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I'm trying to follow the method here: http://whychat.5u.com/hipltr.html on a medical collection account appearing only on my friend's Experian credit report. I first disputed with Experian and it came back with the result of "Remains". They did not supply the name and address of the doctors nor the dates and type of service, nor to whom the services were supplied, nor the name of the person who supplied the information to them. The Experian collection entry only states the CA and the original creditor as PROVIDER and date opened. Is this response as expected and was I right to continue to the next step? Then I sent a DV to the collection agency and I got two letters back from them. The second letter, sent five days after the first states in part: Spelling error is theirs. Below the signature line are listed three accounts with $0 balance, but none of their "Our Acct #" match the collection account number reported to Experian, although the "Client Name" does match what Experian shows. The first letter that I got back first states in part: The first letter also includes a computer printout for the account at CA for PROVIDER, however, no mention of what service was provided, only a total balance, date of service, date of referral, and interest charges at 10% per annum. Now, this is not proper DV as there is no signature provided by me and a computer printout is not DV. Further, they did not comply with my request to provide a copy of their agreement with PROVIDER that grants CA authority to collect on the alleged debt nor did they show my HIPAA authorization. Therefore, I think the next step is to do the following: Send HIPAA letter to Health Care Provider. Include the original debt amount (ignoring the interest CA added). Is this correct, do I ignore the interest charges and only pay the principal? Or since I don't have proper DV, should I not pay the principal either? Does the letter confirm a current relationship since they did not provide. Alternatively, perhaps I should keep waiting until CA gets validation from OC and passes on to me? Alternatively, perhaps I should send "FOLLOW UP LETTER TO CRA" via CM (no RR)? My ultimate goal is to get the CA deleted from Experian in the fastest way possible, so paying more than I might if I take longer is worth it.

Hello friends. I'm so glad to be here! Thanks for having me. My Creditkarma score is 555. I know that's not FICO, but it's going to be terrible regardless. I'm 28. So my credit right now is a mess. I've dabbled in trying to fix it, but I really want to make some serious progress now. I'll try to be succinct yet thorough. Credit utilization, payment history, age of credit history, and credit inquiries receive "A" marks on the report card thing. Total accounts (3 accounts) is D. Derogatory remarks (1 + 1 in collection) is B. Overall grade is F, obviously. The following 5 are my baddies. 3 Collection accounts. Two charged off accounts that at least are now paid or in the process of being paid: (1) Sears-CO, paid in full to CA after they had it for a month. I didn't do the DV or anything. Staying until 11/2015 (2) Capital 1, CO, process of paying in full via payment plan. Sent them a DV letter, and they (a legal office CA representing Cap 1) got back to me with all the documents from what I could tell. 1 more year to go. Staying until 1/2016 (3) CA hired by my past leasing office (OC) for not paying a small cleaning bill. I found out recently after pulling my CR. Received no notification from either CA or Leasing office to the best of my knowledge. OC claims not to have received my forwarding address (that I also updated on USPS when I moved). Comes off CR mid-2018. 2 Closed accounts with late payments: (4) BOFA credit card, several late payments over 3 years. Longest one is a 120 day late entry. Will become positive account in 1/2015. Stays until 2/2018. (5) Chase credit card. A few late payments over 2 years. Longest is 60 days. Will become positive 8/2014. Stays until 12/2017. *also 1 hard pull for credit card application last year More about me: I have 3 active accounts in good standing (no late payments). 5 positive (no late) overall including car loan payoff. I used to have excellent credit prior to about 2008. I just got super lazy about paying bills and well.. now I'm in a shameful state. Based on information I'd like the input for my plan and would like suggestions on possible letters to expediate some removals from CR. My to do list so far: 1) Delete previous addresses with CRA. 2) Apply for a credit card(s) to increase accounts. I'm debating between applying for several secured cards that from what I understand should be easy to obtain with a deposit and/or applying for a unsecure rewards card such as Capital 1 Newcomers rewards card. I should have done this earlier. I didn't know about secured cards. My concern with secure cards is they suck, annual fee, and mostly useless once my FICO improves, and I'm eligible for better credit cards. Do I keep the secure cards after credit improves or close them? Most of the recommended secured credit cards have annual fees. I don't plan on keeping any sort of balance on any of the credit cards month to month. Also, I have around $1000-1500 to start off with for the secured cards. What is a recommended way of putting in the deposits for the secured cards that I apply for? 3) I'm not sure what to do about baddie (3). The apartment complex is part of a huge company that basically owns one of the major cities in Orange County, CA, and I'm not even sure they have the authority to accept payment. I'm looking into a PFD or Goodwill letter depending on who I would address the letter to. PFD for CA and Goodwill for OC? Is 1-2 punch worth considering? The CA doesn't seem to be reporting it from month to month. Just the date that the account has gone into collections. 4) I'm open to ideas on using letters for the other baddies. Finally.. do letters still work effectively? A lot of the posts regarding DV and letter approaches were posted a number of years ago. Back then, things like PFD was a lot more successful. It seems to me that the CA's would be much more efficient and experienced dealing with the claims. If you made it through this, THANK YOU! I am just one guy who couldn't sleep a wink last night thinking about all this, and I'm just looking to turn things around.

Cach is reporting an old debt on my CR and I am currently in the process of writing a TX DV letter as I am a resident here. My question is about the bonding company section in the letter. Cach, per the TXSoS site, does not have an active bond anymore; however, square two financial, the parent company, does. Would you include the fact that Cach, LLC is in violation because they are the ones reporting and don't have the active surety bond, or should I just include it as Square two financial and send their active bond company a copy? Thanks.

Even though an OC has a debt being collected on by a CA, if I send a DV letter to the OC to find information on the account doesn't the OC have to respond to my request per TFC law?

I was reading PsychDoc transcript and I came across some interesting info. You can DV a SL? Really? I called the CA handling my account and verbally verified that the debt was mine and that I received their dunning letter but I haven't paid. I can still DV via letter, right? If I just wait a month or two then DV? If they validate then I pay. If they can't then they go away. DId I read that right or am I just crazy? How valid is a verbal verification? It's probably too late now huh? Any advice would be appreciated. Also I filed a complaint with the ombudsman because they wouldn't start my rehab program without a "good faith" payment. I'm probably in too deep now huh?

Hi Folks, First off, I want to extend a special thank you to all those who have provided me with invaluable insight throughout my early beginnings. Just last week I sent out 7 DV letterx (TX based) and already I have successfully removed 3 accounts. I have a long way to go but the feeling is amazing. On another note, I am planning to DV collection agency on behalf of an apartment where I once resided in another state; I currently live in TX. Based on TX guidelines, the SOL for that debt expires sometime around July. I was prepared to do a PFD as I did not want to awaken a sleeping giant. The debt is approximately $4K. Never an eviction or anything; I moved out before the lease expire and got hit with that. Now, I just realized that the collection agency is not bonded in the state of TX, thereby, rendering them illegal to collect. Is that correct? My other question is, should I wait until the SOL actually expires or just go ahead with a DV mentioning their current status as not being bonded? What's the best course of action? Thanks!

Help with a Capital One charge off and United Recovery Systems My wife has a charge off with Capital one for the amount of 414.55 on a CL of 300. This is killing her utilization! We have tried to pay Capital One directly but they refuse and said that we had to pay United Recovery Systems. URS is not reporting on her reports and I do not want them to report. I want to pay this thing but I don’t want it to show up on her reports. They have been calling lately on our landline but we never use the landline or even answer the damn thing. I know that you should always DV a CA and I understand that, but I know for a fact that she owes the crap and I am not trying to skip paying it. I just don’t want the CA to show up on her reports. What are you guys opinion on the best course of action? DV or just call them up and pay the thing for a letter in writing that they will not report to the bureaus? Do you think there is any chance of getting the CA to get the OC to delete the tradeline? This is a pipedream that I would jump for joy if it happened. Any and all advice welcomed!

I received a response to my DV from IC System Inc stating that they are unable to locate my account. They are asking for account and reference numbers, my full name, the oc, etc. I have no correspondence or anything from them. The only info I have was from my CR which I provided. I know that the collection is from Kindercare but I do not believe I owe them anything. Either way if anything was owed, I would not be responsible for payment but my husband would. I originally disputed this bill with Kindercare when they informed me months after I had already taken my kids out of their daycare. How do I respond to this letter?

When I went through this process a few years ago for the first time, I read I should never use my own address, rather have all correspondence go through a PO Box. As I pick up where I left off, I'm wondering if a PO Box is necessary. I recently updated my address on my credit report to my current home address. Doesn't that make it automatically available to all CAs on my reports? Should I still use a PO Box, or just let all mail go to my home address? Thanks!

Here's the rundown: I reside in TX RJM reporting on 2 of 3 of my reports. CRA verified a couple years ago; I've since left it alone Reporting as a factoring account company Showing a date opened later than the OC (I presume that's perfectly legal based on the information I've garnered on this site) Account is out of SOL The question: Should I pursue the DV route with them? Or dispute directly with CRA? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Can you send a DV letter if a physical address is available? Or, should I stick to the CMRR route? I figured either way I would have tracking information. Thoughts?

So about 2 years ago I disputed this account online as 'Not Mine' (I know, I know), and it was successfully deleted from EQ and TU. It remains on EX until 8/2015. My question is, if I send a DV letter to the CA, could that possibly trigger the account to show up on EQ and TU again? I have no records for this account, but I'm fairly certain that the DOFD was earlier than they are reporting. I'm tempted to just file a CFPB complaint as I just had a great success with them on EX with Child Support; however, I am hesitant to push the envelope. Any advice?

So today I got a letter from DRS dated April 1. It informed me that I owed AT&T $250 and offered to work with me on payment. How generous of them. Well I’ve been an AT&T customer for a year and never been in arrears. The account number cited by DRS doesn’t have the faintest relationship to my actual account number. It's obviously a scam. Does it require a regular DV letter or something else? I’ve never written a DV before -- but I’ve read a lot here so know how to do it – but just want to make sure I proceed correctly. How has this company not lost its license to collect in my state (NY)? And who do I complain to in order to get that ball rolling to make it happen? The AG? As always, thanks for your help.

I need some help from the expert CBers. DH has a year old collection from a Cap1 that had a limit of 300. I'm not sure about the DOFD. The balance being reported to the CRAs is $555 (late fees in all). We are trying to buy a house this year and I want to take care of this in the best way possible. Should a DV letter be sent to Cap1? I'm pretty sure I read on here that Cap1 doesn't PFD. Please help.

Debt is 6 years old. First time it's been listed on my CR, but I've recieved plenty of calls from them. Calls stopped about 8 months ago. CA just placed collection on Credit Report about 3 weeks ago, I haven't recieved dunnings. To Whom It May Concern: This letter is being sent to you in response to your recent communications. This is not a refusal to pay, but a notice that your claim is disputed. Under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), I have the right to request validation of the debt you say I owe you. I am requesting proof that I am indeed the party you are asking to pay this debt, and there is some contractual obligation which is binding on me to pay this debt. Your legal staff will agree that compliance with this request is required under the laws of Indiana and Federal Statutes. In addition to the questionnaire below, please attach copies of: · What the money you say I owe is for; · Explain and show me how you calculated what you say I owe; · Provide me with copies of any papers that show I agreed to pay what you say I owe; · Provide a verification or copy of any judgment if applicable; · Prove the Statute of Limitations has not expired on this account; · Show me that you are licensed to collect in my state; · Provide me with your license numbers and Registered Agent. · Agreement with your client that grants you the authority to collect on this alleged debt, or proof of acquisition by purchase or assignment. · Agreement that bears the signature of the alleged debtor wherein he or she agreed to pay the creditor. Please also be advised that this letter is not only a formal dispute, but a request that you cease and desist any and all collection activities. Your receipt of this letter will be considered as having granted consent to the taping of any and all telephone calls to me at my home or business by you or your agents or assigns. I require compliance with the terms and conditions of this letter within 30 days or a complete withdrawal, in writing, of any claim. In the event of noncompliance, I reserve the right to file charges and/or complaints with appropriate County, State & Federal authorities, the BBB and State Bar associations for violations of the FDCPA, FCRA, and Federal and State statutes on fraudulent extortion. I also hereby reserve my right to take private civil action against you to recover damages. Sincerely,

I'm fairly new to these boards and have been working on cleaning up my credit for about 4 months now. I just learned about the HIPPA process a week ago, on another board where it is very taboo/almost forbidden to discuss the HIPPA process. So going on previous advice I had received elsewhere, I began disputing with CRA's, sending DV letters to CA's and hoping they didnt respond, so I would get a deletion. I got nowhere. I tried the Pay for Delete method. One worked, just mailed that out yesterday. In the course of this process, one the medical collection agencies responded to my validation request, by sending me a copy of my full itemized hospital bill with procedure codes and descriptions, etc. This had me freaked out yesterday and I was certain that had to be a HIPPA violation in itself. Didnt really get clarification either way on that, but it doesnt change the fact that I want to remove this collection. So with that being said, can I: Start the HIPPA process even though they already verified by mailing me a copy of the bill? Would I proceed as if I had done nothing previously or should I start further in the process since I already have verification? I opted out. Pulled two fresh reports (EQ and EX, locked out of TU because of a dispute that hasnt been finished yet) I also faxed and mailed address deletion letters. This was just at the beginning of the week, so I imagine i will have to wait a while for verification they have or have not been deleted before proceeding to the initial dispute with CRA's.

Dear CBers: I recently reported a Macy's Charge Off (paid in full to CA) to the CFPB as the CA told me it would be a PFD and was never deleted from any TL. I contacted Macy's first and they were no help and wouldn't even give me the name of the collection agency who handled it! This is the response I got from Macys: "I am in receipt of your complaint filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and forwarded to Macy's Executive Office on February 10, 2014. As a liaison of Macy's Executive office, I was asked to review and respond to your concerns on behalf of Department Stores National Bank. Your Macy's account was charged off due to serious delinquency on August 7, 2012, with a balance of 239.06. Your account is not currently assigned to a collections agency, but is was assigned to FMS Inc., when you paid 239.06 on January 23, 2013, bring your account to a zero balance, as reflected on the enclosed February 7, 2013, billing statement. The account is being reported accurately with a paid-in-full charged off rating. Because we do not remove accurate information from a credit report as part of a payment agreement; I must decline your request to delete your account from your credit report as you requested. Enclosed is a snapshot of what we are reporting to the credit reporting agencies. If you have anything in writing from us stating that we will delete this account from your credit report, please forward a copy to me for review. It would be against our policies to make such an offer to any customer. Our records show that on April 12, 2013, we instructed the credit reporting agencies to update their records and report your account as "customer disputes reporting". If I may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at the telephone number listed below." How should I best go after FMS?

I sent a debt validation letter to a CA (Enhanced Recovery Services). They sent back the following letter, which first states they can confirm the debt, but then says they will ask for its deletion. Sounds great (I think?) but what I'd like to do is follow up with all of the CRAs by mail to show them that the CA agreed to report it. What I want to know is - Since the letter also says the CA can "confirm" the debt, will the CRAs also consider it valid? I want to make doubly-sure it gets deleted but don't want to shoot myself in the foot my mailing them. ***** LETTER: Our offices are in receipt of your letter of dispute and request for verification pursuant to 15 U.S.C 1692g of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This letter is a response to your dispute. Please be advised we have contacted our client, who has confirmed the name and address listed on the account as well as the amount owed. Enclosed is a summary of the charges on the account and any billing statements provided by our client that confirm the charges. Please be advised we have reported this debt to consumer reporting agencies, but in acknowledgement of your dispute, we have requested the account be removed from all credit reporting agencies. Consumer reporting agencies may take up to 30 days or longer to update reports and this is beyond our control. Should you have any questions regarding this account or any information provided at this time, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Enhanced Recovery Company, LLC This communication is made for the limited purpose of responding to your dispute and is NOT an attempt to collect a debt.

Seeking to apply for a home in the next 3-4 months, decided to get my latest credit report and I find 1 account that I had no idea was there. Filed BK in May of 2010 and discharged in October of 2010. I find it hard to believe that I let this account go to collections, because (1) I never even rec'd so much as a notice from the OC or one from the CA and (2) I've had perfect credit since then. I know I had an account with this company but because it was 3 years ago, I'm sketchy on the details. I did go through an old email and found that in December of 2010 I registered for an online account with the OC and that I did a password reminder session in January of 2011. Allegedly, this went to collections in September of 2010, so at the very least, there dates and/or information is wrong. I tried to see if it was paid or not by going through my bank account, but I had to contact my bank directly and request transaction histories for that time, so that is going to take a while. My objective is to get this off of my report as soon as possible. Because I discovered this and did not receive notice from the CA, I'm unsure as to what to do. Should I send them a DV letter and wait for a response and go from there (I read it works differently because I discovered this on my credit report and they never contacted me) or do I mail them a letter that doesn't acknowledge that specific debt, but admit to having an account but with different information, and basically say "look, this info isn't accurate, I have emails confirming I had an account AFTER what's being reported but I just want this off so I can apply for a home. Admit that there is an error, remove the info, and I will pay in full but not acknowledge that this is my account." Help, please? SEQUOIA FINANCIAL SV Equifax TransUnion Experian Not Reported Not Reported Reported Collector: SEQUOIA FINANCIAL SV Account Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Opened: 09/2010 Balance Date: 10/2010 Balance Amount: Date of Status: 10/2010 Status: Open Open Accounts SEQ FIN SVCS Equifax TransUnion Experian Account Type: Open Account Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Payment Responsibility: Individual Date Opened: 09/2010 Balance Date: 08/2013 Balance Amount: $111 Monthly Payment: High/Limit: $83 Account Status: Collection Past Due Amount: $0 Comments: ORIGINAL CREDITOR: 10 CITY OF INDIO COLLECTION ACCOUNT

I sent a DV letter to Convergent Outsourcing for an old Comcast bill (dated June 2009). They replied with a copy of the bill with my name and old address on it. What is my next step here? Send a PFD letter? FOAD letter? My state is Pennsylvania if that helps. my goal is to have it totally removed from my report, even if it means paying up. Thanks!

Hi there! I've been reading these forums for a bit now and finally decided to make a post - hopefully I can get some solid advice here. =] So my dad received a collection notice from ACSI (Automated Collection Services) regarding a debt from a private club he is a member of. (Short story: He retired and his balance went past due 31 days. Promised to pay as soon as his federal retirement kicked in within 2 weeks, but crazy club administrator who has a personal vendetta against him sent it to collections anyway). The amount they say he owed was relatively close to what was expected, but we wanted to be extra sure that everything was precise -- there's another member at said club with the same name and they accidentally charge HIS purchases to my dad's account from time to time. All of that being said, I sent a short, sweet DV letter to ACSI asking for an itemized list of the charges. They have a solid rep from what I've read so I figured they'd comply, and sure enough they did. Not only did they send an itemized list of charges from the club, but also the original signed application to join. Here's where the fun (read: questions) starts: 1. The itemized statement says $385 in monthly membership dues, but the application they sent with his signature specifically says $235. Disputable based on documentation THEY provided? 2. About a week and a half after the dunning notice was received, the OC (club) sent another invoice requesting payment. I could be wrong, but if the account it placed with a collection agency, isn't the OC supposed to stop dealing with the customer and refer them to the CA for questions and payment? It confused him because he now has 2 companies requesting payment for the same debt and doesn't know who to pay. 3. The debt needs to be (and is going to be) paid, mainly just waiting to see WHO actually gets the check. If the original creditor is paid, and we send a letter to the CA letting them know the OC kept sending statements after they had the account placed with them so we paid the club instead, the CA has to go away anyway, yes? And in that particular case, since we paid the OC by their request, can the CA still report it to the credit bureaus? Thanks in advance for any advice! =]

So I have a lease I broke in 2011 in collections that I plan on DV'ing. I'm not afraid of being sued because I could settle if I really needed to. In fact I tried contacting my old apartment managers about paying them directly and they said no, I had to deal with the CA. I don't pay CA's, they pay me - so I need to handle this another way. I have already had this verified in a CRA dispute(all 3 reporting). I've had some success with very simple DV letters, however this one is a little different. In my state(Washington), when a landlord takes your deposit/you incur additional costs they have 14 days from the day you surrender the property to get you an itemized cost list. Read here. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.280 Neither my wife nor myself recall getting this, and we did leave a forwarding address with the apartment manager. I wonder if there is any way I can use this law to get this off my credit reports, or if I'm just barking up the wrong tree. My initial plan is to DV them, and attempt a 1-2 punch however I thought I'd bring this to my fellow CB'ers and see what you had to say. The CA is FCO, and everything I read says I need to play hardball with them.

Hello, I am in the beginning stages of repairing my credit, I have been reading and taking in all of the information available on this site. So far I've triaged my CR's for all 3 bureaus, I've had all incorrect addresses, phone numbers and employers removed from my reports as well as Opted out. Yesterday I sent out DV's to the CA's CMRRR and followed Why Chats HIPPA program for a medical account that is past SOL. Here is where I'm at a lost... Today, I looked over my CR's again and noticed that I.C. System INC is reporting to EX and EQ that an account was opened 11/1/2008 and reporting to TU that the account was opened 11/5/2012. They are also reporting to EX and EQ that the account is Closed and reporting to TU that the account is Open. Do these discrepancies automatically break any FCRA laws? Would this be an appropriate time to Jack attack, if not any recommendations? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ok, I have these 2 entries on my Transunion report: Credit Business SVCS PO Box 4127 FT Walton, FL 32549 Placed for collection: 01/30/2009 Balance: $83 Original Amount: $63 Account Type: Open Account Loan Type: Collection Agency/Attorney Original Creditor: Safe Chek (Retail) And another just like it: Credit Business SVCS PO Box 4127 FT Walton, FL 32549 Placed for collection: 01/30/2009 Balance: $90 Original Amount: $70 Account Type: Open Account On Experian and Equifax it is listed under Collection Bureau of Ft. Walton. I have email contact. Do I DV or offer a PFD? I dont mind paying them both but would rather get them deleted with payment instead of marked as paid. I have disputed them with CRA several times but they come back as verified. I have searched and searched and havent been able to find any others with this one on theirs. Thanks!!

Hi CB'ers, I have opted out and disputed my OLD ADDRESS that had a negative PAID account tied to it.TU and EQ deleted the address (EXP was not reporting the negative acct).So now am planning to DV the CA. Pls suggest if its a right move? Should I also ask for Verification from CRA? Here is my DV letter http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=514507&hl=