Can a debt recovery company put a negetive mark on your credit report?
153988
Yes, absolutely and it will last for 7 years. Please visit the forums at www.artofcredit.com for some of the BEST credit advice.. all free.
262067
The above advice is excellent.  But you don't need anencouragementl the information you need is available on line.  Look at my links below.\n\nYou can fix your credit very easily.  But your situation requires a little more work.  \n\nFirst, my battle cry. You are about to go to war! Knowledge of the law is your only weapon.  Do not fight these people unarmed!  Read the links below.\n\nYour war plan consists of 4 steps.\n\nGet your credit reports.  Go to www.annualcreditreport.cthoroughlyrm all of the credit reporting agencies immediately that you suspect identity theft, so that a flag will be placed on your account.  No further credit can be made without first contacting you.\n\nContest every item on the credit report with the credit reporting agency.  They already have a system set up for disputes, just follow the directions on the credit report the send you.  This is the "verification" state, where the agency will contact the creditor to verify the debt.  If they don't respond, the report must be removed from your record.  The problem with this method is that all they do is ask the creditor if it's a valid debt. The creditor rarely check it thoroughly, and responds back that it's valid.  So the credit reporting agency leaves it alone and may just put a comment on your report that it's under dispute.\n\nThis is usually what happens during this stage, so you now must turn up the heat.\n\nWrite letters to each creditor on the credit reports. Explain that these debts are not yours, and explain the situation.  Be polite this time, just request that the debt be validated.  Note that word, VALIDATED!  Very important.\n\nValidating a dept requires the creditor to supply copies of contracts, bills, receits and anything used to calculate the debt.  If they can't supply it, they must remove the listing from your report.  They have 30 days to respond. Again, many time they ignore this letter.\n\nNext send a DEMAND to validate the debt.  I have a link to a template below for a good one.  \n\nBeyond that, you simply have to read the other links, educate yourself on the law, and follow through. It's going to take a while.  Keep records of names and dates, copies of letters and correspondence.  You may need them in the future.\n\nContact me if you need any further help, advice, or encorugement.
185128
check your credit report and dispute whatever you can on it.  if credit companies cant prove you owe this amount or if the report is past 7 years, then they have to remove it.  experian is the easiest to dispute online...i wiped out 13/24 debts from my report just by challenging them online within 6 weeks!!  it'll take some time and a bit of effort, but not as hard as i thought, and definately worth it!
402483
Pretty good question.  You might consider this as well, if you have a long (inactive) debt on your record, there may be a line item on your credit report from that company as well indicating that you defaulted.  The ammount may not have been worth their effort to try to collect, but that entry on the credit report may also have an effect on your credit score.  On the other side, it may not be worth your effort to pay the back debt and get the company to resolve the credit issue.  On a third side, you should always pay off your debt as soon as possible just because it is the right thing to due.\n\nRomans 13:8 - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
654857
log onto the site www.annualcreditreport.com.  Check your credit report (you may have already done this).  Dispute that account on your credit report.  This is all you have to do!  The credit bureaus will then contact that source (AMER COL CN) and they have to prove that you once owed that debt.  If they cannot prove it or if the company cannot be located (this happens ALOT-sometimes I don't think the companies even check into it to verify the debt-they just don't respond to the credit bureau) or if they do not respond within 30 days to the credit bureau, your collection is removed.  This would boost your score lots of points!  Don't go crazy trying to locate that wireless company, do this first!  I have seen many collections deleted this way, including a medical collection of mine.  It is really easy, too!
123318
Don't do this.  It's a scam.\n\nThere is no way to "fix" your bad credit.  You can only improve it over time by paying your bills & being responsible.\n\nYou can, however, fix errors if there are any on your credit report.  You're entitled to one free credit report a year at annualcreditreport.com
1150550
First of all, how old are the tradelines (reported items) on your credit report? If they are old enough, say 5-6 years old or more, you may be able to dispute them. However, you must be aware that you do not want to initially dispute with the credit reporting agencies, but with the creditors themselves. It is called a "Request for Validation." Persuant to the Fair Debt Collections Act, 15 USC 1692g Sect. 809 (b), the debt collector must provide you with evidence that the debt belongs to you. If they CANNOT provide you with sufficent written proof, then persuant to Fair Debt Collections Act, they must stop all collection activity, and delete the tradeline from your credit report. BE AWARE: not all collectors are willing to cooperate. They may report a current delinquincy on your credit report while you fight the debt, and may begin the collection attempts all over again. Also keep in mind that it is very feasible that the creditors may validate the debt(s), re-report to the credit bureaus, and your score may go down. \n     Please note that there is no such thing as a quick fix. Fixing your credit takes time, energy, and a whole lot of patience. Don't fall prey to any company that claims to fix your credit overnight, especially when they are charging a ridiculous amount of money.  Even if it is possible, the next scoring cycle may put you right back to where you started. Credit repair can be done on your own for free. If you are interested, I have completed a massive amount of research, and I have a collection of interactive PDF forms that you can complete and mail off to the collectors as well as the credit reporting agencies. \n     If a creditor validates a debt, then you need to work with them on a settlement. DO NOT send them a payment without a written agreement of the terms. Collectors are tricky, and want to collect as much from you as they can. In other words, get everything in writing. Again, I have settlement forms in PDF format should you be interested.\n     All of these techniques have worked for me, as I have increase my score over 120 points in the past 14 months. At a 518 FICO score, you really don't have much to lose...
690006
It means that they have not kept accurate records, and they are now unable to supply you with the copies of them.  \n\nBy law, if they can't validate the debt they can't post it on your credit report.  And it also implies they don't have a good enough case to take you to court.\n\nIf they don't validate it, put the issue and get it off your credit report!  If they won't remove it, sue them!\n\nI just did it, and won $1200 total from Equifax and a collection agent.  It's easy to do if you know the law and don't let them push you around!
435787
Be carefull with any credit repair agency.  Alot of times you will end up with a lower credit score when it is all finished. Just sleep with one eye open with all these companys.
830111
You have just stumbled into the trap that I have tried warning people about for months now!\n\nThere are only two ways to get a negative item removed from your credit history.\n\n1) The creditor must remove it\n2) The creditor fails to respond to a credit bureau investigation request.\n\nOnce you have paid the creditor, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get them to cooperate in fixing your credit.  \n\nThat is why I warn people who are going to pay off old debts...make the creditor agree IN WRITING to delete the entry once the bill has been paid off.  Don't pay them a dime unless they agree to do it.\n\nNow you are broke, and you still have bad credit.  Is that fair?\n\nAll you can do now is start the dispute process.  Note that even though you paid off this debt, the creditor is only REQUIRED to show that the debt has been paid off, but it will still show reports of late payments, charge offs and collections.  It will still be a negative report. \n\nBut it at least should show the bill is paid.  Failure of the credit to update your credit history is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  If they don't update the listing, you can sue them for $1000 in small claims court.\n\nSend a dispute letter to both the credit bureau and the creditor.  But note that it sometimes takes a couple of months for these updates to show up on your report, so you need to be patient.
1061923
I used to work as a financial counselor and I was suprised how many people were misinformed when it comes to their credit. Bad credit can be a blemish on anyones credit history for a long time, and for some reason there seems to be something magical about the number 7. Supposedly their is a statute of limitations on bad credit that is supposed to disappear after 7 years. Actually that is quite further from the truth. The actual statute of limitations is 7 years from the date of your first defaulted payment. Not only that, but the debtor is not allowed to sue you in court for compensation of a bad debt after that time. It doesn't mean it disappears. So as you probably know, there are many collection agencies that make quite a profit annually collecting on these bad debts. So what does one do if it isn't collecting on it successfully? It can sell it to another collection agency, and all of a sudden your credit report can have 2-3 collection agencies all showing the same debt, but affecting your report 3 times worse! Worse yet, even if you paid a debt and it remains on your report, the only thing you can do is right a formal letter to the credit bureaus to make a notation on the account, but getting it off isn't quite that easy.\nSo the point is you should always try to stay current on your debts, and pay off any outstanding debts that you may have. If for some reason you can't, you can call the collection agency and try to come up with an amicable payoff that you are both happy with, because only they can truly remove that stain from your credit. Debtors are the ones with direct contact with the credit bureaus. \nOne last warning, NEVER pay a company to clean up your credit. This is wasted money, as anything they do, you can do also. Good luck!
190511
Yes, just becauseit's charged off does not relieve you of the debt.  It just means they have quit trying to collect (for now).\n\nThey can either sell the debt to a collection agency or use their own in-house agency.  \n\nEither way, the debt will be reported to the credit agencies and it will be on your reports for several years.\n\nIf you wish to repay it....VERY IMPORTANT!\n\nSend them a letter telling them that in exchange for paying the debt, they must remove all negative reports from your credit history.  Otherwise, you will still have bad credit, even after it's paid.\n\nUse the sample letter below as a guide.
687001
Read the Fair Credit Protection Act.\n\nI've posted the portion that relates to your question.  Since you intiated the business transaction by calling them, they can technically pull your credit report.  About all you can do to prevent it is demand up front that they do not pull a report until you actually agree to do business with them. \n\nSince they have nothing in writing from you, it may be possible to pursue this.  It would be possible to this the inquiry removed from your report.  You could push it with the court, but I don't think it will go very far.\n\nGood luck
1035556
If you are disputing the debt, contact the credit reporting agency and file a dispute. The creditor will have to validate the dept, or it must be removed from your report!
1183847
Lets get some facts straight.\n\nCredit reporting agencies report what creditors tell them to report.  They can add/delete/edit the reports at any time.\n\nOnce you have a delinquency, a negative report is placed on your credit report.  \n\nWhen you pay off this debt, the creditor must show that the debt is "paid".  However, it will still reflect that you had a delinquency and it still is a negative report.  Therefore, paying off your debt does NOTHING to fix your credit.  \n\nHowever, the creditor can request that the report be deleted, or they can edit the report to show that it's "paid as agreed", which removes all negative information.  The problem is getting them to do it.  And once they have your money, you have no leverage to get them to do it.\n\nMany creditors will tell you they can't do it.  They are lying, and I can show you where in the law they can do it.  What they are actually telling you is "You screwed us...so now we are going to screw you!".\n\nWhat you need to do is get an agreement IN WRITING that once your debt is paid, the creditor agrees to remove all negative information from your credit report.\n\nIf you don't, you will end up broke plus you will still have bad credit.  You have accomplished nothing.
236225
hi briezee1\nThe answer to this is going to be it depends.....First, Are they 100% accuratly reporting on your credit report? Second, Are the creditors the original creditor or collection agency?\n\nThere are a couple of ways of approaching this. If the debt is yours and is reporting 100% accurate I will concur with RICK that you have a moral obligation to repay the debt. With that said, I find it highly unlikely they are reporting 100% accurate.\n\nIf the creditor is an original creditor you may want to consider offering them a settlement. If it's a collection agency you may want to consider sending them a debt validation letter first. You want to know that you have a legal and contractual obligation to pay them and not the original creditor. \n\nIt is also important to know the date of last activity on the account. Even though negative credit may stay on your report for 7 years, most statute of limitations is much shorter. You will want to check your state statute regarding the debt.It is possible the SOL (statute of limitation) is up and the debt is no longer collectable.
812546
Yes it will show up on your reports under public records and will have a very derogatory affect on your score. \n\nI would save up as much as possible and offer a settlement with the factthat they will remove it from your credit. \n\nAlso keep in mind you can offset the negative by adding more positive credit. \n\n\nHere are a few articles you should read to educate yourself: \n\nhttp://www.expert-credit-advice.com/learn_about_judgements.htm\n\nhttp://www.expert-credit-advice.com/credit_score.htm