just doesn't seem right that they can do this. Should I restart the process by sending the dv letters? Or maybe contact experian directly again -the information such as original amount is not coorect on one, on the other the reported date is before the service date...surely I can get them on one of these errors?

 

I also haven't tackled the unpaid collection. I disputed the bill at the time of service with the hospital and never got anywhere. I believe it is now statute barred so don't intend to pay it ...however I'd sure like to get it off of my report.

If you have already opted out and deleted old addresses, then I suggest you start from the beginning.

 

Wait until Sept.1, ( 4 Months past your last dispute to any CRA) and then send the initial dispute letter to each CRA listing ALL your medical accounts, paid or unpaid.

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

 

It would be counterproductive to send Ex with any "explanation" that the account is not reporting with the correct amounts, as this would, in effect be self-affirming the validity of the CA's right to report at all.