Ida
Covina,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, April 10, 2004
If you've never signed any contract, or agreement in accepting your husband's FCNB credit account, it is simply not yours, and shouldn't be reported on your credit reports. Start off disputing this information with the 3 major CRA's (Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) stating that the account is not yours period. You don't have to explain that it is your husband's, since it is your personal credit file you are referring to, and not his. NOTE: It is vitally important you never give more information to CRA's than necessary, thus, don't mention your husband at all. You've never asked them to report on you, therefore you owe them NOTHING. After disputing the information with the three major CRA's and if they come back (after no more than 30 days--so keep track of the time, since if they go over the 30 days, they then MUST remove the disputed information, be it accurate or not!) stating that FCNB has verified that the account is yours, and it will therefore remain on your credit report, write FCNB directly, and demand they either "prove or remove" their assertion that the account is yours, by sending you a copy of the original agreement SIGNED AND DATED by YOU. End the letter with "If you cannot, or will not provide to me the original FCNB agreement signed and dated by me, then I demand that you remove this account from my all credit files immediately, and as according to the September 30, 1997 Fair Credit Reporting Act. I will be looking forward to your written response to this letter." Make sure you send ALL letters to both the CRA's as well as the orginial creditor per Certified Mail w/Return Receipt Requested in order to keep track of when they received your correspondence. Also, be sure to make a copy of your undersigned letters for your own records. Be bold. Be insistent. If you've never signed and dated any agreement for any account that is being reported on your personal credit files, those are then considered "inaccurate", and they must be removed, or the Credit Reporting Agencies and the original creditor and/or collection agent(s) are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Fair Dept Collection Practices Act. I hope this will help you.
Jai
Mt. Laurel,#3REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, April 07, 2004
I was a catalogue consumer of FCNB, I purchased items totaling $400 plus $84 interest. I was making payments and became unemployed. FCNB closed my account. My balance after the account closed is now in excess of $987. How can this be legal on an account that closed approximately six months after it was opened? I have tried to dipsute this amount and make arrangements on the amount that was owed at the time the account was closed. FCNB has referred my account to an outside collection agency that is now charging me $1526 and has placed a lien on my credit. I sent a certified letter to FCNB in March 2004, I never received the return receipt or a response, however Reliable Collections Agency is now eager to collect money on this account. How can this be legal?