?'s about credit

[StupidBikerBoy]

Does anyone know what I would need to do to dispute a collection?

[Jaimecbr900]

Does anyone know what I would need to do to dispute a collection?

You have to do it in a certain way to really get it cleared out of your credit report.

1. You have to write the collection agency a Seize and Desist letter in which you state that you are disputing the validity of the debt. They have to stop all collection on the account until they show you sufficient proof that it is in fact YOUR debt. Key here is you have a time limit in which to do this in. Most of the time it's 30-45 days.

2. If the time limit has expired, you have to take up directly with the credit bureau. Each bureau has an 800 number you can call to dispute anything on your credit. Usually that requires them to send you a copy of their own individual copy of your credit. This is done because each account is coded differently by each bureau, not simply by account number. So once you get your copy of the bureau, you call them back and tell them what account you are disputing and why. They then will notify that creditor listed. That creditor has up to 30 days to show proof that debt is yours. If they don't, even by them not answering, within those 30 days, the bureau HAS TO TOTALLY REMOVE THAT DEBT FROM YOUR RECORD.


I've seen it done and have done it myself on multiple occassions. I had a Sears account on my credit that was opened in 1965. Yep, 1965. I'm old, but not that old and I wasn't even BORN then . So it was obvious that could never possibly be MY account. It got completely removed off my credit file in all 3 bureaus. That one was relatively easy to get results on.

The catch is that the bureau will not act as a judge on the validity of the debt. In other words, they won't go digging too deep to YOUR benefit. If the creditor writes them back within those 30 days and shows SOME proof that this is YOUR debt.....the bureau will simply write you back and say that the debt is valid.

The good thing for us is that most big creditors are too lazy to reply. So most often you'll get your problem taken off because they simply don't reply.

Good luck.

BTW, I have all the 800 numbers to all 3 repositories in case someone can't find them. Going to their respective websites is the easiest way to start a dispute on any bureau.