Disputing a Collection Item on Your Credit Report
I'm not sure I understand the exact nature of your question, as you intend it. If the duplicate entries are exactly the same, then Experian should remove one of the items. In some cases, however, you can have more than one entry for an overdue account that was sent to collection. For example, there might be one entry from when the account was first sent to collection, and another entry when the original creditor charged off the account.
With that being said, two people cannot try to collect the same account from you. So if the original creditor has you listed for an overdue account, and the collection agency has you listed for that very same outstanding account ... then you have a duplicate entry issue. In this case, you should be able to dispute it. It's important that you look at the status of the item, and not just the account number.
It's hard for me to say whether or not yours is a legitimate duplicate entry, because I don't know any of the circumstances. If Experian is telling you that it the dispute was previously researched and verified, then it means they do not see any duplicate issues that need correction. So if you truly feel there is something that needs correction, but they refuse to do anything about it, you might want to seek legal advice from an attorney.
Another option is to negotiate a payment with the collection agency. If you do this, I recommend doing it by mail as opposed to over the phone. For one thing, this gives you a paper trail. Secondly, it will avoid any harassment that might come from a phone conversation. People who work for collection agencies are not always the friendliest folks ... or the most professional, for that matter.
Related questions:
- Duplicate entries on a credit report can lower your score
- Writing a letter to dispute an item in your report
I hope that helps you out a little. Good luck.
Labels: reports
Posted on Monday, December 8, 2008 | Permanent Link
