Hmm... I need to find out myself. I don't know what is the answer. I'll do some research and get back to you if I got an useful answer. You should email the people at Discover Card as they probably know..

Utilities are also "open" account types..

Any account where there are monthly charges added is generally an open-ended account meaning there's no contracted amount to pay off by a fixed end date...

So is starting the "nutcase" procedure on them my best bet? Note, this account was paid to a collection agency. The collection agency never reported it, just the OC..

Go nutcase, or is their a better avenue for this?..

Just a thought - can I dispute that Verizon cannot report this account as "paid collection" since I technically never paid Verizon? When I wrote the check, it was made out to A*O Recoveries... not Verizon...

Modified nutcase... will this work?.

Part of this demands proof of payments made from me, to them. It is reporting as a paid collection - but I never actually wrote a check or otherwise paid the OC. I paid to a collection agency, so they should not be able to prove the status of "paid collection", right?..

Ok, back up..

Have you disputed these with the CRAs yet? If not you're wasting your time by demanding anything from the OC. The only time the OC has to respond to you is if you initiate a 1681s-2 dispute and if that's your intent, I can tell you that what you have here doesn't come close to what's required to trigger action on their part..

So go back and dispute this account with the CRAs. If it comes back verified then you send a letter to the data furnisher (OC in this case) in accordance with the following:.

The key here is that, unlike validation under the FDCPA, you have a requirement to supply them with things they need to investigate. If you're a victim of ID theft, you have to provide a copy of the police report. If you believe payments were not properly credited, you have to provide your own proof of payments. Demanding proof of payment as you have done in your letter is only effective in a 1681s-2 dispute on the heels of the statement "I never paid you anything on this account" and I don't think you want to start traveling down that road, especially since you're already on the record with a goodwill letter to them..

This post has been edited by fdj: 26 January 2010 - 09:04 AM..

I disputed with CRAs a long time ago, but can try again so I have something recent on it..

What are alternatives outside of "I paid, and you got it wrong" and "this is identity theft"?.

I technically never paid the OC, I paid a CA, and then the OC updated it as Paid Collection. Would they keep records of all contact with them (goodwill, etc)?.

I feel like the only way I can get this off is if I terrorize them with threats of lawsuits...

Never threaten what you do not intend to follow through on..

The alternative available to you depend on the discrepancies between the facts of the account and the way they are reporting them..

Technically, you did pay the OC because they authorized the CA to collect the debt on their behalf. In order to prevail on an FCRA lawsuit against the OC based on these grounds you would first have to prove that the OC conspired with the CA to trick you into believing you owed a debt to the CA and not the OC...

I'll keep that in mind after my first dispute, but I'm not sure exactly the basis of my dispute yet....

If DOFD was 2004, is it worth trying "obsolete" with the CRAs yet, or is it too early? I know some have gotten things to fall off early, but I'm not sure how early..

Other than that, I can dispute accurate parts of the TL as inaccurate, and hope? Look for something that's accurate, but something I don't think they can validate?.

Is 1-2 punch out of the question?..

While I technically did pay them, is the OC likely to have proof I paid the CA?.

Would the OC also hang on to, or keep a record of, my goodwill letter?.

What makes me feel like I can get this removed is the OC probably can't prove a lot of things (like the fact that I paid them)... the account was opened in 2002, so they might not have records for that either...

A 1-2 punch is way out of the question. 1-2 is only if you're still within the initial 30 days. You paid this debt how long ago?.

Instead of 'disputing', you might try the 'please investigate' approach. i.e. "I'm not certain the amount that's being reported is accurate. Can you investigate this please?"..

With the CRAs?.

The only problem is, only EQ is reporing any dollar amounts ($154)... TU has one notation of $0, EX has nothing at all, just "NA" and "Unknown"...

Yes, with the CRAs. Like I said before, you're wasting your time disputing with anyone else until the CRAs have verified first...

If I ask EX to "investigate" the balances - which are NA and Unknown... and they don't come up with it - do they need to delete based on that?..

When you say "they don't come up with it", who is "they"?.

"NA" and "unknown" means the DF did not provide this info to the CRA when they first reported the account. If you dispute it with the CRA, the CRA will notify the DF who then has has 3 options; a) confirm that they do not want to report this info (perfectly legal); b) update these fields with what they believe is the correct info (again, perfectly legal); or c) do nothing and let the CRA delete the account (and again, perfectly legal)..

The only obligation the CRA has to you is to notify the DF that you dispute the account (& delete it if they don't respond) and to conduct an investigation based on what ever you provide them. If you can't provide them with something to substantiate your claim, the only option they have is to rely on whatever the DF responds with...

I have a loan statement from 5 months after the account was opened, but two years before the DOFD. Should I include this with my dispute? The letter's value is in that my address on the statement does NOT match the address the OC reported.

Of course, I want to stay away from Fraud Alerts and such.....

What would your dispute be relative to the statement?.

Did you live at the address shown on the statement when the statement was sent to you?..

It was where I still "claimed residency"... but I wasn't living there at the time. It was still "home" though... (My mom's house, I was in a transitional period)...

You provided them with the address and/or you regularly received other mail there?..

When the account was opened (Jan. 2002), I was 19, going on 20... had no utilities in my name, just a couple of student loans... so I received very little mail. I had a credit card, but I'm not sure if they had my mom's address or the address the OC has....

The paid collection is for an account I opened for a relative (utility), that he neglected to pay. I found out and thought I was doing the "best" thing by paying (with Discover card) it off...