I often answer consumer questions regarding effective credit repair techniques. Here's a recent question I received pertaining to stubborn, obdurate credit bureaus and creditors who just won't do what the law requires then to do.

Here's the question:

I have several charge offs, and collections items on my credit report. I would like to get these items removed. The biggest challenge is with Experian they do not delete anything. I would like to purchase a home increase my score. I paid all my collection accounts and charge offs everything have zero balances three years ago. I only fell behind because I was taking care of a sick parent. My mistake was I never received or asked for a written letter from the creditor to remove it off my credit report after I paid it. At the time all I was thinking about 3 years ago was paying off my debt. Do credit repair work and is there any repair agency that is highly experienced with Experian. I tried the creditor but they will not work with me. I tried disputing all come back verified. I believe I need a experienced person to help with this.

Here's my answer:

I have been doing credit repair for 23 years. Clients pay me only after my work is completed. I mention this because there is so much misinformation online about credit repair. Often, well meaning folks try to convince people suffering with bad credit reports that there is nothing that can be done, that the negative items must remain there for seven years. DO NOT believe them! They are completely wrong!

There is no law that requires negative information be reported for any length of time (except delinquent child support payments over $1000 and certain student loans). If Experian wants to report your negative credit history, they must (after being notified by you) follow strict accuracy verification guidelines. In 23 years Experian (formerly TRW) has never done this for my clients. Experian's verification method is a joke, a lie. They reduce each dispute down to a 2 digit code called a CDV. They then rely on a low paid worker in India, the Philippines or another third world country to use this 2 digit code in communication with the original creditor to determine the complete accuracy of the account history in question. It's an impossible way to honestly verify if an item is completely accurate. Here's what you can do.

Experian told you the items have been verified. They lied to you. You must write to them insisting they supply you with the name and address of the person at the original creditor who claimed to verify the item. Also insist on seeing all the original documents for each disputed account. This includes the original signed application and the entire payment history including when payments were due, when they were received as well as how the principal and interest were computed. It is your right under federal law to request all the information on any account in dispute that a credit bureau claims has been verified as accurate. Experian and the creditor cannot or will not comply with your request. Often the unverifiable items will just be deleted. However, if Experian still refuses to comply with your request, you must sue them in small claims court. When prepared properly, a consumer rarely loses such a suit. Generally, creditors are immune to such lawsuits but credit reporting agencies are not.

One powerful tip I can give you is to research the name and address of the President, CEO or appropriate corporate officer at Experian. Include this person in your small claims lawsuit against Experian. After you win, this person from Experian will have a judgment against him. Due to stringers who gather public record data for the three major credit bureaus, this negative mark will eventually find its way onto the Experian corporate officer's personal credit report. He will then have bad credit...and ain't that sweet justice?

You can also have the items deleted or corrected by the original creditor. You mentioned the creditor will not work with you. When this happens to me for one of my clients I just go up the chain of command at the creditor's corporate office until I get someone who will listen to the extenuating, mitigating circumstances that caused the problem. This has enabled me to secure thousands of deletions for my clients because I eventually found a person at the creditor who had the authority and compassion to help someone who was being unfairly punished by a failed and uncaring credit reporting agency.

If you are persistent in your efforts to have an accurate credit report devoid of misleading, incomplete, unverifiable and erroneous information, then you will succeed. If you believe Experian or others who tell you to give up, that there is nothing you can do...then Experian will continue to ruin your life by selling a credit report about you that does not accurately reflect your true credit worthiness. Good luck and remember, get all the credit repair knowledge you can....and never give up!

Sure, folks can attempt to fix their own credit reports but I'm sure you'll agree from the above Q & A that there is a lot more to successful credit repair than sending dispute letters.