Can Collection agency inquiries be challenged and removed?

[jamric]

Can collection agency inquiries be challenged and successfully removed from one's collection report? I obviously did not authorize the check (I don't even know why they need to check, other than to harass a consumer and lower one's credit score). How might I go about this?

[mouse]

"jamric"
Can collection agency inquiries be challenged and successfully removed from one's collection report? I obviously did not authorize the check (I don't even know why they need to check, other than to harass a consumer and lower one's credit score). How might I go about this?

You can dispute anything on a credit report

May or may not be removed by the CRA

IT IS A FACT THAT YOU DID NOT APPLY FOR A CREDIT CARD/LOAN WITH THEM ON XX/XX/06

[Pale Rider]

You don't have to give them permission, they have permissible purpose under the FCRA. More specifically section 604 (a) (3) (A).

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf

They could be looking for current address, assets, employer, or anything else that might help them collect.

You might get lucky if you dispute it, but they have every right to pull the report, and the CRA has the right to report it. In fact, the CRA must report to you everyone that looks at your report for the minimum amount of time outlined in section 609.

[mouse]

"Pale Rider"
You don't have to give them permission, they have permissible purpose under the FCRA. More specifically section 604 (a) (3) (A).

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf

They could be looking for current address, assets, employer, or anything else that might help them collect.

You might get lucky if you dispute it, but they have every right to pull the report, and the CRA has the right to report it. In fact, the CRA must report to you everyone that looks at your report for the minimum amount of time outlined in section 609.

PP or NOT

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE IF YOU DISPUTE THEM????

[jamric]

Thanks mouse and Pale Rider.

Is there any basis on which I could challenge the inquiries of a collection agency on a CR?

[Pale Rider]

Yeah, you can dispute. I just think there won't be a chance of it coming off unless it is by mistake. But, hey if it does that's great. I just didn't want someone thinking that it had to come off, because there is nothing in FCRA to support that.

The only way to challenge is if they had no legal right to collection activity.

[jamric]

Thanks Pale Rider. It helps me understand the process better.

I'm not too concerned if the inquiries can't be removed (though I'd like them to be) because the inquiried are removed after two years, and its already been several months into that time frame.

[mouse]

"jamric"
Thanks mouse and Pale Rider.

Is there any basis on which I could challenge the inquiries of a collection agency on a CR?

"FOR A FACT I DID NOT APPLY FOR A CREDIT CARD or LOAN WITH XXXXXX COMPANY ON XX/XX/06--PLEASE REMOVE THE INQUIRY"

[Pale Rider]

Application is not the only PP. So, if it works great, but don't be surprised if the inquiries stay on there. Couldn't hurt to try though.

[fenster]

Can collection agency inquiries be challenged and successfully removed from one's collection report?

Yes.

Collection agency inquires, or any inquiry for that matter, can be removed/deleted with 100% certainty, expediently and at will from two bureaus, Equifax and TU.

With Equifax, call 800-846-5279, identify yourself and tell the rep you’re disputing the inquiry in question due to its inaccuracy, she’ll delete it within 48 hours, no questions asked. On top of all that, she’ll mail you a free report confirming the deletion.

Now TU you can’t talk to or reason with cuz it’s run by a bunch of ignorant Indians 10000 miles away, and in some toilet like Bangalore. However, if shedding inquiries is important to ya, get a subscription with True Credit for $10 a month and start pulling daily without fail.

Personally, it took me ~ 48 consecutive days of pulling to bump and drop 18 hard inquires, so now I’ve 0 inquires on my TU profile. The bumpin’ and dropin’ will start after 10 or more consecutive daily pulls.

Enter Experian, the most alert and ball bustin’ bureau of’em all. The only way to shed inquiries with Experian is to belyingly claim “fraud victim” with their fraud dept. They’ll put a fraud alert on your file for 3 months, so what, big deal.

[jamric]

Wow, fenster, thanks for the insight!

My Experian report is full of inaccuracies, beginning with minor details like date of birth, addresses, etc. They obviously do a poor job, in my eyes.

By the way, what do you mean by the term "pull"? I didn't understand that.

Also, what is "PP" (and no toilet humor wisecracks) with regard to credit reports.

Can I realistically challenge and remove my recent BK?

[fenster]

Pulls or pull means requesting your credit report online through services like True Credit for a monthly fee, around $10 a month.

Can I realistically challenge and remove my recent BK?

You can challenge it, but you won't succeed in removin' it. Remember, your initial post was about inquiries, BK is a completely different animal.

[jamric]

Thanks, fenster. I asked the question about bankruptcy because I purchased a book that shows a person how to get it removed (at least in theory). I don't know how it works in the real world, done by someone without legal experience, though stranger things have happened.

[mouse]

"jamric"
Wow, fenster, thanks for the insight!

My Experian report is full of inaccuracies, beginning with minor details like date of birth, addresses, etc. They obviously do a poor job, in my eyes.

By the way, what do you mean by the term "pull"? I didn't understand that.

Also, what is "PP" (and no toilet humor wisecracks) with regard to credit reports.

Can I realistically challenge and remove my recent BK?

PERMISSABLE
PURPOSE

[dascxs]

Ok, you lost me. By pulling my own report for many days in a row, I can get rid of hard inquiries on the TU report?

Can collection agency inquiries be challenged and successfully removed from one's collection report?

Yes.

Collection agency inquires, or any inquiry for that matter, can be removed/deleted with 100% certainty, expediently and at will from two bureaus, Equifax and TU.

With Equifax, call 800-846-5279, identify yourself and tell the rep you’re disputing the inquiry in question due to its inaccuracy, she’ll delete it within 48 hours, no questions asked. On top of all that, she’ll mail you a free report confirming the deletion.

Now TU you can’t talk to or reason with cuz it’s run by a bunch of ignorant Indians 10000 miles away, and in some toilet like Bangalore. However, if shedding inquiries is important to ya, get a subscription with True Credit for $10 a month and start pulling daily without fail.

Personally, it took me ~ 48 consecutive days of pulling to bump and drop 18 hard inquires, so now I’ve 0 inquires on my TU profile. The bumpin’ and dropin’ will start after 10 or more consecutive daily pulls.

Enter Experian, the most alert and ball bustin’ bureau of’em all. The only way to shed inquiries with Experian is to belyingly claim “fraud victim” with their fraud dept. They’ll put a fraud alert on your file for 3 months, so what, big deal.

[TomfromCT]

Can collection agency inquiries be challenged and successfully removed from one's collection report? I obviously did not authorize the check (I don't even know why they need to check, other than to harass a consumer and lower one's credit score). How might I go about this?

I have been fighting this loosing battle for a while with NCO.

At least they avent pulled in about 6 months now.


The letter of the law says they have a permissable purpose. BTW - the whole hard and soft hit is a creation of the CRA's and the law has no bearing on that facet of the problem.

[fenster]

Ok, you lost me. By pulling my own report for many days in a row, I can get rid of hard inquiries on the TU report?

Yes.

[TomfromCT]

Hey Fenster - long time no see.



Fens is suggesting something alot of people do and have had success with. SOME have reported problems in that they bump a good TL or get denied credit based on too many pulls by SSN but if your sole goal is to bump some hards on TU it might work as their system seems to have a glitch.

[fitz75]

If you call Equifax, becareful about which inquiries you dispute. If there is a tradeline attached, you can have a fraud alert put on all three of your report and that tradeline removed if you dispute it as not mine.

Also becareful with bumping. You can fill your file with so many soft inquiries that it will eventually fill up and split into two files. I've read its a real pain to get it fixed.

And Tom is right, TU will tell potential creditors how many times you pulled your reports.

Good luck

[hdporter]

If you call Equifax, becareful about which inquiries you dispute. If there is a tradeline attached, you can have a fraud alert put on all three of your report and that tradeline removed if you dispute it as not mine.

Also becareful with bumping. You can fill your file with so many soft inquiries that it will eventually fill up and split into two files. I've read its a real pain to get it fixed.

And Tom is right, TU will tell potential creditors how many times you pulled your reports.

First I've heard about the Equifax thing. Can I assume that we're talking about AR soft inquiries? Those are the only ones I'd expect to actually be linked to a tradeline. I'm not sure why someone would look to dispute these (although I certainly shouldn't be surprised if someone did).

I guess we've seen the bumping/split file thing reported here a couple of times.

What creditor did TU tell about your personal pulls? Did they also tell them the number of times you disputed tradelines? How about the number of times you spoke to them on the phone?

Hey, I'm not arguing anything you report here. However, statements like this are best made with details about your personal experience (or if, instead, it's based upon your next door neighbor's or first cousin's experience, or if you're reciting back something you read on creditboards). It allows us to assign credibility accordingly (and I'm always on the watch for "urban myths").

- Harry

[fenster]

Ok, here’s personal, etched in blood experience:

I’ve been bumpin’ hard inquires with TU for the last year now, no split files, no vanishing good trade lines, no nothing negative, all good things.

Every time a hard comes in, I knock it right out of the TU park.

Same thing with Equifax, the minute a hard is on, I call and turn it off. In fact Equifax will delete 10 hard inquires for the askin’ day in and day out with pleasure.

Ain’t no inquires attached to no trade lines, even if you think your hard inquiry is attached to the Bush family, the Bushes will always stay and the hard will fall.

All one needs is balls development really.

[mouse]

Disputing INQUIRES attached to an account "MAY" give you a F/A

[hdporter]

Same thing with Equifax, the minute a hard is on, I call and turn it off. In fact Equifax will delete 10 hard inquires for the askin’ day in and day out with pleasure.

Trust me when I say I appreciate first hand narrative ... it provides a sound basis for discussion in which everybody gets where things are coming from.

Maybe you could clarify a bit for me. I thought, there were two paths for removing inquiries:

-- "Bumpage" means adding so many inquiries to your file through personal disclosure pulls that the available fields are filled and older hard inquiries simply get knocked off (bumped) by necessity.

(I get the feeling that Experian has modified their system so that soft inquiries continuously get bumped, but the hard ones never do. I expect TU/Eq to follow suit eventually.)

-- The other avenue is to dispute the accuracy of reported inquiries ... "uh, I never applied to Chase {and s**** them for declining me in the first place! }"

The bureau temporarily removes the disputed item and then contacts the creditor, who has 30 days to affirm the reporting. If they affirm, the query is restored. Some people use this as a temporary means of getting rid of recent excess queries temporarily in advance of making a new credit application.

------

When you speak of Equifax above, are you suggesting that a single call results in a permanent removal immediately? Or does this consist of the dispute path I described earlier, where some of the removed inquiries may be restored in a matter of days if the creditor affirms immediately?

- Harry

[TomfromCT]

HD...


The reporting of pulls by SSN and pulls by address is a fact.

I am not sure how to type in to you the proof you seek but it is included in the info a creditor sees. I am not sure is all three do this, though.

It is a rare thing to have a problem related to the constatnt pulls and like Fens, many have reported success w/o problems. It is just something people should be aware of so they can eliminate the mystery if something wierd happens.

[fenster]

When you speak of Equifax above, are you suggesting that a single call results in a permanent removal immediately? Or does this consist of the dispute path I described earlier, where some of the removed inquiries may be restored in a matter of days if the creditor affirms immediately?

I'm suggestin' within 48 hours to 5 days max, and with a cherry on top in the form of a free report confirming deletion.

What makes Equifax interesting with hard inquiries is that they're not interested, nor do they wanna hear why you're disputing hard inquiries, they just want the date and the creditor's name.

Personally, I've never ever had a hard inquiry reinserted. Nor does Equifax go through the prolonged process you speak of. Moreover, the excuse I usually use is "this inquiry was supposed to be a soft inquiry, as promissed by the creditor." An excuse to dispute is hardly ever necessary however, not with Equifax.

[hdporter]

Hey ... don't distract us with reason, Ira. What's the matter with you anyway?

- H.

[mouse]

"Ira"
Pardon me if I don't understand the purpose of this huge long thread on inquiries. They're almost meaningless.

First of all, number of inquiries constitutes only 10% of your credit score. Thus if you have any kind of credit history at all, one inquiry might cost you as much as three points on your overall score. multiple inquiries at the same time will cost you less per inquiry.

Second of all, unless you're about to enter into a major credit incident, such as a mortgage, what do you care what your score is anyhow? It's not going to change your life in the short run. In the long run as long as you pay your bills on time and don't abuse your credit you score will rise. There will be daily and weekly fluctuations as you charge one thing and pay off another. None of that matters. I'm constantly cautioning people against becoming credit score junkies.

When one can be denied a credit card with 3 INQUIRES

THE ONLY 10% IS SORT OF A LIE

[dascxs]

I had 4 hard inquiries on my EQ report. I called this morning and easily had 2 removed. They pulled them within 3 hours and my Fico jumped 17 points.

[NightStar]

You should start out first disputing all incorrect personal information and getting everything updated correctly. Would not hurt to check with the court house what address they have on listing or what name, if it is incorrect that you can dispute it. People have successfully removed bankruptcies. Look for other errors like incorrect file date, or discharge date, assets and liabilities.