Credit Repair and the Proper Use of Leverage
Getting Results
There are hundreds of credit repair strategies you may read about in blogs and forums. Tricks abound; legal angles, interpretations of Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements, ways to leverage FTC staff opinion letters, you name it. Many of these strategies have merit – but unless you plan to sue the credit bureaus you are better off limiting your credit repair effort to simple techniques that deliver consistent results.
Finding the Ways That Work
An example of a practice that looks great on paper, but produces only tenuous results is the FCRA Section 623 Original Creditor Dispute which we have written about recently. It is exciting to find an angle that looks like it might solve a problem, but if the subtleties of the law – or realities of life – eliminate the leverage you thought we had, what is the point?
Using Leverage
Credit repair, when focused on areas where you have genuine leverage, legally and in practice, is incredibly powerful. The credit bureaus may not process every single dispute letter to your satisfaction, but they have a reliable dispute processing system in place and if you are persistent and skillful you will get great results. Likewise, if you have collector issues, debt validation is almost always productive; as long as you align your effort with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act collectors will almost always comply.
Staying Focused
Our credit repair method is built around the practices that work most effectively. We utilize only the techniques where we have leverage – and we work smart. Where there is a way to get more value from a technique we capitalize on it. For example, if a disputed account is verified by the credit bureaus we do not simply send another dispute letter out in the hope of getting a different result, we respond to the verification by requesting further research, making our dispute letters an ongoing dialog. All of our techniques are similarly fine-tuned for the best results.
Need Help?
Our program is designed to deliver the best value and the most dramatic results in the most efficient manner, at the least cost to you. The path to great credit is clear. Do you need help getting on track? Feel free to give a call!
18 Responses
I agree! I tried every trick in the book, but in the end what really worked was the tried and true method of disputing the problems with the credit bureaus. The one thing that I would like to add here is that patience is really important. Anyone who really wants credit repair to work needs to be willing to dispute issues over and over. It’s sort of a numbers game. A bunch of stuff comes off in the beginning and then it tapers off. Don’t give up just because you get a negative letter from the credit bureaus.
Hi Brandon, you are so right! When it comes to dealing with the credit bureaus patience is very important. Statistically we get excellent results from our re-disputes and encourage our customers to “hang in there”. It pays off.
you’re right about dealing with the creditors directly. it can be unbelievably frustrating especially when you know you are in the right. i am at my wits end doing this myself and plan to call you all soon. i appreciate the good info here!
Hi Christopher, Thanks for the nice note! We look forward to working with you. Here is a nice article, just for you
The Advantage of Credit Repair Services
I have tried to get a debt validated 3 times from the same collector (AFNI) and for some reason I’m not getting any reply at all. You mention the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Is there a way to make them cooperate?
Hi Tyler, Collectors generally will not respond to a debt validation unless it is within 30 days of the date they sent a collection notice. Here are two articles that might help:
Credit Repair and Debt Validation
Controlling Collections With Credit Repair
If you need more help, give a call!
TYLER: Here is a trick for u to try. I have dealt with AFNI and they are rough. There is no way that they will validate a debt without a collection letter like the man says – so call them and tell them you want a “bill” before you pay. I did this and they sent me a new collection letter and then I sent it to my Sky Blue rep, Sabrina, and she got it validated for me no prob.
Guys, actually I’m willing to sue someone if I don’t get these corrections made, so if I join your program does that change the way you do things. At any point would you do a creditor dispute for me?
Hi Ben, we run into very few situations that necessitate legal action. Before you spend the money to launch a legal attack it is worth it to let us go though normal channels to see what we can do. That said, given your willingness and determination to take this thing all the way, we would want to send everything certified to create a paper trail. If you choose to turn this over to an attorney, he or she will want proof of all actions you have taken to date. If you have clear documentation that the issue is erroneous we will ask for that documentation. If you do not have documentation there is little point in doing a creditor dispute since the creditor is allowed to toss the dispute if it is not accompanied by documentation (see Section 623 of the FCRA). We can do a procedure request letter to try to get some traction, but there is no guarantee of results. We would be happy to discuss this with you on the phone if you wish before deciding on a course of action.
I am planning to get started in the Sky Blue Credit repair program pretty soon and I really want things to go as quick as possible. I understand the point about focusing on the areas that give the best leverage (and results), but is it possible that you could dispute with all of the parties involved at once, just to cover the bases?
Hi Carrie, Thanks for the note! We look forward to working with you. Actually, our credit repair method is designed to be as efficient as possible. We don’t miss any opportunities, and we work fast. Credit repair works best when things are done in a certain order. For example, before disputing with a creditor we really need to start with the CRA. Only after the CRA has verified the information will they accommodate a procedure request. Having said that, I should add that there may be cases when we decide that a little “overkill” is appropriate
Good stuff. I can see how people can waste a lot of time, if they don’t know how to focus their efforts, and then get really frustrated and quit. Credit repair can be scary if you don’t know what to do. I’m not a client, but I have enjoyed reading your blog. Cheers!
I really tried for awhile to get alot of erroneous, old, or inaccurate debt off of my credit report but being in the military makes it pretty difficult when you are on a high tempo of training along with night classes and kids. Like you all were talking about, the first dispute letters got alot off but the time it takes to research, then send certified letters, then wait for each response…I’m really glad you guys exist as a service. I was getting nowhere and it was costing me way too much valuable time.
Hi Jake, It sounds like you have a pretty busy schedule! Like yourself, many of our customers try disputing on their own, usually with decent success – but then comes resistance from the credit bureaus and/or the creditors, and everything slows down. This is the point at which it really pays to sign up with a service like Sky Blue. I’m guessing that you are pretty capable of taking your credit repair project to the next level on your own – but it would take an serious investment of time and effort. And your time is already fully invested! Thanks for the nice feedback – and thank you for all YOU do!
I just signed up!!! I hope this can be a good experience. I’m tired of getting turned down cause of negative items. I will be all smiles when i walk into my new home !!!
Hi Cornelius, and welcome! We will be all smiles when you walk into your new home also!
I am currently in my 3rd month with SkyBlue, I havent seen any huge changes. But, Sabrina’s customer service is great and I am just looking forward to an successful outcome! Good Luck to all those going through such a trying journey!!!!
Hi April, Thank you for the kind words regarding our customer service! Everyone here works hard to be responsive and informative. And, as importantly, we really do everything possible to get the best results in the shortest possible time. The outcome is not entirely in our hands, but we know the importance of of our contribution and are totally committed to your success!