On June 2003 I notice on my credit a company. This company stated I was late over 120 day for a lease payment. After writing the credit bureau about this company that I never had done business with a write this company the ftc and better business bureau about this company being on my credit and stating that I owe over 4,000. I have spent the last 4 1/2 years disputing this creditor.

Each time they tell you to do diffent things to prove that this was not you and each time it change. However, from your website I did the validation letter. This company after 4 year send me a contract with my name and address of where I use to live, with my bank account infomration that I had to report to the back becaue my account information was loss/stolen when I had moved durning that time period.

I write to them that an affidavitt about this account was not mine and the signature on the contract is not even mine. I even sent them a copy of my drivers License and this company wrote me stating that they forward my delinqent account to an outside collection and that they will not response to any letter I send them and that there contract cannot be concelled and that I am personally liable for the terms of their contract. But its not mine. what to do. I have done all!!!

Yolanda (more…)

I have asked a question before here and received great help so I thank you.  I have two seperate questions.  My question now is this, I am being sued in arbitration over a credit card debt that is over 6-8 years old.  I live in Alabama and the stat ends in 3 years on open ended accounts.  I have been in college most of the time in the same state and worked intermittently but I wondered does my defense of the debt being past the statute still stand?

Second question: Another credit card that was filed in my name eight years ago, now wishes to sue me.  I never signed up for this card, it was aquired by fraud.  CreditCardCo. was well aware of this eight years ago, I told them this and they continued to do nothing.  The person stopped paying the card last year, and of course, they wish to come after me.  I was unaware of the card being used.  The kicker is, this person is my mother.  She never had my permission, she used my social security number, and I only became aware of it when a company contacted me about a computer I never purchased.  I told her to stop and she refused.  The alternative was sending my mother to jail.  (Yeah, I know)  But here’s the other kicker, they reissued the card with my mother’s name on it along with mine.  I’m ticked now, because CreditCardCo. is suing me, and I told them quite blatently, oh so now, you want to sue me when you cared nothing for my opinion and disregard the fact that I have never signed my name to this card, nor ever paid a bill for it, it all came out of her checking account.  All the purchases were made in my hometown which is 2-3 hours from where I attended school, so I have proof of my never utilizing it.  They don’t even call her, but call me, and I find it highly unfair.  If you give me a plan of action, I will follow it.

I’d like an honest assesment of what I should do and thank you guys for your time and doing what you do.

Nyla (more…)

Sorry Paris, you are the most attention grabbing of these celebrities and so your picture gets displayed here on the Broken Credit Blog.  It’s not for naught, you see; consider it a deterrent of sorts and a warning to all to check their credit report. 

This Philadelphia news crew explains how an Identity Theft Ring targeted celebrities including: Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Jennifer Lopez, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Microsoft’s Paul Allen, and yes, Paris Hilton.

Clip of Celebrity Identity Theft News

So check your credit report, stay out of trouble, and act responsibly.  The Broken Credit Blog’s credit repair tools are available to help you free of charge, but they won’t work if you are a Credit Repair Ostrich with a metaphorical credit repair head stuck in the sand. 

Begin by checking your free credit report

[on the count of three, ready...1...2...3...go!]

Hello and thank you for your past help.

First let me give you some background. I have been a victom of ID theft and fraud. That said, I have posted A question on your site before and recieved the advice I needed, Thank you. However , since that time my credit report has been in good standing thanks to your info. and me filing a report with the FTC with Police reports, etc.Good clean…

However, now after almost 1 year it seems a junk collection company has started to report 2 of the fraud accounts as collection accounts. Needless to say i’m beside myself on how these companys get away with this, its unbelievable! What can I do to with these 2 new fraudulent  accounts? And how do I get them removed? Please help.

Rick (more…)

First of all, great site.  I’ve learned alot in the last few days.  Im trying to purchase my first house (actually been in the process for the last year and a half) and I’m trying to get my credit up as high as possoble.  My mid score has fluxuated from 650 to 700 the past 6 months.  All current revolving accounts are 1-2 years old, no lates and low balances, 2 installments, no lates, and I’m on 3 accounts as an authorized user which are all very very good accounts.  The negatives are 3 collections, all 3-5 years old from when my father stold my identity.  I paid the collections, all accounts have been closed but are still on my report.
 
The questions I have are:     1.  Are these 3 collections hurting my credit that bad?  Should’nt I be at a higher score with the combination of no lates since these collections and 3 outstanding authorized user accounts?
                                         2.  Is the only way I can delete these collections from my report by disputing them to the CRAs?  Do I write the dispute saying my father had stolden my identity?  What if one of the collection agencies is out of business now, can it be deleted? 
                                         3.  One of the collections accounts is from an overdue, never returned library book.  Friggin rediculous, huh?  Can this seriously hurt me?  An overdue library book?
 
                                         4.  And finally, how much can inquiries really hurt your credit, that my be another reason my credit is not breaking through to the other side.
 
Thanxx Very much
Keep it real,
 
Dustin (more…)

Hello, I sure would appreciate your help. My question is, What should I do about a collection account with CreditCardCo. that is a frudulent account. See I have already been thru mediation with them and the case is still pending.I have sent them my FTC complaint reports of the fruad and ID Thefts. I also included the police case number. I have furnished everything they have asked. However, they keep wanting me to jump thru more and more hoops. How do I end this.

Thanks,
Rick (more…)

OK, so maybe I’m getting a little too excited about my collection call today and yes, I did have the recorded audio added to the Broken Credit Blog as an mp3, but I say why not?  First and foremost, it’s an excellent opportunity to educate our readers about debt collector violations.  And secondly, can you blame me for getting as much mileage as I can out of this whole experience? 

Here is the identity theft debt we’re talking about.

Here is the audio from today’s debt collector call.

No, the FDCPA does not apply to business debts – if it did, then this would have been considered a ‘communication’ and we would have a violation of 1692e(11) for failure to provide the Mini Miranda.  (more…)

Well, I don’t know how many people get excited about receiving collection calls, but…..call me crazy!! 

I pay my bills on-time and my companies pay their bills on-time, so I don’t receive many collection calls.  For this reason, every now and then, I feel as though I am sending the troops to battle while I sit back and relax.  No good! says the Broken Credit Blog – you must engage the enemy!  Particularly when that enemy is identity theft. 

This one looks to be the same fraudulent debt as the first yippee collection call.  They received my certified letter and passed the fraudulent debt like a collection hot potato to this new company.  I did a reverse lookup on the phone number and sent this certified letter to the new collection agency. 

Again…too bad the FDCPA doesn’t apply to business debts.

Score:  Broken Credit Blog 2, Debt Collectors 0 

Some creditors don’t actively pursue debts, they just report them as unpaid to the CRAs.  This is appropriate if the debt is actually owed, but this practice “crosses the line” when creditors and collectors threaten to report debts – or actually report debts – that they know or should know are not the responsibility of the consumer.

Evan Hendricks before the House Committee on Financial Services
“Credit Reports: Consumer’s Ability to Dispute and Change Information”
June 19, 2007

I was once the victim of an identity theft. The thief forged several checks and was prosecuted for the crime.

Fast forward, 3 years later and I have a “hard” inquiry from a collection agency on my credit report. After writing several letters and proving to the collection agency that I was not responsible for the debt and gaining their agreement in a letter the hard inquiry remains.

The credit reporting agencies such as Transunion are requiring me to send letters of proof to them from the debt collector.

Question: Can I (with a high probability) sue the debt collector for fees associated in fixing my credit report from their inquiries?

Thanks for your time!

Darren (more…)