WebsiteAlways.com


Beware of Bogus Credit Repair Companies!


So-called "credit repair" companies claim they can remove negative information from credit reports. Advertising as "Credit Advisors," "Credit Rating Correction Services" or "Credit Consultants," they trumpet variations on this message: "Turned down because of bad credit? We can help!" Many of these companies charge hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the promise to "clean up" bad credit reports. But the truth is, these companies can only do what you could do yourself--at no charge.

Nobody can remove negative information that is accurate from your credit report. No company has a "secret" ability to remove all negative information.

But this doesn't stop their claims. This deceptive quote is from a credit repair company brochure: "Charged-off accounts, collection accounts, judgments, tax liens, repossessions, and even bankruptcies can be removed from your credit records in less than one year (five to seven month average)."

One tactic is to bombard credit reporting agencies with requests to verify information. If a credit reporting agency cannot verify an entry within 60 days, it will remove the information from the report. But if the information is later verified to be accurate, it will go back in the report.

Before you even consider signing a contract with a company that promises to repair your credit, remember these facts:

  • You may obtain a copy of your credit report on your own.

  • You have the right to dispute entries in your credit report.

Beware guaranteed credit offers!

Credit repair and other companies often claim they "guarantee" to get you a credit card, regardless of your credit history. In fact, these companies do not always honor their guarantee. Sometimes, they'll just take your money and run--you will not get any credit, regardless of what they promised.

If they get you a card at all it often will be a "secured" bank credit card, with high up-front "application" fees, that requires you to deposit and keep several hundred dollars in a savings account, or a card that only allows you to buy items in a catalogue from a business that you probably never heard of. (You can apply for a secured credit card by yourself. For a free list of banks that do not charge application fees for secured cards, see the information from Consumer Action in the "For More Information" section below.)

Credit repair companies often advertise on television, in newspapers and even on matchbooks. Sometimes they require consumers to dial a "900" telephone number to get more information. Calls to 900 numbers can cost $2 or $3 a minute, so listening to a few minutes of information about the cards can be expensive.

Some companies try to get people a credit card by having them apply using financial information of other people with good credit histories. It is a criminal act to apply for credit under someone else's name--do not do business with one of these companies.

Law enforcement agencies have shut down many credit repair outfits, but it is hard to stop a fraudulent credit repair outfit unless people complain about it. Therefore, be careful about responding to credit repair ads and be sure to complain to the agencies listed below if you think a credit repair company took advantage of you.

For more information

  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes information for consumers on the subject of credit and enforces federal laws on credit. For a list of free publications, write to the FTC's Public Reference Department at the address given below. While the FTC does not handle individual cases, it can act when it sees a pattern of possible law violations develop. Complaints about credit reporting agencies and credit repair scams must be in writing. Send them to: FTC Credit Practices Division, 6th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20580.

  • Contact your local consumer protection agency or your state Attorney General's office. Many Attorneys General have toll-free consumer hotlines. These numbers may be listed in the "self-help" or government sections in the front of your phone book. These agencies can offer you advice and may also be able to help resolve your complaint.

  • Consumer Action's free complaint/information switchboards offering non-legal consumer advice and referrals can be reached from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. Chinese, English and Spanish are spoken. Call either (415) 777-9635 (San Francisco office) or (213) 624-8327 (Los Angeles office). Consumer Action has a free list of secured credit card banks that do not charge application fees. To receive a free copy, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Consumer Action Secured Credit Card Survey, 717 Market St., Suite 310, San Francisco, CA 94103. (Available in English only.)

  • The Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) assists consumers who have problems in paying their bills--before their good credit ratings suffer. Your local CCCS office can help you work out flexible payment plans to make debt repayment more feasible. Call (800) 388-CCCS for an interactive recording that will provide you with the phone number of the office nearest to you. Spanish-speakers can call (800) 68-AYUDA (800-682-9832) between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. central time.

  • Before you sign a contract with any company, check it out with the local Better Business Bureau (BBB), a non-government service which advises consumers on fraud prevention. Call your local BBB. If you cannot find a local number listed in the phone directory, call the Council of Better Business Bureaus at (703) 276-0100 for a referral to the office nearest you.

About The Author

© Copyright. http://www.deleteuglycredit.com

Omar M. Omar is the owner of http://www.deleteuglycredit.com. The website is dedicated to provide credit consumers with information about their credit right and how to dispute inaccurate information on their credit report. Omar M. Omar is also the author Of "The Credit Repair Bible" book.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, in your Newsletter, on your website, or in your E-Book, as long as the author's Resource Box is included with the article.

omar@deleteuglycredit.com


MORE RESOURCES:

BBC News

Former Credit Suisse broker arrested in US
Swissinfo, Switzerland - 1 hour ago
A former Credit Suisse broker has been arrested for fraud and conspiracy over deceptive sales of subprime-related auction-rate debt in the United States. ...
Former Credit Suisse broker charged with subprime-linked fraud in ... International Herald Tribune
UPDATE 1-FBI arrests ex-Credit Suisse broker Reuters
Criminal charges for ex-Credit Suisse brokers Independent
Washington Post - Forbes
all 467 news articles


CEP News

S&P upgrades Raytheon credit ratings 1 notch
CNNMoney.com - 13 hours ago
S&P upgraded the company's long-term corporate credit rating to "A-" from "BBB+." The outlook is "Stable." The Waltham, Mass. ...
Credit rating soars in District 300 Northwest Herald
Starbucks downgraded to 'BBB' on weakening credit metrics - S&P Hemscott
S&P cuts National City credit rating The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com
Wall Street Journal - Forbes
all 87 news articles


Credit Crunch: The Sequel
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 18 hours ago
And that certainly seemed to be the case in March when investment bank Bear Stearns became the highest-profile victim of the credit crisis. ...
UPDATE 1-US banks' direct borrowing hits record in week Reuters
UPDATE:Comml Bks Set Record For Avg Discount Window Borrowing FXstreet.com The Foreign Exchange Market
The Market: What the Pros Are Saying BusinessWeek
The Associated Press - San Jose Mercury News
all 76 news articles


Legg Mason's stock hit by Credit Suisse downgrade
Reuters - 13 hours ago
Credit Suisse analyst Craig Siegenthaler downgraded Legg Mason, the No. 2 publicly traded US asset management company, to "underperform" from "neutral," ...
After Credit Suisse downgrade, Legg shares fall Daily Record (subscription)
Legg Mason leads financials lower MarketWatch
Legg Mason shares slide after ratings downgrade Forbes
Baltimore Sun - 24/7 Wall St.
all 20 news articles


UPDATE 1-US credit problems far from over - FDIC's Bair
Reuters - 8 hours ago
"You simply must accept that the credit downturn is far from over," Bair said in prepared remarks to a banking group in Florida, a state where the US ...
On credit watch RightSide Advisors
Bank Failures Rising How to Protect Your Money Inglewood Today
FDIC Quandary Could Stick US Taxpayers With the Tab for the US ... Money Morning
InvestmentNews - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
all 16 news articles


LA Financial Federal Credit Union and Operation HOPE Partner to ...
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
As a result of the partnership, HOPE will offer "one-on-one" home ownership, credit and money management counseling to LA Financial members and unbanked ...


To Your Credit, Two Cards
Washington Post, United States - 2 hours ago
Dear Heloise: My suggestion is to carry two (different type -- Heloise) major CREDIT CARDS. When in a foreign country recently, I found an airport desk that ...


Police seek credit union robber
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 10 hours ago
Posted: 3:57 PM- Salt Lake City police are seeking the man who robbed a credit union Thursday. The Mountain America Credit Union at 1225 S. Redwood Road was ...
Man robs credit union KSL-TV
Officers searching for man who robbed credit union Deseret News
all 3 news articles


Washington Post

Agent's credit cards led to arrests
Houston Chronicle, United States - 7 hours ago
By PEGGY O'HARE Authorities have arrested two people linked to credit cards stolen from a Woodlands federal agent who died after he was severely beaten ...
Thomas J. Byrne; DEA Supervisory Agent in Houston Washington Post
all 3 news articles


RTT News

Boston Fed's Rosengren says financial problems have evolved into ...
Forbes, NY - Sep 3, 2008
WASHINGTON (Thomson Financial) - What started as a liquidity crunch among banks now appears to have turned into a full-fledged credit crunch, as more banks ...
US growth sluggish in face of credit crunch: Fed Reuters
This credit crunch is going to bite: Rosengren MarketWatch
Fedspeak Highlights: Boston’s Rosengren on the Credit Crunch Wall Street Journal Blogs
Bloomberg - Reuters
all 55 news articles

Credit - Google News

Interesting articles | Home | site map | Link
© 2006
Job posting sites Breast enlargement Jobs Mahoubi.net Free Online Dating | Free personals | Married personals | Totally free personals | Dating online lakeland fl | Free dating sites | Travel Vacations | Multiple listing service real estate