Can I get REALLY old credit accounts off my credit report that have been in collections for ten years?

Question

I copied this from the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Does number 4 mean that I can get these accounts taken off my credit report?

§ 605. Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports [15 U.S.C. § 1681c]

(a) Information excluded from consumer reports. Except as authorized under subsection (b) of this section, no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information:

(4) Accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss which antedate the report by more than seven years.

Answer 1

Absolutely.

Here is how. Get copies of your credit reports from the three bureaus. You can get them for free once a year from annualcreditreport.com, or you can pay for them at myfico.com if you have already used your free one this year.

Dispute each collection account on all three reports as "old debts" and they should fall off your report within 30-45 days.

Good luck!

Answer 2

BINGO... You are absolutely correct

Answer 3

YES, that is correct.  But some collection agencies have been known to redate a debt to keep it on ones report which also is illegal as per:

RE-DATING OF THE DEBT IN VIOLATION OF

[CITE: 15USC1681s-2]  ÃƒÂ‚§ 623. Responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies

a) Duty of furnishers of information to provide accurate information (1) Prohibition (A) Reporting information with actual knowledge of errors A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate. (B) Reporting information after notice and confirmation of errors A person shall not furnish information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if-- (i) the person has been notified by the consumer, at the address specified by the person for such notices, that specific information is inaccurate; and (ii) the information is, in fact, inaccurate.

If those items are past the reporting time, dispute it with the credit reporting agency.  Here is a link on how to dispute items

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/aler...

Information on time barred debts.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/cr...

Download a pdf file regarding how to dispute with CRA's

Hope this answers your question

LEGAL DISCLAIMER:  The advice contained herein is for informational purposes only.  It is not to be construed as Legal Counsel nor Legal Advice.

Answer 4

Ditto @ Jeff's answer!