July 2005: I wanted out of my apartment since it wasn't the prettiest neighborhood in the city where I live and the building was being taken over by a new landlord. He seemed extremely unprofessional and me and my roommate wanted out.
We found this really nice apartment in one of the nicest parts of the city. Rent was double what were we paying, but considering what we were paying, it was a steal. All we had to do was submit an application for credit.
We sent our payment in for the credit check and I was a little nervous considering my roommate had filed BK before for such a small amount of debt, but I thought with our incomes, offering to put down three months of rent and a little begging, that it would help. It did not. They didn't even bother to get back to us.
August 2005: I wanted to know what was on my report, so I applied for a Discover card, JUST to see what was on my report. Of course, they turned me down. No positive revolving tradelines. The only good thing was that my student loans were listed as a positive.
I searched for how to get my credit score up, and read at CB that I should get a FICO score. I decided to pull all three to see where I was. My EQ score was 537, my EX score was 513 and my TU score was 582. As you can imagine. Not too good at all.
September 2005: After getting a collection off my report from AT&T Wireless, and some new student loans started reporting, my score increased to 585 on EQ. With the information that I read, and from reading the Credit Approved thread a million times, I applied for the Target card. Instant approval for $200!
This was my FIRST approval for any type of revolving credit in at least 4 years. I was psyched. Could I get the Walmart card as well? YES! Instant approval for $300. I made some other mistakes as well. Before then, I signed up for a New Millennium Bank secured card and a First Premier card. I was desperate, what can I say.
Things were looking up, but of course as soon as something good comes along, a bad thing happens. A collection pops up on EQ and drops my score 30 points! I was real upset since they report said the collection had been placed with them since March 2003. Why did they wait so long!
October 2005: I was getting very easy collections off of my TU reports, all at one time. Most of the collections on TU were for medical things that insurance was never billed for, or didn't pay properly. I had to deal with each creditor and harass them to get it done correctly, but eventually, they came off after I could prove I did not owe.
During this whole time, I was disputing another TL that was listed as a CO, FCNB/Mastertrust. Who the hell were they?
This seemed difficult, but in early October, I sent out a long DV letter and hoped that this would help.October 9, 2005: My apartment catches fire, and I lose basically everything. My computer, my clothes, papers, clothes, and so much more. You name it, I lost it. Most importantly, I lost my pet, my friend, Kitty Kat. This really upsets me alot and I stop doing any type of credit repair. Too upset, somehow, the fire burned away my passion for credit repair. By now, I have also obtained a National City secured card and a Bank of America secured card and I think that is enough for now.
January 2006: I realize that I have to get out of this rut and get back to fixing these reports. If I honestly expect to go to grad school for business, I know that I might need to borrow a ton of money and who would hire me with horrible credit?
I go back and dispute a collection for over $1,000 that was for something insurance did not do correctly. I don't know how it happened, but I go online to EX and dispute it as NOT MINE and it falls off! Same on EQ! I call the ambulance company for the city, and harass them as to why they haven't billed insurance for the $400 bill. They say "Oh, Joe Q. left, he never processed your claim". I say this is not my fault, you are ruining my credit, fix it now! By the next day, it's gone! Target has also shown me some luv by now and my CL is now $500 from it's approval of $200. I have also received approval for Dillard's and Bloomingdale's. More approvals, things are even better now!
February 2006: A collection pops up and some idiot claims I owe Comcast for a box that I turned in months ago. I almost cry because now Verizon has started reporting and they have that it was a collection too! I immediately send the idiots Comcast sent after me incorrectly and within 2-3 weeks, the item is gone. I call Verizon, tell them about the fire, and they correct my TL in one day! This oddly enough boosts my scores into the 600's for the first time on EQ! I was able to get approved for a Orchard Bank Platinum Mastercard and a BestBuy charge!
March 2006. I am still trying to deal with this FCNB nonsense. Who the hell are they, were did they come from and why are reporting a collection as a revolving account? From an earlier convesation with the people at "FCNB/Mastertrust" they claim they are collecting for Bank of New York or something of that nature and they won't send me any statements at all until I pay the research fees. I know my rights because of this place and I send NO money.
I am sick of this FCNB nonsense so I do some heavy duty research. FCNB does not exist any more. Four entities are trying to collect on this debt. First National Bank of Omaha, Platinum Recovery Solutions, InfiStar Corporation and Federal Bond and Collection Service, Inc. I find out the first three are the people behind this nonsense and get all the information I can about this place. CEOs, registered agents, head of credit card processing, or whatever it takes to resolve this.
I send a nice nutcase / ITS / DV letter to all of their email addresses. I get a response from the managing attorney who tells me this is not her issue since Platinum Recovery Solutions is handling this. I kindly tell her that the FNBO address is reporting and list at least 50 infractions of the FCRA and FDCPA. The tradeline is removed within 2 days!
I am now able to get my Providian, Juniper, Bank of America, Union Plus, and Chase cards approved all because the CO is off my report and my scores skyrocket! This joins my Old Navy, Bloomingdale's and other revolving TLs too.
Two major things are left. My student loans have duplicates on EX. I dispute for the 6th time with "This is a duplicate for the 6th damn time" and it falls off in a day. I have the collection from a Bank of America checking account on my EQ and EX reports. I tell FBCS that there name alone "Federal Bond and Collection Service, Inc" is a violation in itself and I want this collection off my report in less than 10 days. Within two days, it is off of BOTH reports!
I am working with the loan people to straighten out the derogatory marks on my report , but EQ has already said never late, so that is done, and EX is being an idiot as usual, but I will make them submit!
I could have never in a million years done this without the help of all of you. I especially want to thank pryan67. He has answered every dumb question I have sent him. Thank you so much!
Over just the past two weeks, I have been able to secure about $20K in unsecured credit. This may not seem like alot, but considering that just two weeks before I had under $5,000 in total credit, secured and unsecured, this is great! I have two Juniper cards, Bank of America, Old Navy, Best Buy, Macy's and USAA. Places I literally dreamed about having!
My EQ score has gone up to 730 (+193), my EX score is 662 (+149) and TU score has gone up to 771 (+189). All within about 8 months time. Never ever give up. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I will try to Pay It Forward and answer every silly question I can if somoene needs help I'm here!
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no just kidding.....proud though 
