68 replies to this topic

[radi8]

Perhaps learning from one's mistakes is the most painful way.
If we learn from other people's mistakes, we get the same knowledge, without the agony!

So, what's word on what not do do?

Here's a couple of biggies:

-Never supply too much information. You may inadvertantly verify your negatives in a manner impossible to remove later.

-Don't close accounts for the sake of closing accounts. They may be helping you!

-Don't dispute positive information! Positives invariably get deleted.

-Don't deal with collectors or CRA's on the phone, unless you are extremely confident and have nerves of steel. Even so, a paper trail can be so important......

-When adding new credit, don't carry balances you can't quickly pay off (better yet- don't carry balances at all). Solving one problem while creating another still leaves you with a problem!


Don't tell anyone from NCO to "have a nice day"

Others?

[Pam]

- Don't sign anything sent to a CA. Signatures have a pesky way of jumping from one document to another.

- Pay attention to your state's SOL.

- Don't send a blanket C&D to a CA when the debt is still within that SOL. You then leave them no other choice but to sue you. A limited C&D is much more effective; leave them the option to write you. It will help build that papertrail, in addition.

- Don't assume that paying a collection will raise your score. Pay collections after you've negotiated for deletion of the CA tradeline.

[Alex]

Don't send your bankruptcy papers or any part thereof to a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA). :?

Don't add 100 word statements to your credit files.

Don't believe anyone if they tell you that negative information can't be deleted or changed. Any field or number can be manually changed by a representative at a CRA. 8)

[Manequinne]

PLEASE don't give the (collection agencies) your banking account information, or anything with your personal financial info on it.

I see too many people saying they 'sent the collection agency a check, or post-dated checks, and they were cashed, and/or later they withdrew funds from their account, etc.........

One poster at Creditnet said they did this and listed it on her report as a 'paid chargeoff'. yuck....

One woman sent the collection agency a copy of her bank statements to prove she didn't have the money to pay them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :x. ewwwwww.....

And, don't forget to send everything CRRR (certified return receipt requested). Ya need proof you sent it.

I just had to get this out............... Thank you

[radi8]

PLEASE don't give the (collection agencies) your banking account information, or anything with your personal financial info on it.

:

Extremely good advice!
That applies to paying with personal checks, too. Use a money order.

-Radi8

[breeze]

If a CA does not have your home phone number, do not call them from your home phone, use a pay phone - they can capture the number you call from.

[humblemarc]

If a CA does not have your home phone number, do not call them from your home phone, use a pay phone - they can capture the number you call from.

here's a little secret to thwart caller id.

dial *67 before you dial the number. that blocks your number and prevents *69
(yes, i admit it. i used to quite often when i was a teenager. shhhh) :wink:


this no longer works - they can see your number now.

Edited by breeze, 13 August 2012 - 11:50 PM.
added info

[PsychDoc]

When I was a teenager, they didn't have caller ID yet, LOL.

Here's a tip to build on the previous one: *67 Privacy Block won't shield consumers from CAs who use most commercial toll-free 800 numbers as well as many toll numbers, because those accounts use something called ANI ("Automatic Number Identification") rather than regular consumer Caller ID. So be careful -- *67 provides false security. Good rule of thumb: as breeze said, don't any collection agency from home if you don't want them to verify your number. Another rule of thumb: consider dealing with them only by letter.

By the way, here's a science experiment:
Step 1: Pick up the phone, dial *67, and listen for the second dial tone.
Step 2: Dial 1-800-555-1180 (don't worry, you're safe).
Step 3: The robot will rattle through a bunch of numbers. Listen to the last number he says ("the annie is..."). Voila they didn't have much trouble busting through your *67 Privacy Block!
Step 4: If you're a glutton for punishment, repeat the whole process with the number 800-964-0176, or 800-444-3333, or 800-314-4258 (menus press 1, and then 1 again).

Commercial 800 numbers from the major telecom companies often bundle ANI at no additional charge. Commercial toll numbers (i.e., not toll-free) can buy ANI for a fee. Regular consumer telephone accounts are ineligible for ANI and are restricted to the lamer consumer Caller ID product we all know and love so well.

Hope this prevents someone from getting nabbed!

Doc

[humblemarc]

oops,
ignore everything i just said.
just use that technique to bother your neighbors at 3:00 in the morning.

[Witz]

Atleast I now know who kept calling the house and waking us up. Shame on you.

[humblemarc]

When I was a teenager, they didn't have caller ID yet, LOL.



By the way, here's a science experiment:
Step 1: Pick up the phone, dial *67, and listen for the second dial tone.
Step 2: Dial 1-800-555-1180 (don't worry, you're safe).
Step 3: The robot will rattle through a bunch of numbers.  Listen to the last number he says ("the annie is...").  Voila they didn't have much trouble busting through your *67 Privacy Block!
Step 4: If you're a glutton for punishment, repeat the whole process with the number 800-964-0176, or 800-444-3333, or 800-314-4258 (menus press 1, and then 1 again).


Doc

Just used your trick with my cell phone. The number wasn't even close.
Wonder if it has to be a landline for it to work. . . .

[PsychDoc]

Not sure how it applies to cell phones. I just tried that first number with my SprintPCS phone, and it worked except it put the numbers "62" in front of the rest: "the annie is 62901xxxxxxx" (I'm in the 901 area code). With landline phones that prefix will usually be "00," so my home phone generates "the annie is 00901xxxxxxx." The creditor would look at the last 10 digits. Perhaps your cell phone company uses some sort of strange gateway number for outgoing calls and you're hearing that -- dunno.

Doc

[radi8]

Strange...I just tried it, and I got Doc's number too!

There is a box available, only for commercial clients at the present time, that will insert any number/name you want into the caller ID data.

Think of the Possibilities. Next call I make to Experian is gonna show
"Federal Trade Comission" or "US Supreme Court" Hahaha.

Once you "roam" with a cell phone, all bets are off for number recognition. Some carriers don't pass the data on through, others substitute some interconnecting number.


-Radi8

[breeze]

Telemarketers use this little toy so they can get through if you have blocked "unidentified callers" - wary as i am, I always let the machine pick up if I don't recognize the number.

Strange...I just tried it, and I got Doc's number too!

There is a box available,  only for commercial clients at the present time, that will insert any number/name you want into the caller ID data.  

Think of the Possibilities. Next call I make to Experian is gonna show
"Federal Trade Comission" or "US Supreme Court"  Hahaha.

Once you  "roam" with a cell phone, all bets are off for number recognition. Some carriers don't pass the data on through, others substitute some interconnecting number.  


-Radi8

[CramItCCCAs]

The most important thing I've found in going through this process is NEVER GIVE UP!! These "do not do's" are important, but no matter what happens when your working on you credit issues, don't get discouraged. There is almost always a work around and an answer, KEEP PLUGGING AWAY!

[four20nik]

Dont confuse SOL's...

Many people are confused between reporting sol's and legal sol's.

Most states have a reporting sol of 7-10 years (bk, etc). Some states are less.

All states have a legal SOL for suing for debts. The number of years varies by state.

Look up your state's sol's and be wary of the activity on each account before "waking the sleeping giant"...You could get trampled.

Nikki
...edited...I made a boo-boo

[Why Chat]

Dont confuse SOL's...

Many people are confused between reporting sol's and legal sol's.

Most states have a reporting sol of 7-10 years (bk, etc). Some states are less.  
Judgments in States whose judgment SOL is less, and PAID judgments in NY
All states have a legal SOL for suing for debts. The number of years varies by state.
AND each State has a different "starting date" criteria

Reporting sol is based from date of first delinquency in which account never recovered...Usually 30 days before the first delinquent mark reporting on your cr.

Paying on a charge off/ coll doesnt reset sol for reporting.

Legal sol runs from the last PAYMENT you made to them!!
NO NO NO- Only a few States start SOL on last payment date.Most start on first delinquency-same as "reporting" SOL
Paying on a charge/coll DOES reset the sol for legal action.
NO NO NO- The ONLY way the "legal" SOL can be reset is by a NEW SIGNED(by both creditor and debtor) contract agreement, as in debt consolidation contracts, even THEN- some States will not ALLOW any such re-aging (Va. for one)

Look up your state's sol's and be wary of the activity on each account before "waking the sleeping giant"...You could get trampled.

Nikki

:roll: I am somehow reminded of the fellow who went mountain climbing, by himself, caught his arm under a boulder, and had to saw it off with a dull pocket knife.

Going it alone,without legal assistance. when you are in credit trouble is bad enough, but without the proper equipment (knowledge and skill) you can wind up losing an arm and a leg

[four20nik]

Sorry for the confusion...there was a previous thread that discussed the legal sol...part of that thread was the last payment issue. I looked on your website and mistakedly didnt read the other state's laws...only your info for TX...which, I believe states that the date of last payment is what the legal sol starts from. Apparently I misread . :?:

Another mistake in credit repair...misquoting and misunderstanding information :oops:

One armed dude sitting next to foot-in-the-flowers man.

[Quixote]

The most important thing I've found in going through this process is NEVER GIVE UP!! These "do not do's" are important, but no matter what happens when your working on you credit issues, don't get discouraged. There is almost always a work around and an answer, KEEP PLUGGING AWAY!

The very best advice I've seen. The contest continues until you quit. They have to win every single round. You only have to win once (with each creditor, of course). They have lots of things to focus on besides ruining your life. In fact, they don't even have a plan for how they intend to keep ruining your life. YOU, however, have a plan, right? It's all about bettering your life and the lives of your family. You want it worse than anything. They are just hourly employees. And you only have to win one time, right? How can they possibly defeat you if you just keep coming at them from new and different angles?

[BnkRptLsr]

62 or 00 is the service type identification.

00 for landline
62 for cell phone
xx for prison
yy for hospital

I don't know what the xx and yy are for real but I know they exist.

you get the picture...

I'm impressed Doc, were did you pick up so much telco knowledge?

oh, the actual service you are describing is called 'feature group D' although not many people know that.

If you really want to get around ANI then get yourself a couple (dozen) of those $5 phone cards at the local gas station (get different brands) and use those to call.

By the way, a company doesn't have to use a toll free number to get ANI or FGD trunks, in fact, most toll free numbers just route to a local # anyway unless the company has a DAL group (Dedicated Access Line/Long Distance Traffic only).

[Venus]

If a CA does not have your home phone number, do not call them from your home phone, use a pay phone - they can capture the number you call from.

Does this apply to trying to get your credit report from Experian over the phone, too? I just tried it a few minutes ago. DARN!

Now I need to get a new number.

[NanaSi]

Venus,
I believe this applies to collection agencies (CA), not Credit reporting agencies.

[CLSHomes]

"Don't believe anyone if they tell you that negative information can't be deleted or changed. Any field or number can be manually changed by a representative at a CRA. "

Does this apply to information that is true AND negative?

[breeze]

Absolutely!! There are many techniques here for deleting/changing true, negative information. Read on!!

"Don't believe anyone if they tell you that negative information can't be deleted or changed. Any field or number can be manually changed by a representative at a CRA. "

Does this apply to information that is true AND negative?

[sirrowan]

I just hit the ! by accident. Sorry!

The phone companies have a cash cow going on. Late last summer, when setting up a new phone line, I remember the phone company wanting to know if we wanted to pay extra for "private name/number, unknown", etc. to show up on our caller id. I thought that this was odd. The phone company charges people to have an unlisted/private number and then turns around and charges others to view the unlisted/private number info. Talk about double dipping!